Skip to content Skip to footer
football August 31, 2018
49Views 0Comments

How Overtime SZN is bringing high school football back to the forefront

There’s something special about high school football that keeps us coming back for more. It’s a chance for the stars of tomorrow to showcase their talents under those Friday night lights. It’s the place where anything could happen. It’s the great game of football in its purest form.

However, for many of these athletes, high school will be their final chance to grace the gridiron. Even though they might possess the talent to play at the collegiate level, the lack of exposure may ultimately lead to never getting scouted.

You don’t want problems with BABY MAN 💪🏾 @benjifacejay

A post shared by OvertimeSZN (@overtimeszn) on

But now, thanks to Overtime SZN, high school football fanatics can relive the most unbelievable moments while getting to know their new favorite players.

The talent level surrounding high school football continues to become even more litty as the years progress as kids are training like pros these days. Where else are you going to find the best team in Hawaii putting in work?

The game is definitely reaching new heights and Overtime SZN is making sure you do not miss any of the action. Now there are stars you’d never expect making waves.

While you mostly know Overtime for their fire high school basketball content, they don’t just stop there. They’re strapping up for the high school football season and the SZN got you covered.

Sam Howell even made the ref fall 😂 @samhowelll

A post shared by OvertimeSZN (@overtimeszn) on

Overtime SZN is for the football culture, and for the future of sports. Their primary goal is to get the youth of today more exposure. What they are doing goes beyond just highlights, they are helping tremendously when it comes to the recruitment process.

They feature all of the biggest football stars of tomorrow with major implications in college football and NFL in the coming years.

Recently, Overtime raised $9.5 million, has partnered with many investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, venture capital firm Greycroft, former NBA commissioner David Stern, and Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors to ensure they fulfill their vision of becoming the “ESPN of Generation Z.”

According to Dan Porter, the CEO of Overtime believe’s a network catering to the younger audience is the company’s best route. Porter expressed his vision during an interview with TechCrunch:

“Through a lot of experimentation, we found these young audiences were really connected to these young kids who might be professionals in 12 to 24 months. No one had ever built a national platform. Some of them, because they’re the first generation of digital-native athletes, have hundreds of thousands of followers — more than professional athletes. There’s a whole kind of interest around them and subculture around them.”

With over 327,000 YouTube Subscribers, close to 200,000 Twitter followers, and over 404,000 likes on Facebook, Overtime is essentially everywhere. Most importantly, they are presenting sports in a way that is directly relatable to the youth.

Overtime is dedicated to the youth and tapped into the culture. They even encourage their fans to submit the sickest highlights they’ve captured to them so they can be featured on their various platforms.

They want to continue to inspire the youth to be the best that can be in school and on the football field. Make sure you peep Overtime SZN page all football season long for the best highlights and docs from the nation’s biggest rising stars.

We see you Bryce Young!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mspJDdpUDvo

athlete August 21, 2018
54Views 0Comments

How ‘Dangerous’ Donnie Marshall defied odds to pave his own lane as a pro boxer

Boxing is a gentleman’s sport. It is technical yet sometimes brutal and there is a sweet science to the game that makes it so hard to look away.

We are in awe of the footwork, the hand-speed and hand-eye coordination, the haymakers and the knockouts. Couple that with your brawlers and your tacticians and you have one of the most balanced glamour sports of all time. Not just anyone can step into the ring and trade blows either. You have to bet cut from a certain cloth.

It takes a fighter’s mentality to make it out of Buffalo, New York. No one knows this better than the 29-year-old boxing phenom “Dangerous” Donnie Marshall. Born and raised in Buffalo, he grew up in an athletic household. Football and basketball held prominence in the Marshall family but even though Donnie played football in school, boxing was always his first love.

Ever since Dangerous Donnie got his hands on some of his grandfather’s old boxing tapes, he’s been enamored by the sport ever since. Never actually boxing in the ring as a child, he found himself fighting.

No Cap 9-0 6Kos

A post shared by Donnie Marshall (@dangerous_donnie) on

In an interview with Kulture Hub, Donnie broke down his career, his mindset going into fights, and the tough upbringing that made him into the man he is today. The craziest part is that he almost never made it out of Buffalo. Donnie explained,

“Growing up in Buffalo was rough. I got shot when I was 16. I was fighting in the streets and in school. I had got into some trouble you know so I had the time to sit down and figure things out. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to. My mom used to always say ‘You better leave him alone he’s dangerous. You don’t want it with Donnie, he dangerous.’”

As his journey as a football player came to an end, he decided to follow his heart for his next career move. And that was following his grandfather’s footsteps and pursing boxing. He continued,

“I grew up playing football. By the time I was ready to box that was over. I started boxing when I was 20. I was just trying to figure things out you know? I didn’t know anything about it [boxing] but it made sense so I started. I was in out the gym before I got serious.”

