The Crossover Excerpt by Kwame Alexander
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Transcript of The Crossover Excerpt by Kwame Alexander
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DRIZZL
ING
STO
PALL
THA
TQUIVE
RINGCUZ
THE
CO
URT
ISS
IZZLIN
GS
WEA
TIS
DRIZZ
LINGSTOP
CROSSOV
ER
BY K w a m e A l e x a n d e r
THE
BOLD! EXPLOSIVE! . . . I LOVE THE CROSSOVER.EVERYONE WILL.NIKKI GIOVANNI
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Copyright 2014 by Kwame Alexander
All rights reserved. For information about permission to reproduce selections from
this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company,
215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003.
www.hmhco.com
Te text of this books is set in Adobe Garamond Pro
Book design by Susanna Vagt
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on le.
Manufactured in the United States of America
45XXXXXXXX
For Big Al and Barbara,
also known as Mom and Dad
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WARM-UP
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Dribbling
At the top of the key, Im
MOVING & GROOVING,POPping and ROCKING
Why you BUMPING?
Why you LOCKING?
Man, take this HUMPING.Be careful though,
cause now Im CRUNKing
CrissCROSSING
FLOSSING
ippingand my dipping will leave you
S L I P
P I N G on the oor, while I
SWOOPin
to thenishwith aerce ngerroll . . .Straight in the hole:
Swoooooooooooosh.
3
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Josh Bell
is my name.
But Filthy McNastyismy claim to fame.Folks call me that
cause my games acclaimed,
so downright dirty, itll put you to shame.
My hair is long, my heights tall.See, Im the next Kevin Durant,
LeBron, and Chris Paul.
Remember the greats,
my dad likes to gloat:
I balled with Magic and the Goat.
But tricks are for kids, I reply.
Dont need your pets
my games so
y.
Mom says,
Your dads old school,
like an ol Chevette.
Youre fresh and new,
like a red Corvette.
Your game so sweet, its a crpes suzette.
Each time you play
its ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL net.
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If anyone else called me
freshandsweet,
Id burn mad as a ame.
But I know shes only talking about my game.
See, when I play ball,
Im on re.
When I shoot,
I inspire.
Te hoops for sale,and Im the buyer.
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How I Got My Nickname
Im not that big on jazz music, but Dad is.
One day we were listening to a CD
of a musician named Horace Silver, and Dad says,
Josh, this cat is the real deal.
Listen to that piano, fast and free,Just like you and JB on the court.
Its okay, I guess, Dad.
Okay? DID YOU SAY OKAY?
Boy, you better recognize
greatness when you hear it.
Horace Silver is one of the hippest.
If you shoot half as good as he jams
Dad, no one says hippest anymore.Well, they ought to, cause this cat
is so hip, when he sits down hes still standing,he says.
Real funny, Dad.
You know what, Josh?
What, Dad?
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Im dedicating this next song to you.
Whats the next song?
Only the best song,
the funkiest song
on SilversParis Bluesalbum:
FILHY
McNASY.
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At first
I didnt like
the name
because so many kids
made fun of me
on the school bus,
at lunch, in the bathroom.Even Mom had jokes.
It ts you perfectly, Josh,she said:
You never clean your closet, and
that bed of yours is always lled
with cookie crumbs and candy wrappers.
Its just plain nasty, son.
But, as I got older
and started getting game,
the name took on a new meaning.And even though I wasnt into
all that jazz,
every time Id score,
rebound,
or steal a ball,
Dad would jump up
smiling and screamin,
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Tats my boy out there.
Keep it funky, Filthy!
And that made me feel
real good
about my nickname.
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Filthy McNasty
is a MYHical MANchild
Of rather dubiousdistinction
Always AGIAING
COMBINAING
and ELEVAING his game
He dribbles fakes
then takes
the ROCK to the
glass, fast,and on BLASBut watch out when he shoots
or youll get SCHOOLed
FOOLed
UNCOOLed
Cause when FILHY gets hot
He has a SLAMMERIFIC SHO
ItsDunkalicious CLASSY
Supersonic SASSY
and D
O
W
N right
in your face
mcNASY
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Jordan Bell
My twin brother is a baller.
Te only thing he loves
more than basketball
is betting. If its ninety degrees
outside and the sky is cloudless,
he will bet youthat its going to rain.
Its annoying
and sometimes
funny.
Jordan insists that everyone
call himJB.His favorite player is
Michael Jordan, but he
doesnt want people to think
hes sweating him.
Even though he is.
Evidence:He has one pair
of Air Jordan sneakers
for every month
of the year
including Air Jordan 1 Low
Barack Obama Limited Editions,
which he never wears.
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Plus he has MJ sheets, pillowcases,
slippers, socks, underwear, notebooks,
pencils, cups, hats, wristbands,
and sunglasses.
With the fty dollars he won from a bet
he and Dad made over whether
the Krispy Kreme Hot sign was on (it wasnt)
he purchaseda Michael Jordan toothbrush
(Only used once!) on eBay.
Hes right, hes not sweating him.
HES SALKING HIM.
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On the way to the game
Im banished to the back
seat with JB,
who only stops
playing with my locks
when I slap him
across his bald headwith my jockstrap.
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Five Reasons I Have Locks
5. Some of my favorite rappers have them:
Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, and Wale.
4. Tey make me feel
like a king.
3. No one else
on the team has them, and
2. it helps people know
that I am me and not JB.
But
mostly because
1. ever since I watched
the clip of Dadposterizing
that seven-foot Croatian center
on ESPNs Best Dunks Ever;
soaring through the air his
long twisted hair like wings
carrying him
high above
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the rim I knew
one day
Id need
my own wings
to y.
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