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Kulture November 18, 2017
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Swizz Beatz just got a business degree from Harvard at 39 years old

Swizz Beatz is officially a Harvard Graduate.

The New York native and long-time producer announced via his Instagram that he received a degree from the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School after completing a modified course.

Swizz wrote:

“Today is graduation day. In life we must keep graduating until the end. When I say we must graduate I’m talking about on all levels not just school. This moment is special to me and my family because many people look up to me and they use my drive to thrive.”

At this point it’s more than safe to say Swizz is an OG in the game.

He’s produced for all of your favorites — from Beyonce to T.I. to Jay — and his ear for unique drum patterns and club smashes helped make him one of the longest-tenured and wealthiest dudes in hip-hop. The degree is just a cherry on top of a legendary career.

To further comment on the scope of his achievement, Swizz even wore a blazer with the words “From the Bronx to Harvard” written on the back, truly showing what it meant for him to reach this position.

Beatz, who was born Kasseem Dean, first mentioned the $33,000-per-credit program back in 2014 when he was accepted, stating that it was “one of the happiest days of his life.”

The nine-week Owner/President Management Extension Program is the same one attended by Antonio “L.A.” Reid.

Swizz is married to Alicia Keys, occasionally engages in beat-making battles and is now a Harvard grad. I’m not sure hat there is anything out there that Swizz can’t do, but I do know that he’s showing people that no matter what your goals are, follow your dreams.

africa November 16, 2017
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Africans are dominating the NBA and that’s a good thing for basketball

Mind-boggling LeBron stats and aesthetically-pleasing Curry jumpers are almost a norm at this point. And while still great in their own right, they we’ve seen pretty much the same stuff from the same suspects over the past couples of years.

But a shift is happening.

Philly center Joel Embiid became the first player in NBA history with at least 46 points, 15 rebounds, seven blocks, and seven assists in a game in 2017. And became the first Sixer to score 40 since Allen Iverson had 45 on Nov. 27, 2006.

We’re talking 7’1″ 250 lbs bouncing out to hit three’s, executing euro steps and dream shaking defenders to sleep.

https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/931036369329278977

Not to be outdone, there is a player with an equally unique name in Giannis Antetokounmpo who — after becoming only the fifth player to lead their team in points, rebounds, and assists last year for the Milwaukee Bucks — is leading the league in scoring at 30 points and 10 rebounds a game.

His game is unique as well. With a 7’3″ wingspan, the 6’11” forward is just as much a havoc on the defensive end as he is offensively. Making him a force to be reckoned with. It also makes sense as to why Kobe challenged him to win win MVP this season.

https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/930978547539120128

What we are witnessing, with both Antetokounmpo and Embiid playing at an elite level, is what it looks like when African athletes show interest in basketball.

Antetokounmpo is from Greece but his parents are Nigerian immigrants and Embiid was born in YaoundÊ, Cameroon. Although 74.3 percent of all NBA players are black, only 22.3 percent are international, meaning an even smaller percentage are African.

Just this summer the NBA had it’s second annual Africa Game in Johannesburg.

While there for an inaugural game, there was a dual objective to help build awareness of the sport. In that vein, the players that went participated in NBA Cares events in and around Johannesburg as well as helping out at the  15th Basketball Without Borders Africa camp.

Efforts like these are why were privileged to see the Antetokounmpo and Embiid perform feats of freakish athleticism, pulling of plays that dudes their size have no business doing.

This is good for the NBA because it adds business to both American and African markets and bridges relations between the two places.

We’ve had the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, Luol Deng, and others, but nothing of this caliber in a long time.

As ‘The Greek Freak’ and ‘The Process’ continue to develop, there’s no reason why they cannot one day become the face of the league. For a continent with as few player representatives in the NBA as Africa, it’s clear they have talent to offer.

Only time will tell how far these dudes can go.

black love November 15, 2017
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We’re here for the ‘Black Love’ on Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert’s reality show

I never thought I would be one to advocate for watching anything even remotely close to a reality show but I must say, VH1 might have did something with this one.

On Tuesday (Nov. 14), VH1 announced that actress-model Teyana Taylor and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert have officially partnered with VH1 to bring their romance to television for a new show, Teyana & Iman.

The two have already made splashes as a couple. Every time they step out they make a fashion statement, not to mention their cameo in Kanye’s “Fade” video, which made everyone’s jaw drop.

