A three month hiatus!! That's gotta be a zonesite record! It's been ridiculously busy for me and basketball season is off, so I flat out didn't have time. But now I'm back! Hoops season may be off, but I've been doing a lot of freelance writing for SLAM Magazine's website, slamonline.com

I'm on a hiatus from the record industry and been on my journalism grind doing some writing for hoops magazines like Reverse, The Source, Bounce and most recently, SLAM Magazine's website. I've done 2 articles for SLAM thus far and had one written about me and my basketball aspirations and exploits, haha. Check it out if you're into ball, and there will be more to come.

CRYSTAL BALL: J-Zone breaks down the upcoming NYC PSAL (Public High School) basketball season.

CRYSTAL BALL: J-Zone tries to foreshadow Isiah Thomas and the NY Knicks' next foolish move (and he's already right on one...this was posted before the Houston deal)

IN THE ZONE: J-Zone's second career, passion and hobby (I posted this along with the September Edition of Gator$-n-Fur$ awhile back)

Leave comments in the feedback section of each article if you're diggin it.


SLEPT ON ALBUM OF THE MOMENT

THE UBC: 2 ALL SERIOUS THINKERS (1990)

*no photo available*

Talk about swept under the rug. I did a Google image search for the album cover and came up blank. It was on a major label (EMI) too, so that just goes to show that this CD was as forgotten as the longbox-style packaging it came in. Hailing from Hempstead, Long Island, some people know it as "that group that did that album where they posed in front of the thinker statue". But for those that know, this may be one of the Top 10 eight-bit sampler records ever. I have no idea what drum machines they used but every sample has a grainy, tinny, bedroom quality. But the way it's done, it evokes nostalgic and raw, not piss poor. Looking back, MC E-Ski Spectacular Show was pretty decent for the time. His best moment is the Audio 2/First Priority Music dis track "Burning Bridges". Apparently these dudes were signed to that label, got the brat treatment and broke camp on sour terms. It's a pretty vicious dis track for the time, ahead of its time at that. Production never realy goes past Ultimate Breaks and Beats, but as previously mentioned, the sound quality gives it a bugged ring. This CD holds special to me because its the first CD I ever owned. I was all LP and tape before this. I gave my moms $13 and she brought it home from The Wiz (remember that spot?!) after work for me. I lost the CD and replaced it with vinyl. I better order the CD off Amazon before one of you do and the price goes up! It was around $12 last time I looked, but this is proof that even major labels have rare pieces worth owning. So don't limit yourselves to Tuff City releases! Check out a decent and elusive joint from a time when even marginal albums held up well.