This Nick'a Did It First

Over the weekend, the always-awesome sports humor site, Deadspin, posted a link to an extended review of B-Ball's Best Kept Secret. It was the usual "OMG, look how bad it is when basketball players try to rap" piece written by someone who knows nothing about rap.

Now, I'm not trying to say the album was good, it's just that better, more knowledgeable writers have already covered this sarcastic territory. In fact, nearly four years ago, my Friday Music News co-conspirator wrote that this excellent piece (scroll down about 1/2 way through) celebrating the album's 10-year anniversary. The following week, due to some of the best feedback I'd ever received on anything Bootleg-related, there was a song-by-song follow-up (again, about 1/2 way through the column).

I just axe that you ignore ALL of the way-dated jokes that I wrote before and after the "Nick'a Please" segments. Hard to believe those Farnsworth Bentley, Kara Wolters and Cosby Kids quips of mine haven't stood the test of time.

On the other hand, my all-too-rare reference to the first of my three straight 411/Inside Pulse "Writer of the Year" awards is simply timeless.