Source: Elsa / Getty They say the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree — and in Lonzo Ball ‘s case, the saying couldn’t be anymore accurate. Everyone knows how passionate former NBA star LaVar Ball is about basketball and his sons Lonzo and LaMelo , but since Lonzo is a young star, we never get to hear how much like his dad he really is. That’s what Twitter is for — it shows you people’s innermost intentions without ever having to hear a word from them. You can usually hear the braggadocious-ness in LaVar Ball’s voice, but with Lonzo, the boastfulness just oozes from his tweets. Don’t believe it us, see for yourself when you hit the flip.
Friends and family gather in New York for a peaceful demonstration to honor fallen college student. By D.L. Chandler Students in New York’s Grand Central Terminal honor Danroy Henry on Friday Photo: Claire Finnegan Although much of the criticism levied towards Watch The Throne has been focused primarily on the braggadocious rhymes from Kanye West and Jay-Z , the pair tackled serious fare several times throughout the album — most notably on the track “Murder To Excellence” in which Jay-Z dedicated his rhyme to the memory of a college football player on the cusp of his 21st birthday. Danroy Henry, forever immortalized in verse by Jay-Z’s opening line on the track, was a student at Pace University in suburban Westchester County, New York and a member of its football team. During a celebratory night with friends at a local bar last October after a Pace win, Henry reportedly ran two officers down with his car who then ended up on the hood of his vehicle and began to open fire, killing Henry and injuring two passengers. Further insult to the Henry family came when Pleasantville police officer Aaron Hess was given an officer of the year award. In February, Hess was cleared of any wrongdoing by grand jury although the Henry family is still pursuing justice in the case. Friends of Danroy — affectionately known as DJ — Henry gathered Friday (August 12) at New York City’s Grand Central station to stage a peaceful gathering in the memory of their fallen friend and also cleverly timed their call against police brutality with the release of Watch The Throne as well. Organized partly by Claire Finnegan, sister to one of DJ’s teammates Patrick, the gathering of friends honoring DJ’s life numbered to about fifty people according to Ms. Finnegan. “DJ was really one of the best guys you’d ever meet. He was a good kid and so upstanding,” shared Ms. Finnegan in a phone interview with MTV. “He was one of those guys who would give you anything he had. He was just that good of a guy.” Ms. Finnegan further shared that their gathering was disrupted by police officers although an off duty cop was said to have shown support to the group’s cause. With golden balloons adorned with the Jay-Z line “This is to the memory of Danroy Henry” and “Watch The Throne” on the adjacent side, the gatherers all timed the release of the helium filled balloons into the air much to the chagrin of the police officials inside the station. Although the memorial was met with some resistance, Ms. Finnegan vowed that more public demonstrations are to come and informed MTV that Henry’s parents have started the “DJ Dream Fund” inn Henry’s home state of Massachusetts which will strive to provide sports-related resources to children and to remember DJ via his love of athletics. For more information regarding events regarding Danroy Henry, please visit Justice For DJ . Related Videos Welcome To Jay-Z And Kanye West’s ‘Watch The Throne’ Week Related Artists Jay-Z Kanye West
Subtly swaggadocious video, directed by Spike Jonze, sees the dynamic duo chopping up a Maybach — just for the heck of it. By James Montgomery Jay-Z and Kanye West in their “Otis” video Photo: Roc-A-Fella It would be darn-near impossible for Jay-Z and Kanye West ‘s “Otis” video to match the braggadocious blitz of the song itself, but give them credit for at least coming close. Because while the Spike-Jonze directed clip (which just premiered on MTV and MTV.com) doesn’t feature a single Gulfstream G450, Cuban cigar, Hermes clutch or Benz, it is still a subtly swagged-out affair — a cocksure, cool thing in which the dynamic duo take a saber saw to a glistening new Maybach and turn it into a tricked-out “Thunderdome” cruiser, then do doughnuts in a parking lot with a gaggle of models packed in the back. Oh, and there are some fireworks too. And really, on the swag scale, that ranks somewhere between 10 and 30 thousand 100 million , which certainly makes “Otis” one of the more assured videos to come down the pipeline in a long while. And give credit to all parties involved that they realized they really didn’t need to do much of anything else in the clip; after all, ‘Ye, Hov and Jonze are certainly three of the biggest stars in the world, and their collaboration could’ve easily devolved into the realm of self-parody (see the late, not-so-great Diddy and Nas team-up “Hate Me Now” ). Instead, we get a video that’s little more than a couple of dudes (and Aziz Ansari) tooling around in a parking lot — which, really, is all “Otis” needs to be. Because like Watch the Throne , the album from which it comes , the main attraction of “Otis” lies in the fact that it features roughly 50 percent of the biggest rap names in the game (not to say the song isn’t also great, because it is). There’s a genuine thrill in watching West and Jay hang over each other while delivering their verses or crack up behind the wheel of the Maybach; in a way, it’s like we’re getting a tiny glimpse into their private world. And that’s what makes the video such a treat. What do the critics think of Watch the Throne ? Unlike his previous collaborations with West — the maudlin short film “We Were Once a Fairytale” or the deceptively simple “Flashing Lights” — with “Otis,” Jonze plays it relatively straight. There are the same tracking shots he’s used in old Beastie Boys videos, and the blown-out color palette recalls even earlier work like R.E.M.’s “Crush With Eyeliner” or “Electrolite.” He’s staying true to his roots, which, given the caliber of everyone involved, is an accomplishment in its own right. So while “Otis” might not be what you were expecting, in a lot of ways, it’s even more. There’s an unabashed joy to it, and there’s no denying the power of its singular image, either: slicing and dicing a Maybach (average sticker price: $380,000) is a bold, ballsy declaration, indeed. One that speaks louder than a million boasts. What did you think of the “Otis” video? Share your thoughts on Facebook or tweet your reactions and videos @MTVNews with the hashtag #MTVOtis ! Related Videos JAY Z and Kanye West: “Otis” Playlist Related Artists Jay-Z Kanye West
