This Energy Drink is marketed as “A cyclone of deliciousness.” That’s a silly exaggeration; what wind storms have to do with patriotism is beyond me; but it’s certainly not bad. The taste reminds me of… I don’t know; one of those American sodas.
my rating : 3 of 5
Money Talks and so does Franklin; a wisecracking ticket scalper played by Chris Tucker. He’s the star of the show and easily the most entertaining thing about this movie, the plot of which has him partnering with LA news reporter James Russell.
It’s an action-packed adventure of sorts as the pair get chased not only by the police; Franklin is suspected of committing multiple homicides during a prison escape; but a gang of gun-toting bad guys who’ll kill anybody to get their stolen diamonds back.
my rating : 3 of 5
1997
Grape is one of my favorite artificial flavors and, though that’s especially the case when it comes to candy; I love purple Skittles; beverages are no exception. That makes this Energy Drink one of the best 3D variations, which means little as they’re all inherently flawed by the fact that they’re carbonated thus mildly painful to consume.
my rating : 3 of 5
“Biggie, give me one more chance,” to cash in on your death. This movie; based on the life of Chris Wallace, better known as The Notorious BIG; isn’t really about biographical art. Neither does it offer anything new about his life. It’s just a straight summary that goes from his hardships as a Brooklyn street kid to the Biggest name the “eastcoast” rap world has to offer without offering any unique insight or perspective of its own. That means, even if you never read Vibe or watched BET enough to know what’s going to happen, what does is never enough to warrant a Hollywood movie.
Aside from his “so-called beef with you-know-who” and the spectacular murders that follow, BIG’s life of rags-to-riches, worldwide fame and bitches; Naturi Naughton plays the role of Lil Kim; just isn’t that interesting when the words don’t rhyme over beats. The storytellers here; screenwriters Reggie Rock and Cheo Hodari, along with director George Tillman; simply lack the creative know-how to make up for that fact. What that results in is a movie any cinema-driven fan could’ve made with a big-enough budget and approval from $ean “Puffy” Combs as executive producer.
my rating : 3 of 5
2009
The title seems to be a reference to Black Sunday, but it could also nod at the fact that the music is produced not by DJ Muggs but Black Milk. It’s a head-scratching move; Milk has no previous association with Cypress Hill; but a fitting replacement. If you didn’t know any better, in other words, you’d think that was Muggs on the beats.
On an album packed with marijuana references; Open Ya Mind celebrates its legalization in the group’s home state of California; The Original is a minor highlight. Most of the rest is merely decent. The worst songs are the ones with the worst hooks; namely Come With Me and Bye Bye. They should’ve called back Brevi Wood.
my rating : 3 of 5
2022
It’s unclear why one of hip-hop’s most acclaimed beatmakers decided to limit himself to the role of MC for this project, which, with just six songs and an Intro, straddles the line between album and EP. The boom-bap is provided by DJ Scratch, who does an admirable job substantiating his “superproducer” moniker.
Every beat is composed of gritty drums juxtaposed with a layer of melody; Shaolin-style strings, horns and pianos. Rza’s raps help make Kung Fu Theater a fairly enjoyable show. The most crowd-pleasing act is Fate Of The World, though the song probably should’ve been saved for the next Wu-Tang joint.
my rating : 3 of 5
2022
Raspberry is one of the worst fruit flavors. I don’t like the Jolly Ranchers and I don’t like this version of Lit; a Beyond Raw (pre-workout) energy drink “built by science”. It’s not bad, but the Watermelon version tastes much better.
my rating : 3 of 5
This album is best at The Beginning and end. The former has KRS-One rapping “straight thru”; something he should do more often because, like most MCs, his skills decline at the breaks. When he passes the mic to a guest vocalist with “the right hook”, as he does with wife G Simone on the latter; a melodic life lesson entitled Think Bigger; “the song becomes a knockout”.
The ones in-between are mostly mediocre. At 50-something, Kris still spits better (raps) than most of his students, but Can You Dance; a tribute to old-school hip-hop dances like the wop; sounds like an unfinished demo. The worst thing about the album though is the title. IMAMCRU1? Get it? No? Well, there’s a whole song to explain it. Not that it’ll make it any less lame.
my rating : 3 of 5
2022
Johnny Walker fights usually end with him either knocking someone out or getting knocked out and this bout is no exception. Jamahal Hill finishes him with a punch to the forehead, of all places, which, after being dropped twice by Ryan Spann when they fought, suggests he simply can’t take a punch. Perhaps it’s that same brain defect that makes his body react in cartoonishly amusing ways. Here he goes unconscious after a delayed back flop à la Ric Flair.
my rating : 3 of 5
2022
If you’re wondering why Snoop (Doggy) Dogg is Bacc On Death Row, which should be the actual title instead of the silly initialism, it’s because the record label is now owned by him. This album serves as a toast, rather a puff of that “sticky icky”, in celebration of the news.
There’s a song called Daddy about his allure when it comes to “bad bitches” young enough to be his daughter. It’s better than anything from Tha Doggfather, but BODR, his third album on Death Row Records, doesn’t come close to matching his “classic” Doggystyle debut.
my rating : 3 of 5
2022
Mike Mathetha, known as Blood Diamond and better known as Israel Adesanya’s training partner, fails to live up to his hype in this UFC debut. Jeremiah Wells makes a blunder at the very start of the bout, which Diamond attempts to capitalize on, but he allows himself to get grabbed and eventually taken down. That’s the beginning of the end for the “highly touted” kickboxer who misses his one strike thrown.
my rating : 3 of 5
2022
![Quaker Instant Oatmeal [ Protein ] : Cranberry Almond](https://marcellee.com/posts/111306.jpg)
The aroma that arises when you pour “hot milk or boiling water” into a bowl of this oatmeal, from the Quaker Protein series, is quite delectable. It smells like fresh-baked soft and gooey Cranberry Almond oatmeal cookies, but the taste is a comparative letdown. It’s not as sweet as you expect or “delicious” as the box claims.
That’s a drawback of trying to balance tasty and healthy, but there’s a way to make eating this and other run-of-the-mill oatmeals an enjoyable experience. Add just enough bowling water to make it wet, stir, make a milk well, pour in cold milk and eat mainly the milk with a spoon while scooping in bits of warm oatmeal.
my rating : 3 of 5