HHDX News Bits (Tim Hardaway, Air Force 1, Fabolous)

These days, former NBA player Tim Hardaway is back pedaling faster than Deion Sanders in his prime. Hardaway was banned from this year’s All Star activities over anti-gay remarks he made after another former NBA player John Amiechi came out of the closet. “I don’t like gay people, and I don’t like to be around gay people,” he said initially. On Sunday, Hardaway apologized again, saying “that was very bad.” He went on to add that he didn’t think the remarks would garner so much press and outrage. “It was like, you know, I had killed somebody. … I never knew that this was going to escalate that high,” After similar remarks landed Grey’s Anatomy actor Isaiah Washington in rehab, the only question that comes to mind is, “Tim, what were you thinking?”

Nelly made a hit song stomping in them and now, Nike is set to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Air Force One‘s with a track that features Kanye West, Nas and KRS-ONE. Rick Rubin mans the boards for this special collaboration, titled Better Than I’ve Ever Been. A Rakim assisted, DJ Premier produced remix is also available. Both tracks are available on iTunes today.

Fabolous is set to make his Def Jam debut on March 27th with his album, From Nothin’ To Somethin, which was originally set to release before the end of 2006. The first single off of the album will be the song Diamonds featuring Young Jeezy. The album features guest appearances from Ne-Yo and Timabaland on Make Me Better, as well as Junior Reid, Cassidy, Lil Wayne, Paul Cain, Red Cafe, Jay-Z, Swizz Beats, Pusha T, Joe Budden and songs produced by Jazze Pha.

Fabolous recently told MTV about the new album; “For everybody that’s trying to turn nothing into something, we’re trying to make motivtional music for them. Every song is hot on the album. A standout record is a record me and Akon did called ‘Change Up.’ It’s about getting your money, and certain people think you change but it’s not always you. Your income changed, but you didn’t change as a person.”