The timing is actually perfect for VH1 after the network just ended their six season, 100 episode long show, T.I. & Tiny five months ago.

Not that Teyana or Iman need it– they have a combined 7 million followers on Instagram — but the fanbase that tuned in regularly for the self-proclaimed king of the south and his family should translate seamlessly for the Shumperts.

According to Deadline, Teyana & Iman will be eight episodes long and follows the newlyweds at New York Fashion Week, walking the 2017 MTV VMAs red carpet, raising their baby daughter Junie, and spending time as a family.

The kicker, and what really has me invested, is that the show is executive produced by Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor. This allows them, instead of the suits and higher ups, to shape the show to their liking.

Iman even said it himself in the promo:

“When I look at reality shows, it don’t look like reality to me. It’s so important to be a positive representation of black love, that my ass actually got on T.V. to do it.”

Teyana & Iman will premiere on February 19 on VH1. Watch a teaser for the show below.

african american November 15, 2017
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Organization in Georgia starts ‘Come Meet A Black Person’ event. Deadass.

It would be insensitive to say that we’re living in the most racially divided era in American history but in light of the past couple of years — between the shooting of unarmed African-Americans by the police, the Trump administration, and the backlash to Black people speaking out about these injustices — it’s been easier to make that claim.

In light of this tension, Urban Media Maker (UMM), based out of Georgia, is creating opportunity for white people who have never been in a position to meet Black folks through an initiative called “Come Meet a Black Person,” the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Brilliant, bold, or downright funny — whatever you want to call it, it’s real.

The program’s founder, Cheryle Moses, created the event after seeing a 2014 study from Robert Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) that showed a whopping 75 percent of white people do not have Black friends or any other friends outside of their own race.

“It blew me away because as a black person you kind of know most white people don’t have black friend, but to actually see a number, that quantifies it. I know everything about white people, but a lot of white people don’t know much about our culture or our community. Not real stuff anyway… There are a lot of woke white folks and black folks that don’t know how to reach out to each other.”

In Moses’ head, if she creates a safe space for Blacks and whites to meet without the normal external pressures it would dictate a productive interaction, and strides could be made in alleviating some of the racial misunderstandings.

Nick Young Reaction GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

Moses has even incorporated a scavenger hunt so people find things from various cultures. Moses said,

“I am looking forward to it because I believe it will help break the ice for a lot of folks who want to be friends with people who are nonwhite, but don’t know how to go about it.”

‘Come Meet a Black Person’ launches November 16 and will be held at Cornerstone in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

We may not see the results or benefits from this experiment until years have gone by; genuine relationships take time to build.

But if this goes anything like Moses predicts and improves race relations even a little, then she’s done a good work, even if the whole thing is a little goofy.

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justice system November 14, 2017
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FBI to probe judge who sentenced Meek Mill as Philly shows their support

Last Monday Meek Mill was sentenced to serve two to four years in state prison for probation violation.

Since the hearing a week ago there has been a strong outrage over the sentencing, the judge overseeing Meek’s case, and the American prison system in general.

While Meek isn’t perfect — his probation stems from a 2008 gun and drug charge (which he served a year for) — when it comes down to it, a 30-year-old father is going to be spending significant time behind bars due to two separate offenses that were both previously dropped.

Meek’s Lawyer, Joe Tacopina says that this court’s conclusion was not right and told CNN says they plan to appeal the sentence and accused judge Brinkley, of being “enamored” with the rapper and taking “a personal interest in the case.”

“(Meek’s) frustrated, really frustrated and knows he’s being treated different than anyone else,” Tacopina continued. “If his name was John Smith, he wouldn’t be in jail and he certainly wouldn’t be on probation.”

Tacopina went on to criticize Brinkley for extending Mill’s initial five-year probation sentence following various violations. “He’s been on probation for nearly 10 years. Nobody goes on probation for 10 years,” Tacopina added.

As an act of solidarity, the city of Philadelphia held a rally outside the city’s Criminal Justice Center to protest the decision.

At the rally were Meek’s MMG comrade Rick Ross, Philly native PnB Rock, Macklemore, NBA Hall-of-Famer Julius “Dr. J” Erving (Philadelphia 76ers), and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins, who also spoke at the event.

“I’m here to support my brother Meek Mill. I want y’all to understand that if it take Meek Mill to draw this attention, we gonna use Meek Mill to draw this attention that is gonna speak for so many others,” Rozay said at the rally.

