Drew Doughty Verbally Commits to the Kings

The Los Angles Kings can take a breath of fresh air, as come opening day, Drew Doughty will be in their lineup. Late Thursday night, it was confirmed that Doughty finally committed to the Kings; after a painfully long negotiation process. The financial terms have yet to be released but the LA Times report that it is an 8-year $56 million deal (yearly average of $7 million). Though it was said that the Kings weren't budging with their last offer and were refusing to pay Doughty more than Kopitar ($6.8 million a year); the Kings had to make a move and have now locked up arguably the best Canadian Olympic defencemen as well as one of the most highly sought after young players in the game. 

The 21-year old London, On. native and former Norris Trophy candidate has collected 33 goals and 92 assists in just 3 seasons in the NHL. If his young career is a preview of what is to come, the Kings might have possibly held on to the cornerstone of a potential Stanley Cup team.

Curren$y's- Ways To Kill Em' Video

Curren$y drops a sick video for the track Ways to Kill Em', off of his latest mixtape Verda Terrace. The dude is set to go on tour in the next couple of weeks with Method Man and Big KRIT for the annual Smokers Club Tour; with a Oct 21st Toronto show at Kool Haus. Should be a crazy show. "Why buy you a purse, when I can buy me a Regal" bahaha.

Check the Vid:

The Weeknd's Remix of "Shake it Out"

The Weeknd remixes an unlikely counterpart's jam in Florence and The Machine's track Shake it Out. Despite Abel Tesfaye's lack of vocals on the track; the track embodies all of what you would expect from The Weeknd, remixing such a track. The Weeknd transforms the track with a more triumphant and uplifting sound into his signature pitched-down, dark and wounding feel.

The Weeknd is set to play 2 upcoming Canadian shows at Guelph's Guelph Concert Theatre (Oct 1) and London's London Music Hall (Oct 2). 

Check the track:

Leafs Preview

Kessel, Connolly, Kadri, Lupul

It is difficult to believe that the last time Leafs fans witnessed their team in the post-season was before the 2004-2005 NHL lockout. Last year, despite narrowly missing the playoffs, the Leafs were able to take away 2 plus' after a late season run; the Grabo, MacArthur and Kulimen line as well as the emergence of James Reimer. It has clearly been a long wait for Toronto, but with a few savvy moves by Burke, the team looks to have their best chance to make to playoffs in quite some time. Burke acquired the likes of Connolly, Liles, Franson, and Lombardi via trade and free agency while earlier gaining the services of Lupul, Gardiner, and Colbourne during last season. This summer, Burke was also able to lock up Luke Schenn to a 5-year deal and also agree to terms with Clarke MacArthur, keeping the successful trio (Grabo, Kuli, Mac) together for at least another season. 

Despite all of this, this current Leafs roster still holds plenty of question marks. Can Connolly and Lombardi stay healthy? Can Connolly develop Kessel into a 40-goal man? Are the Grabo-Kuli-Mac line going to follow up last season with a successful sophomore run? And lastly, can James Reimer live up to the hype, and deal with the Toronto media after only 37 NHL games? With that aside, the Leafs do potentially have the deepest defence in the NHL as well as having young forwards with the likes of Frattin, Kadri and Colbourne to fill up their depth charts; if they did in fact make a run at the playoffs. But realistically, though the team has their best chance they have had in a while; this team can easily be 6th, 7th or 8th in the East, just as easy as they could be 9th, 10th or 11th in an extremely tight conference. 

Gardiner and Frattin have impressed during this years camp and preseason, so look for the to be the dark-horses to crack the squad. But one of the best stories of this years preseason is Matthew Lombardi's seemingly remarkable recovery from post-concussion syndrome; now making noise to crack the squad before opening day.

Here is my mock of the Leafs potential opening day roster:

Kulimen, Grabo, MacArthur

Kessel, Connolly, Lupul

Kadri, Bozak, Armstrong

Lombardi, Boyce, Orr

Extras: Frattin, Dupuis

Gunnerson, Phaneuf

Schenn, Liles

Franson, Gardiner/Aulie

Extras: Komisarek

Don't Fuck With Me- Pusha T

On Pusha T's latest freestyle over Drake's Dreams Money Can Buy, the rapper throws what seems to be some verbal jabs a Drizzy. Pusha T raps some harsh subliminal rhymes on the track Don't Fuck Wit Me:

"Rappers on their sophomores, actin' like the boss lords

Fame such a funny thing, for sure

When niggas start believing all them encores

I'm just the one to send you off, bonjour

See yourself as I pull up in that mirror tint

Skins vers' blouses, you mirror Prince

Chappelle Show, all of you Neil Brennans

Sketch comedy, who is for real pennin'?"

