Business…column’s this week in remembrance of ODB. Ain’t much clever about death, even one possibly caused by hard rock.

Young Buck went old school at the Vibe Awards. Who knew that people still cut folks? I thought that went out of style and cats just squeezed on people. Buck took it back–reportedly with a steakknife–to the seventies. All parties involved in this one needed to get a grip, with the exception of Dr. Dre, who seems justified in fighting back.
(And a testament to what money and fame can do to make life easier, word is that Buck is negotiating his surrender. Negotiating? And where were the bouncers at this affair? I get patted down when I go to Vision in Atlanta, but no patdown at the Vibe Awards? Have they seen the tape of the 2000 Source Awards? How bad is it that the club may be safer than an awards show?)
But was anything really funnier than Dre’s acceptance speech, which reeked of the adrenaline that can only come from throwin’ hands? He has never been that crunk…ever. That leads me to believe that he didn’t need Buck to come cut the dude. Dre looked like he’d just whooped buddy’s ass.
And as he pushes forty, it’s good to see someone get a lifetime achievement award while he’s still contemporary. Next year, I’m nominating Too $hort.
Wait, nobody asked me. E. Parker, pass this on to your folks…
***
The holidays will likely be spent here in Durham, North Carolina. Be prepared for some really sad phone calls and blog posts from me that week. But, since this work has to be done and I’ll actually have those days to do it, I’ll be here. The wireless would let me take the work with me, but the places I could go wouldn’t lend themselves at all to doing any work. I haven’t studied in Atlanta since the mid-eighties. And yes, that is where I went to college. And no, I didn’t start college until 1997.
***
Colin quit this week. Coondi’s taking his job. But on the way out, he’s telling the world that Iran has nukes. Go ahead and use that last bit of credibility you’ve got, man. What a way to leave the party, ha?
***
And I’ve gotten my hands on an early version of the Nas record…more on it in the first week of December, but let’s ask this question–is the world ready for an album with a track called “Coon Picnic?” And yes, he’s calling names. It’s the usual suspects, but he rails on Kobe somethin’ vicious. Is it possible that Nas is a BomaniJones.com reader?
Not a way in the world, no.
But assuming this is the final version, we’ve got a banger. But when I asked Luther if it was the album of the year, he said, “you must be out your mind. I ain’t even sure it’s the album of November. Word is that TI is fire.”
Luda’s droppin, too. Smokin month, to say the least.
***
Be easy, folks. Next week, the column finally gets to Puffy. Yeah, guaranteed to be a scream.