Now, according to Page Six, the FBI is launching a probe into the judge proceeding the case. According to a source of Page Six the FBI’s interest is legitimate saying,

“The feds have an interest in the judge and [her] potential relationships. This is an investigation looking into a possible extortionate demand. Undercover agents have been in the courtroom monitoring the Meek proceedings since April 2016.”

The violations which brought Judge Genece E. Brinkley to her decision were an atercation at a St. Louis airport in March and the second in August when Meek was arrested in New York for reckless endangerment for popping wheelies on his dirt bike and not wearing a helmet.

The fact that Meek Mill can possibly spend four years in a state prison for illegally riding a dirt bike is ridiculous to say the least. Whatever you think of Meek Mill, it doesn’t take much to see a failure in the system here.

What Meek’s camp and the hip-hop community are hoping for is that the judge is removed from the case and justice can be served.

If you want to do something to help, go to Change.org and petition for Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf to reconsider Meek’s sentence.

So far, the petition has well over 350,000 signatures.

harvey weinstein November 12, 2017
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What the Harvey Weinstein scandal has shown us about ourselves

In October The New York Times ran an investigation and published an expose claiming long-time movie producer, Harvey Weinstein had been paying off sexual harassment accusers for decades.

Along with The Weinstein Company, Harvey co-founded Miramax Films, which put out classics like Pulp Fiction, Shakespeare in Love, Gangs of New York, and Good Will Hunting, to name a few. Weinstein basically owned the 90s, giving him influence and power in an industry where breaks are heavily sought after.

Now, in light of the damaging information, Harvey has been fired by his company.

Initially this was as big as a headline can get. This was huge. Weinstein is a staple in Hollywood and known by all, so this alone was a whale of a pill to swallow and an eye popping piece of information when it was first published.

But a domino effect happened in it’s aftermath: the women who bravely came forward to speak against Weinstein sparked courage in other victims who had been silent. Consequently, this also meant more big names coming to light, not only in Hollywood but running for ranking political seats, too.

Since those bold 57 women came forward in October, there have been at least 20 high-profile men in a variety of industries that have also been accused. Some have resigned, others fired or had some other type of fallout due to claims ranging from inappropriate text messages to rape.

But you can only be shocked for so long before you realize that there is nothing surprising about this anymore. The ugly truth is that this is norm. This is the culture.

We’re talking about people like Kevin Spacey, who is accused of sexual assaulting multiple men and sexual misconduct with a minor. Louis C.K., who, in his apology for indecent exposure, said he thought what he did was O.K. at the time because he never exposed himself without asking before.

Or Roy Moore, the Republican nominee for a United States Senate seat in Alabama: he’s accused of making sexual or romantic overtures to teenagers when he was in his 30s.

That’s just a few of the names. After a while, you begin to see that across politics, Hollywood, media, and honestly any work space, male patriarchy and sexism is pervasive.

In wake of the Weinstein scandal, actress Alyssa Milano started the #MeToo hashtag on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for women to tell their story and hopefully paint a picture of how common sexual harassment and sexual assault is.

Both men and women responded to the hashtags, even using it for personal testimonials. As a result, a new ABC News-Washington Post poll came out that found half of all American women—54%—have experienced “unwanted and inappropriate sexual advances” at some point in their lives.

Thirty percent of women have endured such behavior from male colleagues and 25% identified men with sway over their careers as the culprits.

It’s not a Weinstein thing, it’s not a Hollywood or corrupt politicians thing, it’s a male thing, and it’s shameful that this is still an issue today.

While Louis C.K. and Kevin Spacey both have lost endorsements, movies, and their Netflix deals, and other culprits have lost their platforms as well, it doesn’t nearly address what the culture has perpetrated for so many years.

Women don’t speak in fear of being outcasted and men don’t say anything because men don’t talk. It’s a gross pattern that has finally spiraled out of control.

It’s time for us men to take a step back and listen. We need to take a closer look to how we engage with women, our behavior when we’re interested in someone, and the cues they give when they aren’t interested. We should even go as far as to educate our friends as well to hold them in check to the same standards to ensure everyone around is abiding by that code. When you hear your boy say something questionable, check him.

We may see more of our beloved actors, directors, and idols with platforms defamed with similar allegations, but instead of focusing on that disappointment, our focus should be protecting the women closest to us and the ones we interact with everyday. Until then, we must educate ourselves and keep an open ear.

