Breaking a World Record: Street Light Interview

I don't know how it feels to break a world record. To be honest, I think I can eliminate all hopes of ever considering trying.

Now that that's been said, I got the privilege to speak a few words with Street Light, the rapper from Detroit who recently shattered the world record for longest freestyle rap. If you haven't seen it yet, it's incredible. I don't expect you to watch it in its entirety (you could watch yesterday's 19-inning Pirate game twice in the same amount of time), but a few verses won't hurt.


Even with his busy schedule, Street Light stopped by dentedfretboard.com to answer a few questions.

Q- What an accomplishment. How does it feel to have a world record under your belt?
A- It feels great! A bit surreal, even.

Q- I can't even spit two sentences with rhymes. What were you thinking during the freestyle and what kept you going?
A- I freestyle a lot, and it has become sort of a subconscious thing for me. I know that I'm rhyming, but my mind was focusing on topics, creativity, and trying not to repeat anything.

Q- What does your record prove about you?
A- I think the record just proves that I will give 100% to anything my mind is made up about. My determination and willpower have proven to be some of my strongest assets.

Q- Break a world record- done. What's next for you?
A- Next up: MIXTAPES & EP! Stay tuned.

Visit his website at www.streetxlight.com, follow him on Twitter @streetxlight, and be sure to like him on Facebook and grab his upcoming mixtapes! Congratulations on a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment.

One Night in Latrobe: My Experiences at Steelers Camp

"Latrobe, PA; approximately 40 miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. The home of Rolling Rock beer, legendary golfer Arnold Palmer and TV's soft-spoken Fred Rogers from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. In the center sits Latrobe Memorial Stadium, which becomes Steeler Nation's center of attention for one night every year. Ladies and gentleman, all aboard the black-and-gold train. Destination: the Pittsburgh Steelers' annual night practice."

That's from a piece I wrote last year around this time for Patch. This year, I didn't feel like writing another interesting introduction, so let me get into it. Today, I attended the official night practice of the Pittsburgh Steelers. There was no shirtless Tebow, no shoulderless Peyton..just a father and his two sons enjoying the heat by taking in some football.

We almost didn't make it in time for 7:00, which is when the heap of black-and-gold players exit the big yellow school buses and take the field. For fifteen minutes, each Steeler player heads to a different part of the fence (surrounding the field) and signs autos for fans. I had the pleasure of chasing down Big Ben Roethlisberger. Well, let me rephrase that. It wasn't exactly pleasure. It was pain. Lots and lots of pain. After sliding between a record-breaking crowd and slamming myself into a pile of sweaty Steelers' fans, I got to add this beauty to my collection:

Beautiful signature on a glossy 8x10 I picked up at a mall outside of Latrobe. I think this is my fourth Roethlisberger autograph, but the first on a picture. With five minutes left, in a scene of clutch heroics, I got tight end Heath Miller to sign this for me:

As for practice, a few notes. First, if Ben has a torn rotator cuff, it sure doesn't look like it. He was throwing the ball accurately with ease, even placing one into a trash can from fifteen yards away (which resulted in some huge cheers from the crowd). Second, even though coach Tomlin doesn't allow goal-line drills, it was getting extremely physical during scrimmage. Apparently, after we left, Willie Colon and Cameron Heyward "fought." I'd love to see some video. And third, I have a few guesses on who won't have a roster spot come season time: WR Jimmy Young, WR Toney Clemons, and S Robert Golden. They made some sloppy plays out there tonight.

But anyways, it was my brother's first training camp, so here's a shoutout buddy! Go Steelers!