Mock Draft Monday 8/5 '24
Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2
Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2
- NFL Draft ‘25 Build a Board
- St. John’s Hoops
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is of Drake’s Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2. It features Jay-Z and was the outro song to the album Nothing Was The Same.
Always thought this was a cool intro to end an album but never knew the context of the quote. This spoken word was the outro to Jimmy Smith’s Off The Top jazz album that came out in 1982.
Jimmy Smith had a very long music career and while he may not be as famous today as some of his contemporaries, he recorded with the likes of Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra, and Michael Jackson (in the song Bad). For Smith’s last album in 2000 called Dot Com Blues, he recorded with B.B. King and Etta James. (Source: NEA)
Drake’s father, Dennis, was a musician and his uncle, Larry Graham, was as well. I did a bit of Google research and found out that Larry Graham has an interview from 1995 where he’s asked how he got into R&B and Jazz. His response was, “I started getting into the keyboards more too because I played piano before I played guitar. So naturally I started getting into the organ keyboard itself. And I was really into organ players, like Jimmy Smith.” (Source: Open Vault)
The other mixture of sounds you hear before the 1st verse is a sample of Wu-Tang-Clan’s C.R.E.A.M. and Ellie Goulding’s Don’t Say a Word. Drake & Co. reportedly never asked for permission for Ellie Goulding’s vocals on this song but she didn’t care. “It’s Drake and Jay-Z so they can get away with it. I was like, 'You take it. You have it.”
- Il Mulino and Sotto Sotto are nice Italian restaurants that must serve Vino in the Toronto area, but I doubt they serve Guinness.
- In 1991, Dan Marino signed a 5-year extension with the Miami Dolphins. At the time, he became the highest-paid NFL player ever with a $3 million signing bonus and a total of $23 million guaranteed. That’s a whole lot of money in today’s world, but back then it escalated player salaries to what they would become today. For instance, in 1992, a defensive tackle named Steve Emtman went #1 overall to the Colts and earned $5 million. This became commonplace in the NFL where NFL top-pick rookies would make more money than veterans until 2011 when the NFL implemented a rookie wage scale. Today, QBs make twice the amount of Dan Marino’s total ‘91 contract in a season. Anyway, Drake uses the Marino reference to say he signed an extension to his music label.
- Michael Rapino is the CEO of Live Nation Entertainment. Around this time in ‘13, Live Nation merged with Ticketmaster. So, Rapino probably asking the rapper to go on more tours.
- The summer before Nothing Was The Same, Kendrick Lamar claimed he was the best rapper now in his Control verse.
- Thus, this was Drake’s rebuttal to Kendrick Lamar at the time.
- The tinting line about his car. Might be reaching but pretty sure around this time there were behind-the-scenes spats with Sean Combs aka P. Diddy aka Puff Daddy aka Diddy aka Puffy.
The cast of Degrassi eventually did have a reunion, they shot a music video to his ‘18 song I’m Upset.
Sidenote: Don’t think he was an arsehole about it but security was probably necessary.
- This is the start of Jay-Z’s verse. He’s quick to humble himself by saying he’s been the best rapper since before Drake even had braces.
- Jay-Z was featured on Drake’s Take Care in Light Up. The tone in that is more of a mentor speaking to a student, whereas here the verse is clever as hell as he uses race and religion to explain he’s been around the block and still adding more hits (learning to speak Mandarin).
- Chango or Shango is the greatest saint in the Yoruba religion of West Africa. Shango is known as the god of fire, hence the candle. What gives another layer to the line is the feast day for Shango is December 4, which is also Jay-Z’s birthday. (Source: Jay-Z Daily)
- El Gran Santo is Spanish for The Great Saint.
- World Wide Wes is William Wesley. He is currently the New York Knicks VP and Senior Basketball Advisor, however, his pull in the NBA goes way back. Around the time of this tune, he was still considered a mysterious consultant with much influence. He got his start in the behind-the-scenes of sports by networking with future pros on the AAU circuit. Since he keeps a low profile and nobody knows exactly what his job title is for players, some say he’s like a real-life Ray Donovan fixer type. For instance, he was in the middle of the Malice at the Palace and may or may not have been behind LeBron James’ Decision TV Broadcast. (Source: BR)
- Drake a few years after this references World Wide Wes on Back To Back, with the opening line being I learned the game from William Wesley, you can never check me. So, he has a bit of pull off the court too.
