NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and sports/entertainment journalist Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson. Photo Credit: Eric Salvary/ Get Fit Radio TV

Lucille O’Neal, mother of Shaq checks in with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio. Press Play Below To Listen!

NBA Hall of Famer and TNT commentator Shaquille O’Neal – also known as “Shaq” – recently announced on TNT Inside the NBA broadcast that he has been given a new title, joining Carnival Cruise Line as their newly appointed “CFO.”

The announcement was made with a tongue-in-cheek video that features Shaq and Carnival President Christine Duffy but omits one minor detail: CFO stands for “Chief Fun Officer,” personifying the cruise line’s newest brand campaign, “Choose Fun,” which launched last week.

NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal is Carnival Cruise Line’s New Chief Fun Officer. Photo Credit: Carnival Cruise LineAs the newly appointed “CFO,” O’Neal has partnered with the cruise line, lending his fun, larger-than-life personality and playful spirit to inspire America to Choose Fun with Carnival when planning their next vacation, and in their everyday lives.

Shaq’s role will be brought to life via engaging video content social media and experiential activations, beginning today.

In the first piece of advertising that introduces Shaq as Carnival’s Chief Fun Officer, he takes viewers on a whirlwind 30-second tour of Carnival Vista, showing his playful self as he enjoys the ship’s many attractions and experiences, including SkyRide, Havana pool, Cloud 9 Spa, a burger at Guy Fieri’s Burger Joint and, of course, the basketball court.

“We are very excited to have Shaq as part of the Carnival team! He will serve as a great partner ensuring everyone knows all about our one-of-a-kind brand of fun,” said Duffy.  “We’re confident that his embodiment of our brand values will inspire America to Choose Fun and discover the authentic, participatory and social atmosphere that Carnival offers.”

“In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to choose fun, especially when everyone is busy with work, family, and life in general,” says O’Neal.

“So, I’m honored to be appointed the Chief Fun Officer at Carnival – a company that lives and breathes fun.”

Carnival Cruise Line is the largest brand in the Carnival Corporation portfolio with a fleet of 25 ships designed to deliver fun and memorable vacation experiences at a great value. It is the world’s most popular cruise line carrying five million guests a year and catering to a wide consumer demographic, appealing to families, couples, singles and seniors. Carnival carries more children and military personnel than any other cruise line. In spring 2018, the 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon will debut as the 26th ship in the fleet.

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NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal. Photo Credit: Sports Unbiased

Spending a day with NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal can do all sorts of good for boosting a person’s self-confidence.

Derek Davis knows all about it. After spending years making music as a hobby, Davis was discovered by a talent scout for Shaq’s local indie record label, Deja 34 Records. He was asked to come to Chicago to perform for Shaq, and ended up spitting a couple of his songs for one of the premier personalities in the recording industry. And then, as if that weren’t enough, Shaq invited him to spend the day with him and join him at an NFL game.

The experience left an indelible mark on Davis, and he hasn’t looked back since. He adopted the stage name Ze Forte’ – a shortened version of his middle name, Alize’, and a word that symbolizes his own unique style and flow. And earlier this year Ze Forte’ released his debut album entitled “Upon My Arrival.” He describes it as a “much-needed return to what hip-hop is all about.”

“Ze Forte’ is the one to watch out for,” said Parrish Johnson, industry veteran and CEO of Indie1st. “He has the talent and drive to be the next Jay Z or Eminem.”

“When I got signed to Shaq’s label, that’s when I knew I actually had something,” he said of his big break. “Before that I had seen that I had something, but I wasn’t working as hard at it. When I saw somebody see me who told me I could do it, I knew it was serious now and that I had to buckle down. I’m playing with the big dogs now … literally.”

Ze Forte. Photo Credit: Instagram

“Upon My Arrival” is an album that Ze Forte’ said describes where he came from as an artist while also announcing to the world his plans for what’s still to come. He created the artwork for the cover of the album himself – a picture of him standing in front of a collage of well-known rappers from the past – as a way to signify that he knows what it took for all of them to get to where they were successful, and now it’s his time to shine.

That hard work starts every morning, as soon as he wakes up. He has a daily regimen that begins with turning the music up loud and throwing on some beats as soon as he gets up. He gets started right away, so that when he eventually gets to the studio he already has the first verse locked in his head.

