What If Durant Gets A Ring Before LeBron?!?
LeBron James has been fighting the demons. He’s been hearing it since he was in Cleveland. “Phenomenal player, but can he deliver on the ultimate stage – in an NBA Finals?” Well, we got that answer didn’t we. LeBron James – Take Two: South Beach. Same demons, same questions. LeBron’s biggest problem right now is he’s so damn good. When you are 40 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists good, people expect the ultimate success. MVP trophies are nice, but they don’t exactly fit on your finger.
The LeBron James comparisons to Magic, Jordan or Kobe has lost some steam, primarily because in the NBA (more so than in the NFL or MLB) we judge legacies based on championships. The pressure to join this exclusive fraternity has been mounting for years. Who stands in his way right now? A wanna be tough guy in Danny Granger? An aging Celtics team with no low post game? (Although, if the Heat don’t get back Chris Bosh, put the Heat in that same category). Out West right now the team on cruise control and the potential biggest threat to LeBron’s mission is the San Antonio Spurs (winners of 18 games in a row….read that line again. 18 GAMES IN A ROW). However, what if LeBron and the Heat get to the NBA Finals and draw the young and talented Oklahoma City Thunder team led by Kevin Durant. Now imagine if LeBron lost.
LeBron James has spent the better part of a decade chasing a dream, trying to shake off the haters and the doubters. Could you imagine the pain, the humiliation, the frustration if Kevin Durant in almost half the time (5th season) ends up not only getting a ring first, but does it at the expense of ‘King’ James?! You want to talk about the moving parts of an NBA list of current greats being reshuffled. Mr. James, could you please step aside and let Mr.Durant through? Ummm, Mr. James I’m sorry, you’re not at the Champions Table at tonight’s dinner, you are at table 12 in the back. Just look for Mr. Barkley and Mr. Ewing.
Which franchise is better positioned to win titles over the next few years? This year, certainly the Thunder have a tougher road (Mavericks, Lakers, Spurs), however, they are fully loaded and healthy, unlike the Heat who have been battling without Chris Bosh. If both teams can survive and end up in the Finals, it would make for some compelling television. Humble vs. Hollywood. The quiet contract extension vs made-for-TV ’Decision’. My gut tells me most of the haters out there will root for Kevin Durant to get his championship first. If LeBron does lose to Durant, we might just see a shake up in Miami. Whether it’s the team’s core or the coach. It will be back to the drawing board for Mr. James. Same demons. Same questions.
The BoomBox: In House With Leah LaBelle: Singer Talks New Album With Pharrell Williams, Jermaine Dupri
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Attentive “American Idol” viewers may remember Leah LaBelle from season three of the hit reality series. While she bowed out at a respectable 12th position, it was her YouTube videos — shot after she’d graduated from Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music — that really got her noticed. On the strength of those clips, the Canadian-born daughter of Bulgarian refugees landed gigs singing backup for such artists as Keri Hilson, honing a set of skills that would eventually catch the eyes and ears of L.A. Reid, Pharrell Williams and Jermaine Dupri, who signed her to a joint deal.
When LaBelle stopped by The BoomBox’s New York City offices, the rising songstress was still at work on her debut album — due out later this year — but she was happy to chat about the sessions and even sing a live version of “Sexify,” her flirty, surefire summer jam of a lead single. Before leaving for the day, LaBelle also chatted about her influences, dished on recording with Pharrell and J.D., posed for some photos and generally charmed the hell out of our staff. Check out our interview and have a look at our exclusive
photos.
See Photos of Leah LaBelle’s In House Visit With The BoomBox
Talk about your first single, “Sexify.” Who produced it, and how did it come about in the studio?
“Sexify” was produced by Pharrell. We recorded it in Miami. It was a really nice vibe. It was actually the first song we ever did together. We wrote it based off of magazine cover titles, Cosmopolitan magazine. We had this big white board, and we went through all the issues, writing the ones that stood out the most and picking and choosing which ones stood out and wrote the song based off of that. But in the way of the Cosmopolitangirl, the young cosmopolitan woman of today, how she lives. “Sexify” was that phrase, so we built the song around that.
What was it like working with Pharrell? He’s known as being very hands-on in the studio. Was there anything he pushed you to do?
I learned a lot working with him. I learned a lot from J.D. [Jermaine Dupri] as well, but Pharrell, he’s a visionary, so he sees things you might not see in yourself, because it’s hard sometimes to look at yourself sometimes and see the things other people see. He helped me pull out the side of me where “Sexify” came from — more fun and flirty and sexy. I’m a lot of different people, so in that moment, I was in a phase where I was maybe not so in that space. But he saw it in me and was like, “No, this is where you are. Let’s pull it out.” He challenged me vocally as well — just different elements I didn’t know I had or could touch and reach. It was really awesome. I learned a lot about myself working with him and finding parts of me I hadn’t tried before.
