The world is filled with some people who are so talented
that you stand back and stare at them in awe of their abilities and
accomplishments. But if you’re a hater like me there is a next level. People
who ascend to such heights that their talent makes you angry, and you’re made
even angrier by the fact that you enjoy what they do and will continue to do so. Today I am going to give
you 5 of those jerks who personify this emotion for me. (When I say jerks please note that this is
coming strictly from a place of jealousy and that I enjoy their work very much.)
5. LeBron James
4. Dave Grohl
Look at this bastard here. Ok, so first you think it’s cool
to come to the forefront of American culture as a songwriter and drummer for
Nirvana (Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by the way), and then
this jerk goes and founds the Foo Fighters. Are you freaking kidding me? And
the cherry on top of the hating sundae is that he appears to be by all accounts
a damn decent and funny human being. Ugh.
3. Kendrick Lamar
Oh King Kendrick. After your first album and seeing you
perform live I was all about you. Then you had to go and make “To Pimp a
Butterfly.” To say I loved that album is an understatement. I give that album
credit for helping me keep my sanity for a large part of the past year given
the depressing state of the news and other events that have led me to blog
passionately over that time span. The more I listen to how he puts his phrases
together and the message of each song it fills me with rage. He is a better
artist than I am at pretty much anything. Except hating. Now if he releases an
album of hating next year then I may have to shut this down.
*Early Contender for The Puma Song of the Year*
2. Bomani Jones
I began following Bomani on twitter a few years ago after
seeing him on "Around The Horn." After that I began to read his article, especially his music articles. Over the years he has launched "The Evening Jones," an amazing podcast, and recently got his radio show moved to a better time slot and is co hosting Highly Questionable with Dan Le Batard. What fills me with an envious rage most of all about Hater Galaga (an amazing hating alter ego) is how he interacts with trolls and has the courage to speak his mind even if it's a coworker at ESPN. Bo is so good at what he does that it just seems effortless. Damn him.
1. Ta-Nehisi Coates
This man here. I just shake my head whenever he drops a heavily researched, mad thorough long form article. I know that it's going to take me a while to read it but damn it he's so damn good the time just flies as you're reading it. He drops articles like Beyonce drops albums, unexpectedly and it's all people can talk about. His "Case for Reparations" article was so good that I had to stop reading a few times and play the beat from "Ether" over it. And then this week it's announced he is going to write some comics for my favorite super hero of all time "Black Panther." For real dude? If he keeps this up I may have to put a picture of him up in my home somewhere. Also for this sick burn on the dear brother Cornel West.
Denounced T'Challa as a Wall Street puppet and purveyor of crony capitalism. https://t.co/cQmQpIjJAf
— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) September 23, 2015
All this being said these 5 people personify excellence in my eyes. I am sure you have your list similar to this, and if not YOU'RE A DIRTY LIAR! Kidding folks. Seriously take time and appreciate King James, marvel at Dave Grohl, be inspired by Kendrick Lamar, be pushed mentally by Bomani Jones and be prepared to have view points laid out so painstakingly that even if you disagree you will understand his view.
