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The And1 mixtape tour brought streetball experience to the masses
- Author: Andy Erk
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When And1 first came onto the scene, it provided a life-changing opportunity for some of New York Cityâs greatest streetballers. Local legends Shane âDribbling Machineâ Woney, Wailyy âMain Eventâ Dixon, Anthony âHalf Man, Half Amazingâ Heyward, Dennis âSpydaâ Chism and Robert â50â Martin would become known as the original six, players who shaped what streetball looked like for a mainstream audience and pushed And1 to the top.
And1 basketball has its roots laced tight on hundreds of outdoor battlegrounds, where the best come to prove themselvesâRucker Park, Dyckman, West 4th, Kingdom. New York City is the mecca of streetball and home to six basketball players who just wanted a shot. A shot at greatness, a shot at fame, better, a shot at being immortalized and proving they were more than what people thought, that they were the best non-NBA basketball players the world has ever known.
And1 streetball was intended to be as authentic as possible. At the same time, entertainment was entrenched deep into the streetball identity. The original six were out to take that identity to the masses and gain a chance for the next wave of streetball greats to play college, international, or even NBA basketball.
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![mixtape tour and 1 and1_embed_.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI4MDk0NDEwMzE5MTIx/and1_embed_jpg.jpg)
Steve Grayson/Getty Images
âWe didn't care about popularity, or TV, or money,â says The Dribbling Machine. âWe just wanted to prove that New York City had some of the best talent not in the NBA. The goal was to open up door for guys to make it to the NBA, or make it overseas.â
But the And1 squad was not naive enough to believe that they didnât have to put on a show to keep fans coming back. They realized their time in the spotlight was largely built upon entertainment value. For the original six, importance was placed on ensuring flash while keeping some form of traditional basketball alive.
âEntertainment basketball was just a facet of what we were bringing to the table,â says Half Amazing. âWe were also real ball players. It wasn't just an entertaining thing from my perspective. I was out to show these cats that you could also be entertaining playing authentic basketball.â
Two major additions changed the game: Grayson âThe Professorâ Boucher and Phillip âHot Sauceâ Champion. Neither had the same basketball experience as the original six who built their fame by beating the best of the best in college, Europe, or the famed outdoor courts. For The Professor, making the And1 team was totally by chance.
âI only made my junior college team because my dad sold my coach his wedding ring,â says The Professor. âA bunch of guys got hurt, so it ended up I played that year, but it was only five minutes a game. If the game was close, I wouldn't even get in. That was the extent of my basketball career, pre-And1.
â[I] actually went there just to watch the game because I was such a fan,â The Professor said. âI went in there and tried out and got the crowd excited with a few moves and they asked me to come inside and play against the And1 team. It just so happened that at that time they were having a nationwide contest looking for someone for the And1 team. I went through the process of elimination the whole summer. It was sort of a survivor-themed contest on ESPN and I ended up winning the contract in August of 2003.â
The addition of The Professor was more than just another roster move. It was a shift in the teamâs culture. The And1 brand would never be the same again. The concern was no longer on keeping on-court credibility, or having the most talented players. And1 became about high-level sponsors and putting on the best show the world has seen. And what a show they would put on.
And1 gained popularity as players made entertainment a bigger part of the basketball equation. The ankle-breaking crossovers and jaw-dropping dunks became the magnet that drew a chorus of thousands of oohs and aahs that drowned out stadiums. The Professor became the king of the And1 circuit, the player crowds would beg to see. The stakes were raised even higher by crazy dunks such as Mr. 720âs literal 720 throwdown. His dunks felt fabricated, even for those playing with him.
âIt was a delayed reaction, wow that was crazy,â Half Man, Half Amazing said. âMaybe 3-5 seconds later, I was like, 'did he just spin around twice?' Three seconds after I said it, the crowd reacted the same way. After that I just lost it. I lost it after that. To this day, until somebody can top that dunk, he is the greatest dunker on the planet. Everybody has dunked from the foul line in different forms or fashion. Nobody has ever done a 720, except Mr. 720.â
As And1 continued to impress on the court, off-the-court sponsors came running to get involved with the new global sensation. ESPN and Mountain Dew became involved with the And1 tour. ESPN would send And1 to every corner of the globe, from the U.S. to Asia. âWe were rock stars,â Dribbling Machineâ said. ââIf you weren't an All-Star in the NBA, we were more popular than you.â
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While And1 ascended to unimagined heights in public, behind closed doors, things started to go into disarray. The original six saw the beginning of the end.
And1 was always supposed to hold onto the gritty, Saturday afternoon basketball games that focused on winning, not flash. The crossovers didnât matter. Only the score mattered. Basketball was valued.
âAll we wanted to do was be heard, we could've taken what they had, taken a little piece of what we had and just put it together,â Half Man, Half Amazing said. âThat is all we were every trying to do, was mix the two. Entertainment basketball and authentic basketball put together and you have that perfect storm. There is nothing like it.â
Player opinion was gone, traditional basketball was gone and big-money sponsors became more heavily involved in the selection of players, direction of the brand and the inner workings of And1. With heavy outside influence, it became easy for players to feel taken advantage of by those trying to make a quick buck.
âThe original owners [took advantage of us], it was 100% they took advantage of the game,â Dribble Machine said, âthe ideas we have, the knowledge, a lot of the stuff that you see like the hashtags and a lot of stuff like that.
âThe first time I realized it, one night I came home, I used to like watching poker. I saw one of the old owners playing poker and he lost, I think, $400,000 or $700,000 on a pair of 7's. All I could do is laugh to myself and say, there goes our money.â
The original six had reached their breaking point. They decided to step away from the brand they had worked so hard to help build after experiencing the highs, lows and ultimate let down. It was time for a change.
