The 90's saw a plethora of signature basketball sneakers. Some of them were fresh, destined for retro rehashes that sell out hours, or less, after their release. However, there have been, and continue to be, signature kicks that look like the equivalent of 30 miles of bad road.  Nostalgia tends to make sneakerheads gloss over or completely neglect the fact that some of these kicks were visual diarrhea.

That said, let's take a look at the 10 Ugliest Signature Basketball Sneakers. The scary part, some of these shoes have even been retro'd. The horror.
--
Photo: Le Coq Sportif

Don't worry, though. Hip-Hop Wired has your back with the first installment of The Wrap Up, a series that will compile the top 10 tracks to release on the blogosphere in the last seven days.

Consider this our way of helping listeners stay ahead of the curve. Expect to see a range of songs, some of which even we may have missed.

This list features some quality material from a few California MCs, a handful of thought provoking cuts out of Chi-Town, a few sensual jams, and more.

Check out The Wrap Up on the following pages, and let us know what you feel should have made the list in the comments.

--

Photo: RESPECT

With Yasiin Bey's  “Life in Marvelous Times” serving as the musical backdrop, the image of Bean's famed dunk on the then New Jersey Nets in the 2002 Finals serves as the commercial's inspiration.

Following last week's launch of NBA Finals 2013 spot “Forever Dirk” is the newest installment of the campaign, “Forever Kobe”. Lakers megastar Kobe Bryant mesmerizes with an incredible slam dunk in the 2002 Finals matchup versus the Nets. Kobe remains suspended in air, the play then triggering a number of iconic pop culture moments that transcend time - from street art, to a video game avatar, to a classroom papier-mâché project, to a wedding cake topper. These moments represent the bold and enduring impact NBA Finals has on the world. The spot concludes back in-arena to find Kobe still suspended in his heroic moment, symbolizing “Forever is BIG.”

The spot airs during tonight's Pacers vs Heat game on TNT. But, you can watch it early below.

--
Photo: NBA

Franklin, 32, was found guilty of stabbing 36-year-old Billy Rafael Brewster last summer, allegedly after a drunken night out escalated. Prosecutors says that Franklin confronted Brewster in their Whitehall Township apartment at around 2 a.m. on Aug. 11, 2012. They were scheduled to wed at 10 a.m.

Jurors deliberated for three hours before returning the verdict. The courtroom was reportedly packed with the victim's family members and others interested in the trial. On the last day of trial, Franklin is said to have shown no emotion, with the exception of a sharp look shot at her lawyer after the conviction was announced.

Defense attorney John Waldron told jurors that the incident went down after Franklin came home after a night of drinking at her surprise bachelorette party. Brewster is accused of trying to attack her and flee with their 9-month-old son. As such, Waldron argued that the altercation was not premeditated, but a result of Franklin trying to protect her child in the heat of the moment, and should therefore warrant a manslaughter charge; which holds a much lighter sentence.

Prosecutors stated that the baby was never in danger and that Franklin grabbed a knife with intentions to kill, a theory further proven by the victims cousins' testimony.

According to an autopsy report, Brewster's heart was punctured after two stab wounds. Franklin was immediately taken into custody following the fatal bout, appearing emotionally disoriented and in disbelief, sobbing to the judge "I ... did ... not ... kill ... him ... on ... purpose."

She was initially taken in for criminal homicide.

If convicted Franklin faces life in prison, and is expected to appeal the verdict.

--

Photo: Express Times

The smooth track features soulful horn playing and eerie keys,  hooked up by producer Daddio. As for the lyrics, Feli drops a narrative rhyme about how love and jealousy can turn murderous.  The visual follows suit, with a chick playing out a scheme involving a rival, a roofie and a shovel.

It was while on the set of 50 Cent's Before I Self Destruct, where he had a small role, that he caught the directing bug. He plans to drop Dirty Laundry: Greed Has No Face, a short film he directed that is meant to accompany his Dirty Laundry project.