It wasn’t until Dangerous Donnie found himself at the Paul Murphy Regional National Tournament in Atlanta, that he’d go on to eventually win, that made him want to take it to the next level.

Paired with Ross Thompson as his coach, a fellow Buffalo native who has fought for the world title, it was clear that the stars were aligning. This was a very pivotal moment in his career as Thompson’s mentorship and support built his confidence to a whole new level as Donnie explained to me,

“When I got with him, as someone who’s been at the top level as a professional and amateur you know, he had a lot of faith in me. He kinda made me feel like I can do it. I think it was more so that I got with my coach that I am with now that I came to be like ‘wow I can really do this if I put the effort into it.”

And Dangerous Donnie has been turning up ever since. He’s been relentless in the ring being too quick for opponents while possessing such poise and grace in the ring. Not even fighting with one arm could not stop the Dangerous one. He told me,

“My fight before my last fight [April 26], I went into the ring knowing I’m injured. My right arm was literally hanging but I knew I could beat the kid with my left hand so I wasn’t trippin. They suspended me afterwards and sent me to physical therapy for six weeks. It was cool. A real athlete is gonna strap up and is gonna figure it out.”

A healthy Donnie is certainly a Dangerous one. In his last bout, August 16th at the Durham Armory in North Carolina, he stopped his opponent in 2:35 seconds knocking his opponent’s shoulder out of place with a hook to the shoulder. It was a display of impeccable defense that is propelling him to the next level.

I’m Over Qualified For The Next Shootout!! 👊🏾👊🏾

A post shared by Donnie Marshall (@dangerous_donnie) on

From my time speaking to Donnie Marshall, I learned that he is a family man and a true fighter. His humble, quiet demeanor is not to be slept on.

When he’s with his fam, they may be acting a fool and clowning around. But when he’s in the ring, he’s a whole different animal. He punches for his family, his children, and most importantly his legacy. He lastly told me,

“Now we are at the point in my life now where me and my son are walking into boxing rings together and people are screaming my name and his name. That’s 75%-80% of what I wanted to set out to do. I’ve already left a legacy and footprints to follow and footprints to follow. To me if I die today, what I’ve left for my kids to look up to means a lot.”

Dangerous Donnie will be making his television debut September 28th on ShoBox: The Next Generation. He’s made it point to carry the city of Buffalo on his back.

ball is life August 20, 2018
47Views 0Comments

How a former New Mexico State Aggie turned her passion for basketball into a business

If you know anything about Monique “Mo Ballin” Bribiescas, you know she lives for the game of basketball. The former New Mexico State Aggie has loved the game ever since she was a child and since her days playing college ball, she has used it as a platform to inspire and help others.

It all started with a little help from her father. In an interview with Kulture Hub, she explained the impact he had on her career and how far the game of basketball has taken her to heights she would’ve never imagined with MoballinTraining. She said,

“It’s so funny because my dad, he tells everybody, ‘all I did was teach her how to make a lay-up and after that I didn’t teach her anything else.’ I was just born with it. I was naturally gifted I guess. Super blessed.”

Born and raised in Arizona, Monique quickly became a student of the game at a young age. If she wasn’t practicing from sun up to sun down, she was glued to the television screen, watching her favorite players, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Kevin Johnson doing work on the court.

Mo’s passion was set on fire. Her competitive drive fueled her to get better at the game. She had a dream and sought after it with everything she had. Mo explained,

“I always wanted to be the first girl in the NBA. That was my vision. Before the Love and Basketball movie.”

With Monique’s dream intact, she began chasing after it relentlessly. While attending Desert Vista High School she played point guard. She led her team to two state finals only to fall short each time. Even though Mo didn’t bring a state title back to her school, she would go on to New Mexico to represent her school in a bigger way. She said,

“I earned a full ride basketball scholarship to play at New Mexico State.”

Although Mo was nice on the court, it wasn’t until her first day with her fellow Aggies in the gym when she realized that she had to elevate her game. Mo admitted,

“Growing up I was super shy. I didn’t communicate a lot. My first day of practice as freshman, and I started as a freshman so I did have that leadership. I led by example. I didn’t lead by you know the leadership as far as being bold.”

The Aggies coaching staff took notice and sent Mo a message of their own. Mo remembers,

“My very first practice I wasn’t talking enough I guess and they kicked me out. They said ‘LEAVE. YOU’RE NOT TALKING’ As a freshman I was kind of scared. It’s my first practice you know and they’re kicking me out, but they wanted to prove a point. They said ‘If you’re gonna start you gotta talk 24/7 . ‘You gotta talk constantly because you are the coach on the floor.’ So I kinda had to come out of my shell. So the second I came back to practice and didn’t shut up.”