After struggling with And1 for too long, Half Man, Half Amazing took to being an extra in movies. Movies offered an escape from basketball, but kept Half Man, Half Amazing in the spotlight. â
![mixtape tour and 1 mixtape_tour_.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI4MDk0NDEyMjE5NjY1/mixtape_tour_jpg.jpg)
ââRandom people step up to take Spiderman one-on-one at the courts. The people are clueless, believing the one behind the mask is a joke of a basketball player. Two minutes later they find themselves lost as Spiderman puts together a mix of dribbling moves that leave them on the floor. The Professor had found his niche as a YouTube content creator through a variety of spoofs on basketball courts across the country.
âIn 2013 a friend of mine came up with the Spiderman basketball idea, the guy [who came up with it] Set Free co-produces with me, it was for a prank,â The Professor said. âWe did it as a prank and then next you thing you know it was 20 million views in a week. We thought it would be innovative and now it has lasted for more than three years.â
Three years later and The Professor still finds himself creating YouTube videos. His videos have stretched from Spiderman to Star Wars. The Professor finds himself in an odd space as part basketball player, part YouTube celebrity.
After struggling with And1, The Dribbling Machine and Spyda are trying to find a way to make a lasting impact back on the streetball scene. As they say, the intent is to reinvent the wheel.
âAnd1 really needs to be back out there because it changed lives,â The Dribbling Machine said. âIt was bigger than basketball. I still hear it today, people telling me, man, 'If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have went to college. If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't have got out of that gang. If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't have worked hard to take care of my family.'â
The impact of And1 and streetball has been so far reaching that Spyda is attempting to bring the original six back together for a reunion.
âIâm doing transitional housing and Iâm working a project right now to bring back streetball,â Spyda said. âIâm open to working with any brand, even And1, Nike, Reebok to bring back the streetball, to help out the community. If you go and do your numbers, when we were touring and playing, there was not a lot of dropout in schools. Guys were more active, women were more active, people were more active in getting in the gym and playing ball. Even if it was just getting in there dribilling and working on moves, it kept people off the streets. It was definitely an educational movement for the community, to keep people from getting in so much trouble.â
Here are the biggest off-season moves in NBA history
Biggest off-season moves in NBA history
Wilt chamberlain, 1968.
![mixtape tour and 1 Wilt-Chamberlain.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjg4MTEwMzUz/wilt-chamberlainjpg.jpg)
George Long
Wilt Chamberlain was traded to the Lakers only one year after winning the Finals with the Warriors. At times, Wilt struggled to fit in with Los Angeles. But in 1972, Chamberlain relinquished some of his offensive game to focus more on defense and rebounding, helping lead the Lakers to a championshipâand his only Finals MVP awardâin the process.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1975
![mixtape tour and 1 Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar-006095489.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjkxNzgwMzY5/kareem-abdul-jabbar-006095489jpg.jpg)
John G. Zimmerman
The Lakers acquired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his skyhook from Milwaukee in 1975, and he dominated the league while in Hollywood. Kareem won five titles with the Lakers, including a Finals MVP win in 1985, 14 years after his first Finals MVP with the Bucks. Kareem also won three regular season MVPs with the Lakers, and later coached for the franchise as well.
Moses Malone, 1982
![mixtape tour and 1 Moses-Malone.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjkxMzg3MTUz/moses-malonejpg.jpg)
Manny Millan
The Houston Rackets traded Moses Malone, who was coming off an MVP season, to the 76ers. Malone quickly formed an unstoppable duo with Julius Erving, and the two led Philly to an NBA Finals in in 1983. Malone won MVP during the regular season, making him the only player to win the award two straight years with different teams.
Shaquille OâNeal, 1996
![mixtape tour and 1 Shaquille-O-Neal.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjg4MDQ0ODE3/shaquille-o-nealjpg.jpg)
Peter Read Miller; John W. McDonough
Shaquille OâNeal left the team that drafted him, the Orlando Magic , for the Lakers in the summer of 1996, signing a seven-year, $120 million deal with Los Angeles. Shaq would win three championships with L.A., forming an a legendaryâbut combustibleâcombination with Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant.
Tracy McGrady, 2000
![mixtape tour and 1 Tracy-McGrady-001230681.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjg4NTAzNTY5/tracy-mcgrady-001230681jpg.jpg)
Tracy McGrady joined the Magic to play with Grant Hill, but was thrust into a larger role as Hill dealt with numerous injuries. McGrady responded by becoming one of the best scorers in the league, leading the NBA in points per game twice while in Orlando. McGradyâs run was short lived, however, as he was traded to Houston in 2004.
Steve Nash, 2004
![mixtape tour and 1 Steve-Nash-017007128.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjg3OTEzNzQ1/steve-nash-017007128jpg.jpg)
John W. McDonough
The Suns signed Steve Nash to a six-year, $63 million deal in 2004. Nash was 30 at the time, but took his game to another level in Phoenix. The point guard won MVP in his first two years in the desert, but despite his individual success, Nash could never lift the team past the conference finals.
Kevin Garnett, 2007
![mixtape tour and 1 Kevin-Garnett-opet-18159.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjkxNTgzNzYx/kevin-garnett-opet-18159jpg.jpg)
After years of falling short with the Timberwolves, Kevin Garnett was traded to the Celtics in July 2007. Garnett, along with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, immediately turned the Celtics back into one of the NBAâs premier franchises. Boston won the Finals in KGâs first season, and almost won a couple more if not for ill-timed injuries.
Chris Bosh, 2010
![mixtape tour and 1 Chris-Bosh-op3b-59348.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjg5NTUyMTQ1/chris-bosh-op3b-59348jpg.jpg)
Greg Nelson
Chris Bosh joined the Heat along with LeBron James, and quickly became an integral part of Miamiâs success. Bosh played a key role in the Heatâs run to four straight NBA Finalsâmost notably picking up an offensive rebound and assist before the Ray Allenâs three in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals.