“I try to make music that reflects my struggles and dreams,” he said. “It’s edgy, because I’m a bit edgy. But if you love hip-hop – the clever lyrics and hard-hitting beats – then you will definitely enjoy the album. The music is powerful, smooth, memorable and irresistible. It’s a perfect reflection of me.”

Ze Forte’ said he’s riding the momentum and success of his first album into the creation of a new mixtape that he’s calling “Flu Gang 2.” It’s set to come out before the end of August, and he’s excited to share it with the world as he continues going on radio tours from state to state to promote his first album.

To listen to Ze Forte’s music, or to follow him on social media, please visit the following links:

https://www.instagram.com/_zeforte/

https://twitter.com/_ZeForte

https://www.facebook.com/alize.davis

https://soundcloud.com/zeforte

https://soundcloud.com/zeforte/suicide

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The post Scoop B Selects: ’Ze Forte’ drops ‘Upon My Arrival’ & pays respect to Shaquille O’Neal appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Sports & Entertainment journalist Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson at a recent taping of Scoop B Radio at New York’s Power 105.1. Photo Credit: DJ Manny El

So you think journalism is for you? Interviews, transcribing those interviews, managing personalities, freelancing, staff writing, podcasts, breaking news, getting content aggregated…all of those terms are par for the course for today’s millennial journalist.

Although I began my career at 12 years old, hosting Nets Slammin’ Planet, the Nets’ official kids radio show with Albert King, Lynn Wilson and Nets play-by-play guy, Chris Carrino, my footing in journalism out of school was not strictly in sports.

I wrote about lifestyle stuff too!

I recently sat down with Black Enterprise Magazine’s #AskBE Facebook Live chat with Selena Hill and discussed the journey.

Black Enterprise Magazine’s Selena Hill and RESPECT Magazine’s Managing Editor and Columnist Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson. Photo Credit: Angie Vasquez

While Chatting with Hill, I talked about building strong working relationships with a-listers.  I did so with  Shaquille O’Neal, Rihanna, Carmelo Anthony and Charles Barkley during my three year run as a staff writer at The Source Magazine.

Connecting with both the Cleveland Browns’ Jabrill Peppers while he was in high school and the Boston Celtics’ Kyrie Irving when he was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers pre-LeBron James were both beneficial.

I mentioned how working at my family store  in Harlem, Men’s Walkers taught me about business.

Freelancing at places like the Brooklyn Courier, Queens Times Ledger, SLAM Magazine, and MaxPreps were essential to my growth.

After those opportunities, I transitioned over to CBS where I hosted the hit show,  Brown & Scoop  and became a contributor at CBS Local Sports and CBS Sports Radio.

Following CBS, I found my way to RESPECT Magazine where I became a columnist and managing editor.

Lastly, just like Lavar Ball and Lonzo Ball created their own brand with Big Baller Brand, Scoop B Radio is leaving an impression in media, also.

I shared how taking partnerships and becoming a brand ambassador to brands like Cleveland-based Cleanlife Energy, Sony PlayStation, XBOX  NBA 2K, Volare France and Adidas were all musts.

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Jesse Ventura and Donald Trump. Photo Courtesy of: Politico

Jesse Ventura has always told it like it is and did it his way in the ring and in politics.

In the ring, Ventura had classic feuds with former WWE Champion Bob Backlund. He also was the man in the ring with Adrian Adonis, as he and “The Body” made up The East-West Connection.

On the microphone as a commentator in wrestling, he was Charles Barkley before he took over “Inside The NBA” with Ernie Johnson, Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith and Shaquille O’Neal on TNT!

 He kicked butt working alongside Gorilla Monsoon and Vince McMahon as a broadcaster.

Think I’m lying? See for yourself!

As a politician, or a statesman as he calls himself, he was the mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minneapolis before becoming the governor of Minneapolis in 1998.

Post political career, Ventura has been a political watchdog. In his book, DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans: No More Gangs in Government, Ventura states that ‘both parties are street gangs warring with each other for power over the country and the American people.’

On Scoop B Radio Overtime, Ventura addressed regulation in how much time politicians should spend in office. “Well you know you look at it this way, we have term limits on the President,” Ventura told me.

