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Reggie Bush is taking matters into his own hands when it comes to protecting the love of his life Kim Kardashian. TMZ is reporting the NFL star has hired six bodyguards to be at Kim's side at all times to protect her from a crazed stalker. Kim recently got a restraining order against Dennis Shaun Bowman that requires him to stay at least 500 yards away from her. Bowman's obsession with Kim started on Twitter last September. He began messaging her telling her how much he loved her. It then went from creepy to downright scary as he moved from Georgia to Calabasas, California where Kim lives to get closer to her. From there Kim reported seeing him at various functions she attended where he would sometimes show up with his face painted as The Joker. He even challenged Reggie to a fight over her. LAPD's Threat Management unit advised Kim that he posed a big enough threat to get a restraining order placed against him. Reggie is taking no chances though, and who could blame him? Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Nas's baby mama Kelis had a show at the Film Lounge during the 2010 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Friday (January 22). Looking like a cross between the Statue Of Liberty a Hawaiian Hula Girl and an Exotic Dancer. She mingled with guests while getting her drink on. She certainly seemed to be in good spirits. Those $51,000 a month spousal and child supports payments from Nas must be rolling in again.

Pics Courtesy Of Rap-Up Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Keri Hilson is one of the best singers in the world today. No auto-tune or lip-syncing needed when she takes the stage. A lot of today's so called performers would faint at the thought of performing an acoustic version of any of their songs but not Miss Keri Baby. She shows exactly what I mean here as she sings "Knock You Down (Acoustic)" from her debut album "In A Perfect World" Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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The Hope For Haiti Telethon brought together some of the best acts the music world has to offer in an effort to raise funds for the people of Haiti. It was an extraordinary event that once again showed the good will we as people have towards each other in great times of need. The event is being made available for purchase via iTunes for $7.99 with all proceeds going to Haiti Earthquake Relief. Performers on the night were Madonna, Alicia Keys, Wyclef Jean, U2, Jay-Z, Christina Aguilera, John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Stevie Wonder, Shakira, Mary J Blige, Beyonce, Sting, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Hudson, Emiline Michele, Rihanna, Dave Mathews and Neil Young. Alicia Keys "Prelude To A Kiss" Stevie Wonder "A Time To Love/Bridge Over Troubled Waters" Shakira "I'll Stand By You" Mary J. Blige "Hard Times" Christina Aguilera "Lift Me Up" Beyonce "Halo" Madonna "Like A Prayer" Justin Timberlake & Matt Morris "Hallelujah" Jennifer Hudson "Let It Be" Wyclef Jean "Rivers Of Babylon" U2, Rihanna & Jay-Z "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour") Bruce Springsteen "We Shall Overcome" Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban & Kid Rock "Lean on Me" Coldplay "A Message" Taylor Swift "Breathless" John Legend "Motherless Child" Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Lil Wayne pictured with Recording Engineer Ky Lil Wayne's rock album 'Rebirth' drops February 2nd, but that's hardly the disc everyone is waiting for. The masses want to know how the Cash Money rapper will follow up his double platinum 2008 effort 'Tha Carter III'. That album spawned the hits "Lollipop" and "A Milli". It also was a critical and commercial success. Selling a million copies it's first week out and winning four Grammy Awards. With the pressure on to top that disc and jail looming, Mr Carter is hard at work according to his recording engineer Ky. Ky is quoted in an interview with NewLilWayne.com as saying. “Of course after Rebirth the Carter 4 is up next, he already has about 20 records for it done already.” Expect 'Tha Carter 4' sometime around summer. Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Video After The Jump Devi Dev of Hard Knock TV goes in depth with Warren G in this follow up to the very eye opening part one of their interview. She gets Warren to open up about how Nate Dogg is progressing health wise after having two strokes. Warren mentions that there is a possibilty of another 213 album with himself, Snoop Dogg and Nate depending on how the business aspect is handled. When asked whether or not there will ever be another West Coast dynasty like the one Death Row Records had. Warren said he didn't think so. He did add that the closest thing he's seen to the Death Row glory days is the current Cash Money roster. The biggest surprise in the interview is the revelation that Dr Dre has told Warren there's a good possibility they will record their 1st song together on the long awaited 'Detox' album. Warren says to expect 'Detox' in 2010 no matter what. Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Infamous Mobb Deep member Nyce Da Future links up with Riot Squad's Cau2G$ and Militia's Cory Gunz to deliver a certified banger. Nyce has consistently made quality music over the last several years. Whether that be solo or collaborations with Mobb Deep, Mike Knox, Hot Rod or his own NBK Family. For more information on Nyce please check out his website NyceDaFuture.com. Download Here
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Kim Kardashian says she has a crazed stalker who has been following her ... and she believes he's an immediate threat to her -- this according to a restraining order obtained by TMZ. Kim says Dennis Shaun Bowman started by tweeting her last September, telling her how much he loved her. According to the docs, filed by attorney Jeremiah Reynolds, Bowman then moved from Georgia to Calabasas, California -- where Kim lives -- to get closer to her. In the ensuing months, Kim claims Bowman started showing up at Kim's appearances in the L.A. area acting bizarrely, sometimes wearing joker face paint. At one point Bowman tweeted Kim, asking her not to be angry at him for missing a phantom dinner date they were supposed to have in Atlanta. Bowman believes he's in a love relationship with Kim, according to the docs. Things got really scary when Bowman started tweeting Kim's boyfriend, Reggie Bush, challenging him to a fight. And, according to the docs, LAPD's Threat Management unit advised Kim the threat was serious enough that she should get a restraining order. Under the order, Bowman must stay 500 yards away from Kim Kardashian and have no contact with Kim. TMZ Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Allhiphop.com is reporting that pioneering rapper Apache has died after a prolonged illness. Apache was a part of Queen Latifah's 'Flavor Unit' which consisted of Naughty By Nature, Freddie Foxx, Latee, Chill Rob G and several others.' He scored a hit record back in 1991 with the song "Gangsta B*tch" which appeared on his debut album 'Apache Aint Sh*t' Shakim Compere, CEO and Co-Founder of Flavor Unit Records told AllHipHop “Without Apache there would have been no Queen Latifah, no Naughty By Nature, no Chill Rob G., no anything”. Apache was the string that tied all of Flavor Unit together. Without Apache none of this would be.” No word on his exact illness was given.
Apache - Gangsta Bitch

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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OR STREAM THIS MIXTAPE FOR FREE!TRACK LIST:1. Intro2. Who Is He (prod by Jim Rockford)3. Life as a Shorty (prod by D�Tech)4. Conversations *5. Grown Man*6. Under Appreciated (prod by Freek Von Workum)7. Better Off*8. In the Rain (prod by Upstate Boi)9. One of These Days (prod by James Digger)10. Fork in the Road*11. The Edge (prod by Vybe Beatz)12. Tryin� to Get Rich (prod by Freek Von Workum)13. In My Shoes (prod by Jerze Corleone)14. Where I Am (prod by Freek Von Workum)15. Finally (prod by Jim Rockford)16. Got My Back (prod by Freek Von Workum)17. Can�t Stop Me*TO DISTRIBUTE YOUR MIXTAPE THROUGH THE COAST 2 COAST NETWORK, VISIT WWW.COAST2COASTPROMO.COM
