Lip

Lip

Talking back

Cleveland bean-pole Eminem Machine Gun Kelly’s Rap God diss track was not shy of acknowledging Slim Shady’s greatness. This calculated admission appears in all four verses (and the bridge) and imbues MGK’s trash talking with a hidden sales pitch. Each G.O.A.T. comment establishes necessary common ground with Eminem fans that surely found themselves scrutinizing his response, building a narrative that accepts the excellence of the past while positing an evolving future with new greats. By clarifying that Shady sucks now, the self-proclaimed Rap Devil turns beef into an opportunity to gain fans—not just 3rd party listeners, but supporters of the very artist he’s grilling.

Lip

The edge.

Although heavily regulated, the behavior of the thin orange circle that separates success from failure in basketball is largely variable. Rims range from “soft” (shots that hit the front of the rim make their way through) to “tight” (the ball has a little extra pop off the iron), and the state of a team’s hoop can have a huge affect—placebo or not—on shooters.  T-Mac complained about Houston’s rims in ’08 and had the numbers to boot—the seven-time All-Star shot 32% from deep away from home and only 25.7% in the Toyota Center. How does this happen? It comes down to usage. It’s likely that the rims in LA experienced a “soft” streak during Shaq’s tenure—a strong post presence truly facilitates the game for shooters.