LeBron James, 2010
![mixtape tour and 1 LeBron-James.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjg4MjQxNDI1/lebron-jamesjpg.jpg)
Walter Iooss Jr.; Jeffery A. Salter
LeBron James, angering many with a TV special to announce his decision, chose to leave Cleveland for Miami in July 2010. LeBron made the Finals in all four of his seasons with the Heat, capturing two championships and two Finals MVPs in the process. James reached new levels of efficiency in Miami, cementing his legacy as one of the gameâs greatest players.
Chris Paul, 2011
![mixtape tour and 1 Chris-Paul-X159246_TK1_686.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjg3NjUxNjAx/chris-paul-x159246_tk1_686jpg.jpg)
Chris Paul joined the Clippers in 2011 to form a Lob City-connection with Blake Griffin and lift the Clippers back to relevancy. Los Angeles became one of the top teams year-in and year-out with Paul at the helm, but has struggled in the playoffs against West rivals. As of 2016, Paul has yet to play in a conference finals.
Dwight Howard, 2012
![mixtape tour and 1 Dwight-Howard-Steve-Nash-op3h-17941.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjkwMjczMDQx/dwight-howard-steve-nash-op3h-17941jpg.jpg)
Peter Read Miller
Dwight Howard, like Shaquille O'Neal 16 years before him, left the Magic for the Lakers by forcing a trade out of Orlando. Unlike Shaq, Howard flamed out with the Lakers. Also joined by Steve Nash, the Lakers never gelled on or off the court, and Howard lasted only one season in Los Angeles before joining the Houston Rockets .
LeBron James, 2014
![mixtape tour and 1 LeBron-James-2015-16.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjkxOTc2OTc3/lebron-james-2015-16jpg.jpg)
Todd Rosenberg; Greg Nelson
LeBron James returned to Cleveland in 2014, announcing his decision via a letter in Sports Illustrated. LeBron immediately launched the Cavaliers into the NBAâs top tier, bringing the team to the Finals in his first season back. In 2016, the James-led Cavaliersâafter going down 3â1âupset the 73-win Warriors in the Finals, a shocking upset led by one of the best individual performances in Finals history.
Kevin Durant, 2016
![mixtape tour and 1 Kevin-Durant-SI404_TK1_02003.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjg3NDU1MTA0/kevin-durant-si404_tk1_02003jpg.jpg)
Kevin Durant , a four-time scoring champion and former MVP, joined the Warriors in July 2016. Golden State not only won 73 games the season before, but knocked Durantâs Thunder team out of the playoffs only weeks before the signing. The Warriorsâ addition of Durant immediately made them the overwhelming favorite to win the Finals in 2017.
Dwyane Wade, 2016
![mixtape tour and 1 Dwyane-Wade-Jimmy-Butler.jpg](https://www.si.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cfl_progressive%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTY4MTI2MTIzMjkwNzk3MzI5/dwyane-wade-jimmy-butlerjpg.jpg)
Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images
The Chicago Bulls agreed to sign Dwyane Wade, a 12-time All-Star who won three titles during his 13-year tenure in Miami, to a two-year contract worth $47.5 million with a player option on the second season. Wade won NBA titles with the Heat in 2006, 2012 and 2013 and had spent his entire career with the team after being drafted No. 5 overall in 2003.
This reunion is more than something that Spyda is talking about, it is a movement he is actively prepping. Spyda, who has had several knee surgeries, continued working out and founded a company that will figure out how outsiders and the rest of the original six feel about a possible reunion.
âMy thing is, get these guys at a round table, let's talk about it, let's set some goals and try and bring this thing back,â Spyda said. âI donât want to use the word try, letâs do it. The community needs it right now. I think everybody wants to see us come back and do a reunion. Iâm preparing my body and my mind like I have been doing the last five years. Even going through both my repairings on my knees to get me back to who I am, do what Spyda does, what Spyda do.
âI plan on getting the guys back together to come up with a strategic plan. Should we go on the apparel route, or should we just go and just do us and bring the tour back. Even if we have to start one event at a time, just to get a buzz and get back out there. I created a company, I donât want to say the name right now, but I created a company and just am seeing if guys are down for the movement to get back in the community. I want to get back to donating to the community.â
And1 has always been special. It created that barbeque atmosphere and gave players a chance at changing lives, and it was something that might only happen once in a lifetime, Half Man, Half Amazing says.
âAnd1 was lightening in a bottle,â Half Man, Half Amazing said. âNobody saw it coming and I will always, always cherish the memories I have with And1 playing with my guys. To everybody out there who ever had a doubt that And1 was fake, this coming from the o.g. Half Man, Half Amazing, we were the truest ball players out there. You will never be able to put a team together like that ever again. Period. Things like that only come around once.â
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The Story Behind 'The Greatest Mixtape Ever' Documentary, 'AO' Responds to NBA Players
NBA players clowned AND1 basketball players in the newest doc, the Greatest Mixtape Ever, for saying they could play in the NBA. Aaron 'AO' Owens responded.
![mixtape tour and 1](https://images.complex.com/complex/image/upload/v1714569611/sanity/1yrqTQ7Qn_large.jpg)
Itâs only right that The Greatest Mixtape Ever , a documentary on the AND1 movement, came from a young Black creator gettinâ it out the mud. In 2017, documentary co-creator Brian Mickens was looking for a story to tell. He had previously pitched a 30 for 30 on the 2000 Michigan State Spartans team that went to the National Championship, but it didnât work out. At that point though, the recent Grand Valley State University grad was tired of working factory jobs. He knew he had to make something shake.