You can cop Dirty Laundry off iTunes. Watch the video for "Jealousy Turned Love," co-directed by Anthony Scott DePerto, below. Definitely worthy of a viewing.

--

Photo: YouTube

The mixtape stands at 10 tracks, and compiles each of his previous Friday releases. Luda also included a record we heard a snippet of a song that caused a stir last year called "Mad Fo," featuring Meek Mill, Chris Brown, Swizz Beatz, and Pusha T.

The G.O.O.D. Music representer takes the title to heart in the closing verse, and delivers a blatant diss towards YMCMB's frontman Lil Wayne. "You got to blame Swizz," said Pusha in a 2012 interview. "See, when Wayne got a Swizz beat with the 'Ghoulish' track, he got busy; well, he tried to." The rhymes may be old, but we're sure those words sting just the same.

French Montana, Young Jeezy and Mac Miller round out the guest appearances. #IDGAF should whet appetites until Luda releases his forthcoming LP Ludaversal, due out later this year.

Stream and download #IDGAF below.

--

Photo: Prince Williams/ATLPics

Miguel's "Do You..." gets flipped into a mellow, but bouncy song by producer Ced Brown. The beat is ill. The rhymes are better. If you like what you hear, we suggest that you check ouf Bas's Quarter Water Raised Me Vol. II here. Listen to "Lit" below.

--

Photo: Dreamville

The “Power Trip” rapper, who is slated to perform tonight at Big Weekend music festival, sat down with Charlie Sloth of BBC Radio 1Xtra to talk up Born Sinner. It seems like Cole is handling the pressures of growing fame just fine and promises to deliver a better LP than his acclaimed debut. Cole didn't want to reveal too much about the album, but he let go of some interesintg information.

“I got TLC on the album. T-Boz and Chilli. It's crazy,” said Cole. “Nobody's rapping on the album other than me.”

Cole weighed in on the recent Cash Money signing of Paris Hilton, and sees the pairing as a setup. “I think it's awesome,” says Cole. “It's just gonna make for great jokes and great entertainment for some reason.”

Cole also wasn't able to avoid talking about Miguel's Hulk Hogan impersonation from the Billboard Music Awards. “They should get him on the next WWE special,” said Cole with a laugh. “I thought it was the most amazing thing I saw in my life.”

Listen to J. Cole's interview with Charlie Sloth below. Born Sinner drops on June 18. Hit the next page to check out a snippet of an interview Cole did with Soul Culture where he shoots down Hot 97' host Peter Rosenberg's claims that he has a track called "I Disappointed Nas."

--

Photo: BBC Radio

Last month we were exposed to a sneak peek, but now the whole version is here. Directed by Collin Tilley, the clip features Tyga in an all-white setting, showing a sensual side to his fans. Chris Brown floats on the chorus and doesn't fail to execute some of his dance moves at the same time. The video captures the vibe of the lush, Lil-C produced tune.

It is certainly nice to see T Raww and Breezy on a track due to the fact that they haven't told us when their next proper collaborative project, Fan Of A Fan 2, is coming out. Also, it seems like the Cali rapper is still rocking with Reebok even after Rick Ross' ties with the brand were severed.

You can purchase “Hotel California” on iTunes. Watch the video for "For The Road" below.

--

Photo: YouTube

West raps on a few of his beats including The Game's "Dreams," Jay-Z's "Encore," and Common's "The Corner." Funny how each those are now considered classics, but at the time it was just Yeezy kicking rhymes overs some of his most recent work.

Freestyles from the G.O.O.D. Music head honcho come far and in between these days. Luckily, fans will have the opportunity to hear new material from West on his forthcoming album, Yeezus, due out June 18. He performed two songs from the project called "New Slaves" and "Black Skinhead" on Saturday Night Live last weekend. This was after he premiered the former on 66 buildings across the world the prior evening.

See more in the visual below.

--

Photo: YouTube