The lessons Monique learned in her first two days of practice went a long way. As a starter throughout her tenure as an Aggie, along with three straight WAC title game appearances, Mo lead New Mexico State to its first victory ever against the 22nd-ranked Houston Cougars in 2005.

She also put on some thriller endings like 2007’s half-court shot buzzer beater taking down Wichita State 72-69.

“Ball was life when I was six years old and is still life right now. It’s been my passion ever since I was little. Once I graduated college I knew I still wanted to be involved and kind of find my way.”

Once Monique’s playing days were over she naturally turned to coaching.

“I found my passion actually going through coaching. I didn’t really like the X’s and O’s. But in practice I got to handle the player development side and that’s when I found out this is what I like to do, player development. I worked for 5 years. I did it for free. I just needed the experience.”

With enough experience under her belt, Monique decided to dedicate her life to making other players better and turned that into a business. With the help of one of her best friends, Instagram, and Monique’s own dedication to the game, her passion turned into reality. She explained the help of the platform saying,

“When Instagram first started, I didn’t want it. One of my best friends she was just was just like no, get it. it’s awesome it’s fun. I was like Na I don’t want to be on social media like that, so one day she texted me and said uh I just made one for you. And then she gave me the information and it was MoBallin.”

Monique’s business started out as simply training two local kids and some high school hoopers. Now she’s training non-stop with her MoBallinTraining program.

“So the page just kinda got popular, especially once Instagram started doing videos so people could actually see my videos and how I play and my skills. Everybody knew me as Mo Ballin when I started my business page so I added training and just kept the name.”

Because of Monique’s hard work and love for the game, MoBallinTraining is working with WNBA and NBA clients as well as still training the youth. Still, even though, ball is life, Mo knows that her journey is much deeper than basketball. She knows she’s changing lives. Monique finished off the conversation by telling me,

“Seeing players develop just feels incredible. Seeing kids come back to me and saying ‘hey I made varsity as a freshman’ or something like ‘hey I scored 25 [points] yesterday. Even my pros man, one went from making $1500 to $10,000. The success that they have is worth way more than having a million dollars in my pocket if I had it. They put the work in and that’s what bring me in every day. I work hard for them because I want them to succeed.”

If you’re ever in Arizona and need a good run, hit up MoballinTraning!

hip hop August 9, 2018
51Views 0Comments

Meet Zer0, the independent artist paving his lane by staying true himself

The climate of the rap game seems to change every year. But if one thing has remained constant, it’s that in hip-hop, the underground has always respected an artist for their authenticity, originality, and creativity. Of course, nowadays, it seems as if having the most the clout determines who is hot or is trash in the rap game.

When 21 Savage broke onto the scene, we saw his image quickly duplicated by 22 Savage and more. We’ve seen the antics of 6ix9ine stirring up controversy to sell records. Lil Pump’s “F*ck J. Cole” movement even boosted his rap career to new heights.

For independent artists, nowadays it seems like the only to break onto the scene is to follow trends or have a gimmick to sell records. However, there are still emcees coming up who just want to be respected for their skillset. For Angelo Sirianni, who is better known as Zer0, he’s been in the lab creating a wave of new vibes for the whole world to bump to.

Music has always run deep in Zer0’s veins. As an adolescent, you would find him buried deep in his notebook sharpening his pen game or freestyling with his fingers on black and white keys. In an interview with Kulture Hub he told me,

“I’ve always had an ear for music. I started with you know writing poetry and then I went from writing poetry to learning to play piano by ear and turning those into songs. Then I found out that garage band you can take Youtube beats and sing over them and then it just all kind of built up from there.”

Being born and raised in a small town in West Virginia, Zer0 was known throughout his tight-knit community for basketball. Nevertheless, school and work would never get in the way of his true passion. He said,

“I would get off work and use garage band in my car with a little blue snowball microphone and record at night.”

Realizing that his potential is limitless with the music, Zer0 decided to leave West Virginia State University where he was attending school and hooping, his family, and his friends. He was off to Orlando, Florida to turn his dream into reality.

“I wanted to use my other talents in life and I went with music. I wanted to get out at 21 and experience as much as I could at least.  I knew the first step had to be expanding my location.”

June of 2017 marked a new beginning for Zer0. With a fresh plan and new scenery, Zer0 was off to a busy summer ready to set the music industry on fire.

Shortly after the move, he dropped his first project Day Zer0 and was finally able to flex his rapping abilities to the world. Unbeknownst to the emcee, his work caught the attention of King Los who would later jump on Zer0’s first single of 2018, “Rari.”

