Throwback Jam of the Week: 11/28/22

 Throw on your Brightest Shirt and Continue To Rock as we take you back to the 80s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!

Artist: D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Song: Jeff Waz On The Beatbox
Album: And In This Corner... (1989)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: N/A
Bonus Fun Fact: This song features a sample from the 1978 song "Sing Sing" by Gaz!

Non-Sports Card Showcase #2

I have loved collecting cards since I was 6 years old. Recently it's been a bit of a hassle keeping up with the hobby by attempting to actually locate products or seeing the huge prices secondary sellers are trying to get. Regardless, I still enjoy opening a fresh pack of cards whether it be baseball, basketball or Garbage Pail Kids! Recently I was sitting in my basement with my kids going through some of my collection and I realized that I have some pretty cool non-sports cards. Today, I'd like to share a few more of those cards with you. Let's begin!

2002 Inkworks MIIB #PW1

I've stated on here before about how big of a Fresh Prince/Will Smith fan I am and it may come to no surprise that I loved the Men In Black films. This card set came out in 2002 and I did buy a few packs in hope that I would get lucky and pull one of these relic cards. I never did pull one, but I kept it on my wish list and would check the eaby listings from time to time. I finally found this card featuring a piece of screen worn MIB suit, for around $5. I know it's not from Will's suit, but still a cool piece of MIB memorabilia.

2006 Topps Chrome #CO-JM

Last week I told you all about my love of Jenny McCarthy back in the 90s, but as time went on so did I. She still holds a special place in my teenage years, but by the time this card was released I really could have cared less. I think I received this card in a relic card lot that I bought pretty cheap.

2008 Upper Deck Semi-Pro #1

I am a big fan of the movie Semi-Pro and, in my opinion, it's one of Will Ferrell's funniest movies. In 2008 Upper Deck released a 3 card set to help promote the movie. The other 2 cards feature Andre 3000 as Clarence "Coffee" Brown and Woody Harrelson as Ed Monix. I found these pretty cheap and they always make me smile when I see them in my collection.

2015 Panini Americana #MS-JJ

The other half of my most favorite rap duo of all-time, DJ Jazzy Jeff has made quite a name for himself in the music industry. Yes, I enjoy his Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince albums, but I also really like his solo stuff that he has put out over the years. Each album is it's own mix tape and features production by Jeff with guest vocals by some of the biggest names in hip-hop like Eminem, The Roots, Method Man & Biz Markie. This is one card I will never let go of!

1995 Sports Stars USA #103

Again I am ending on a card that features one of the greatest sporting icons of all-time, Michael Jordan. I found this in a dollar box at a local card shop and had to pick it up. It features Jordan in his White Sox attire during his baseball playing phase in the 90's and encourages us all to eat our Wheaties. I like the shimmery faux autograph on the front and the basic back really help to make this oddball card a standout in my collection! Did you collect non-sports cards back in the day? If so, let us know what your favorite sets to collect were in the comment section below.

Wrapping Up Christmas 2021

Now that I am a parent Christmas is mostly all about making the kids happy and helping Santa get them the toys that were on their list. There is nothing like seeing their little faces light up on that special December morning...even if it's at 4am. I guess that's karma, but every year I still look forward to unwrapping my own gifts from my kids & wife. They typically do a great job of getting me some sweet presents and this year they did not disappoint. I know it's a little late, but lets look behind the wrapping paper and see what goodies were under the tree for me this year!

Basketball Cards

I love collecting basketball cards and have been doing so since I was about 10 years old. I'm always down for opening a few packs whether they are new or old wax packs. This year I got a few of the top rookies and I was happy we were actually able to find a box on the shelves at Walmart.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game

I was really excited to get this game. I have the original for the Wii, but this version blows that one out of the water! The graphics are fantastic, the story is fun and hearing the entire Ghostbusting crew back together is amazing!

He-Man Figures

I actually enjoyed watching the new Masters of The Universe cartoon on Netflix with my kids. Yes, it is more of a kid friendly and safe option and the creators changed quite a bit from the original, but the action, humor and adventure are still there. My wife also got me the sweet MOTU mini figures from the Dollar Tree. For $1, these are some pretty well done figures!

Silk Sonic CD

I've been a fan of Bruno Mars for a while and Anderson Paak just recently made it onto my radar add in some Bootsy Collins and I am sold! Some good funk & soul jams on here.

