Earl Sweatshirt’s Jay-Z Stunt Works, Trayvon Martin’s Verdict Sparks Widespread Fear, GTV 5 Is Really Happening

In this week's Pulse Report, we're going to do a quick check on Earl Sweatshirt's state-of-mind, prepare for what will be widespread tension in the Trayvon Martin case, soak up the Grand Theft Auto V excitement and oh SOHH much more!

[Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect those of SOHH]

1. When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong

Now look, I’m going to be the first to tell y’all that I was never a big fan of the whole Odd Future movement. Tyler, the Creator has always been cool, but as far as remembering the rest of those guys, ehhh, not so much. But now it looks like Earl Sweatshirt went on the one medium that is sure to draw him a lot of fans and basically called Jay-Z‘s new Magna Carta Holy Grail album trash, in not so many words. This is not an East Coast/West Coast thing, but it is a significant enough statement to get some attention brought to it. For all of y’all who missed it, Earl said:

“if you really f*cked with magna carta then unfollow me,” he tweeted July 11.

“im gonna listen to allure and eat a breakfast burrito.”

“i hope that opinions on my material throughout my career are based on the quality of it and not how big my name is”

“hahah welp theres goes the last of the black fans i had”

“hahaha FATHER FORGIVE ME FOR I HAVE TAKEN THE NAME OF OUR HOLY SAVIOR JAY Z IN VAIN” (Earl Sweatshirt’s Twitter)

And then what?

“ill say two things and then ill go away,” Sweatshirt tweeted July 12.

“so many idiots came charging out the woodworks yesterday to defend jay z like i said something offensive about him as a human being”

“all my point was is that this album, in my opinion, was bad.”

“im not gonna speak on that anymore unless its in person cause 140 characters is too restricting”

“now that thats out of the way:”

“DORIS AUG 20th pic.twitter.com/Uu853qpkcR” (Earl Sweatshirt’s Twitter)

Now my first intention was to just get really pissed off and say that he’s an idiot and that doggy doesn’t really know about that Hov life. But then I started really thinking about it like, “That ‘Doris’ album is dropping next month, wouldn’t it make sense to get some big attention?” Even worse? The day after he dissed Jay’s album, he decided to release his own album’s tracklisting and cover art. Ehhh, seem a bit fishy to y’all? Really think about it for a minute. Most Odd Future characters don’t come back out and clarify what it is they said, even if they are dissing another doggy, but he really made sure to address those comments.

Bottom line is the new Jay-Z album’s isn’t even close to bad. Y’all might want to call it more of a mixtape than an album and that’s fine, but call a spade a spade, not just plain ol’ bad. And the other funny thing is he made it very personal. If you like the album, unfollow him? To take it a step further, Earl made sure to retweet some of the haters that got at him after his diss.

It all sounds like a conspiracy to me.

2. Prepare For The Worst

I consider myself a very positive doggy. Whenever a bad situation comes about, I try to look at the positive factors and see what good can come from it. Unfortunately, I’m having a very hard time thinking that justice will be served in the Trayvon Martin case. You have to figure that either way, whether George Zimmerman gets set free or if he is handed a punishement like life in prison, there are going to be a ton of people and doggies like myself screaming and wanting to have some input in the verdict. That’s going to be the case soon:

In Florida, communities including Miami and Seminole County, where Sanford is located, are monitoring the Zimmerman trial.

Sarasota police encouraged residents to have a “civil and peaceful response” to the verdict.

“When a verdict is read, not everyone is going to be happy,” Chief Bernadette DiPino says. “We are asking the public to take part in peaceful responses and speak with their mouths, not with their hands and not use weapons of any kind.”

DiPino stood with community leaders and lit a candle in memory of Trayvon Martin during a press conference Thursday.

Broward County in South Florida has issued a public service announcement urging people to “raise your voice and not your hands” after the verdict.

“With the verdict coming, we wanted to get ahead of the curve and not wait until something happened,” Broward County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Keyla Concepcion told USA TODAY. “We want to get people talking now. We know the power of social media. We aren’t sitting here with our arms crossed just waiting for something to happen.”