Even though his album was receiving a great reception from his audience, it was not sitting well with his girlfriend. Zer0 explained,

“My girlfriend… she loves music. She cares about it and she cares about me. She said to me one day, she sat me down and asked me ‘what are you really talking about? I love your voice. I love how talented you are. I love how you create it, but it’s hard for me to picture the person that I see everyday versus the person I hear everyday when you make this stuff.’”

Her words were a gut check for the young artist. He continued on telling me,

“It was a hard life lesson you know? A few tears were shed honestly, but they weren’t angry tears they were… it was just a reality honestly. It hit home and I appreciated it so much.”

Following the heart to heart with his queen, Angelo took some time to reflect on his music career thus far. Not even being in Florida for a year yet, he learned a valuable lesson. He said,

“I think I got a little carried away with the image and the industry and tried to you know to create that trap sound with also trying to match that image and with my lyrics and not really pay attention. It was a definite soul search.”

Now that Zer0 is making music aligned with what’s true to him and what he wants out of life. He feels very strongly about that.

“There’s a lot of negativity in the industry right now. There’s a lot of fame associated with negativity and crime and I’m not about any of that at all. I try to create positivity with my music and with who I am. That kind of goes back to reality check that I was given about.. you know like what are you really rapping about? I want the world to see who I really am.”

Recently, Zer0 dropped his newest single “New To This,” showing the world just how transparent his future projects will be going forward.

As an independent artist navigating his way through the industry, he’s quickly learned that patience is his best friend.

“Everything is not what it seems. Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear. If you have the option to go indie, it’s work but I think it’s a better route. You don’t have to deal with a bunch of sketchy and scammy situations. You never know when someone is doing a live music review or submissions send them to this email. You don’t know if they’re listening in the studio trying to bite your style. You don’t know anything.”

His newfound wisdom is continuing to set himself up for success. He by finished telling me,

“I know everybody wants a check. I know everybody wants that label to hear their music. I know everybody wants to do the next thing that is going to take them to the next level. But if you just learn and sit back, you’ll be fine.”

Music is the universal language we live by. For Zer0, it’s using his God-given abilities of rapping, producing and engineering to provide for his family.

Now that he has found his sound, look for Zer0 to really take off in the years to come.

Listen to Zer0’s debut project Day Zer0 here:

aau August 2, 2018
49Views 0Comments

Young King: LeBron James Jr. is proving greatness runs in the family

The influence that fathers have on the lives of their children is impactful. A father is a child’s first hero, leader, and positive role model. Children look to them for guidance on how to navigate through this crazy world.

When your father is LeBron James, who recently opened up a school for at-risk kids his hometown of Akron, it would be hard not to be inspired by his moves. Especially if your name is LeBron (Bronny) James Jr.

Bronny James Jr. has had the internet on fire as of late. The 13-year old basketball phenom’s buzz now has gained more momentum after accomplishing a hoop dreams milestone: dunking a basketball.

It wasn’t your typical one-hand slam that we see many times over, either. “The Young King” threw up an alley-oop to himself and flushed it home cleanly, in front of a star-studded crowd, featuring Dwayne Wade, Quavo, and Chris Paul.

The Bronny James hype train reached its boiling point July 19th when King James shared a breathtaking fan-made 2K video of him and Bronny both playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. The scary part is that this could all be a reality five years from now.

During an UNINTERRUPTED interview with Rachel Nichols two days before game one of the NBA Finals, LeBron James Jr. spoke about having the opportunity to play with his son. LeBron Sr. said,

“You want to ask me what is the greatest achievement of my life?” If I’m on the same court as my son in the NBA. That would be number one in my lifetime as an NBA player. I’ve thought about it because my son is about to be 14, and he might be able to get in there a little earlier.”

On that same day, Bronny was going through his own trials and tribulations on the court. With his James Sr. present in the stands, Bronny had to withstand an onslaught of “overrated” chants being shouted at him from the crowd, similar to what his father has had to endure throughout his career.

Unphased, the young versatile guard leads his North Coast Blue Chips team to a commanding victory with a 60 point blow out.

The “overrated” chants seemed to be a common theme throughout the USBA National Tournament.

During another game after Bronny suffered a minor injury, the opposition began to yet again howl out overrated. Never trippin’, Bronny responded with saucing up defenders and securing another victory.

While it may seem like Bronny is following in his father’s footsteps, he’s simultaneously creating his own path.

Recently, his North Coast Blue Chips squad was crowned the USBA National Champions and he just finished putting on a show at the Las Vegas classic, winning the Bigfoot Hoops 7th Grade Championship.

In the age of social media, news spreads like wildfire. Anything that Bronny does from here on out is going to be magnified 100 times over.

Fortunately for Bronny, his father is there to mentor him through whatever storm he faces. And for Bronny, he’s learning at a young age that his only competition is with himself.