âI just started watching old YouTube videos [and I was] like, âMan! AND1 was groundbreaking!,â Mickens recalls over the phone. âAnd I was like, âI need to do a documentary on this.â
Heâd go to Georgia Tech every day to plot out the project.
âI would write the description. I would write how I wanted it shot. I would write the players I wanted to be involved with, the rundown. I would do this every day, every day for like a few months.â
Four years later, that work resulted in an hour-long special that chronicled one of the most important basketball movements ever. The show debuted last week on ESPN, and predominantly covers the first four volumes of the AND1 Mixtape series, where Set Free mashed up underground rap with clips of playground legends like Rafer âSkip To My Louâ Alston, Waliyy âMain Eventâ Dixon, Anthony âHalf Man, Half Amazingâ Heyward, Aaron âAOâ Owens, and many more.
The project is a result of Mickensâ resourcefulness and persistence. A chance meeting with Michael Smith at a 2017 BET Awards afterparty led to a later phone call with Smith and Scoop Jackson who heard his idea for an AND1 doc and linked him with The Undefeated.
âI [didnât] have no money,â Mickens recalls. âSo my friends come over with some money and fly me there and I meet with [The Undefeated]. I pitch it to them and they love it. Theyâre like, âThis is too big. We need to forward you to ESPN films.ââ
From there, the still âdead brokeâ aspirant made three separate trips from Atlanta to New York to convince the AND1 team to give him their footage. In the midst of that process he told the team he wanted AND1 mixtape creator and DJ Set Free Richardson involved in the documentary, noting,
âIf it wasnât for him creating the mixtapes, I wouldnât have no film.â Mickens says that Freeâs connections brought on the AND1 players and rappers like Snoop Dogg, Fat Joe and Jadakiss, who lent his iconic voice to narrating the documentary. But the collaborative effort shifted the documentary from his initial plan.
That production choice casts a shadow over the documentary for those who felt like it was too omissive. Some mistook the documentary to be about streetball in general and expected mention of other famous streetball figures. And the people who understood the doc to be strictly about the AND1 mixtape wanted a story that extended into the wildly successful AND1 Mixtape tour, which ESPN covered on Streetball : The AND1 Mixtape Tour, their highest-rated original series ever.
Shortly after the documentaryâs release, AND1 player Alimoeâs niece spoke for many by tweeting the film âconveniently leaves Tyron âAlimoeâ Evans outâ and that ESPN had âleft a lot of people out.â ESPN had left out the likes of Alimoe, Escalade, Flash, The Professor, and others who werenât mentioned.
Mickens says he understands and agrees with the sentiment, noting, âIf we wouldâve did it the way it was [written in the original script ] everybody wouldâve gotten their due diligence. Everybody knows the documentary could have been greater, but Iâm just happy for that moment, to give younger basketball players an idea of what it was like when they werenât born. And why kids, after they do a move, they rush the court. It all started somewhere. And I think we were able to show where.â
Aaron âAOâ Owens, an AND1 player and Philly basketball legend whoâs one of the filmâs prominent voices, agrees.
âIt was dope. I understood what they was trying to accomplish with it, so it was cool,â AO says. âI think it was just about the basis of summertime basketball linked with the music. And that first [AND1 mixtape] was about that. it was more of that than it was us personally and the tour. So, you see only the guys that was in the first three tapes was on it.â
AO is a push-the-tempo guard who many Streetball viewers may remember as the catalyst to many fast breaks which led to a spectacular alley-oop or coast-to-coast finish. His voice is heard throughout the doc, chiefly in a scene where AND1 players and NBA stars discuss whether AND1 players could have made the league. In the doc, AO admitted that his AND1 peersâ discipline might not have been where it needed to be to maintain a pro career, but he doesnât agree with any of the players proposing that they didnât have the skill.
âI played in the D-League (which became the G-League). I worked out with the Sixers and Sonics, stuff like that,â AO says. âAs far as how Kyrie was putting it, were we dedicated? Probably not. I wasnât dedicated to basketball at that point. I really wasnât pushing myself. But as far as skill-wise, we played against NBA guys before, and the skill factor is not even the issue.â
Indeed, AO helped the Mobile Revelers win the D-League championship in 02-03, and also played in the first division of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He recalled scoring 26 points on perennial IBBL power Maccabi Tel Aviv.
âThe NBA is made up of, let me see, 10 superstars. Then you probably got like your next [25, 30] who could be all-stars. And then after that, you really just filling in your roster with whoever,â AO adds. âSo, [for the] 80 percent of the NBA players in there itâs another 80 percent thatâs not in the NBA that could play them spots. I know I could have. I know Prime Objective could have. I know Alimoe could have. Baby Shaq, maybe. Kenny Brunner was a fuckinâ McDonaldâs All-American at Crenshaw, No.1 team in the country, him and Tayshaun Prince. Like Baron, you played against Kenny your whole life. You get what Iâm saying? But I didnât feel a type of way about it at all.â
During another scene, Iman Shumpert gleefully recalled people dissing AND1 star Hot Sauce as âKetchupâ after a bad showing at a pro-am game. But AO feels that the scene was unfair to Hot Sauce, who never proclaimed to be NBA caliber.
âSauce is my man, a hundred grand. But Sauce is not a basketball player,â AO says. âSauce was what he was. I [commented on] somebodyâs Instagram the other day, one of the guys who used to be at the Rucker. He had posted something, and I was like, âYo, Sauce never said he was an NBA guy. He never said he could be a pro. He never said anything bad about Rucker and all that. And every time something come up like this, yâall put Sauce name in it.â Sauce was who he was. And thatâs the end of that.â
Thatâs why the AND1 crew is set to tell their own story, as AO tells us that he and several other players are in the early stages of their own âLast Dance styleâ documentary that theyâre shopping with Netflix. But even with that future documentary, AO and others at AND1 are appreciative of the story Mickens and Set Free just told. Mickens says AND1âs marketing director and others congratulated him on the documentary after its release.