Pusha T then proceeds at the end of the track to say "no shots, but nothing goes unseen," while laughing maniacally in the background. It's hard to say if these jabs are directed at Drake or Young Money for sure; but recent history between Drake's label Young Money/Cash Money and Pusha T's label Def Jam/G.O.O.D. MUSIC make the thought seem fairly accurate. Just two months back, Wayne and Jay were both exchanging jabs at each other on their respected tracks. Could this be the start of a series of condescending jabs between the two labels? Check the track and see for yourself.

Don't Fuck Wit Me:

Take Care- Album Cover

Yesterday, Drake revealed the album art for his highly anticipated sophomore album Take Care. Via his October's Very Own blog, Drizzy released the following statement regarding his upcoming October 24th album: "Feels like it's been so long. Is life moving so fast in this generation that when we desirer something it begins to move in slow motion? Are we just used to getting what we want right away? Or do we require one another to feel right about all that is going on around us? Maybe our anticipation is justified by the fact that we genuinely cannot wait to share a moment again? Either way, your life and mine are scheduled to meet on October 24... I wouldn't miss it for the world." 

Check his most recent video for Marvin's Room:

Club Paradise: 

The Last Huzzah Remix- Video

Check the video for the Remix of Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire's track The Last Huzzah, featuring the likes of Das Racist, Danny Brown, El-P, and Despot. Fitting video for the outrageous track with an all-star cast of dope rappers, spittin' over a beat by Necro.

Hargreaves Bashes United Medical Staff

After a successful City debut, Owen Hargreaves couldn't help but criticize his former club's medical staff, shortly after scoring his first goal in over 3 years. United had treated and stuck with the Canadian-born, English international through a series of horrid injuries lasting almost 3 years. Hargreaves paid the club back by questioning the level of professionalism regarding United's medical staff, in terms of treating the injuries he so often encountered. He also claimed that Sir Alex urged him to make his comeback against Wolves too soon (a comeback that lasted 5 minutes before another injury), as he claimed he expressed he wasn't ready.

Hargreaves explained "I started that game with two muscle injuries but I should never have been in that position to begin with. I was just going to try to get through 45 minutes because that would have been a start. But I didn't last five. I wasn't surprised." He continued "I'd said to them that I had a hamstring problem, which I obviously did. I said: 'I think I've got a bit of a problem here.' I was surprised it didn't go in the warm-up, to be completely honest."He then expressed his opinion once again regarding United's medical staff in comparison to his new start at City, "But this is a new chapter in my life. The guys here (City's medical staff) have been great so far. I've been here three weeks and you can already see the difference. I knew it was all there. It was just a matter of doing things right."

I don't understand why the moment athletes leave their former clubs, they instantly turn around and try to bash them like never before. It's unfortunate that Hargreaves went about his business this way; as he could have simply expressed gratitude to the club that gave him the opportunity to win a Premier League title as well as a Champions League crown before sticking with the player through a 3 year injury hiatus. Regardless of what happened, the moment the player gained any bit of success, he had to come around and throw it in the face of his former club, manager and medical staff. 

R.E.M. Break Up

R.E.M. announced Wednesday that they have broken up after 3 memorable decades of great music. The band released this joint statement on their official website; "As lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening." 

For 31 years now, R.E.M. have been instrumental in defining the culture around "college rock", "alternative rock", "indie rock", or whatever you would like to label it as. They have influenced generations of musicians; moving from the underground into the mainstream, and selling millions and millions of records along the way. The band released a total of 15 albums, the latest of which being their 2011 release, Collapse into Now.

Indulge in some throwback R.E.M. with a live version of Loosing my Religion from their 1991 album Out of Time.