He’s already cementing his legacy as a young king. It’s going to be fun watching Bronny hone his skills until it’s time for him to takeover the throne.

10K80 July 31, 2018
42Views 0Comments

#LessonsFromNipsey: Don’t be scared to put your right hand to God

The sky isn’t the limit, it’s just the view. Being at the top is the gold standard we all strive for. It’s the pinnacle of all success. Everything looks better from the penthouse.

Skyscrapers, jets, and mountains reach high into the clouds. It’s lonely at there sometimes because it takes work to get there. Handouts are never given or accepted. However, to even believe you can make it to the top takes faith, commitment, patience, and the persistence.

Staying true to his morals and code of ethics has allowed Nip to position himself as one of the hip-hop greats. With countless mixtapes that could have been albums, Hussleman has now aligned himself with a fanbase so genuine that he could never fail.

With his “Right Hand 2 God,” Nipsey ends Victory Lap with a message to the world that the marathon isn’t over. Once you reach the sky, it’s only up from there.

“Put my right hand to Jesus, fly like a eagle //

Fight with these demons, shine light on my people”

Nevertheless, Nipsey Hussle is standing in his own truths in this anthem. Throughout the track, he summarizes what his life is like now and he explains the dichotomy of how he’s arrived to this point.

With his faith in God, Nip found the strength to confront his biggest fears. In business especially, when you choose the legitimate route, it takes patience to get rich.

The money does not move as fast in comparison to the streets. In our country, money equals freedom. Without it, you’re looked down on as a second-class citizen.

Knowing this, Nip put his head down and worked even harder. Building his All Money In record label as the foundation has opened up multiple streams of revenue for the Crenshaw emcee. Now when we look at Nip and we see five chains around his neck, we know it is well deserved.

Victory Lap

https://giphy.com/gifs/movie-mines-nipseyhussle-WUO8cvE0vWL6M

You can’t get complacent when you are at the top. Failing to level up and adapt with the times leaves you vulnerable to falling from grace.

While there is enough room for everyone at the top, you must stay consistent in your craft and continue to level up.

For Nipsey Hussle, not getting stagnant is redefining business models like he’s done many times over, opening new businesses and schools, and motivating his audience with his hustle.

Never forgetting where he came from, Nip continues to use his past as a teacher.

The lessons learned from his past endeavors is why he can remain cool amongst the sharks in this game of life.

More Lessons from Nipsey:

#LessonsFromNipsey: Making the right decisions now to boss up later

#LessonsFromNipsey: When you’re headed for greatness, everybody can’t go

#LessonsFromNipsey: How to stay in your own lane while bossing up

#LessonsFromNipsey: Being self-made means never making any excuses

#LessonsFromNipsey: You need to face adversity to create breakthroughs

#LessonsFromNipsey: How long should you stay dedicated to the grind?

#LessonsFromNipsey: Not everyone can walk a day in your shoes

#LessonsFromNipsey: The power of knowing what you’re hustling for

#LessonsFromNipsey: How to tell the fake from the real

#LessonsfromNipsey: Don’t run from change, be the change

#LessonsFromNipsey: You gotta grind and sacrifice all your life to get it

#LessonsFromNipsey: Make a million dollars while you young

#LessonsFromNipsey: Never give up on your dreams

#LessonsFromNipsey: Don’t let hard times humble you

10K80 July 26, 2018
52Views 0Comments

#LessonsFromNipsey: Don’t let hard times humble you

Adversity is something we can never escape. If you are looking to boss up in life, it’s going to come with its fair share of challenges.

When times get hard we often times look for someone to turn to. We seek out some type of guidance or help. But in this world, there isn’t always going to be someone to lean on during every tough time.

When it comes to adversity you are always presented with two choices. You can choose to drown in your own sorrow or you can find a way to overcome it. Every problem has a solution whether positive or negative.

In Nipsey’s track “Double Up” off Victory Lap, he explains the crossroad he faced and his mindset in overcoming it.

Choosing to overcome the challenges lying in your way usually takes more effort.

“Double up // Three or four times, I ain’t tellin’ no lies, I just run it up // Never let a hard time humble us”

Choosing to rise above your problems enables you to let go of old habits and old patterns of thinking that no longer serves a purpose in your life.

What tends to hold people back is the fear of losing themselves and the fear of the unknown; Not knowing what they’re capable of accomplishing and not knowing how life is going to continue to play out. When you choose to step into the unknown you become the director of your life.

https://giphy.com/gifs/interview-mines-nipseyhussle-d5BBKWL0n7YFG

During a sit-down interview with NPR, Nipsey gave us a look into his mindset when he was faced with his toughest challenge yet.

“Once you cross these invisible lines, it’s hard to go back. So I felt myself make a decision: ‘What you gonna do, homie?’”