Harvey Weinstein’s scandal taught us that sexual assault is a lot closer to home than we think, but it’s something that we can begin changing today.

lavar ball November 8, 2017
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So, LiAngelo Ball is facing 3-10 years in prison for stealing LV shades in China

According to Chinese lawyers who spoke to Yahoo Sports, three UCLA basketball players – including LiAngelo Ball – arrested Tuesday in mainland China could face between three and 10 years in prison if convicted of shop lifting.

Officials on the ground believe players lifted from a Louis Vuitton store near the UCLA team hotel outside of Shanghai.

If you’re wondering what UCLA is doing in Asia in the first place, it so happens that the Bruins had a game against Georgia Tech on Saturday in China for the season opener.

On Tuesday, after gaining enough evidence, local law enforcement entered the team hotel where they questioned both teams, ultimately arresting three players. ESPN first reported the arrests.

According to William Nee, a Hong Kong-based researcher of the Chinese court system for Amnesty International, the players face a unique situation unlike the court system here in the U.S. They could be detained for more than a month without American-style bail before local prosecutors even decide whether to press charges.

Nee also said defendants typically have to wait 30-37 days before being officially indicted and among those indicted, Chinese prosecutors enjoy a 99.2 percent conviction rate, according to Nee’s research.

No charge has not be made, but if the players are convicted of shoplifting, by Chinese law they have to face three to 10 years.

While troubling, scary, even, LiAngelo’s father, the outspoken mastermind behind Big Baller Brand, seemed unfazed. LaVar Ball said Wednesday his son’s arrest “ain’t that big a deal.”

But the UCLA athletic program was not as easygoing.

“We are aware of a situation involving UCLA student-athletes in Hangzhou, China,” UCLA said in a statement. “The University is cooperating fully with local authorities on this matter, and we have no further comment at this time.”

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said the conference was directing specifics about what transpired to UCLA.

“We are very disappointed by any situation that detracts from the positive student-athlete educational and cultural experience that this week is about,” Scott said.

“Whether in the United States or abroad, we expect our student-athletes to uphold the highest standards. We will continue to closely monitor the situation.”

The Ball’s have always had a knack for grabbing headlines, but never anything negative. How Lavar will wriggle his son out of this one remains to be seen, especially given the spotlight he has already placed on his family with his television show and bold predictions.

Lavar Ball’s dream is that all three of his sons play for the Los Angeles Lakers one day. With his oldest Lonzo manning point for the Lakers now, it’s up to LiAngelo and LaMelo to follow suit.

We’ll have to see if that journey will take a detour when we hear back from the Chinese court.

basketball November 8, 2017
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LeBron tied Jordan in games played, so how do they stack up against each other?

It’s interesting to see how talk of the NBA’s greatest player of all-time (or G.O.A.T.) has progressed and eventually changed over time.

For the longest, well, at least as far as I can remember, barbershop talk and lunchroom debates always held Jordan and Kobe as the two finalists for the GOAT. The turn-around fade, relentless work ethic, and the ring quest made the two more comparable than anyone else. Jordan himself said that Kobe stole all his moves. Who else could we name as a better successor?

At least that was the sentiment before LeBron came along.

Lebron James Reaction GIF by NBA - Find & Share on GIPHY

Between going to seven straight finals, single handedly defeating the NBA’s most winning regular season team, and breaking the championship drought in Cleveland, it’s understandable why people are more curious to see how LeBron, not Kobe, stacks up against Jordan.

I mean, last week against the Washington Wizards, LeBron — who is in his 15th season, by the way — put up 57 and 11 IN HIS 15th SEASON!  That kind of consistency, on top of constantly breaking records, demanded that the conversation for GOAT change.

The conversation that was re-opened last night when a win over the Milwaukee Bucks marked the 1,072 game of James’ career; the same number of games that Jordan played.

It makes sense: games played provides a sample size long enough where we can see, on paper, how the two legends stack up. And best believe everyone was aware of it.

Lebron, who is 33 years old, has already bypassed Jordan in rebounds, assists, and games won and still has a good chance of surpassing Jordan in the categories he currently trails (Jordan retired at 39).

And although LeBron entered the NBA straight out of high school and Jordan took a year off, you can’t get mad at Bron’s ability to stay healthy and dominate for all these years.