âThatâs what Iâm happy about, man,ââ Mickens says. âI just want to keep creating dope stuff, letting young Black kids know that, âLook, Iâm from Flint, Michigan. If I made it, you can do the same thing. Itâs just all mental man. You got to have your spirit right. Your mind right. You can do it too bro.ââ
Just like AO and the AND1 movement inspired him.
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The And 1 streetball mixtape players rock the playgrounds every summer. These are the basketball stars you imitate the moves of. Read each player bio so you know this year's roster. And check the And 1 Mix Tape Tour schedule .
AND 1 BALLERS
The Professor
Half Man Half Amazing
Prime Objective
High Octane
Shane the Dribbling Machine
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The Professor speaks on What Really Happened to the And1 Mixtape Tour (FV EXCLUSIVE)
![Nikola Jokic Happy for Nikola Vucevic Playing With Chicago Bulls: “This Is a Really Good Situation” Nikola Jokic Happy for Nikola Vucevic Playing With Chicago Bulls: “This Is a Really Good Situation”](https://fanaticsview.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/klay-thompson-calls-it-a-travest-1-196x126.jpg)
Klay Thompson Calls It a âTravestyâ Jonathan Kuminga Was Excluded From NBA Rising Stars Game
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Rick Carlisle Details Indiana Pacers Trading Caris LeVert to Cleveland Cavaliers & Future of Pacers
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Russell Westbrook Reacts to Getting Benched in Overtime of Lakers vs. Knicks: “We Won The Game”
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Reggie Bullock Nails Clutch 3-Pointers in Mavs Victory vs. Atlanta With Assist from Luka Doncic
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DeMar DeRozan & Javonte Green Explain Joel Embiid “Hell of a Player” & Answer If Bulls Should Trade
And1, vhs tapes and streetball dvds. basketball culture was much different 10+ years ago..
The Professor, formerly of And1, sat down with Fanatics View to give some clarity on what happened to the And1 league and the growth of street ball’s reputation within the last decade.
The Professor also talks about the love and support he has received from fellow NBA players over the years and how And1’s following may have been drastically different and larger if it was alive today.
“The following we would’ve had back then would’ve been bananas, you know what I mean?” Cause And1 was in 40 countries and those were the countries we would tour when we went to play internationally.”
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The Greatest Mixtape Ever
How the and1 mixtape video series changed the game of basketball forever, directed by chris robinson and set free richardson, available on espn+.
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And1 Mixtape Tour
2007 and 1 mixtape tour: new york (ep. 1), 2007 and 1 mixtape tour: boston (ep. 2), 2007 and 1 mixtape tour: atlanta (ep. 3), 2007 and 1 mixtape tour: philadelphia (ep. 4), 2007 and 1 mixtape tour: washington dc (ep. 5), 2007 and 1 mixtape tour: detroit (ep. 6), 2007 and 1 mixtape tour: chicago (ep. 7), 2007 and 1 mixtape tour: dallas (ep. 8), 2007 and 1 mixtape tour: oakland (ep. 9), 2007 and 1 mixtape tour: los angles (ep. 10), 2008 and 1 mixtape tour: portland (ep. 1), 2008 and1 mixtape tour: oakland (ep. 2), 30 for 30 presents: 'the greatest mixtape ever', you might also like.
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Rich Homie Quan, a hitmaker who helped rap evolve, dies at 34
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Rodney Carmichael
RICH HOMIE QUAN
![mixtape tour and 1 Rapper Rich Homie Quan performs in Hollywood, Calif. on April 1, 2015. That year, he had his biggest hit,](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2029x1274+1163+430/resize/1100/quality/85/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2b%2Fe2%2F332bcfd74cdaa276a225c7bb148d%2Fgettyimages-468339332.jpg)
Rapper Rich Homie Quan performs in Hollywood, Calif. on April 1, 2015. That year, he had his biggest hit, "Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)." Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images hide caption
Rich Homie Quan, an Atlanta native who was instrumental in that city's takeover of hip-hop's sound and attitude in the mid 2010s, has died. The rapper's rapid ascent, alongside peers like Young Thug, with whom he partnered in the group Rich Gang, resulted in a string of hits that switched rapâs lingua franca from staccato rhythms to melodic flows. His death was confirmed to NPR by his father, Corey Lamar, who did not provide a cause of death. He was 34.
When a beloved artist dies, itâs almost impossible to boil their life down to a handful of Billboard Hot 100-charting hits. And Rich Homie stamped his imprint onto plenty of them â seven to be exact â all within a two-year blitz between 2013 and 2015 that took him from scrappy unknown to an inescapable force in the industry. They read like the roll call of an era when Atlanta rap overtook the sound of pop and made him the industryâs cleanup hitter: âType of Way,â YGâs âMy Hitta,â Rich Gangâs âLifestyle,â âWalk Thru,â âFlex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh),â the Fast and Furious franchiseâs âRide Out,â even Lil Dickyâs âSave Dat Money.â
A son of East Atlanta, Quan quietly cultivated his talent for years in his motherâs basement and even during a short prison stint before exploding onto the charts almost overnight. From the beginning, Quan fought to distinguish himself in a city full of young hopefuls. He connected with âDifferences,â a song from his 2012 mixtape Still Going In , that showcased his hunger and made him one to watch. He quickly became a hitmaker, crafting undeniable street anthems. And he stood at the forefront of a wave that challenged and changed the sound of hip-hop and, by extension, American music.
![mixtape tour and 1 How Atlanta became the center of the rap universe](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2023/07/19/hiphop50_atlanta2_sq-4b5ba88dfe138b6e445c8d0da5d999bb1993c96c.jpg?s=100&c=15&f=jpeg)
Hip-Hop 50: All Rap Is Local
How atlanta became the center of the rap universe.