Nipsey had to choose the music over the streets. It was a hard decision for Nip to make but after the weighing the risk versus the reward, he saw the scales tipping.

After giving up the street life for good, Nipsey dedicated his life to his musical aspirations which have now elevated him to new heights becoming a staple in the rap game.

“I was sitting on my Lincoln, I started thinking // N**** I ain’t gon’ make a hundred mill off in these streets and // more than likely I’m gon’ end up in somebody’s precinct // or even worse, a horse and carriage in front of the church laid off in a hearse.”

Hosting in Costa Messa Last Night 🏁

A post shared by Nipsey Hussle (@nipseyhussle) on

Victory Lap

Just because you are making tough choices to better yourself doesn’t mean you’re losing your essence. You are projecting the best version of yourself out into the world.

The “old” you can’t coincide with the new you. Allowing yourself to grow only elevates your wisdom which brings you many steps closer to your dreams.

Don’t be afraid to double up and don’t ever let hard times humble you.

More Lessons from Nipsey

#LessonsFromNipsey: Making the right decisions now to boss up later

#LessonsFromNipsey: When you’re headed for greatness, everybody can’t go

#LessonsFromNipsey: How to stay in your own lane while bossing up

#LessonsFromNipsey: Being self-made means never making any excuses

#LessonsFromNipsey: You need to face adversity to create breakthroughs

#LessonsFromNipsey: How long should you stay dedicated to the grind?

#LessonsFromNipsey: Not everyone can walk a day in your shoes

#LessonsFromNipsey: The power of knowing what you’re hustling for

#LessonsFromNipsey: How to tell the fake from the real

#LessonsfromNipsey: Don’t run from change, be the change

#LessonsFromNipsey: You gotta grind and sacrifice all your life to get it

#LessonsFromNipsey: Make a million dollars while you young

#LessonsFromNipsey: Never give up on your dreams

10K80 July 20, 2018
40Views 0Comments

#LessonsFromNipsey: Never give up on your dreams

Life is the greatest gift we can have. We have the power to create everlasting structures while possessing the ability to change lives. Through our hard work, we are able to have a positive impact on Earth while contributing to the greater good.

“I’m from where they tell you never touch the shell case, I’m from where they teach you never trust a pale face”

Unfortunately, for many of us, we are fighting an uphill battle. At a young age, we are conditioned to believe that our abilities are limited. A lot of this has to do with our environment.

Opportunities are scarce in lower-income neighborhoods. The mindset even in this day in age is still either rap, hoop, gang-bang or become a dope boy. While some fall victims to their environment, others, like Nipsey Hussle, find a way out.

“Night time, locs on, can’t even see the stars, but we still wish”

Although he is no different from his homies on the block, at the core of his being he knew he was an artist. While coming up in the streets, Hussleman’s future seemed bleak.

Seeing his loved ones killed on the corner, being incarcerated and involved in shootouts takes a toll on you. After surviving countless near-death experiences, Nipsey started moving at a different frequency. He sold his jewels and his whips and put his all into the music.

GIF by BET Awards - Find & Share on GIPHY

After years of consistently dropping fire mixtapes, Nipsey Hussle gifted the world Victory Lap. Partnering with Atlantic Records upon his release, the album proved to be a huge success.

During a compelling interview with NPR, Nipsey Hussle shared this,

“I’ve been through a lot, and we’ve been through a lot of setbacks and loss and moments where I didn’t know if it was going to happen.”

This is a moment Nip fans have been waiting for and the album did not disappoint. He’s brought the West Coast new life. Representing Los Angeles and putting the city back on the map, Neighborhood Nip is far from done. After grinding all of his life, now he finally has the time to soak it all in.

“It was just thinking about where I’m at in my life with my wife and my son. I always had a hunch that I could do it. It was always an uphill, I don’t know how I’m going to do it, type of thing. I just thought I could. I believed that if I just took steps toward it, the path will reveal itself.”

Victory Lap

Nipsey Hussle’s story is nothing short of inspiring, but so is yours. Like Nip, you have to be true to yourself and work to become your most authentic self.

Once you have found your purpose in life, put all of your energy toward that. Align yourself with opportunities to become successful and you will be successful at whatever you do.

Take some time to reflect. Think about how far you’ve come and how much you’ve accomplished when the odds were stacked against you. Life is a marathon, but give yourself some credit every now and then. This is your victory lap. Enjoy.

More Lessons from Nipsey

#LessonsFromNipsey: Making the right decisions now to boss up later

#LessonsFromNipsey: When you’re headed for greatness, everybody can’t go

#LessonsFromNipsey: How to stay in your own lane while bossing up

#LessonsFromNipsey: Being self-made means never making any excuses

#LessonsFromNipsey: You need to face adversity to create breakthroughs

#LessonsFromNipsey: How long should you stay dedicated to the grind?