Girls' Video for Honey Bunny

Girls released the video for their track Honey Bunny directed by Girls' own J.R. White alongside Ivan Shumaker, Tuesday morning. The video consists of frontman Christopher Owens flaunting around in a sweater way too small for him; while driving in a Corvette, attempting to pick up an incredibly stunning woman. Owens and the woman then embark on an extremely "lovey dovey" but entertaining highway excursion, flying kites and shooting off highway flares.

Check the video:

Cole World- The Sideline Story Leak

Unfortunately for J. Cole, he was unable to avoid a premature album leak last night, like Kanye and Jay Z did last month with their album Watch the Throne. Kayne and Jay Z successfully dodged bootleggers before the release of Watch the Throne; making for one of the first high-profile Hip-Hop albums to do so in recent years. 

J. Cole had this to say to Vibe.com a little while back regarding a possible leak of his album "I feel blessed. There's been worse leaks than that so I understand it's part of the game, I always understood that. As long as people hear it together, it's cool," Cole said. "And I just know that the people who are going to buy it were going to buy it anyways. The people who weren't probably weren't anyways. If anything, the leak will reach out more people who might be like 'ah man, let's go get this.' So you know, it's kind of like promotion these days- if you got a good album. If you don't have a good album- they'll trash you."

Good way to look at it from J. Cole as Cole World- The Sideline Story happens to be a good, if not a great album. With the appropriate amount of star power with the likes of Drake, Jay Z, Missy Elliott and Trey Songz as well as J. Cole's signature witty yet intellectual rhymes, it was difficult to expect anything less. Wouldn't rank it as a classic, but Cole World- The Sideline Story is definitely an album to remember.

Download it here. The album officially drops Sept. 27th. 

Dollar and a Dream III:

Nothing Lasts Forever:

Who Dat:

United beat Chelsea 3-1

Sir Alex, facing his 15th Chelsea manager

United displayed once again, their superior clinical finishing often displayed in the early stages of their EPL campaign this season. Chris Smalling opened the scoring Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford, converting a header from an Ashley Young cross, about 6 yards out. Following this, in the 37th minute, Nani let loose an absolute stunner from 25 yards out, beating Cech top corner. Phil Jones then displayed fearless determination, dribbling into the 18 yard box before a deflection off of Chelsea skipper John Terry, left Rooney with a gaping net to convert yet another goal. 30 seconds later, Fernando Torres then scored only his second Chelsea goal, since his big money move from Liverpool last year; sliding home an easy ball from Anelka. 

Quite an entertaining match, as there could have easily been more goals with Rooney slipping and missing a penalty, Nani and Rooney both hitting the woodwork as well as Berbatov squandering a late golden chance. With that said, this proves to be a massive result as United's rivals, City drew at Craven Cottage as an unlucky bounce allowed Fulham to come away with a point. United are now 5 points clear of Chelsea and 2 points ahead of City, just 5 games in to the 2011-2012 EPL season. 

NYC trip soon?

Frank Ocean's 2 new videos

Frank Ocean's long anticipated video for his hit single Swim Good, finally began to surface the internet late Thursday night. The video consists of the aftermath of Frank Ocean seemingly committing a murder in a samurai outfit.



Frank also released the video for one of his latest tracks Thinking About You. The track's whereabouts is still yet to be determined as the re-release of nostalgia, Ultra has been delayed multiple times, leading to the speculation that he may in fact just be releasing a whole new album.

Luke Schenn agrees to a 5 year deal

Better late then never, as into the early hours of Friday, Luke Schenn and his agents finally agreed to a 5 year deal with the Leafs worth about $3.5 million a year. The Leafs' 5th overall pick in 2008, has been among the league leaders in hits the past two years and has shown leaps in progression throughout his first 3 years in the NHL. The Leafs rewarded the stay at home defencemen for his efforts with a long-term deal and some financial stability.

Good signing as the average cap hit is somewhere in between the likes of New York Rangers' Marc Staal ($3.9 million) and newly signed Winnipeg Jets d-man Zack Bogosian ($2.5 million). Though it would have been nice to see the average cap hit around $3.2 million a year, the Leafs likely paid to have Schenn locked up long-term (unlike Bogosian's 2 year, $2.5 million). 