Atlantaâs rap scene had been on the rise for a couple of decades before Rich Homie Quan came along. But his emergence coincided with the city cementing its identity as an undisputed hip-hop mecca. Along with other Atlanta contemporaries, like Future and Thug, Quan came to define a new generation of post-OutKast ATLiens â equal parts street-hardened, plaintive and psychedelic in sound and style. While regional rappers â West Coast stalwarts and early Southern disruptors alike â had always dabbled in sing-songy delivery, Quan and his ilk captured an era in which technological advances in recording allowed them to freestyle or âpunch inâ their melodic flows, untethered by pad and pen. The resulting sound reached new prominence with the release of Rich Gang Tha Tour Pt .1 , a mixtape that coupled Quan and Thug together with Birdman of Cash Money/Young Money fame on songs such as their 2014 opus, âLifestyle,â which found them voicing their rawest desires in voices so vulnerable they almost belied their explicit intentions. The duo set a new blueprint for one-off pairings but success was short-lived, quickly supplanted by clashing egos as money and fame disrupted their magical bond.
Quanâs story is one of wild success and timeless impact, but it also reflects how industry ups-and-downs can wring young talents dry as quick as they come up. His impasse with Thug became a harbinger of travails for Quan, who filed suit against his record label Think Itâs a Game Records over unpaid royalties in 2016. The legal battles, though eventually settled, sapped Quan of his creative output at the height of his career. For two years he went silent before returning in 2017 with a mixtape, followed by a debut studio album, Rich As In Spirit , that signaled a transformation. Though the landscape Quan returned to had been shaped largely by his sonic influence, he found himself changed, too, his street-hardened edge replaced by a more mature, reflective sound.
In Young Thugâs ongoing gang conspiracy trial, Rich Homie Quan has been included in the prosecutionâs legal narrative due to a shooting that took place at a barbershop owned by Quanâs father. His father was reportedly injured in the shooting, though Quan had downplayed the event in recent interviews.
While promoting his 2022 release Family & Mula , he frequently talked about the overwhelming stress that came with balancing early success and the crash that came with legal pitfalls, growing drug use and the stalling of his creative output. âI had a dark cloud over my head,â he said on Math Hoffaâs hip-hop podcast My Expert Opinion . âI probably was the lowest I was in my life.â Speaking five years after that low point, with dependency behind him, he sounded clear-headed â both about his musical future and how his absence had revealed his lasting impact on the game. Though he never returned to his former glory, Rich Homie Quan crooned his way to the top by putting on for the bottom. No man can outlive a legacy that rich.
- Rich Homie Quan
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GardaĂ contacted more than 160 times since historical abuse appeal
![mixtape tour and 1 mixtape tour and 1](https://www.bbc.com/bbcx/grey-placeholder.png)
GardaĂ (Irish police) have said more than 160 people have contacted them to report allegations of historical sexual abuse at schools run by religious orders since they issued an appeal on Wednesday.
A report commissioned by the Irish government and published on Tuesday found there were almost 2,400 allegations in more than 300 schools run by religious orders in Ireland.
In a statement, GardaĂ said they are now in the process of engaging with everyone who has contacted them.
They said they understand "the profound impact that sexual abuse has on the lives of each individual who are now coming forward".
'Lifelong effect'
"In most cases this is the first time when these victims of a crime have spoken to An Garda SĂochĂĄna," the statement added.
The report found there were 884 alleged abusers in 42 orders which formerly ran schools or still do.
Speaking on Saturday, Det Ch Supt Colm Noonan said police were there to support any person who wished to report any crime of sexual abuse not just in day and boarding schools run by religious orders but also in any other institution or organisation.
"These crimes are insidious and have a lifelong effect on those who are subject of this abuse," he said.
Police said the majority of the reports they had received had been made to the Garda National Protective Services Bureau by email and telephone, but also by the Child Sexual Abuse Reporting phone line and in person at individual police stations.
![mixtape tour and 1 GETTY IMAGES A child prays. there's a wooden cross lying on top of a bible.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1455/live/20806080-6d20-11ef-999a-09ba3e6ebc06.jpg.webp)
The Irish cabinet has agreed to establish a full statutory investigation, following the findings of the scoping inquiry report.
The primary source of data on allegations of sexual abuse was the religious orders and the schools themselves, the report said.
More than half of the people accused of historical sexual abuse are now dead.
The body which represents Catholic religious orders said it was âdeeply sorryâ about the abuse which had happened in schools.
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IT'S SIMPLE
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BRAND PURPOSE
A brand anchored in the streetball mentality for the celebration and co-creation of basketball culture and lifestyle around the world.
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For culture contributors, streetball connoisseurs, and those who embrace the streetball mentality, AND1 is the brand that disrupts basketball culture and lifestyle by removing softness from the game.
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One day at a time., and1 legacy players, ambassador history.
AND1 is more than a brand - it's a movement .Â
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THE AND1 MIXTAPE TOUR
Heritage ambassadors.
The AND1 Mixtape Tour was a traveling basketball competition and exhibition of streetball players. The crew traveled from town to town and challenged teams of local talent. Games tended to be dominated byt one-on-one, ball handling moves, acrobatic slam dunks and alley-oops. The tour was televised for half an hour. The "Streetball" segments aired on ESPN2 and were compiled into highlight reels, offered under the mark AND1 Mixtape. They were produced on DVD, of which AND1 has released 10 volumes.
AND1 was founded on August 13th, 1993 in Paoli, Pennsylvania by Seth Berger, Jay Coen Gilbert and Tom Austin. From then on, AND1 owned the summer. While most basketball brands hibernated, we awakened and brought the streets alive with the greatest show to hit the blacktop, the AND1 Mixtape Tour. From trash talking tees, shoes, clothes, mixtapes, tournaments, television shows and videos - AND1 dominates the hip hop and basketball landscape.