#LessonsFromNipsey: Not everyone can walk a day in your shoes

#LessonsFromNipsey: The power of knowing what you’re hustling for

#LessonsFromNipsey: How to tell the fake from the real

#LessonsfromNipsey: Don’t run from change, be the change

#LessonsFromNipsey: You gotta grind and sacrifice all your life to get it

#LessonsFromNipsey: Make a million dollars while you young

2 chainz July 15, 2018
52Views 0Comments

Joe Moore is more than 2 Chainz’s photographer, he’s a businessman

For up and coming photographers and videographers who are starting out in business, it can be overwhelming. As creatives, by nature, we are so content driven that we often forget that the business aspect of our work is just as important.

No one knows this better than director, photographer and editor Joe Moore — who has been snapping flicks of 2 Chainz now for over two years. But even before linking with Atlanta’s best emcee, Moore has been carving his own path to greatness.

Hailing from Davidsonville, Maryland, the seed was planted for JoeMooreProductions when Moore was in third grade. This is due in large part to his grandfather.

Risk taking got me to where I wanna be. (@realitylvn 🔥🔥 edit)

A post shared by Joe Moore Productions LLC (@joemoore724) on

During an interview on the Justin Odisho Podcast, Joe Moore said,

“My whole inspiration for even picking up a camera was my grandfather. My grandfather was a big inspiration to me. He was somebody who would always film everything. I just actually started toying around with him and he would show me how to use certain things.”

As the years progressed, his affinity for cameras only grew.

“As I started to get older, I would just, you know, become the kid that was filming everything. Even in middle school and high school I was the person who always had the camera. It didn’t matter if it was entertaining or whatever, it was me teaching myself how to use that camera and capture memories with my friends and family.”

It’s safe to say that when it comes to cameras, Joe Moore has always kept that mothaf*ckn’ thang on him. With a burning desire for capturing memorable moments, his high school days would mark the beginning of his hustle.

LiFe is GuCCi

A post shared by Joe Moore Productions LLC (@joemoore724) on

Moore started out getting paid to film high school parties. After gaining recognition for his firehouse party visuals, he starting getting recommended around the area. Moore’s clout soon opened doors for him to start shooting music videos and doing photo shoots for local artists.

While Moore was grinding, perfecting his craft with the camera, he caught the eye of a popular vlogger in the DMV area, PatIsDope. They would soon partner together and begin making history. Moore would take care of all the video and photography content while PatIsDope conducted the interviews and photoshoots with local and major artists.

Staying in his lane, Moore’s dedication would pay off. After networking with some of the top promoters in the Washington D.C. area, he would go on to meet his first major artist — Lil Durk.

During the The Justin Odisho Podcast, Moore continued,

“I linked up with them [Lil Durk’s camp] through the promoter. I did the show. I did a photoshoot and video shoot for that actual concert when it was in Virginia. I basically became friends with the manager of Lil Durk, and sent them the photos and a video recap.”

What Joe Moore heard next would change his life forever.

“His manager was like ‘Man your turnaround time is great, your turnaround time is quick, I love the work. We got this tour coming up and we’d love to have you be apart of it.’ So that was the first artist that I actually went to be on tour with and really learn the ropes of the industry.”

From there, he would meet the likes of French Montana, Akon, and other major artists. Two years later Moore would find himself at an A3C event in Atlanta with PatIsDope. While there, the duo visited Street Execs Studio to interview Young Dolph, Travis Porter, and Skooly.

After that visit, 2 Chainz’s manager caught wind of the work Joe Moore had been doing for the other artists around Street Excecs and wanted to see if Moore was up for a new challenge.

“[2 Chainz’s manager] approached me and said ‘hey 2 Chainz is looking for a new photographer/videographer. We want to put you on a test try with him. We are going to put you on the road with him for 3 dates. If you are able to mesh well with him and if you’re able keep up with the workflow, we would love to offer you a job’.”

Moore completed the three dates and exceeded all expectations. His fire visuals and professionalism landed him the personal photography job with 2 Chainz. Since then, Moore has been non-stop traveling the world with the PROUD rapper.

“You can be the most talented photographer, but if an artist can’t trust you, it’ll never work.”

Even with all the newfound success, the Davidsonville director has not gotten lost in the sauce. Moore knows how to separate work from play.

ATL 🛩 San Fran 🛩 Vegas 🛩 NY = 24 HRS

A post shared by Joe Moore Productions LLC (@joemoore724) on

He doesn’t put out content without the artist’s consent. When he’s at the club or venue, don’t expect to see JoeMooreProductions in an artist’s section poppin’ bottles. He’s working.

“The moment you let loose and get drunk or belligerent or just stupid in general, you’re gone. Get the job done first and then have fun. Don’t go overboard.”