This is the start of Paris Morton Music 2 verse. Must’ve added this after hearing Jay-Z’s braces lines.
It’s called Paris Morton Music 2 because it’s nearly a different beat entirely. Paris Morton Music was his spin on Aston Martin Music.
40, one producer on Nothing Was The Same, told Rolling Stone, “I played it for J. Cole, on some rap buddy-buddy stuff, and he was like, 'Damn!'"
It’s a long outro song but ends with the title of the album, followed by a dog reference, a strong finish.
On to the sports…
Got quite a while before Mock Draft Season so most Mondays will feature stars of College Football this upcoming season who are eligible to turn pro in ‘25. Here’s the list so far, the draft board is subject to change once the season kicks off.
Will Howard, QB, Ohio State
Will Howard is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania. After an illustrious high school career at Downingtown West, Will Howard was viewed as the 13th-best pro-style QB of the Class of ‘20 by 247Sports. He chose to play for Kansas State and started the final 7 games of the Wildcat’s season as a true freshman, throwing for 1,178 yards with 8 passing TDs while rushing for 364 yards to go with 3 rushing TDs. Howard became the starter in ‘20 because of an injury to QB1 Skylar Thompson. When Thompson returned in ‘21, Howard went back to being a backup. In ‘22 when Thompson moved on to the NFL (drafted by the Dolphins), Will Howard reclaimed the starting gig by the 2nd half of the season over transfer Adrian Martinez. Howard led Kansas State to their Big 12 Championship win as he threw for 1,633 yards and 15 TDs while running for 3 more scores. As a senior in ‘23, Will Howard had his best collegiate season earning All-Big 12 2nd Team honors. Howard threw for 2,643 yards and 24 TDs while adding 351 rushing yards to go with 9 TDs on the ground. He graduated with an accounting degree last December and decided to transfer to The Ohio State University in January. As a 5th year senior, Howard is working on a master’s degree in sports coaching while playing behind center of the Buckeye offense. Howard’s top WR target this season will be Emeka Egbuka and the Buckeyes will also rely on his legs as well as their dynamic duo of RBs (TreVeyon Henderson & Quinshon Judkins). While he may not be the flashiest dual-threat QB in CFB this season, he’s got one year at one of the top football schools in all of the land to prove he can play at the NFL level.
Jay Higgins, LB, Iowa
Jay Higgins is from Indianapolis, Indiana. While playing high school ball at Brebeuf Jesuit Prep, he was named all-state in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. During his first 2 seasons at Iowa, Higgins saw limited playing time behind the depth chart of the likes of Jack Campbell (now on the Detroit Lions). In ‘22, Higgins started playing alongside the Butkus Award winner as he had 39 tackles while being awarded the team’s Hayden Fry Award for top special teamer. During his senior year in ‘23, Jay Higgins entered the starting linebacker role and flourished. Higgins was named an All-American and recognized as a 1st Team All-Big Ten LB. The permanent team captain of the Hawkeye defense led the team in tackles with an absurd 171. He also came down with his first career interception and recorded 2 sacks. Jay Higgins is your prototypical Big Ten linebacker, elite against the running game. He’s also extremely respected in the Iowa locker room as he’s been a part of the team’s leadership council since ‘22. His head coach, Kirk Frentz, also praised Higgins telling the Big Ten Network, “He sat behind Jack Campbell for 2 seasons. He was smart enough to know this guy was pretty good. He didn’t complain about it, he learned and had a great attitude. When he got his chance last year, I’m not surprised, but he played at a level way higher than anyone predicted. He’s a great leader and just a great young man. The stories like that need to be told as much as guys jumping here and there. He’s just a fantastic player.”
Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame
Xavier Watts is from Omaha, Nebraska. A 3-star prospect out of high school, Watts was originally tabbed as a WR. After not getting much playing time as a freshman in ‘20, Notre Dame entered the ‘21 season with a ton of injuries at linebacker. Watts switched from WR to defense as he played the Fightin’ Irish’s “rover” position, a mix of safety and linebacker. In 11 games he had 15 tackles. As a junior in ‘22, Xavier Watts stayed put at safety as he appeared in 13 games while starting the final 4. He finished the season with 39 tackles, 2 TFLs, a sack, and 4 pass deflections. After improving steadily on his transition to the defensive side of the ball, ‘23 would be Xavier Watts’ breakout season. He came out of seemingly nowhere to win the Bronko Nagurski Award, which goes to the nation’s top defender. The unanimous All-American led the nation in interceptions with 7 while making a career-high 52 tackles. Watts will be roaming behind CB Benjamin Morrison in games and guarding TE Mithcell Evans a ton in practice. With his previous experience at WR during the start of his career, he can recognize routes exceptionally and can play either the slot or deep center field. His experience playing the rover position at Notre Dame should also make him a versatile defender in the NFL as they may view him as a potential linebacker.
Antwane Wells, WR, Ole Miss
Antwane Wells is from Richmond, Virginia. He helped his high school of Highland Springs win back-to-back state championships before playing one season at a prep school called Fork Union. The first college program he played for was James Madison University. As a freshman during the COVID season, Wells caught 33 passes for 603 yards and 6 scores, leading the team in all 3 categories during their 8-game-shortened season. He returned as a sophomore in ‘21 to make 14 starts with 83 receptions for 1,250 yards and 15 TDs. These were all school records for JMU. Antwane Wells then transferred to South Carolina in ‘22. With the step up from FCS to SEC, Wells was up for the challenge catching 68 passes for 928 yards and 6 TDs. He was named the Gamecocks’ Steve Spurrier Offensive MVP Award winner while being listed 1st Team All-SEC. Expecting another massive season as a senior in ‘23, Wells suffered a foot injury during the summer that required surgery. He tried returning to the field at the start of the season, even playing in the first 3 games, and catching a TD against Georgia, but would be shut down for the Gamecocks remainder of the season. Antwane Wells is nicknamed “Juice” Wells. His family originally nicknamed him “Dippy” but he was given Juice for his play in pee-wee ball. “They put me at tailback, and I ran a sweep, and I had some juice in me! I was juking everybody and scoring touchdowns. It was originally ‘Juice Man.’ Now, I bring ‘the juice’ to the team.” Juice decided to transfer once more to Ole Miss and will team up with Tre Harris under the tutelage of head coach Lane Kiffin. A healthy Juice Wells has plenty of NFL potential. His YAC ability is special as he’s just as tough on tacklers as he is fast.
Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State
Davison Igbinosun is from Union, New Jersey. The 4-star prospect was the #1 rated recruit in the Garden State in ‘21. He chose to play for Ole Miss in ‘22, earning Freshman All-American accolades from College Football News for his 37 tackles and 5 pass breakups. Igbinosun then transferred to the Buckeyes in ‘23. With Ohio State as a sophomore, he recorded 59 tackles with 5 more pass deflections. At 6’2”, Igbinosun plays a very physical brand of football as a press corner. According to PFF College, of the 6 Bit Ten CBs who were targeted 65+ times in ‘23, Igbinosun had the lowest reception percentage at 50.7%. With Denzel Burke playing opposite of him, expect Davison Igbinosun to continue to be targeted until he comes down with his first career interception. Then, they might stop trying him.
Previewing possible College Basketball starting 5s for this upcoming season. So far it’s been Duke and UConn, this week’s is St. John’s.
Kadary Richmond, SG, Senior
Kadary Richmond is from Brooklyn, New York. He played for South Shore High School where in ‘19 he averaged 16.3 points per game while being named the New York City Public School Player of the Year. The following season for college, Kadary Richmond then spent a year at Brewster Academy where he received prep school national recognition. Richmond decided to play for Syracuse and Jim Boeheim as he came off the bench as a freshman to average 6.3 points, 3.1 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. After one season with the Orange, Kadary Richmond decided to transfer to Seton Hall. He earned a starting role as a sophomore while averaging 8.8 points, 4.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game, becoming the Pirates primary point guard by the end of the season. As a junior at Seton Hall, Kadary Richmond improved his 3-point shooting to a career-high 44% while averaging 10.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2 steals per game. While his shooting from beyond the arc fell to 27% from 3, Richmond improved to have his best overall season as a senior. Last season as an All-Big East 1st guard, Kadary Richmond averaged 15.7 points, 7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. The 6’5” guard had one of his best games against UConn last December when he scored 23 points with 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and a career-high 8 steals in the Pirates’ upset win. Kadary Richmond decided to play for Rick Pitino and St. John’s as a 5th-year senior. He has great finishing ability and an awesome midrange game. He routinely knows how to get to the right spots off the dribble. This upcoming season, Richmond may end up as the off-ball guard at times, but expect him to have the ball in his hands during crunch time.
Deivon Smith, PG, Senior
Deivon Smith is from Decatur, Georgia. As a high school senior, Deivon Smith averaged 17.6 points, 8.3 assists, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per game. His first college program was Mississippi State in ‘20-’21 where he averaged 5.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists off the bench. He then transferred to Georgia Tech, playing for the Yellow Jackets for 2 seasons where he put up 6.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 48 games. The 6’ point guard then decided his next stop would be at Utah last season and he had his best year yet. As a senior for the Utes, Smith averaged 13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Smith recorded 5 triple-doubles last season, setting a Pac-12 record previously owned by Jason Kidd. He also shot a career-high 41% from deep after shooting only 27% for his career before Utah. His career year so far earned him an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention. While at 6’, Smith may be a bit undersized, he makes up for it with terrific bounce. Deivon Smith and Kadary Richmond will make up quite an intriguing veteran backcourt for the Johnnies.
RJ Luis Jr., PF, Junior
RJ Luis Jr. is from Miami, Florida. As a junior at Christopher Columbus High School down in MIA, Luis Jr. was 1st Team All-State after averaging 25 points and 11 boards per game. His senior season he then transferred to Mt. Zion Prep in Maryland. Coming out of high school, RJ Luis Jr. initially chose to play for UMass. As a freshman in ‘22-’23, the lefty averaged 11.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. This earned him a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie Team. Luis Jr. then decided to transfer to St. John’s last season. In 23 games (10 starts), the wing player averaged 10.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. After shooting 35% from 3 at UMass, Luis Jr. shot only 20% from beyond the arc last season. While I’m listing him as a power forward, he certainly has plenty of guard skills. At 6’7” he is crafty enough on drives to finish over defenders, but he’ll need to improve some as a rebounder on the defensive end.
Vincent Iwuchukwu, C, Junior
Vince Iwuchukwu was born in Manheim, Germany. His father was in the military so his family traveled plenty. Vince Iwuchukwu wasn’t all that into basketball as soccer was his first sport. He picked up a basketball while in Korea. Iwuchukwu’s favorite basketball player is Giannis because of his Nigerian roots. The 7’1” center eventually moved to San Antonio, Texas before playing high school hoops at Southern California Academy. Iwuchukwu was highly recruited out of SCA, choosing to play for USC. As a freshman for the Trojans, Iwuchukwu averaged 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in 14 games. The summer before his freshman season he suffered a cardiac arrest so once he was cleared to play in December, he was understandably trying to catch up to speed. As a sophomore at USC last season, Iwuchukwu averaged 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 15.7 minutes of action per game. He should have a real opportunity to earn more minutes at St. John’s. Head coach Rick Pitino said of Iwuchukwu, “After putting Vince Iwuchukwu through a player development session, I knew we had to have him in a Johnnies uniform. Awesome attitude and work ethic. He is agile, mobile, and shoots the heck out of it. Excited to have him with so much upside and potential." Although his stats at USC may not jump off the page, his low post-game flashes as dominant, and he is great at putbacks on offensive rebounds.
Jaiden Glover, SF, Freshman