Check Out Jesse Ventura and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio

“You know the President can only serve two four year terms that’s it, you know but then again it comes back to us. When you strip everything away from it all it comes back to us. We can implement term limits, vote him out of office.”

Ventura continued:

“We have the ability to do that so ultimately all problems in this country could be resolved by the people but the problem is the people aren’t vigilant, and the people aren’t paying attention, and also I found this out you know people tell you that they wanna hear the truth and all that and this and that I don’t believe they really do and I’ll tell you why. I don’t think people like the truth because many times the truth takes them out of their comfort zone, and people do not like to be taken out of their comfort zone and the truth can do that, when you learn the truth like a lot of the things our country does internationally, then you learn about it we don’t look so good but you notice that we never come back, that’s one thing I notice about this country, we never admit to a mistake.”

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While the basketball world reacted to Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith’s belief that the ’94 Houston Rockets would defeat the Bulls (H/T Dime/Uproxx’s Oliver Maroney) had Michael Jordan not retired and Scottie Pippen’s response to it, there was something lost in the traslation: The Jet admired the 90’s Orlando Magic. 

That Magic team was special: Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott were young, tough and one of the Eastern Conference’s biggest threats not named the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls.

Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith thinks so too! Smith, who suited up against the Orlando Magic in the 1995 Finals as a member of the Rockets saw potential in that young team.

“You know, anytime you have a guard and a big man it’s the perfect balance,”  he told me on Scoop B Radio.

“They had the perfect balance and you had Penny who was so versatile that he could play inside, outside,” said Smith.  “And you had Shaq with everything that he’s done and being so young. That was the dynasty missed; dynasty missed by the Orlando Magic, for sure.”

After a brief run with the Magic, Shaq realized his worth and signed a mega contract via free agency with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was the center of the future and he, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson would rule the NBA and the Western Conference in the early 2000s.

Check out the interview with Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson below (the chat about the Orlando Magic begins at the 5:22 mark). 

O’Neal ended up with the better career, winning multiple rings with the Lakers and then with the Miami Heat. Hardaway wasn’t as lucky. After O’Neal’s departure, he’d be the team’s lone star, but struggled with a devastating injury that cut short his promising career. After his time with the Magic, he’d bounce around the league playing for the Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks and Miami Heat before retiring in 2007.

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TNT’s Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith chats with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson about everything on Scoop B Radio. Photo Credit: Angie Vasquez

TNT’s Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith has one of the coolest jobs in the world. He talks about probably one of his favorite topics in the world: basketball.

The NBA veteran and two-time NBA champion as a member of the Houston Rockets teams with Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley and gives his expert analysis on all 30 NBA teams and more. On Scoop B Radio Overtime, the Jet and I talked about a range of topics including his North Carolina teamate, Michael Jordan and even his taste in fashion.

Yo Jet, tell me about those suits! You’ve been pretty dapper throughout the playoffs! 

“Well for me my sister had been in fashion for a long time,” he told me. “She was a buyer for Nordstrom, she was a buyer for a lot of stores, Macy’s, and men’s department stores all kinds of things. She always would tell me how: ‘oh you can’t wear that color with this, you gotta wear darks on the outside.‘ She would tell me these things and it would go in one ear and right out the other until I got older I would shop like that and then she would be like: “oh you were listening? So I gotta credit my sister and my dad for that style sense.

See More With Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith & Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson

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Basketball Hall of Famer and TNT’s Charles Barkley chats with RESPECT Magazine’s Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio Overtime. Photo Credit: Angie Vasquez / Scoop Vision Media

Over the last week, we’ve seen two instances where journalists, TV watchers, radio listeners and folks who read articles can get a quote from a notable figure and misinterpret it. For print and multimedia journalists: we get the spicy headlines, report what we saw and go about our day. But in cases where you’ve got unorthodox figures who are either very direct, don’t care or you have to know them to love them, what you see on tv cannot be easily translated to print.

The first instance came this past Friday when New York Knicks team president, Phil Jackson suggested that Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks might be better off going their separate ways. 

The Knicks did finish their season with a 31-51 record. New York has endured their fourth straight season out of the playoffs.