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Snoop Dogg thinks Tom Cruise wants to be him. The Drop It Like It’s Hot hitmaker — whose real name is Cordazar Calvin Broadus — used to “dream” about becoming as famous as the Valkyrie actor but is convinced the tables have turned over the past few years. “When I started to star in films I used to say, ‘I dream of becoming the black version of Tom Cruise’,” said Snoop. “Today I think it’s the other way round, ‘Tom Cruise could dream of becoming the white version of Snoop Dogg.’ ” The rapper — who has appeared in several movies during his career, most recently Bruno — has never lost his movie star ambition and would love to appear in a movie about the life of the late US musician Miles Davis.One day Quincy Jones said to me: ‘When you rap it sounds like Miles Davis playing his trumpet’. I became curious and wanted to know more about him,” Dogg added. “I started to listen to his records and read about him. “For me Miles isn’t a hero, but a desire and a challenge. Miles didn’t care what people or critics thought about him — he just played his music and kept developing himself as a person. He just did his own thing. That’s the reason why I want to play him. His brilliant story needs to be told.ShowbizSpy Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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CANNES - The beleaguered global music industry enters the decade hoping to turn a corner by tackling piracy head on while drumming up new sources of revenue. Grim statistics this week from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) show sales falling by some 30 percent since 2004 as piracy surged. But a huge 12 percent leap in revenue from digital channels between 2008 and 2009 should help lighten the mood at the industry's biggest annual get-together starting Sunday at the MIDEM trade festival in this Riviera resort. The figures show digitally-bought music now accounting for 27 percent of total music sales -- 4.2 billion dollars of 15.8 billion dollars in 2009. "Our vision is music availability everywhere, at any time and in any place. But the biggest question is how do we monetise it in an environment of widespread piracy," Eric Daugan, Senior Vice President Commercial Strategy, Warner Music International EMEA, said in an IFPI report released Thursday. Battered by the slump in CD sales worldwide and the slow response to rampant illegal music downloads and new digital platforms, the industry is finally stepping up efforts to reverse its fortunes. Next week's trade fair will be "all about how to monetise access to music," MIDEM Director Dominique Leguern told AFP in an interview. "Today, the number of technical solutions and different offers (streaming, downloads, etc) are multiplying ... We want to highlight these opportunities and show participants how to access them," he added. Many of the world's leading online, advertising, video, mobile and other technology leaders will also be sharing expertise in new revenue streams, including MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta, who will give his first keynote address outside the United States. Guitarist Ed O'Brien from British band Radiohead, which shocked the record industry in 2007 by allowing fans to decide how much they wanted to pay to download their new album, will also fly in to discuss the band's use of the Web to reach audiences. "The music industry is finally seeing the Web as an opportunity more than a threat. Social software and devices such as the iPhone open new, extraordinary opportunities to innovate," said Daniel Ek, CEO of Sweden's music streaming service, Spotify. This year's MIDEM is offering for the first time a wide range of matchmaking and networking sessions as well as conferences on how to finance and develop artists' careers beyond the simple CD -- using social networks such as Twitter and YouTube -- or tips on how to get music used in films, TV series and video games or advertising campaigns. "We are focusing heavily on learning, education and networking because we have to help our participants to identify those elusive revenue streams," Leguern stressed. Thanks to the world economic crisis and the strain in the music industry. attendance at MIDEM is expected to be down for the second year running at around 7,000 participants. But managers of music sensations including Blur, Mika, James Blunt, Lily Allen and the Artic Monkeys will be in town to talk about how they are gradually taking on the former role of record labels by helping guide their artists' careers and manage their rights. New countries attending for the first time this year include Iceland, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Ghana, Madagascar and Vietnam. Asia will be making waves with Korea, Taiwan and Japan due to showcase their latest talent -- including Japanese dance act Amwe, Taiwanese indie singer and composer Crowd Lu and Korean girl band F(X). But it will be the sounds of South Africa on centre-stage as the Country of Honour kicks off a packed programme of events to promote its culture ahead of its hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup this summer. ChannelNewsAsia Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Video After The Jump Who knew legendary singer Prince was a football fan? The artist formerly known as the artist nobody knew was into sports. Aside from that hilarious Chappelle's Show skit where Dave Chappelle (as Prince) clowns Charlie Murphy in a game of basketball while wearing heels. Prince has rarely been seen at sporting events. But that's changed, the "Darling Nikki" singer just got a bad case of "Purple Fever". After watching the Minnesota Vikings destroy the Dallas Cowboys 34-3 last Sunday to advance to the NFC conference title game against the New Orleans Saints. The singer, who hails from Minnesota went home and recorded the "Purple and Gold" fight song. MyFoxTwinCities reports the Vikings are so impressed by the song they are going to use it on the team's website. Check out the songs lyrics and a snippet of it in the video below Purple and Gold Lyrics the veil of the sky draws open the roar of the chariots touch down we r the ones who have now come again and walk upon water like solid ground as we approach the throne we won't bow down this time we won't b denied raise every voice and let it b known in the name of the purple and gold we come in the name of the purple and gold all of the odds r in r favor no prediction 2 bold we r the truth if the truth can b told long reign the purple and gold the eyes say ready 4 battle no need 4 sword in hand we r all amped up like a rock n roll band ready 2 celebrate every score ready 2 fight the elegant war ready 2 hear the crowd roar that's what we came 4 and so much more in the name of the purple and gold r spirits may b tired r bodies may b worn but since this day is r destiny r history – that's y we must b 4ever strong as the wind that blows the Vikings' horn in the name of the purple and gold CHORUS "Purple and Gold" fight song by Prince
Dave Chappelle Spoofs Prince On The Chappelle Show Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Video After The Jump Lopez Tonight Live, The Mo'Nique Show and Jimmy Fallon are three of the hottest late night tickets these days. A huge part of that is the artists they are booking to perform. With record sales slumping, acts are taking their shows on the road to bring in the paper. There's no better way to get fans interested in buying that magic ticket than seeing their favorite singers perform on these talk shows. Omarion is the latest artist to test this theory. He lit up the Lopez stage up, performing "I Get It In" off his new cd "Ollusion". Judging from the crowd response he did a great job Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Audio After The Jump Markise Kesan Moore has been officially charged with cruelty to children. After Cobb County, Georgia police determined after a 5 month investigation that he did brutally injure his one year old daughter. As previously reported the child suffered numerous broken bones including two broken arms and ribs. Just prior to turning himself in to authorities, Markise called into the Ryan Camron Show on Atlanta's V-103 radio station to explain his side of the story and ask that people pray for him. He claims all the charges are false and his daughter is fine. He did however admit that his daughter suffered a fractured wrist while in his care last July. An injury he claims was the result from a fall from a bed. According to HipHopWired Markise is now free after posting a $20,000 bond We will monitor this story as it continues to develop. Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Video After The Jump Behind the Beats: Swizz Beatz, Part 2 Swizz Beatz's commitments are even more hectic than the last time we featured him in this section — the guy only touches U.S. soil for a brief stint these days. Luckily he stopped by our offices before jetting off to Paris and told us a bit about the next Jay-Z album. Swizz has huge things on the horizon, including a song for Haiti with Jigga and U2, a top-secret movie score, high-end art, clothing design and crafting a new, worldly sound for himself and other artists. "I get the pressure cookers," Swizz says about record execs and artists calling him for must-need smash singles. "It's cool, because I been trained like that since day one. I came from that pressure with my uncles and everybody needed the singles not now, but right now. I'm there getting carpal tunnel in my hand, going in. That [work ethic] never leaves you."
