[Video] Pharrell, Kendrick Lamar & More Perform at 2014 NBA All Star Game
Ever since Michael Jordan retired and the new breed of superstar was established in the NBA (a la Allen Iverson, Dwight Howard), the NBA All-Star game has been much more performance than true sporting event since Tracy McGrady threw himself an alley-oop off the backboard in-game, and this weekend's jam-packed 2014 edition was no less light on the entertainment. Held in New Orleans, the 63rd installment of the annual competition of the league's brightest stars saw performances from the likes of Pharrell, who showed up with both his infamous hat, and former Neptunes/N.E.R.D. partner Chad Hugo in tow, performing a slew of his hits on both the production and singing tips. He did the classic, decade-old song, "Frontin", brought out Nelly for "Hot in Herre", did the hook on Jay Z's "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It to Me)", although Mr. Carter wasn't in attendance, and brought out Busta Rhymes and Diddy for a fresh version of "Pass the Courvoisier Part II". He aldo did "Blurred Lines" for which Robin Thicke was also a no-show and followed it with the cult classic, "Rock Star" with his Hugo, who played the keytar flawlessly. Pharrell finally finished, playing "Beautiful" with Snoop Dogg and, following the Western Conference introductions, did an interpretation of "Get Lucky", again, without Daft Punk, and during "Happy", he popped on the big hat. Kendrick looked as intense as ever, performing "m.A.A.d City" and "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" in an understated black hooded sweatshirt. Janelle Monae continued to prove why she is a favorite for performances like these, tapping none other than Trombone Shorty, Gary Clark Jr., Doctor John and Earth Wind & Fire for a memorable performance that included a rendition of her song, "Electric Lady", before joining Earth, Wind and Fire for "Shining Star". All in all, there was plenty to make up for the mediocre basketball. Watch it all below.
Pharrell:
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Kendrick Lamar
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Janelle Monae & Trombone Shorty
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[Video] Yo Gotti: "Lebron James"
From working in the booth to working in the streets and beyond, Yo Gotti has long been known as "The King of Memphis". On a months-long public relations push in the lead up to his highly-anticipated new album, I Am, Gotti is out to prove he's ahead of the game with his music video for "Lebron James" featuring fan-generated content of the 5-time NBA MVP. Having had a chance to catch Gotti while his I Am tour came through Chicago, I can certainly speak to the hunger the song evokes as his set was tailored from beginning to end and packed with hits new and old, all in front of one of the largest strobe lights I've ever seen. Pick up I Am, due out November 19.
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Samsung and NBA agree to $100 million deal
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Talk about making power moves. Samsung has been slowly creeping on Apple's stronghold on the mobile industry with their line of Galaxy smartphones and various tablets. Their first foray into the entertainment industry happened this past July 4th with their timed-exclusive release of Jay Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail. Now, the Korean company is entering the world of professional sports.
It's being reported that Samsung and the NBA have reached a $100 million deal that will also include the WNBA and NBA Development League. Samsung will provide Samsung TVs and tablets courtside for officials to use for replays. The company will serve as the main partner for the NBA Summer League and associate partner for future NBA Drafts and the NBA All-Star Jam Session, the 2014 Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, the presenting partner of the NBA D-League Showcase, and the main partner for the WNBA's year-end Performance Awards. In return, the NBA will create exclusive content for Samsung devices for NBA League Pass owners, including game recaps, analysis, commentary, etc.
[via Engadget]
Drake Named Toronto Raptors' Global Ambassador
It's normal to see some of your favorite rappers sitting courtside at any NBA game. If you're a rapper of Jay Z's caliber, you probably have had ownership in a team and started a sports agency. If you're a rapper along the lines of Drake, well then you can become the global brand ambassador for the Toronto Raptors.
"The position serves various roles including franchise host, business partner, and consultant," which makes sense since Toronto is set to host the NBA All-Star Game for the first time ever in 2016. One thing's for sure: it should be one hell of an All-Star weekend when that time rolls around, and it will be interesting to see what Drake has planned. Until then, check out what he has to say about his new position in the video below.
http://youtu.be/JxP7N2cnvZU
[Via HypeTrak]