Words are my crack, and I’m Pookie with the shakes. #Neruda #Nietzsche #Poe #Socrates #Strand

On April 18, 1946, Jersey City’s own Roosevelt Stadium played host to the season opener between the Jersey City Giants and the Montreal Royals, marking the debut of minor leaguer, Jackie Robinson, and forever breaking the color barrier in baseball. Robinson went 4 for 5 and hit a 3-run home run. #JackieRobinson #JerseyCity #42

"Get Drew"

Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Art Mullen:

Where are you going?
Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens:

I'm gonna tell staties.
Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Art Mullen:

Oh, hell no. Hell no. Get back over here. First thing we're gonna do is we're gonna acknowledge that this guy's awesome.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Rachel Brooks:

What?
Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Art Mullen:

I mean, he shoots Theo Tonin, fakes his own death in a spectacular fashion, pushes a guy out of an airplane while he's flying it, parachutes into Harlan County with enough coke and cash to jumpstart the economy of a small country, and then he has the balls to get a job in law enforcement, not once, but two times. He spends a couple of days riding around with you while you're looking for him, and now he's run off with a hooker that's half his age. That's some badass shit.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens:

It's pretty badass.
Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Art Mullen:

Yes, it is. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You gonna let those guys be the ones, or are we gonna be the ones to take that badass?
Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens:

You're right. We're on it.
Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Art Mullen:

Yeah, let's go find a whore.

A fifty-one-year-old lawyer and a veteran of the state legislature, Lincoln had left his last political office, as U.S. representative, eleven years before. After one middling term in Congress, he mostly stayed away from politics for five years. Then, in 1854, an old debate over slavery took a new turn with the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, which, Lincoln wrote, ‘aroused me again.’

Joshua Wolf Shenk

The inclination to exchange thoughts with one another is probably an original impulse of our nature. If I be in pain I wish to let you know it, and to ask your sympathy and assistance; and my pleasurable emotions also, I wish to communicate to, and share with you.

Abraham Lincoln (February 11, 1859)

The Notorious B.I.G. - “Ni**as” [Born Again]

I didn’t really love Born Again, but Dead Wrong and this track right here made the purchase worthwhile. Unfortunately, Biggie didn’t have enough material left over that none of us had heard before, so it started to get a bit repetitive. But the beat and the feel to this song make his verses feel new.

The Notorious B.I.G. (feat. Eminem) - “Dead Wrong” [Born Again]

Two of the greatest to ever do it on one of the best beats we’ve ever heard. What’s not to love about this track? Besides some of the disturbing imagery, but we can get past that. Clearly we can because we all know the words and we don’t hesitate rapping along. Crazy track.

Junior M.A.F.I.A. - “Get Money” [Conspiracy]

I played this joint on infinite repeat back when I bought the single, back when I bought singles.

The Notorious B.I.G. - “Ten Crack Commandments”

I’ve never sold crack, nor do I plant to, but if I ever did I’d have to follow these rules down to a T. How could you not? Biggie breaks it down for you so thoughtfully. And that beat! Ugh. Primo + any Hall of Fame rapper = instant classic. That formula works every time.

The Notorious B.I.G. - “What’s Beef?” [Life After Death]

At the time of this song’s skyrocketing popularity, the word beef was one of the most overused terms in urban vernacular. Biggie deaded that real quick, and we were all grateful. He gave us the template for what actually constitutes beef, and any lame that considered a stupid fist fight as beef was forced to cease and desist acting tougher than he really was. Now if someone could just do that for swag.