Hip Hop is Dead; Rebirth in Graceland?

Because Iverson and Scoop Jackson are the NBA's answer to Favre and Peter King, we would be remiss not to welcome Fake Scoop Jackson to say a few words:

Ladies and gentleman, brothers and sisters, boys and girls, we're talking about practice. And games. And jerseys. Puttin on that fresh authentic before every game. Kicks to match. Swagger just suffocating fools. Damn.

The story here is about a young man with grown talent. The young man pisses people off, but he doesn't care. Took the world by storm; 5'11 and 165, he looked like a boy, made men look helpless. Brushin' off the haters. Damn. Remember the days?

The young man gets older, he gets bolder. He was cut from a different kente cloth. We knew that all along. Soon, he's an empire. Owns it all now. Commercials, MVP trophies, and the city of the brotherly love that always finds a way to hate. They love the young man, though. His name is Allen, but streets is calling, and all they say is two letters.

A. I.

Bubba Chuck. Cru Thik. Entourage before HBO made it corny. Hip Hop. Killin 'em softly. Sentence fragments for emphasis. Homeboy from Virginia Beach taking over the world. Black people. Haters take a number; they hated Christ, too.

The Finals. Steppin over Tyronn Lue. Cold. Some say pity the fool, but there's no mercy in war. Basketball as metaphor for The Struggle. Nobody gets it, but we understand. They watch him, but we See him. Yessir.

That was then. Good Times. Not getting hassled, not getting hustled. Keepin your head above water, makin a wave when you can. Scratchin' and survivin. Good Times.

But the show got cancelled in Philly. Denver and Detroit, too. Hip Hop is dead. Ain't no love in the heart of the city. Haters is back now, and louder than ever.

So why not take it back to where it all started? Memphis. Before Elvis sold it, the place had Soul. Bringin it back to the birthplace: Barbecue, Blues, and Bubba Chuck.

Haters gon' hate, but the city got love for him. The streets got love for him. He's Ours. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

And God chose Memphis. Don't call it Graceland for nothin'...

(Scoop Jackson's actual reaction: "Things Done Changed")