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KEVIN GARNETT
Kevin Garnett is a world-renowned professional basketball player who played for 21 seasons in the NBA. Known for his intensity, defensive ability, and versatility, Garnett is considered one of the greatest power forwards of all time.Â
Montrezl Harrel is a professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals. Harrell received the Karl Malone Award as the top power forward in the nation as a junior in 2015.
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FRED VANVLEET
Fredderick VanVleet Sr. is a professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA. A 6 ft 0 in guard, VanVleet played college basketball for Wichita State University before beginning his NBA career.Â
NORMAN POWELL
New ambassadors.
Norman Powell is a professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA. Playing college basketball with the UCLA Bruins, he was an all-conference player in the Pac-12. He was selected in the second round of the 2015 NBA draft.Â
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Rich Homie Quan, a hitmaker who helped rap evolve, dies at 34
![mixtape tour and 1 Rapper Rich Homie Quan performs in Hollywood, Calif. on April 1, 2015. That year, he had his biggest hit, "Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)."](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b238487/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1927x1445+0+0/resize/880x660!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnpr.brightspotcdn.com%2Fdims3%2Fdefault%2Fstrip%2Ffalse%2Fcrop%2F1927x1445%201147%20436%2Fresize%2F1927x1445%21%2F%3Furl%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2b%2Fe2%2F332bcfd74cdaa276a225c7bb148d%2Fgettyimages-468339332.jpg)
Rich Homie Quan, an Atlanta native who was instrumental in that city's takeover of hip-hop's sound and attitude in the mid 2010s, has died. The rapper's rapid ascent, alongside peers like Young Thug, with whom he partnered in the group Rich Gang, resulted in a string of hits that switched rapâs lingua franca from staccato rhythms to melodic flows. His death was confirmed to NPR by his father, Corey Lamar, who did not provide a cause of death. He was 34.
When a beloved artist dies, itâs almost impossible to boil their life down to a handful of Billboard Hot 100-charting hits. And Rich Homie stamped his imprint onto plenty of them â seven to be exact â all within a two-year blitz between 2013 and 2015 that took him from scrappy unknown to an inescapable force in the industry. They read like the roll call of an era when Atlanta rap overtook the sound of pop and made him the industryâs cleanup hitter: âType of Way,â YGâs âMy Hitta,â Rich Gangâs âLifestyle,â âWalk Thru,â âFlex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh),â the Fast and Furious franchiseâs âRide Out,â even Lil Dickyâs âSave Dat Money.â
A son of East Atlanta, Quan quietly cultivated his talent for years in his motherâs basement and even during a short prison stint before exploding onto the charts almost overnight. From the beginning, Quan fought to distinguish himself in a city full of young hopefuls. He connected with âDifferences,â a song from his 2012 mixtape Still Going In , that showcased his hunger and made him one to watch. He quickly became a hitmaker, crafting undeniable street anthems. And he stood at the forefront of a wave that challenged and changed the sound of hip-hop and, by extension, American music.
Atlantaâs rap scene had been on the rise for a couple of decades before Rich Homie Quan came along. But his emergence coincided with the city cementing its identity as an undisputed hip-hop mecca. Along with other Atlanta contemporaries, like Future and Thug, Quan came to define a new generation of post-OutKast ATLiens â equal parts street-hardened, plaintive and psychedelic in sound and style. While regional rappers â West Coast stalwarts and early Southern disruptors alike â had always dabbled in sing-songy delivery, Quan and his ilk captured an era in which technological advances in recording allowed them to freestyle or âpunch inâ their melodic flows, untethered by pad and pen. The resulting sound reached new prominence with the release of Rich Gang Tha Tour Pt .1 , a mixtape that coupled Quan and Thug together with Birdman of Cash Money/Young Money fame on songs such as their 2014 opus, âLifestyle,â which found them voicing their rawest desires in voices so vulnerable they almost belied their explicit intentions. The duo set a new blueprint for one-off pairings but success was short-lived, quickly supplanted by clashing egos as money and fame disrupted their magical bond.
Quanâs story is one of wild success and timeless impact, but it also reflects how industry ups-and-downs can wring young talents dry as quick as they come up. His impasse with Thug became a harbinger of travails for Quan, who filed suit against his record label Think Itâs a Game Records over unpaid royalties in 2016. The legal battles, though eventually settled, sapped Quan of his creative output at the height of his career. For two years he went silent before returning in 2017 with a mixtape, followed by a debut studio album, Rich As In Spirit , that signaled a transformation. Though the landscape Quan returned to had been shaped largely by his sonic influence, he found himself changed, too, his street-hardened edge replaced by a more mature, reflective sound.
In Young Thugâs ongoing gang conspiracy trial, Rich Homie Quan has been included in the prosecutionâs legal narrative due to a shooting that took place at a barbershop owned by Quanâs father. His father was reportedly injured in the shooting, though Quan had downplayed the event in recent interviews.
While promoting his 2022 release Family & Mula , he frequently talked about the overwhelming stress that came with balancing early success and the crash that came with legal pitfalls, growing drug use and the stalling of his creative output. âI had a dark cloud over my head,â he said on Math Hoffaâs hip-hop podcast My Expert Opinion . âI probably was the lowest I was in my life.â Speaking five years after that low point, with dependency behind him, he sounded clear-headed â both about his musical future and how his absence had revealed his lasting impact on the game. Though he never returned to his former glory, Rich Homie Quan crooned his way to the top by putting on for the bottom. No man can outlive a legacy that rich.