Current Greatness On Jay-Z's "On to the Next One": "That song was the last one of the album. I [originally] fell back off The Blueprint 3 because there were rumors about Timbaland working on the whole thing, rumors about Kanye working on the whole thing. I respected that. If they want to do that, I respected that. I'm on to the next one. I gotta respect Jay's creativity. If he wanted to have Kanye produce that whole record, let them have that. I know the next album we can hook up or whatever. [Me and Jay] got 11, 12 years in together — that's the homie. Since other people was on the album, I came in the loop at the last minute. [Jay] got on the phone like, 'I need one of them things.' I said, 'I'mma send you something. I don't have a whole bunch of joints I wanna send you. I got this one particular that I wanna send you.' I sent it to him. That was 'On to the Next One.' He said, 'That was crazy. It's "Drop It Like It's Hot" crazy.' I was super excited because I threw one dart and that dart hit the bull's-eye. That's amazing, being where I'm at in the industry where you can throw darts like that." Next Wave Of Flav On Young Jeezy's Upcoming Thug Motivation 103: "He just needs that thing to come out the gate like he never left. That's my job. I'm sure he's got some amazing joints. The songs I heard, they're Jeezy joints, but it's like, 'Hmmm, do I throw him on some Fela [Kuti] vibe with some crazy 808s and let him take a risk? Is it too much of a risk? Or do I play safe and do the easy hit that I know they gonna love?' But I can't keep doing that. It's getting me nowhere. The feeling, I'm numb. I want something I can feel, like, 'This joint I got coming out with Jeezy with the African bongos and the Indian instruments, the hook doing this right here — it's gonna change the game.' That's how I'm trying to walk in 2010." On DMX's Comeback LP: "It's still love. At the end of the day, it's about scheduling, timing — if it was just about going in the studio, we would have 50 albums done. But it's not about that; it's about a lot of personal things. I'm on this side of the world, he's on that side of the world — how do we come and meet?" On Drake's Debut Thank Me Later: "For Drake, I'm like, 'What you want? A party joint or you want another story joint? What you wanna do?' He said the smartest thing: 'We could shoot for a club thing but don't leave out anything else.' I like that. He's being open-minded, 'cause that means I'm comfortable with surfing in different areas musically. We could surf there, surf there, but don't box me in a corner, like, 'I need that #1 club smash right now.' " On T.I.'s 2010 Album: "That's the homie. I don't have nothing for him yet. His mind and his thought pattern before he went [to jail] is gonna be different from when he gets out. That man has been in the penitentiary at a time that was the height of his career — he might come out and not wanna use curses no more. He might come out and use more curses. I don't know. I can't create the sound for Tip that's based on 'Swing Ya Rag' and 'Bring Em Out' and all these things we've done unless it's his plan. He's gotta come out, [I] sit down with him, chill how we chill. I gotta do a couple of records with him. I can't be the first thing coming out." On Shyne's Comeback LP: "I'm rocking with Shyne. I need him to find himself a little bit. Not to say he don't know who he is, I just need him to vibe off a couple beats and be like, 'Swizz, these are four joints right here I been rocking with, me and Scott Storch or whoever. This is the lane I wanna go with.' Then I could digest those things and then I can come up with the best records for Tip, Shyne, for everybody. These are different techniques so I can use those darts." MTV Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Video After The Jump British singing sensation Joss Stone just released a new album titled 'Colour Me Free'. I think the title reflects both her attitude on music and her label situation with EMI with whom she has been battling recently. Rumore has it she is trying to free herself from her contract. She stopped by the soon to exit stage left 'Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien' to perform "Good Ol' Game" featuring Raphael Saadiq. Joss Stone Performing "Good Ol' Game" Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Video After The Jump NEW YORK — Since last week's devastating earthquake struck his homeland of Haiti, Wyclef Jean has been tirelessly rallying support for relief for the ravaged country via his Yele Haiti foundation and many public calls for assistance. And, as one of the organizers of Friday night's "Hope for Haiti" telethon, he plans to incorporate some of the country's traditional music into his set. "I'mma start with 'Rivers of Babylon,' " Wyclef told MTV News during a break from rehearsals for the event on Thursday (January 21). "Then, after that, I'm gonna go to a traditional Creole song, one of my songs called 'Yele.' Then we're gonna close it out with some Racine. Racine is roots music of the country. Everybody loves Haiti. I haven't heard too many people speaking Creole yet. That's the Haitian language in French. Tomorrow night on my set, I'm gonna teach y'all Creole 101." 