It’s summertime in California, but LL is as Cool as ice as he roams LA in a black Corvette with the top down. Black and white glamor shots, some of which feature sexy white girls dancing off-beat, give the video an artsy 1940s throwback kind of vibe.
my rating : 4 of 5
1988
Joanna Jędrzejczyk suggested this would be the greatest strawweight title fight in UFC history, which doesn’t mean much as she’s known for making grandiose claims. Remember her Boogeywoman shtick? She delivers on this one though with the help of opponent Weili Zhang, who happens to hold her former championship title.
This bout, an epic strikefest, is close, but, though I was rooting for Jędrzejczyk, I think the judges get it right. Weili Zhang gets hit more, but she hits harder, so Jędrzejczyk gets the worst of it. By the end, her face is drastically deformed. She leaves The Octagon with a swollen (“Frankenstein”) forehead and a crooked nose.
my rating : 4 of 5
2020
You can hardly blame Israel Adesanya for being tentative early, especially after taking a big shot to the face. He takes another in round 2. Yoel Romero is a beast, but his explosiveness comes in spurts, so the gaps are filled with tension. He begins this fight standing nearly still and it’s scary.
Intimidation only goes so far though and he doesn’t offer much beyond it. Adesanya, while cautious, is more offensive, especially with his leg kicks. Romero blames Adesanya’s “running” for his own inactivity during his interview with Joe Rogan, but he’s full of shit. No, I won’t say that to his face.
my rating : 3 of 5
2020
Jadakiss dedicates this album to his friend Icepick Jay who died of cancer not too long ago. Ignatius was his first name. It’s an odd choice in that, as the first new Jadakiss solo release in nearly five years, we get a project based on such a specific, albeit endearing, concept.
The music itself is mostly standard Jada for better or worse. The worse includes a song entitled Me in which the rapper is constantly stilted by a Peabo Bryson song sample. The best is Government Cheese; a Christian poverty anthem featuring Dej Loaf, Nino Man and Millyz.
my rating : 3 of 5
2020
![audio review : The Lion King [ The Gift ] ( album ) ... Beyoncé](https://marcellee.com/posts/92803.jpeg)
Listening from the start, you might think this album; a needless soundtrack from a needless remake of The Lion King; is going to be Beyoncé’s best in a long time. Indeed she should’ve saved the first couple of songs; Bigger and Find Your Way Back; for her next (proper) release.
Here they’re nearly lost in a mix that includes a slew of Interludes; there’s one before almost every song; and vocals from African artists most Beyoncé fans probably never heard of. Not that the beats, indigenous soundscapes served with modern drum thumps, aren’t groovy.
my rating : 3 of 5
2019
Michelle Waterson is simply outclassed here. She can smile all she wants. She loses every round to Joanna Jędrzejczyk and her superior kickboxing skills, which leave Waterson bloodied and battered. Jędrzejczyk actually injures her own foot kicking her ass.
my rating : 4 of 5
2019
Ion Cuțelaba crosses the line by interrupting Bruce Buffer’s introduction to approach Magomed Ankalaev; it would’ve been funny if Ankalaev knocked him out right then; but his loss here is the result of a premature, albeit arguably justified, stoppage.
“Kevin MacDonald’s got his work cut out for him,” Brendan Fitzgerald observes, but though Ankalaev’s strikes appear to excessively wobble Cuțelaba, he steps in a bit too soon. It’s a decision made to look worse than it is when Cuțelaba immediately protests.
my rating : 3 of 5
2020
Keith Washington is a handsome man who sounds like Luther Vandross when he sings. Is there any wonder why his entire debut album is dedicated to romancing women? Every single song is about Love; he’s made nearly an hour For it; which is often a euphemism for sex.
“Lie close to me; hold on; let’s make our love last all night long,” he croons while Kissing You; he always addresses her directly; “Baby, I’m yours; take all of me.” That and Are You Still In Love With Me are the best cuts. The others serve as basic background bedroom music.
my rating : 3 of 5
1991
Israel Adesanya’s antics may be annoying; he comes to The Octagon as if he’s about to compete in a dance-off; but his MMA skills can’t be denied. While not a blow-out; Robert Whittaker is also an elite fighter; he does in two rounds what Yoel Romero couldn’t in ten.
Not only is Robert Whittaker defeated, he’s knocked senseless with a hook to the face, making Israel Adesanya the new Middleweight Champion. Next up is Paulo Costa, the “heavy-ass Ricky Martin wannabe”, who’s standing in the crowd with a Vida Loca shirt on.
my rating : 3 of 5
2019
Cat Zingano begins this fight with a flying knee. At least that was the plan. Ronda Rousey dodges, wraps her arm around her head, takes her down, does a ninja flip which also flips Zingano and somehow transitions her into an armbar.
Zingano taps quickly and, in the words of Mike Goldberg, “It is all over!” That’s “it” meaning the fight. The most poignant part comes after when Joe Rogan interviews a terribly frustrated Zingano about losing her title shot in just a matter of seconds.
my rating : 3 of 5
2015
I generally don’t like Chili unless it’s on a hot dog, which it actually improves the taste of. This Coney from Sonic is no exception. Cheese only further enhances the experience.
The usual condiments; mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise; would only distract. Neither is there a need for onions. It’s just a beef hot dog with Chili and Cheese and it’s delicious.
my rating : 5 of 5
“He’s just so powerful and explosive,” Joe Rogan warns early on, “Out of nowhere he will explode.” Weidman, who otherwise matches even with Romero, finds that out the hard way in the final round.
Romero’s first name may as well be George as he lands a flying knee that turns Chris Weidman into The Living Dead. The Soldier Of God then hops The Octagon to celebrate with goddess Madonna.
my rating : 3 of 5
2016