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The AND1 Live Tour, formerly known as the AND1 Mixtape Tour, was a traveling basketball competition and exhibition that existed from 1998 to 2008. It was presented by B-Ball and Company and the basketball apparel manufacturer AND1. [1] [2] [3] A group of streetball players, along with Emcee Rell and B-Ball and Company CEO Linda Hill, travelled from town to town and challenge teams composed of ...
The Linden, N.J. streetball legend worked with AND1 representatives to develop the idea of having the original AND1 Mixtape game and tour. Dixon played on the tour from 2002 through 2006. AO. Straight out of Philly, Aaron Owens is known for his filthy ball-handling skills and dishing some of the best alley-oops in the game.
Beginning with the Marbury signing and the Rafer Alston discovery two years later, AND1 began to recruit more and more NBA players to wear their product, a m...
This Hoop Culture movement was a special moment in time. Salute to these Hoop Legends they were Larger than Life. Rest Easy King Flash, King Alimoe & King Es...
Headache - Tim Gittens was one of the first streetballers to sign with AND1. His name rings bells on every NYC court. Main Event: The Linden, N.J. streetball legend worked with AND1 ...
AND1 turns 30: 'Trash Talk' tees, mixtape tours and NBA ...
2008 AND1 Mixtape Tour: Oakland (Ep. 2) Stream videos from the And1 Mixtape Tour collection on demand on Watch ESPN.
A great And 1-Mixtape Tour Collection from Volume 1 to 10.
AND1 Mixtape Tour - Wikipedia ... AND1
Main Event: The Linden, N.J. streetball legend worked with AND1 representatives to develop the idea of having the original AND1 Mixtape game and tour. Dixon played on the tour from 2001 through 2006.
After struggling with And1, The Dribbling Machine and Spyda are trying to find a way to make a lasting impact back on the streetball scene. As they say, the intent is to reinvent the wheel ...
Watch AND1 Mixtape Tour Streaming Online | Hulu. 2 seasons available (18 episodes) AND1 Mixtape Tour. AND1 Mixtape Tour more. AND1 Mixtape Tour. hd. Get the best movies, shows, and sports for $14.99/month when you bundle Hulu (With Ads), ESPN+ (With Ads), and Disney+ (With Ads). Get The Disney Bundle.
Watch on. Challenging Harlem and New York's finest, Sky's the Limit earned himself the crown at the New York Open Runs held on July 23, 2023 at the Kingdome. "I had the Open Runs on my calendar from the day it was sent to me," Tre' said. " I had the chance to meet so many incredible people and showcase my talents on a major platform.
And that first [AND1 mixtape] was about that. it was more of that than it was us personally and the tour. So, you see only the guys that was in the first three tapes was on it."
In 2002, the brand's annual summer tour officially expanded into the AND1 Mixtape Tour. Legendary streetballers such as "Hot Sauce" and "The Professor" would go from city to city, court to court to challenge the greatest streetballers in one-on-one's, entertaining fans and providing much of the footage for the ensuing Mixtapes.
And1 Mix Tape Streetball Players / May, 2004. The And 1 streetball mixtape players rock the playgrounds every summer. These are the basketball stars you imitate the moves of. Read each player bio so you know this year's roster. And check the And 1 Mix Tape Tour schedule. AND 1 BALLERS.
Basketball culture was much different 10+ years ago. The Professor, formerly of And1, sat down with Fanatics View to give some clarity on what happened to the And1 league and the growth of street ball's reputation within the last decade. The Professor also talks about the love and support he has received from fellow NBA players over the years ...
Sick crossovers, no look passes, and streetball legends. Check out the best of AND1 Mixtape Volume 3.Subscribe to all things AND1 Basketballđ, plus get 15% ...
Stream the latest The Greatest Mixtape Ever videos on Watch ESPN. How the And1 Mixtape video series changed the game of basketball forever
The And 1 Mixtape tour will cover 25 major cities, from June through August 2002. 1x06 AND1 Mixtape: Volume 6. 70%. 1x06 AND1 Mixtape: Volume 6. no air date â 1 h; 12. 16. 148. The AND 1 Mix Tape is heading back to its roots with one of the original playground legends ALIMOE aka THE BLACK WIDOW. Check Al doin' his thing from way back to the ...
One fan was seen highlighting the success of Pluto's collaboration with Metro Boomin when citing how the Atlanta rapper was "going for" a No.1 album and mixtape for the year. Expand Tweet
AND1 LIVE. Welcome to AND1 Live, your one stop destination for all things AND1. Streetball and hip hop, crossovers and ankle breaking. The finest. The greatest. The illest.
The resulting sound reached new prominence with the release of Rich Gang Tha Tour Pt .1, a mixtape that coupled Quan and Thug together with Birdman of Cash Money/Young Money fame on songs such as ...
Official PIF ATP Rankings (Singles) showing a list of top players in men's tennis rankings on the ATP Tour, featuring Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and more.
GardaĂ (Irish police) have said more than 160 people have contacted them to report allegations of historical sexual abuse at schools run by religious orders since they issued an appeal on Wednesday.
Sick crossovers, no look passes, and streetball legends. Check out the best of AND1 Mixtape Volume 4.AND1 Rises Again: New đđ Drops All Year ď¸ https://bit...
AND1 was founded on August 13th, 1993 in Paoli, Pennsylvania by Seth Berger, Jay Coen Gilbert and Tom Austin. From then on, AND1 owned the summer. While most basketball brands hibernated, we awakened and brought the streets alive with the greatest show to hit the blacktop, the AND1 Mixtape Tour. From trash talking tees, shoes, clothes, mixtapes ...
The resulting sound reached new prominence with the release of Rich Gang Tha Tour Pt .1, a mixtape that coupled Quan and Thug together with Birdman of Cash Money/Young Money fame on songs such as their 2014 opus, "Lifestyle," which found them voicing their rawest desires in voices so vulnerable they almost belied their explicit intentions ...