The Office Items

I love The Office, so my wife got me a Dwight Schrute bobblehead an official The Office "Talking Button" that spews out icon lines from the show when you push down on it. The fact that it is shaped like a stapler in a Jell-O mold only makes this impulse item cooler.

Will by Will Smith

I have been following Will Smith's career since I feel in love with his fresh rhymes on the 80's jam "Parents Just Don't Understand". I watched "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" religiously on Monday nights on NBC and have seen the majority of his movies. It should be cool to dig a little deeper into the life of one of my favorite MCs.

Movies

The fam picked me up the original King Kong vs. Godzilla from 1962, Wonder Woman 1984 and The Goldbergs Seasons 3 & 4. Got a little bit of watching to do! Well, that's it for this past Christmas. I hope yours was merry, bright and full of good tidings. Merry Christmas!

Throwback Jam of the Week: 10/11/21

 Throw on your knifed glove and head to Elm Street as we take you back to the 80's! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!

Artist: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Song: A Nightmare On My Street
Album: He's The DJ...I'm The Rapper
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 15
Bonus Fun Fact: This song led to a lawsuit by New Line Cinema against JJ & FP for copyright infringement. The lawsuit was settled out of court and the music video was to be destroyed and a disclaimer was to be placed on all future pressings of the album. The disclaimer noted that this song is in no way authorized, licensed or affiliated with the Nightmare on Elm Street films.

Throwback Jam of the Week: 10/19/20

 Throw on your Black suit, and head to outerspce as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!

Artist: Will Smith feat. TRA-Knox

Song: Black Suits Comin' (Nod Ya Head)

Album: Men In Black II: Soundtrack (2002)

Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 77

Bonus Fun Fact: The video for this song features cameos by Trey Smith & Meagan Good. This song reached #1 on the Billboard UK R&B charts.

Throwback Jam of the Week: 9/21/20

 Throw on your Le Coq Sportif, and yell "Geronimo" and jump out the window as we take you back to the 80s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!

Artist: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

Song: Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble

Album: Rock The House (1986)

Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #57

Bonus Fun Fact: This song was the debut single by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince and contains a musical sample from the "I Dream of Jeannie" theme song! This music video was accidentally shown on MTV in 2016 during a Prince marathon to honor the artist after his passing.

Throwback Jam of the Week: 5/18/20

Throw on your backwards cap, and work that booty as we take you back to the 90s! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK!

Artist: Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

Song: Boom! Shake The Room

Album: Code Red (1993)

Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #13

Bonus Fun Fact: This song reached #1 on the charts in Australia, Ireland, Spain and the UK and was certified Gold with sales over 600,000 by the RIAA!

Throwback Jam of the Week: 12/30/19

Throw on your Party Suit and get ready to travel through time as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...

Artist: Will Smith feat. K-Ci

Song: Will2K

Album:  Willenium (1999)

Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 25

Bonus Fun Fact: The music video for this song features cameos by DJ Jazzy Jeff, Eve, Tisha Campbell & Duane Martin. This song features samples from The Clash's "Rock The Casbah" and "Superrappin" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

Throwback Jam of the Week: 6/3/19

Throw on your black suit, black shades & black shoes and hit the alien infested streets of New York as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...

Artist: Will Smith

Song: Men In Black

Album:  Men In Black: The Album (1997)

Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 1
Bonus Fun Fact: Coko from the group SWV provides the background singing vocals on this track. This song samples heavily from Patrice Rushen's 1982 song "Forget Me Nots". Won the 1998 Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance. This song was covered by The Chipmunks for their 1998 album "The A-Files: Alien Songs".

Throwback Jam of the Week: 10/8/18

It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop and rap from the 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they can get you on your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Hockey Mask, cut your hair in the fresh Psycho style and slip on your knife fingered glove as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the Halloween Edition of the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...

Artist: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

Song: Then She Bit Me

Album: And In This Corner (Released 1989)
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: N/A

Bonus Fun Fact: This song contains references to Nintendo, Shaft, Twilight Zone and Chucky from Child's Play!

Throwback Jam of the Week: 5/31/18

It's that time of the week again here at 20 Years Before 2000...It's time for the THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK! These are the jams currently on my trusty Creative ZEN MP3 player and they encompass everything from Motown R&B classics to hip-hop and rap from the 90s! I would like to share them with you in the hopes that they can get you on your feet and bring back some sweet nostalgic memories! So throw on your Cross Colours, cut your hair in the fresh Cornrow style and slip on your Adidas as we take you back! Without further ado, here is the 20 Years Before 2000 THROWBACK JAM OF THE WEEK...