Understanding his position in the content game, Joe Moore is now using his knowledge to enlighten creatives. Tired of seeing creatives get taken advantage of, he is now becoming the voice for creators who don’t have one.

Recently, JoeMooreProductions LLC released a Visual Contract Kit for content creators alike. It comes complete with video and photography contracts, release forms and more.

“A major goal that I want is to help and inspire other people that are coming up. I wasn’t given a lot of help when I was coming up and when I was getting into these situations. I want to be able to be somebody who gives people advice. I don’t like seeing people fall on their face and fail.”

Joe Moore’s creative passion has opened numerous doors to endless opportunities unimaginable. His story is just another testament to do what you love with passion.

Mr. Moore, continue to make the #UNDERDOGS proud.

hittmaker July 12, 2018
46Views 0Comments

How producer HittMaker’s high school grind is preparing him for the big leagues

Ever find yourself reminiscing about your childhood? What about living with no fears while simultaneously believing you could become anything you aspired to be?

Your only worries were school, chores and making sure you peeped the new SpongeBob episode airing on Nickelodeon. However, for many reasons, somewhere during our pre-teen years, that train of thought slowly disappears.

For the 18-year-old producer/engineer Paul Whittaker, his story is a little different.

We’ve all experienced the “my way or the highway” phase growing up. It’s understandable that while living under your parent’s roof you must follow their rules… or else. Unfortunately, in most households, there’s not much give and take.

Instead of following your dreams, most parents persuade you to focus on more practical careers. Aware of this, Whittaker did not fold the cards he was dealt. He decided to play.

Basketball was Paul’s first love. Although he was a full-fledged hooper, he always had a passion for music. In the spring of 2013, Whittaker was cut from his eighth-grade basketball team. Bummed out by the news, but not tripping over it, he was at a crossroads.

Kulture Hub caught up with the hooper-turned-producer recently where he explained,

“I was heavy with basketball and I was kinda doing the music thing. At one point I was like f*ck I’m not gonna do this basketball sh*t no more. So I just put my all into the music and then I finally realized like damn I kind of have a talent for this so I might as well go all out.”

After walking away from basketball for good, Whittaker was ready to embrace his new life as a producer, sparking the birth of his new moniker HittMaker.

From his freshman year leading up to his graduation earlier this summer, HittMaker focused all his energy on his craft.

“During the summers I was making beats 24/7 trying to link up with anybody that I can off of SoundCloud and Instagram. Then when school hit, that’s 7-8 hours out of my day. I would do my homework as soon as I got home so I had as much time for beat making as possible. I would end up going to bed at like 2 or 3 am and wake up at 6 am everyday. It got tiring but I loved it.”

HittMaker’s buzz was beginning to build in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. Aware of that, his focus continued to sharpen.

During this time, he was renting out his recording studio in his parent’s basement to local artist in his area. Even though he seemed nonexistent during his tenure in high-school, he was well known for his music.

“I didn’t go to any social events, no parties, nothing. People thought I was anti-social but nah, I’m just a hard worker.”

As things were beginning to look up for the young producer, the income on his beats was slowing down. Feeling the pressure breathing down his neck, he continued making beats.

It was at this time HittMaker caught the eye of the manager of one of Atlanta’s up-and-coming hip-hop groups, TheYouth!.

“I was introduced to TheYouth! through their manager. He hit me up on Twitter saying ‘hey I see you make beats can you send these artists some beats?’ and I was like ‘yeah for sure.’ Usually I don’t send beats out for free like that but I was kind of down bad so I was like f*ck it I’ll just do it and the rest is history”

Again, pressed with his back against the wall, he didn’t fold. Recently this past May, HittMaker produced his first full album with TheYouth! titled Forever Young, a seven-track album full of vibes.

Now, HittMaker is back with his debut album No Sleep Vol. 1 and it comes with a message.

“The title is called No Sleep Vol. 1 because when I was in the process of making this album I wasn’t getting any sleep. So if you work hard and put your all into something, you can make something you are proud of.”

If you can combine Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s G-funk era with MetroBoomin’s trap sound, and add some Pierre Bourne and Kanye West to the mix, that’s HittMaker’s album all in one.

With all of his recent success, he is still keeping the balance between school and work. This fall HittMaker will be heading to Chicago, Illinois to pursue a degree in audio production at Columbia University to perfect his craft.

College is where most people find their purpose in life. In high school, it’s exploring your limitations and getting into new things. In elementary school, it’s just about having fun and being carefree.

Unfortunately for some, there are people who go their whole lives never finding their purpose in life. It took thirteen years for Paul “HittMaker” Whittaker to find his path.

He proved with hard work, sacrifices, and dedication, anything is possible.