Florida pastors have been working with police to prevent violence. They say they are focused on prayer, not protests.

“For so many of the youth, I think you have to understand that the way this case was handled seems like a slap in the face. How could Zimmerman shoot Trayvon and by his own admission be free to leave 12 hours later? You’ve also had Trayvon demonized,” said Pastor Glenn Dames of St. James AME Church in Titusville, one of the early organizers of protests in Brevard County.

“Had everything been done at the beginning, then you likely would not have had these tensions. The tensions wouldn’t be this big. Ultimately, whatever the verdict may be, it’s in God’s hands,” he said.

Nearly 20 area pastors met with police in Sanford to discuss preparations for the trial’s outcome.

Nationally, police in cities, including New York, Detroit, Oakland and Atlanta, say they are not anticipating major protests or riots. (USA Today)

There’s no way you can prepare for this. Even if Zimmerman is found guilty and has to do time in jail, you know there is going to be an appeal, and vice-versa. There’s no way this entire tragic story is going to end happily ever after for either side. Now all we can do is wait for the chaos to begin.

3. Moment of the Week: Grand Theft Auto V First Gameplay Trailer/p>

It’s been a muggy week everyday, but there’s nothing better than knowing with each passing hot day, we’re getting closer to the release of Grand Theft Auto V. My X-Box 360 has been patiently waiting for this title and even though we had a few teaser clips, the first gameplay video finally dropped and y’all know as much as I love video games and movies, this was the biggest moment of the week:

It looks very much like the spiritual successor to San Andreas, though this time around you play as three separate protagonists. The game alternates between missions, or heists, and open-world exploration that includes everything from yoga to golf to shopping. During these open-exploration segments, you can bounce back and forth between your three characters, though the video describes this as “voyeurism.” I’m not sure if this means you won’t be able to play each at will, relegated to observing during different parts of the game, or whether Rockstar is simply being glib. (Forbes)

Incredible. That’s the only way you can describe it. There’s so much sick stuff you can do with Grand Theft Auto V, from the swimming missions to hunting and golfing to even being able to swich characters or check up on them at any given time. I know it’s still only July, but September will be here before we know it and I hope y’all put your pre-orders in!

4. Mrs. Butterworth: Amber Rose

She isn’t a stranger to being a Mrs. Butterworth pick but with a ring on her finger, officially now, y’all know we had to show some love to Amber Rose. Still can’t believe three years ago she was Kanye West’s wifey and now she’s already a mother with a kid from her “husband” Wiz Khalifa. They make a great couple so before we start seeing the more mature and toned down Amber Rose, why not remember her in all that glory.

5. Rappers Say The Darndest Things

There were too many rappers saying dumb stuff this week and to be honest with y’all, with the Trayvon Martin stuff, I’ve really been tuned into this trial, so we’re going to play it nice and safe with featuring just ONE of your favorite rappers going off. Y’all should know already who it is. Here’s a hint, he rocks a little gold, was a big fan of Michael Jordan, is a king and has a big relationship with Samsung. Jay-Z? NOPE! LOL. It could only be LeBron James….RAPPING!?!?!!? LOL!!!!

LeBron James … is no Jay-Z … but last night, the NBA superstar released a teaser of what sounds like his first attempt at RAPPING … and … well, at least he’s better than Tanning Mom. LBJ posted two audio clips on his Instagram account last night — on the first clip, he’s doing the intro thing over Jay-Z’s “N**gas in Paris” … saying, “Yo you already know what it is … it’s the kid King James.” On the second clip, you can actually hear James rap — mid-flow — and let’s just say he doesn’t just flop on the court. Overall, it’s not the worst attempt at rapping we’ve ever heard … but he’s no SHAQ!!!!

***Aiiiiiight! Weekend time! I don’t know about y’all, but this Pacific Rim has my name written all over it for tomorrow. I didn’t need a Kanye West co-sign to spark my interest. Guillermo Del Toro has done some work and this flick shouldn’t be any different. Kick back and enjoy the next 48 hours. I’ll catch y’all on Tuesday! –BB***