Rooney's new Nike Ad

Rooney and Anderson

Wayne seems to have grasped a new found sense of confidence with the emergence of his stud-ly new locks (due to his recent hair transplant), beginning the 2011-2012 EPL campaign with 8 goals in four matches. Wayne has without a doubt begun the season as English football's best striker and pays tribute to his success with his latest Nike Ad.

Twin Shadow- Changes

George Lewis' Twin Shadow released the track Changes on Thursday; as the anticipation for his sophomore album begins to sky-rocket, set to drop early 2012. Twin Shadow's debut album Forget gained massive success over-night, as George Lewis made successful appearances at top music festivals including the Pitchfork Music Festival and Coachella, and is currently on a North American tour. His Toronto date is set for Oct 3rd at Mod Club.

Check the new track Changes:

  Shooting Holes off of Forget:

United can "Deal" with a draw at the Estádio da Luz

Soon to be, 38 year-old Ryan Giggs

Despite only coming away with a draw against Benfica Wednesday evening, United should keep their heads held high as earning 3 points at the Estádio da Luz is a difficult task to say the least. In the 24th minute, Benfica's Oscar Cardoza turned Jonny Evans quite easily and placed a well struck shot passed United's number 2 keeper Anders Lindegaard. Ryan Giggs then turned back the clock once again, with a stunning left footed strike just outside of the 18-yard-box before the first half concluded. Giggs' strike would prove to be vital as the game ended in a hard-fought 1-1 draw. 

In a game where United were resting many key players for their upcoming clash against Chelsea on Sunday, they were still able to pose a threat away from home. Despite this, United's recent domestic success makes the thought of a 1-1 draw against Benfica an underachieving blemish in the Champions League group stage. But do note that Benfica Away was perhaps their biggest test, in a group consisting of lacklustre teams like FC Basel, SL Benfica and FC Otelul Galati. Look for these points to perhaps be the only points dropped for United in the group stage.

Pumped for Sunday as the morning begins with an Old Firm Derby as Celtic and Rangers clash at Ibrox, followed by United against Chelsea at Old Trafford. 

Check Giggs' stunner:

Girls Perform on Jimmy Fallon

Last night marked a massive day for San Fansisco's Girls as they made their first live television appearance on Jimmy Fallon. Girls just released their second full-length album, Father, Son and Holy Ghost last week; as they put on a stunning show, performing the tracks Honey Bunny and My Ma off of the album.

Honey Bunny:

My Ma:

Is Tropical- The Greeks

Though the video for The Greeks might be a little violent and edgy, it can't help to make the viewer crack a smile.  The London based duo's debut album Native To dropped in early August. Despite the band receiving less than stellar critical reviews for the album, their first video is thought to be one of the most entertaining in a while. Watch as 5 French schoolboys re-enact a drug-deal gone wrong; with a little help from toy guns, fake drugs, C4 made out for play-doh and outstanding animation.  

Check the hilarious video directed by the well-known french duo Megafource.

Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Girls' follow up their stunning 2009 debut album titled Album, with an equally impressive sophomore release. Father, Son, Holy Ghost embodies Girls' signature retro vibe; as despite sounding like it's from the past, doesn't actually sound like anyone in particular, but possibly a combination of many. Their sound has been compared to the likes of Elvis Costello, The Beach Boys, and Buddy Holly. 

The first single Vomit , perhaps their most melodically intricate song on the album is approaching 7 minutes long. It begins with hushed guitar strums over Owen's bruiting vocals as the song then leads to a barrage of drums and distorted guitar solos, making for sick first single. The album is a blessing to listen to from start to finish, as it equips its listeners with a variety of intimate ballads with songs like Alex, accompanied with straight-up rock tracks with Die.

With such high expectations that Girls' seemingly lived up to, if not exceeded; one might begin to start consider them among the best in the world. Look for some 'album of the year' awards for this one.

Vomit:

Club Paradise, Free Spirit, Round of Applause

Late Saturday night, Drake gave his fans a taste of what they can expect on his upcoming album Take care, dropping 3 tracks sporadically thoughout the night via his October's Very Own blog; Club Paradise, Free Spirit and Round of Applause.

First, he dropped Club Paradise; a dope track that touches on Drizzy's different female relationships and their progression throughout the years. The title of the track, likely is referring to the well known strip-club called Club Paradise on Bloor Street West in Toronto.