Does the album have a title yet?
Still deciding.
Are there any collaborations we can look forward to?
Pharrell and J.D. are on there, but as of now, nobody else we can speak about.
Is the five-song sampler fairly indicative of the album on the whole, or will the other songs go in different directions?
That’s a pretty good overall feeling of what the album is going to be like. It’s just that feel-good-texture music, that throwback-but-new feel. That was kind of what we were going for.
You were signed by L.A. Reid to Epic, but you’re working with Pharrell and J.D. How does it work with all of these creative forces coming together?
I’m signed directly to Epic, but I’m under Pharrell and JD’s imprint. L.A. Reid is the executive who oversees everything, but he’s a creative mind as well. If he loves it, or if he doesn’t, he puts his input on it as well. Creatively, the process was really me and Pharrell and J.D.
You talked about working with Pharrell; what’s it like with J.D.? He has a reputation for being more laid back and jovial, maybe.
It’s a different vibe. They’re both hilarious people. Don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot of jokes on both sides. I had a lot of fun working with both. With Pharrell, it’s like focused work. That’s a great thing. With JD, it’s still focused, but he’ll take breaks and play video games and do things like that. So the vibe is a little different. But it’s still fun. I get excited working with both, because it’s different parts of my brain that I focus on with each person.
Are there any crazy or memorable moments in the studio that stand out with J.D.?
Not in the studio. We work pretty hard in the studio, but being in Atlanta — he’s very Atlanta. I’d never actually been to Atlanta, like out and about. He showed me the nightlife of Atlanta. The first weekend we ever worked together, I was thrown into this Atlanta pool. I’m hanging around with Young Jeezy and T.I. It’s my first weekend and I’m thrown in with the kings of Atlanta, hanging out.
Is there any place they took you that stands out as particularly crazy?
Yeah, but I won’t talk about that [laughs].
[One of Leah's assistant's interjects: "It's in a song."]
It is in a song. “Mr. Scissors” is a little peek inside.
I was going to ask about the inspiration behind that song…
“Mr. Scissors” was inspired by a situation that I was going through with somebody who felt like he could make the decisions for things that I wanted to do with my life and then when I didn’t do it that way, he felt like he could say, “Well, I don’t need to be with you.” So we kind of flipped it and just made it, “Well, fine, then you’re gonna be cut off,” you know what I mean?
Know what you mean!
Take control.
You have a very soulful voice. Who were some of the singers you grew up loving?
My favorite singer is Lauryn Hill – all time, hands down. She was my biggest inspiration growing up. I think when I was about 7, I discovered her. Through my growth, I studied her. She’s amazing. But I love a lot of gospel music. Kim Burrell is one of my all-time favorites. I love Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Brandi, Sade, Nat King Cole. I like the Beatles. I listen to a lot of that. But my main influence was Lauryn.
Can you talk about some of your tattoos?
This one [points to arm] is from [the 1888 William Ernest Henley poem] “Invictus”: “I’m the master of my fate. I’m the captain of my soul.” I was sitting with my friend JoJo, the singer, and she started reading me the poem. We were eating lunch, and I was like, “Oh my goodness, I love those lines.” It’s very true to yourself: You decide your fate. You decide the things that ultimately you do. You have choices in this world, and that’s how I live. That really stuck out to me. This one “creatively and wonderfully made” is from a bible verse. I enjoyed that because I feel like I was created for a special purpose. “Product of blessings” is just that: a product of blessings. My life has been a blessing. I’m grateful for everything I do have and the places I’m going and the things I’ve seen. I feel very blessed and grateful. I have 16 or 17 [tattoos].
Do you want to get more?
There’s one idea I have. On my back, I want to do like an old-school mic at the top and have the cord going down my spine, saying “believe.” I think it would be really dope. I did have a phase where I wanted to do a whole piece on my back, but my mom would kill me. She already feels that way about these ones.
We’re coming up on the summer — what is your favorite summer record?
Honestly, the whole Fugees The Score album is one of my all-time favorite summer ones. I cruise around, windows down. It’s such a feel-good album. I think every summer I wear that CD out.
Listen to Leah LaBelle’s Five-Song Sampler
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Whitney Houston & Jordin Sparks (@JordinSparks) – Celebrate
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SoundCloud
Whitney Houston ft Jordin Sparks – Celebrate
The late great Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks link up for their duets uplifting single called Celebrate which was produced by R. Kelly for the Sparkle soundtrack that opens in theaters on August 17.
Kendrick Lamar (@Kendrick_Lamar) – War Is My Love
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SoundCloud
Kendrick Lamar- War Is My Love
Kendrick Lamar is back and releases a new track called War is my love that is featured on the video game Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.
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Nas (@nas) Covers Complex Magazine
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