Sean Quigley
The effortless transcendence of Gucci Mane
As someone who enjoys listening to and thinking about rap music, I’ve always had a hard time appreciating Gucci Mane. His tinny, dime-a-dozen synth beats make a mockery out of the sampling process that hip-hop was built on, and his unwillingness to rap about anything outside of his cars, jewelry, and guns, combined with his general aversion to making his lines actually rhyme, made most of his admittedly prolific output tough to stomach.
By Sean Quigley March 4, 2010
Critical Voices: DJ Mathematics, Return of the Wu and Friends
Don’t get too excited—although the cover features guys in kung-fu robes kicking each other and a steely W logo, DJ Mathematics’s Return of the Wu and Friends isn’t a new Wu-Tang album.
By Sean Quigley February 25, 2010
Backdoor Cuts: The Gun Show
As sports fans around the country groggily roused ourselves on January 1 and stared with bloodshot, hangover-glazed eyes into our Google Reader feeds, we were greeted by the seemingly sensationalized news of an alleged gun duel between all-star point guard Gilbert Arenas and injured reserve guard Javaris Crittenton in the Wizards’ locker room on December 21.
By Sean Quigley January 21, 2010
Backdoor Cuts: The gun show
Not to be outdone by the Tiger Woods fiasco of late 2009, this year had already produced its first sports-related scandal, just hours into its first day. As sports fans around the country groggily roused ourselves on January 1 and stared with bloodshot, hangover-glazed eyes into our Google Reader feeds, we were greeted by the seemingly sensationalized news of an alleged gun duel between all-star point guard Gilbert Arenas and injured reserve guard Javaris Crittenton in the Wizards’ locker room on December 21.
By Sean Quigley January 21, 2010
Critical Voices: Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
Supergroups pretty much always leave fans disappointed. You know the drill: the individual stars are too unwilling to compromise their personal aesthetic, the members never make the effort to gel... Read more
By Sean Quigley November 18, 2009
Is that your final Answer?
When Allen Iverson signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Memphis Grizzlies just before the season began, no one expected him to turn back the clock and play like the All-Star he once was, or to lead the team out of its perpetual troubles. But surely most people thought the ill-formed marriage would last longer than this: after just three games, the former Hoya guard skipped the Grizzlies’ game last Saturday against the Clippers to fly back to his home in Atlanta for “personal reasons.” Iverson had to handle a family matter, but now he is taking an indefinite leave of absence. He isn’t injured, sick, or unfit to play—he just doesn’t want to come off the bench.
By Sean Quigley November 12, 2009
A glimpse at the future: the D.C. rap scene
No offense to Fugazi, UCB, or Peaches & Herb, but D.C. is most famous for its politicians, not its musicians. Yet now there’s something new coming out of the District—rap... Read more
By Sean Quigley November 5, 2009
Georgetown by the Numbers
After finishing last season with a 16-15 record, the Georgetown Hoyas would have been hard-pressed to find a fan or analyst who counted them among the top teams in the... Read more
By Sean Quigley November 4, 2009
A History of One Night Stands
Midway through Vagabond Improv Comedy’s show on October 18th, the stage in Bulldog Alley in the Leavey Center has turned into utter pandemonium. One performer is beating his chest and hurling another performer onto the floor, while a third is whirling around dizzyingly on one foot, and a fourth is obliviously tying his shoe. It is one of those bizarre, spontaneous scenes that can’t be replicated, a had-to-be-there moment, and the audience is eating it up. For the remainder of the show, students clutch their sides and roar with laughter. By any standard, the performance is a success.
By Sean Quigley October 22, 2009
The wonderful Wizards of odd
Ever since Gilbert Arenas made a name for himself as the NBA’s most lethal jester—matching his flashy, daring, and effective play with quirky off-court antics—the Wizards have been a relevant presence in the Eastern Conference. But for the past two seasons, Arenas has been largely absent due to injuries, and several of his sidekicks (Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison) have spent significant time on the bench with him. Without their principals, the Wizards languished at the bottom of the East. Now bolstered by a healthy roster—other than a banged-up Jamison, who will miss the rest of the preseason with a sprained shoulder—and the off-season additions of veteran sharpshooter Mike Miller and slashing two-guard Randy Foye, the Wizards certainly hope to improve on their 19-win showing last year. How much better they will actually be is anyone’s guess.
By Sean Quigley October 22, 2009