Drake spits straight fire on the second track of the night as he collaborates once again with Rick Ross for the hype track Free Spirit (produced by 40). "Tatt my fuckin' name on you."

The third and final track that Drake dropped Saturday night was a feature on the remix of Waka Flaka's Round of Applause. 

Pumped for October 24th...

Frank Ocean- Dying For Your Love

Frank Ocean collaborated with award winning R&B singer-songwriter James Fauntleroy II (wrote "No Air" by Jordin Sparks and Chris Breezy) on his most recent track Dying For Your Love. As the anticipation for Ocean's upcoming re-release of the mixtape nostalgia, Ultra continues to grow, fans can expect a video the track Swim Good- arguably his best track off of nostalgia, ULTRA. The re-release will be titled nostalgia, Lite.

Check the track:

Lana Del Rey- Blue Jeans

New York's hottest export, Lana Del Rey released a video for her single Blue Jeans, which is supposed to be the B-side of her limited edition 7" vinyl, dropping late this month. The A-side will consist of her amazing single Video Games; which has finally boosted her career, gaining mad respect and creating quite the buzz throughout the music world. The 24-year-old is due to play her first live shows at New York's The Box on September 24th and LA's Hotel Cafe on September 27th. You can expect a full length album/EP from Lana Del Rey sometime in early 2012.

Check the video for Blue Jeans, chick gives me chills up my spine:

Blood Diamonds

Mike Tucker is a 21-year-old Vancouver based producer and video game design student who has been blessing many with his refreshing project, Blood Diamonds. After a DJ-ing stint in his hometown of Kansas City, Tucker decided to end his endeavours to learn how to use various production tools due to sheer boredom of playing the same kind of music over and over again. Cody Critcheloe from Ssion was the one who taught him the in and outs of how to produce and most importantly write music. Apparently the two spent a full month in Tuckers parents' basement working together, before Tucker moved to Vancouver and recorded his demo. 

One of his tracks called Heart, features chopped-up Temptations vocal samples as well as digital marimba, making for a crazy combination of sounds. Check the majority of his tracks on his Soundcloud page as he is planning to put out an EP later this year; where his singing will feature much more prominently.

Check his most recent track Dreams:

Lasting Love:

Heart:

 

Dream Match-Up: Diaz vs. Penn

Diaz (left), Penn (right)

The end result of UFC 137's ongoing drama is simply a matter of trading places, as Nick Diaz will now fight BJ Penn and George St. Pierre will face Carlos Condit (was supposed to be Diaz-St.Pierre and Penn-Condit). 

Just 24 hours after Dana White pulled Nick Diaz from the card for not showing up to two separate press conferences, he was re-instated for perhaps an all-around better fight. Diaz will face BJ Penn in the co-main event; as both fighters are known for their dodgy moves outside of the octagon, as well as also having very imaginative fighting styles that tend to present a constant flow of action in the octagon. GSP tends to find a dominant position against his opponent and sits on it, leading to much less of an entertaining fight. 

Pumped to see my two favourite fighters go at it as Diaz vs. Penn will without a doubt be the fight to watch on the UFC 137 card. The only shitty thing is, Diaz had some true animosity towards GSP and does not for Penn; which could lead to a less intense fight.

Qatar 2022 to cost £138 billion

Khalifa International Stadium, home of Qatar's national football team

The final cost of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is expected to reach an unthinkable £138 billion; £28 billion of which will be spent on creating a brand new city that will end up hosting the opening and final matches of the World Cup. The new city will be called Lusail, located in the east of Qatar, where the focal point of the city will be it's state of the art football stadium. On the Lusail website it cites "the aim is to establish a distinctive 21st century iconic city which celebrates the special cultural and geographical heritage of Qatar and the Gulf Region".

In addition, to air-condition 12 stadiums alone will cost Qatar an unimaginable £30 billion, with a further £48 billion set aside for the players and fans' accommodations, as well as training facilities for the teams. The New Doha International Airport will also be expanding in order to accommodate the many travelling fans coming from all over the world to witness this historic event. 

Legal and financial analyst Dr. Nicola Ritter explained to investors at a recent summit in Munich that £107 billion will be needed to carry the bill for the stadiums and facilities with another £31 billion to cover the new transportation infrastructure. 

