So what's the deal with Portland Trail Blazer and Garfield alum Brandon Roy having to apologize for being in a local rap video? If I had to do that every time I popped up in one, I'd be screwed. Look, I'm not a sports fan, I don't follow dudes' stats or play fantasy leagues or any shit like that, but if I'm not mistaken, the guy is a free citizen and a millionaire. Hit up by his old homies Cali & Cavalli while at the Adonai Hood Classic earlier this summer for a cameo in their clip for "What They Want," Roy very kindly obliged. Sure, you see somebody rolling a blunt on a Seattle newspaper ("The future of print media," the Portland Mercury said, which is a cold ass bar) for like five seconds, and in a completely different shot you see B-Roy, for possibly less than that. Where's the beef? Is the sight of black folks indulging in nonmedicinal marijuana use (not confirmed, as these fellas might have been card-carrying glaucoma sufferers) that upsetting to the legion of sports writers? Did these hardwood bloggers even make a fuss first or did B-Roy beat 'em to the punch with his apology?

Just seems unnecessary and it reeks of the ownership (as in "We own your black ass") dynamic in the NBA that makes me sick in the first place. The only real thing to regret is the quality of the song, which is of the tritest "we getting money over here" duffel-bag rap-by-numbers variety—the first words heard in the video are, in fact, "We getting money over here," as a mysterious duffel bag, well-trod signifier of unsanctioned hood commerce, is displayed; that's no hate on Messrs. Cali & Cavalli, it just strikes me as wholly unoriginal and low on perceptible skill. Nor is it hate on the Note, who made the video; I'm glad the MC once known as C-Note from Narcotik is on the scene and making art, and his verse on "Home" still rules.

Speaking of weed use, Devin the Dude is coming to cloud up Nectar on Friday, August 27, with Neema, Props, Gnotes, and Tac-Town OG Mr. D.O.G. Devin's Suite 420 is exactly what you expect, maybe a little more, even capturing a bit of the basement-funk feel of his debut. On Saturday, August 28, Black Stax (that's Felicia Loud and the Silent Lambs Project—check out the excellent live set they did on Street Sounds at www.kexp.org for a taste) end their monthlong residency at Wallingford's classy Babalu with a big finale performance, jamming with guest musicians. Also that night, at the Columbia City Theater (conflict of interest air horn!), myself and the good folks from Members Only team up to bring Brooklyn/Cincinnati (hence their last LP, Brooklynati) players Tanya Morgan (that's Von Pea, Donwill, and Ilyas) to town; Def Dee and Language Arts, who previously dropped the classically minded dopeness that was Gravity (LA's upcoming solo, Roll with the Winners, is also seriously about to smack cats in the whole grill area), are opening up, as well as City Hall, the Tacoma trio of EvergreenOne, Todd Sykes, and DJ Slimrock, whose Milk on Wax is coming damn soon. Till next time—I'm getting money over here.