'Clef will be surrounded by family and loved ones during his set on Friday. "It's gonna be historic," Jean said. "I have my sister with me, Melky, my cousin with me, Jerry. I have [producer/musician] Papa Jube, he's in charge of those traditional horns that you see. It's definitely a family vibe you'll see tomorrow." George Clooney, who helped to organize "Hope for Haiti," said the telethon was spurred into action by a call from Wyclef. "I was in New York the evening it happened," he told MTV News on Thursday. "It happened at four or five o'clock, and I got a message from Wyclef that he's gonna go into the Dominican Republic and that it was much worse than what's initially been reported. We knew it was bad, but who knew how bad? And he said, 'Is there anything you can do?' So the next morning, I woke up and called Judy McGrath at MTV, and Judy said, 'We were thinking about doing something too,' so I said, 'Let's do it.' " On Wednesday, Wyclef appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and talked about the devastation in Haiti. "It's just like the seventh hell, and walking [around] there's two things: There's what you see at the airport and then there's inside the belly of the beast," he said. "The best I can explain it is for you to walk into a city and the entire city feels like walking into a morgue. For every two blocks, [there are] 15, 16 bodies on the floor — no plastic. People running through the city, babies in their hands, while their baby is dead. They're out of [medicine] at times. People are saying, 'My baby's gonna die,' not knowing their baby's already dead." "Hope for Haiti Now" will air commercial-free on MTV and many other networks on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Join George Clooney and Wyclef Jean for MTV's "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon, airing commercial-free Friday, January 22, at 8 p.m. ET and visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now. MTV Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Videos After The Jump Former WWE Wrestling Champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is out promoting his new movie the "Tooth Fairy" Dwayne is one of the few professional athletes to make a successful transition to films. He stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live to talk about his latest movie and what it was like for him and his daughters to meet The Obamas, their daughters and their dog. He also talked about his playing days at the University of Miami The Rock Interview Part One The Rock Interview Part Two Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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Video After The Jump There are numbers in sports and then there are numbers in sports. 56. Joe DiMaggio. 88. UCLA basketball. 8. Michael Phelps. 18. Jack Nicklaus. 100. Wilt Chamberlain. 511. Cy Young. 38,387. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. (We'll leave 73, 70, 66 and 762 out of the conversation for obvious reasons.) You don't need me to tell you if we're talking about hits, or gold medals, or majors, or points, or wins, or homeruns. You already know. Kobe Bryant already owns one of these iconic numbers thanks to that January night four years ago when he hung 81 points on the Toronto Raptors. Now he owns another. Bryant reached 25,000 career points on Thursday, a staggering total that just 14 other players have reached in the 63-year history of the NBA, with a free throw in the second quarter against Cleveland. "That's what I do best," Bryant said on Sunday. "Steve Nash is a great passer, I'm a great scorer. It's what I do." It's what he does oh so well. With flair and pizzazz. With precision and panache. With first-quarter free throws and fourth-quarter game winners. From darn-near half court against Miami and from literally behind the backboard against Oklahoma City. On the block and on the wing. A pull-up jumper off the glass and a spin move into a finger roll. While the rest of his peers in the league are racking up followers on Twitter, he is amassing points. He scores. Always has. Always will. "I think it just came easiest to me because, at an early age [when I was] five or six years old, I could put it in my left hand, put it in my right and that age, if you can go left against those kids it's like shooting fish in a barrel," Bryant said about his earliest scoring memories. "I just became more curious about it the better I got at it all the way until now." "This is a guy that uses the open floor well," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said when asked to sum up Bryant's offensive assault. "He knows how to post up. He drives. He can shoot it -- he increased his shooting range and capabilities over the years. He finds a way to score. It's not the most important thing but he knows it carries a lot of weight. He