Fleet Foxes Performance- Pitchfork Music Festival

The Pitchfork Music Festival is usually held every summer at Union Park in Chigago. Come October, the Festival will make its way outside of the U.S. for the first time to Paris; as Cut Copy, Bon Iver, Wild Beasts and Jens Lekman look to be the top acts in the lineup. 

Here is a sick performance from the Fleet Foxes during this summer's festival that took place June.

The Shrine/An Argument:

Tragic Plane Crash in Russia

Mourning fans outside of Lokomotiv's stadium

Wednesday morning, a Russian passenger jet carrying all of Lokomotiv's hockey team crashed, as the plane was unable to gain enough altitude before takeoff. The KHL team was set to leave for their season opener from an airport near Yaroslavl, on the Volga River; when the plane failed to climb rapidly enough, hitting an airport antenna. In all, 43 people died; 27 of which were members of Lokomotiv, including their coach Brad McCrimmon. Saskatchewan native, Brad McCrimmon played 18 years in the NHL, winning a Cup with Calgary in 1989. Following his playing career, he then served as an Assistant Coach with the Islanders, Flames, Thrashers and most recently the Red Wings before accepting a Head Coach position, just this year with Lokomotiv. 

Lokomotiv was without a doubt one of Russia's best hockey teams, placing third last year in the KHL. Among the deceased were Slovakian national team captain and long time NHLer, Pavol Demitra along with a handful of former NHL players including Josef Vasicek, Karel Rachunek, Jan Marek, Karlis Skrastins and Ruslan Salei. 

The 2011 off-season has been a horrible one for the hockey world; as earlier this summer, NHL enforcers Rick Rypien, Derek Boogaard and Wade Belak also lost their lives. Following the news of the crash, over 2,000 mourning Lokomotiv supporters gathered outside of their stadium to pay their respects; chanting their team songs in honour of their fallen hockey heros. 

Ireland and Russia Draw 0-0

Rep. of Ireland's draw in Russia Tuesday afternoon may prove vital to their European dreams with a little help from Armenia, who blew out Slovakia 4-0. In a game that was dominated by Russia, Trapatonni's stubborn defence prevailed, as keeper Shay Given and centre back Richard Dunne put in stunning defensive performances. The two helped Ireland to stick to their defensive structure as Russia ruled possession 62% to 38%, firing 24(10) shots to Ireland's 3(1). 

Later that afternoon, Armenia blew out a disheartened Slovakian side; opening group B right up. Ireland look to have the coast clear with just 2 qualifying group games remaining; home to Armenia and away to Andorra. Furthermore, Russia still need to travel to Slovakia for a game that could determine who is 1 and 2 in the group. Should be a nail-biting conclusion to group B.

Justice- Audio, Video, Disco

The French electronic duo released a video for the title track of their upcoming album Audio, Video, Disco. Justice has become known for releasing crazy visually appealing videos in the past; especially with their recent video for Civilization, also off of Audio, Video, Disco. The album is set to release October 25th.

Check the video:

Civilization:

The War on Drugs- Slave Ambient

Philadelphia's The War on Drugs released their sophomore album Slave Ambient August 15th, to follow up their successful 2008 debut Wagonwheel Blues. When listening to both albums, it makes sense that the bands major influences derive from Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and My Bloody Valentine, especially when you hear the distinct voice of frontman Adam Granduciel. Though I hadn't truly listened to the album until a recent road trip; the road trip enabled me to really take in its full effects as it cut the trip in half. It's rare that I can really listen to an album from start to finish, but Slave Ambient is without a doubt now one of those albums. 

Download the album here.

Official Video of Come to the City:

J Cole: "Neverland" and "Heavy"

As the September 27th release date approaches for J Cole's album Cole World: The Sideline Story, J Cole continues to release his series of Any Given Sunday mixtapes. Any Given Sunday #5 consists of the the tracks Neverland and Heavy. Dope tracks; if these didn't make the album, I can't wait to see what did.

J Cole had this to say about the two tracks:

Neverland- "Some shit we did in LA! Not on the album, but something you should have. Ride to it. Shout to my n*gga Chase!"

Heavy- "Did a lot of records in LA some months back. This is another one. Now album material, but its HEAVY."

