Hoop Dreams

Now basketball is my favorite sport
I like the way they dribble up and down the court
I like slam-dunks that take me to the hoop
My favorite play is the alley-oop
I like the pick-n-roll
I like the give-n-go
The game is basketball, now you know!

BOUNCE BOUNCE SWISH
BA BOUNCE BOUNCE SWISH
BOUNCE BOUNCE SWISH
AS EASY AS A WISH

BOUNCE BOUNCE SWISH
BA BOUNCE BOUNCE SWISH
BOUNCE BOUNCE SWISH
I NEVER SEEM TO MISS

Put a ball in my hands and come and find me
Me, the best from here to Mississippi
I get challenged all the time from scrubs like you
I just blow em away like the sound (blow) (blow)

You think you can guard me
You think you can stop me
You might as well go home and drink ya coffee

You can't handle this rap
Can't handle these rhymes
But more importantly, on the court you're a waste of my time

(CHORUS)

Next to me there is no one close
To beat me, I recommend a steroid dose
Nowadays that is very wrong
But so is creating this ridiculous song ☺

All it says is that I am the best
I am no match in ball for the rest
Doesn't matter if your black or white
Being Hauole Filipino is what is right

(CHORUS)

Crossing you up might be, too easy
The answer may be, making you deezy
My jump shot often is compared to heaven
Pretty soon I'm up by a hundred eleven

The game is over
Just give up already
Now its time for all my confetti

My moment to shine
I am the best

BUT SO HAS THIS DREAM BEEN: I MUST CONFESS
BUT SO HAS THIS DREAM BEEN: I MUST CONFESS
BUT SO HAS THIS DREAM BEEN: I MUST CONFESS

BOUNCE BOUNCE SWISH
BA BOUNCE BOUNCE SWISH
BOUNCE BOUNCE SWISH

A DREAM DETERMINED BY I

Analysis

If you may not have known already, I moved from California at the end of my 4th grade year at the age of 9, due to my parents longing to live on this beautiful land of Hawaii once again. It was not easy and I left almost everything behind including the only life I knew, but one thing that I left, was again right there in front of me when we landed in Honolulu- the game of basketball.
Ever since I was just getting out of diapers, I have been playing this wonderful game involving, speed, power, athleticism, and skill. At the ripe age of 4 my dad placed one of these spherical shaped orange balls in my hand, and from there I was off and running. I have won countless games playing basketball, from pickup games to games on the grandest stage in Las Vegas. I have seen the best players in the world at Lakers games, and I have seen some of the worst at nearby parks, but through the years and the changes in my life, my love for it has stayed constant, and that is why creating a song about basketball fit in trying to create a song that portrays me.
The most difficult part of this assignment for me, was trying to begin my lyrics. I listened to at least 50 songs for about 2 hours before I picked two that I really enjoyed based on the beats and sounds. The beat I decided to imitate was from the song titled The Re-up by Eminem featuring 50 Cent, and I got some of my lyric ideas from the song called Basketball sung by Lil Bow Wow. From that point on, the ideas just came to me; rhyme after rhyme were jotted down and before long, I had my own rap about my love for the game.
What made my song unique from other generic basketball songs that have been created is that I made my song based on a dream. My life long goal is to become a star at the most elite level, meaning the NBA. Although this goal is rare, it is achievable, and selfishly, I would want nothing more in the world than for this to happen.
I began my song by simply stating that "Basketball is my favorite sport" and then talking about all the different aspects of basketball that I crave for- "dribbling, the alley-oop, slam dunks, pick n' roll, and the give n' go." Everything about basketball gets me excited and wanting for more; from the smell of the ball, to the sound of the sneakers squealing against the sticky polished wood floor. Picture you with the ball with the game on the line. You are dribbling and feel as if no one can stop you from the inevitable- winning, because of all the hard work you put in to get to this point. You and the ball work together as if you were one machine, and just before the time reaches zero, you let the ball slide off your hands. As it glides towards the cold hard, orange rim, there are 5 opposing guys trying to knock that ball from its path, but you are so skilled that none of them can get to it, and before anyone can even let out a word, you hear SWISH; and you have just won the game.
This situation I just put you in, resembles what my chorus portrays. I think about being on the grandest stage, taking the biggest shot, and winning the game for my team. It gives the reader a sense of a beat, while giving light to the feeling of a basketball game, where you feel as if you are unbeatable. As you begin to hear more of the lyrics, I pile on reason upon reason as to how I am the best, and how "there is no one close" to my superiority. "You think you can guard me, You think you can stop me, You might as well go home and drink ya coffee, You can't handle this rap, Can't handle these rhymes, But more importantly, on the court you're a waste of my time."
Finally by the end by of the song, you figure out the real meaning behind the song. I didn't just create a song telling you about how good I am, or how unbeatable my game is, but actually how I someday hope to achieve this level of play through hard work and persistence. We all have dreams, and we all would want nothing more than for these dreams to become real, but in my case, my dream of being the best, is determined by me. My work ethic and only I can make my dream one day become a reality. "A dream determined by I."