has the invincibility idea that there's no one out there that can stop him [&] he carries that attitude with him." Pau Gasol also praised Bryant's mentality. "He's got tremendous will," Gasol said. "Obviously his skill level and athletic level allow him to be so effective with it, but the will that he's got to be able to score and decide games and carry the team offensively is incredible." Bryant turned 31 years old in August and is playing even better than when he entered the league with springs for legs 14 seasons ago. His 28.8 points per game this season is the fourth-highest scoring output of his career. "What he's accomplished is hard to put into words," Derek Fisher, who reported to rookie camp with Bryant all the way back in 1996, said. "I think what separates him from just about everybody is that he is one of the few guys who was supposed to do what he's doing. Jerry West [had strong] feelings about what he could accomplish as a player and he's actually done them, accomplished it, maybe even surpassed it, yet he still has room to grow." While the nets continue to snap for Bryant at the same rate, his game has evolved. He spent part of his offseason working on pivot moves with Hakeem Olajuwon, and the former slam dunk champion only has 26 dunks on the season, one less than Sacramento's Spencer Hawes. His recent string of injuries may have slowed him down a bit, but they have never stopped him. Bryant credits his health just as much as his step-back jumper or quick first step as the reason he achieved the feat. "I've been very fortunate not to have to deal with serious injuries and having my career cut short," Bryant said. "I think it's a testament to that." Bryant became the youngest ever to reach the mark at just 31 years old and 151 days, passing Wilt Chamberlain who did it at the age of 31 years, 186 days. Chamberlain, No. 4 on the all-time scoring list, is one of the 11 players in the Hall of Fame with 25,000 points. The other three -- Karl Malone, Reggie Miller and Shaquille O'Neal -- aren't eligible yet, but will be first-ballot selections when the time comes. Meaning, if you stripped Bryant of the titles, awards and All-Star games, he'd still be headed to Springfield on his scoring ability alone. The 25,000 points club is as elite of a society as there is in sports. Bryant will grow the group to 15. In Major League Baseball, 27 players have 3,000 hits, 25 players have hit 500 homeruns and 24 pitchers have 300 wins. In the NHL, 17 players have scored 600 goals. In the NFL, 15 quarterbacks have thrown for more than 35,000 yards. There's a chance that Bryant will retire at the head of that society with the most points of all time and surpass Abdul-Jabbar's mark. If he maintains his scoring clip this season, he'll finish 2009-10 with approximately 26,200 points -- about 12,200 behind Kareem. To catch The Captain, he would need to average 25.3 points (his career average) for 483 games. That works out to be six more seasons and would give Bryant 20 years in the league and put off his retirement until 2017 when he'll be 39 years old. "I don't know how long I'll play," was all Bryant would say when asked if he has run at Abdul-Jabbar in him. He's been the answer to the questions, "Which player is the best at getting his own shot?" and "Which player would you want taking a shot with the game on the line?" in NBA.com's annual GM Survey for the last five years, or every year since those queries were included in the piece. Picking the most impressive scoring feat by Bryant is like trying to pick Will Ferrell's funniest skit on Saturday Night Live. There are too many to choose from. His 103 career 40-point games rank him third all-time behind Chamberlain (271) and Michael Jordan (173). His 24 career 50-point games also put him behind only Chamberlain (118) and Jordan (31). In February of 2003, Bryant scored 40 or more in nine straight games, again putting him third behind Jordan (nine in 1986) and Chamberlain with two streaks of 14 in the 1961-62 season and as well as a run of 10 in '62-63. He has five 60-point games. He's scored 30 points in a quarter twice. He is tied with Donyell Marshall for the record of 12 3s in a game. If he wins the scoring title this season (he is currently fourth, 1.2 points behind the leader, Carmelo Anthony), it will be his third title. Only Jordan (10), Chamberlain (seven), Allen Iverson (four) and George Gervin (four) have more. His 25.3 points per game scoring average is only 10th all-time, but if you don't count his first three seasons in the league -- consider it his college adjustment period he missed by coming straight out of high school -- then his career average jumps to 28.19, which would put him third behind only Jordan (30.12) and Chamberlain (30.07). But one stat stands above the rest today. 25,000. Kobe Bryant. The Elias Stats Bureau and Mark Simon from ESPN Stats & Info contributed to this report. Kobe Bryant Scores 25,000th Point ESPN Follow Me @Twitter.com/ChasinMoPaper
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