Belak's Father Confirms Cause of Death

After hearing the news of fan favourite and former Leaf tough guy Wade Belak's passing, it was clear that something wasn't right. Though police haven't officially attested, multiple reports are confirming that Belak's father has been notified that his son's death was result of a suicide. 

Though Belak was seemingly happy-go-lucky during on and off ice interactions with colleagues and fans; his mother revealed Tuesday that Belak did in fact suffer from depression. In addition, Belak's friend and TSN reporter Michael Landsberg also commented on conversations he and Belak had regarding depression issues. With this being the third death of an NHL enforcer since May, the extremely well-liked in the room and fan favourite Wade Belak's passing has become increasingly more alarming. In May, 28 year-old Derek Boogaard passed away, due to an accidental overdose of oxycodone and alcohol. Following this, in August newly signed Winnipeg Jets forward Rick Rypien also passed away as it was widely known he had been battling depression for the past decade. All three of these death have two things in common; the fact that they were all NHL enforcers as well as their connection with possible depression problems. 

Former Flyer's captain Keith Primeau retired due to post-concussion syndrome and had this to say following Belak's passing; "There needs to be some recognition as to why this is happening, what is causing this to transpire, and some type of evaluation done in order to understand its cause," Priemeau continued "There's something here that is not right and it needs to be addressed." 

Keith Primeau runs an organization called Stop Concussions with former Euro hockey player Kerry Goulet who explains, that suicide, anxiety and depression have long been linked to head injuries. Goulet continues stating "This isn't just a hockey problem. Until a proper diagnosis is done (on Belak), it's all speculation. There are a lot of assumptions to be made, but we have to be realistic. Over the past sumer, we've lost three people, three humans who had the same purpose in the game."

This news is likely to spark a lot of discussion throughout the hockey world as concussions and head injuries have already been dominating the headlines with the imminent early retirement of Marc Savard as well as Sidney Crosby's long awaited return to the NHL (which is still up in the air). It is going to be a long year for Gary Bettman and the NHLPA as it is vital that something be done about these recent tragic incidents surrounding the NHL. 

BlakRoc 2

Damon Dash and the Black Keys collaborated in 2009 for the enlightening and extremely well-received hip-hop production, BlakRoc. The two team up once again for BlakRoc 2, though there is no set release date as of yet. BlakRoc 2 will feature a star-studded cast consisting of Curren$y, Talib Kweli, Wiz Khalifa, Jay Electronica, the Cool Kids, OC, Sean Pierce and Jim Jones. 

If you've yet to listen to the first BlakRoc download it now.

Check the trailer:

RIP Wade Belak

Belak and his family in 2006

It was a horrible day in the NHL as Wednesday afternoon, police found former Leaf tough guy and loveable personality, Wade Belak dead in a condo at the One King Street West hotels and residences in Toronto. Wade has been working on radio and as an in-game reporter for the Predators. Arthritis in his hip had made it impossible for him to resume his playing career, retiring last year.

Belak becomes the third NHL enforcer to pass away since May; with the likes of Rick Rypien and Derek Boogaard also passing away. Belak knew of his enforcer role commenting "On nights you knew you had to fight, there were nerves, you never slept the night before. But you dealt with it or you didn't. You don't really get over it, you just go out and do your job." During his time here in Toronto he was undoubtedly a fan favourite and a hit in the dressing room as he just seemed to ooze with charisma; even making daily call-in's to the popular Toronto radio station 102.1 The Edge.

In addition to working as an in-game reporter and analyst for the Predators; Belak was also gearing up to participate in the upcoming season of Battle of the Blades. A father of two young daughters, Belak was known for his loveable personality and willingness to go out and do whatever was expected of him on the ice. Belak once noted his favourite moment as a player as "Probably my first goal, and scoring my last NHL goal in Toronto, when I broke that streak (four years without a goal). Fans were chanting my name on the streets."

The Dream's New Album 1977

The Dream dropped a 'free download' album titled 1977 under his birth name Terius Nash late Tuesday night. He tweeted "chances DefJam puts a Cease and Desist on 1977 unfortunately very high. but i think y'all will have it before lawyers make me take it down." The release of 1977 will likely give his fans something to listen to while they anticipate his new album The Love, IV (Diary of a Mad Man), as the release date has been delayed. 

Download the album here.

Wake Me When It's Over: