'Kobe doin' work, two-four on my shirt'

Upon hearing the news of the Lakers' overtime win in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, my ears were in search of a smooth transition from a well-called overtime period by Mike Tirico and Hubie Brown to something with a musical flavor.

Yet, at that point, all I wanted to hear was Lil' Wayne's ode to Kobe Bryant. Partially because I'm a fan of Kobe, a bitter one, at that. One that wishes he was playing for the Bulls instead of the Lakers. On the other hand, the hip-hop fan in me likes the song because it's a rare track which Weezy F. Baby does what he does best, and that's rap.

And that got me to thinking about an ideal playlist for common situations in sports.

1. Heart of a Champion by Nelly - If only because it sample the NBA on NBC theme, this song should be used when the team runs out onto the court or field.
2. Bring 'Em Out by T.I. - Once the home team is settled, the sample used in T.I.P.'s hot jam is the voice of none other than Jay-Z, who announces "Bring 'em out, bring 'em out /i It's hard to yell when there's a barrel in ya mouth."
3. Amazing by Kanye West - This song should play when the starting line-ups are played. It gets me hyped, while keeping me focused on the task at hand.
4. Slam by Onyx - One of the hottest crazes in high school sports are highlight videos (usually on Youtube) that have a good hype song in the background. If I was making a video showing of my ballin' skills, this classic '90s rap track would be it.
   
5. Hustlin' by Rick Ross - This would be my walk-up song. When you're a baseball player, it is all about hustlin' ... and taking steroids, of course.
   
6. Song 2 by Blur - If I hit a home run, I'd sprint around the bases with this song blaring in the background.
   
7. Running Down A Dream by Tom Petty - If I was a starting pitcher, this would be the song I would want to warm up to, if for no other reason, because I always seem to be running down some sort of elusive dream.
   
8. Lose Yourself by Eminem - The ultimate hype song for guys who love to win, but hate to lose. When it is time to make the call to the bullpen to nail down the ninth, this song is coming on.
9. Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis - For when I pick up the save in the bottom of the 9th, this will be the team's victory song.
   
10. Championship Pop Bottles by Lil' Wayne & Birdman - For when my team wins the championship, duh.

Bonus Track: Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight by The Spaniels for when they turn the lights out and send folks home.

Playlist Time: 41 minutes, 29 seconds

Tracks that just missed the cut:

Last Four Out:

• Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nothin' To F*** With by Wu-Tang Clan
• Highway To Hell by AC/DC
• Man In The Box by Alice In Chains
• Go Getta by Young Jeezy

Next Four Out:

• Still Fly by Big Tymers
• The Second Coming by Juelz Santana
  
• Big Poppa by The Notorious B.I.G
• Jump Around by House of Pain,

Other notables: Headstrong by Trapt, Dream On by Aerosmith, Champion by Kanye West, We Ready by Archie Eversole, Triumph by The Wu-Tang Clan, Ignition (Remix) by R. Kelly, Make It Rain by Fat Joe feat. Lil' Wayne, I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly, Big Poppa by The Notorious B.I.G.

The Summer's First Must Add: D.O.A. by Jay-Z

The Hip Hop Community has been buzzing since Hov's newest joint, Death Of Autotune, leaked onto the airwaves of Hot 97 and throughout the Internet. And for once, that is a good thing.

Other than T.I.'s Paper Trail, the genre's best efforts have been hampered by mediocre guest spots and the dreaded autotune.

Lil' Wayne, Yung Berg and even (gasp!) Kanye West have used the autotune device to alter their voices and raps. T-Pain and Akon used autotune to advance their careers, and for T-Pain, it was his only avenue to superstardom.

The use of autotune by rappers is akin to what would happen if a whole team of baseball players used the same bat. Sure, it would produce its fair share of hits, but eventually would shatter upon meeting a Roger Clemens raged-up 'roid ball.

(OK, maybe the baseball analogy was too much. I digress.)

In Death of Autotune, Jay reverts back to one of hip-hop's most simple formulas for success. Hard, poignant bars with content over a smooth soul-sample helped launched Hova into a megastar and could possibly mark the beginning of the end for the autotune.

Not since Kriss-Kross started wearing their jerseys backwards have I seen a more polarizing fad in hip-hop. Autotune usage by rappers needs to go the way of tapes, VCRs and those ugly Houston Astros throwbacks.

D.O.A. is a throwback in its own right, without the hideous technicolor horizontal stripes.

At its core, the track is likeable because of its beat, its artist and its message. Hov comes back with a shot at what is wrong with the game today. All while reminding the world why the once-retired 38-year-old is better than anyone and everyone hip-hop has to offer.

Throughout the summer I'm sure there will be some tracks that scream "Add me!" as soon as they hit my ear drums. And as soon as I hear them, I'll pass them on to you. But for now, add D.O.A. A.S.A.P.

D.O.A. (Death Of Autotune) by Jay-Z (produced by No I.D. & Kanye West [AllHipHop.com]