Yet, on the other side of the argument Jordan purists will claim that, even still, MJ has a formidable lead in MVPs, rings, and almost every other hardware category. LeBron may break all of Jordan’s records, but will he ever be as successful and impactful as Jordan, who had two separate three-peats and went 6-0 in the finals?

Michael Jordan Basketball GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

In my mind, the fact that Jordan, someone who is a decade removed from the league, who played in a completely different era, is still able to have stats that stand against the test of time, makes him the GOAT.

Jordan is still being chased. It may be by a 6’8″, 235 lb. once in a lifetime athletic specimen, but LBJ hasn’t closed the ground quite yet. Until that day, it’ll be fun to discuss.

A$AP Rocky November 7, 2017
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A$AP Rocky and French Montana may have an album together, it’s lit

When you look back at the albums that stood out in 2017 you would be wrong not to mention both French Montana and A$AP Rocky’s efforts.

Cozy Tapes, Vol 2: Too Cozy  showcased Rocky at his best, proving that although he may have his hands in the fashion world, his flow is still top five. And French Montana’s “Unforgettable” off his Jungle Rules album is probably up for record of the year.

So when Montana revealed in his interview with Montreality, that the two have a joint project, which will be coming out “real soon,” I immediately began imagining the sonic chemistry and decided that it had to happen. French said,

“Me and Rocky got a project. [We’ll] be coming out with it real soon.”

The two have worked together before, even as recently as this year. Rocky and French dropped a song and video titled “Said N Done” back in February which shows just how the two mesh in the booth.

But of course, a complete project could have a different feel altogether.

Among other gems in the interview were the behind the scene insights French gave on his first album, Excuse My French, which dropped back in 2013. Around the 5:56 mark, French reveals that J. Cole almost produced the effort.

“J. Cole almost executive produced my first album after I played him the music,” he says. “We were on the Club Paradise tour with Drake, I was playing him my album and he called me one day, ‘Yo French, I would love to help you with the album, I’mma executive produce it.’ He’s one of the best out of our generation. The time just wasn’t right, he was moving I was moving, things like that need time.”

I have heard enough collaborative rap albums to know that names don’t matter, it’s the chemistry that will show in the finished product.

It will be interesting to see what these two bring out of each other if they do indeed manage to get the project off the ground.

derek carr November 7, 2017
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Did the Raiders o-line let Derek Carr get injured on purpose over anthem disagreement?

Just when you think you’ve heard the craziest storyline from the NFL, the league always seems to outdo itself.

Just last week, statements leaked from a conference call where Papa John’s owner, John Schnatter claimed NFL players taking a knee during during the anthem and the lack of damage control from the NFL commissioner has hurt business for his pizza franchise.

Now, Miko Grimes, the outspoken wife of Buccaneers corner Brent Grimes, claims that the back injury Oakland Raiders quarterback, Derrick Carr suffered in Week 4 this season, which caused him to missed one game, was a premeditated message from the Raiders’ offensive line.

The very media savvy Grimes, who has a podcast of her own, got on Power 105.1’s ‘The Breakfast Club’ this morning to spill all of the tea.

“(Carr) was against (the offensive line) protesting. And they had a fight in the locker room before that Monday night game with the Redskins. They were fighting in the locker room, and that’s the only all-black offensive line in the NFL is the Raiders.

“Derek Carr is a bible-thumper to the fullest. And so he was basically trying to force the players to read the bible before the game, and do all this stuff and they were like, ‘No, that’s you.’ And so he was so upset about it, when the whole offensive line said they were going to kneel, he was like, ‘No, you’re not kneeling. This is America, you’re going to stand for the flag.’ And they got in a fight in the locker room, so when they came out to play, they basically had a plan.”

Niko is no NFL insider, but when you pay attention to the game she was referring to, where the said mutiny occurred, one might see a pattern. The fight, which (allegedly) happened before the game against the Redskins (which was on a Sunday, not Monday as Grimes said), Carr got sacked a season-high four times in that game. He’s been sacked only six times in the seven other games this season.

Carr’s injury, however, occurred one week later, against the Broncos.

Some of the Raider’s OL have since denounced such claims, yet Miko is sticking to her script.

https://twitter.com/iHeartMiko/status/927920441171283968

They always say there are three sides to story; it’s just a matter of time before the third perspective comes to light. This is not Miko’s first rodeo when it comes to going up against the NFL and stirring controversy.

She also had a public back and forth with the Dolphins organization regarding her husband’s release and Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

It will be interesting to see how this one plays out.