Artist: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

Song: Summertime

Album: Homebase (Released 1991)

Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: 4

Bonus Fun Fact: Summertime won the 1992 Grammy Award for "Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group"!

Hollywood Old School Rap

A few years ago I won an ebay bid for a 2009 Upper Deck Hollywood History Prominent Cuts "Material" card. I'm pretty sure I got this for under $10. The reason I wanted it so bad was that it contained a piece of Will Smith's jacket from the Movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" and a piece of the Eagles jersey Mark Wahlberg wore in the movie "Invincible".

I am a huge fan of The Fresh Prince and have been a fan of his since he and Jazzy Jeff dropped the "Rock The House" album in 1987. It's pretty cool to own a piece of memorabilia from a movie he was Oscar nominated for. I also have been a fan of Mark Wahlberg since he and the Funky Bunch dropped their debut album "Music For The People" in 1991. I owned both albums on cassette tape. So, it's no wonder I wanted to own this "Hollywood Old School Rap" Dual Materials card.

Back in the early 90s who would have thought that these 2 rappers would become some of the most sought after, highest grossing Hollywood stars of today? Let's take a trip back and listen to the sweet sounds of The Fresh Prince & Marky Mark!

Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch: Wildside

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince: Brand New Funk

Birthday Recap 2016: Part 1

This past week was my birthday and I am so blessed to have a wife and kids that really know me and know what I like. I'm sure it helped that I dropped a few hints here and there. It was a great birthday spent with the fam. Well, let's dig in and take a look at what I unwrapped this year in Part 1 of the 2016 Birthday Recap!

 Ghostbusters Mymoji: Sad Winston (Funko, 2016)

Science Fiction Vinyl Figure: Cylon (Funko, 2015)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Action Vinyls: Donatello (Loyal Subjects, 2015)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-Machines: Donnie in Speed Demon (Playmates, 2015)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Surprise Mini-Fig: Movie Donatello (Playmates, 2016)

Disney DuckTales T-Shirt

Gremlins Pop! Vinyl Figure (Funko, 2012)

Concussion starring Will Smith (Sony Pictures, 2015)

Pop Culture League Challenge: Earth vs. Aliens

This week the league was left a pretty stirring quote from one Stephen Hawking. In it Mr. Hawking states “If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the Native Americans.” Obviously Mr. Hawking has never heard of a mysterious group of Galaxy Defenders who call themselves the Men In Black. Have you?

Recently a large cardboard box was found on my front steps. It had no return address, no postage and no markings of any kind that would let me trace it's origins. I opened it up and inside were a strange bunch of sensitive materials. I'm telling you about this under anonymity, so please try keeping this on the down low for everyone's safety.

The first thing I pulled out of the box were a set of classified "Mission Journals" from the 90s. These illustrated journals must have been written as a record of what happened to individual agents as they proceeded to guard against extra-terrestrial violence. These may have been used as training manuals for future rookie agents to learn from other's mistakes and victories. This is only speculation though.

Next up was a trilogy of documentaries. These 3 are chilling videos of some of the Men In Black's most amazing triumphs. From giant bugs to a time traveling assassin. Little is known as to why the MiB would record their exploits. Once again these may have been used as a learning tool. Maybe someday these will come to light and be shown to the general public so we can fully understand the extent of danger the world is in? So when a future extinction level event occurs we don't fear them, we cheer them.

This item has to be one of the strangest! It is an agent simulator. This program simulates an Alien Escape and tests how agents would perform in high stress situations. Recruits are required to stop aliens from blowing up the Earth with a ship based weapon called the Class 7 Ozone Demogrifier. They are tested on investigative talents and recognizing alien threats out in the field.

With all the high stress situations and elite exhaustive training the MiB are still able take time to cut loose and relax. Otherwise I'm sure they would go crazy and possibly lose focus during a critical mission. We wouldn't want that would we?

I am not sure why I was chosen to receive this box, but let me tell you Mr. Hawking, if hostile aliens did come to Earth the Men In Black are our first, last and only line of defense against the worst scum of the universe! With all the above materials at their disposal the MiB have protected us since the 50s and are ready for anything. tonight I can go to bed soundly just knowing.........

Check out these other great sites that talk about stuff? I can't remember what though?

Green Plastic Squirt Gun

The Toy Box

G.I. Jigsaw

Alexis' Universe