“We have not been able to win with him on the court at this time and I think the direction with our team is that he is a player that would be better off somewhere else and using his talent somewhere he can win or chase that championship,” Jackson said Friday.

New Yorkers, Knicks fans and NBA fanatics were ticked! 

Honestly, reading the quote vs. seeing Jackson on television discussing Anthony seemed entirely different. It was reminiscent of the perception that viewers had in watching vs. listening to the 1960 Presidential debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy.

Radio listeners thought Nixon won the debate. Television watchers thought Kennedy won the debate! Seeing and hearing are truly interesting things!

Back in basketball land, Jackson recently inked a two-year extension with the New York Knicks to remain their team President. Anthony, 32, has one year left on his current deal, with his no-trade clause still in effect. Many believe Anthony will wave his no-trade clause with top teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and the Portland Trail Blazers as likely suitors for the small forward’s services.

Tuesday night on TNT’s Inside The NBA, Barkley replied to the criticism, stating:  

“I want to address something that really bothered me,” Barkley said. “I heard that all these nitwits, fools, idiots were complaining what I was saying about Isaiah Thomas the other night making me uncomfortable. Number one, I don’t care what y’all think. I don’t care what your mom and daddy think either, just for the record. But to insinuate what I was trying to — what I was saying, I’m uncomfortable talking about his pain and then going to basketball. For all you nitwits, scumbags, idiots, punks, to try to make that a story because y’all don’t have ratings and use my name to draw ratings, don’t do that. You don’t have any talent, it’s the simple fact, you don’t have any talent. Let me be me.

“I’ve talked to Isaiah. He didn’t take any offense to that. What I was talking about, I wish him and his family nothing but the best. For you punks to try to make a big deal out of it, it just pisses me off.”

Charles Barkley, just like Phil Jackson, speaks his mind in a candor that is more suitable for a family cookout. You know that one uncle who says whatever he wants to say however he wants to say it, whenever he wants to say it? We all have those in our family. Barkley reminds me a lot of my grandmother; she’s kind, loving, opinionated and some would say that she doesn’t give a damn and she’ll tell you why. Barkley is the same way.

“It took me a while to realize that I couldn’t make everybody happy,” Barkley told me in a recent interview on Scoop B Radio. “I think I was 24 or 25 when I took over the Sixers team and I wanted everybody to like me and then I realized: ‘I can’t make everybody happy.’ No matter what you say, you can’t make everybody happy. I feel an obligation to try and be honest. That was difficult for me in the beginning.”

Hear Charles Barkley & Scoop B Break Down Music and More On Episode # 25 of Scoop B Radio

Barkley meant no mal-intent, but if you have a question; darnit, he has an answer. If he’s wrong, he surely corrects himself. I was reminded of that, in a recent interview with Sir Charles on Scoop B Radio Overtime, where he, just like many Americans, amitted that he was wrong in assuming that Hillary Rodham Clinton would win the 2016 Presidential Election.

Appearing on Scoop B Radio Overtime, Barkley broke it down.

“We were dead wrong, said Barkley on Scoop B Radio Overtime. “You know what? I look at it like this: we didn’t win, it was difficult I was probably in a funk for a week, but you know what? I’m gonna try to do everything in my power to support the President because he’s the President of The United States.”

Charles Barkley Talks Trump, NBA TV Theme Songs and Michael Jordan On Scoop B Radio Overtime 

“I mean we got to get behind him, he’s done some things already that I don’t like, I’m against the Muslim ban, I’m against the immigration deportation, he’s got to stop trying to paint everybody with a broad brush. I mean It’s just wrong, most of these Muslim people here are amazing, hard-working people same thing with these illegal immigrants, they’re here, they’re hard working people. I think most people don’t want gangsters here, people don’t want terrorists here we all understand that, but people have to be able to be treated with respect and dignity.”

The cast of TNT’s Inside The NBA live in our living rooms.

They’re like family. Families have disagreements, families shoot straight from the hip and family apologies when they’re wrong. Phil Jackson has been wrong on a number of fronts throughout the season. Jackson is seemingly out of touch with today’s NBA in calling the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James and his friends a ‘posse.’ and as an employer he’s publicly bashed his employee, Carmelo Anthony.

Jackson hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing. But Barkley has!

Where do we go from here?

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