Po Politickin

Comedian Maronzio Vance (NBC, BET, Comedy Central) explores the poison that is Diddy.

Spain had just cut the lead to two on a Rudy Fernandez three pointer. It was gut check time for the United States, and Coach Krzyzewski called a timeout with eight minutes left to play in the Olympics. All the sacrifices this team of superstars had made, all the time they put into this Olympics, achieving the gold medal they had to have came down to eight minutes of basketball.

Doubt started to creep, would the Americans crumble? Would they start to play 1 on 1 basketball? Well, fresh out of the timeout team play was still emphasized. Kobe Bryant drove the lane, the defense collapsed on him and he kicked the ball to a wide open Deron Williams in the corner. Williams nailed an open three pointer, and the doubts started to fade away a bit. On the very next United States possession, Kobe drove into the lane once again drew the defense and hit Dwight Howard with a pass for a dunk.

The tables had turned, as the U.S. gave themselves a bit of a cushion on their way to winning the gold medal and putting U.S. basketball back on top. After embarrassments in the World Championships and the Olympics, a lot was said about basketball in the United States. The players being too selfish, the caliber of basketball in the U.S. taking a hit among other things. So in an effort to become a power in basketball again, Jerry Colangelo sculpted this team three years ago, and it has been a commitment ever since then. They brought the best talent over here, arguably having the two best players in the world (James, Bryant), 3 of the 10 best point guards in the world (Kidd, Paul, Williams), the best center in the world (Howard) among other talent. It was getting them to play as a team that was the most important part, because obviously the talent is there. It all came together, and the Americans did it. They brought home the gold.

On a side note, I deserve a face full of crow for my stance on Dwyane Wade being on the Olympic team. As is documented in my initial entry about the U.S. basketball team I didn't think Wade belonged there, as I felt we had three bigger better versions of him. Well, Wade was the best player in the Olympics as no one could guard him and he played great defensively. So, Wade gets props, as he played wonderfully.

Read more at captainclutch.blogspot.com

Kudos my sister!

Lionel Richie, Mary J Blige, Amerie, Otis Redding highlight EP20 of Mirth:Nadir. Thank you for listening. Remember, to reach me you can call 1-800-882-9291, visit the website at www.mirthnadir.com or email me at MirthNadir@hotmail.com. Enjoy the show!!

**Remember if you can guess which artist and which song the title lyric comes from, you will qualify for a prize**

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Welcome to another blue chip edition of The Po Politickin Show. On today's show, we are joined by Cp and Pistol Pete for another edition of 4th and 1. We discuss the 2008 summer games in Beijing (The Dream Team, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt). We also preview and make predications for the upcoming NFL season.

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Welcome back to another sizzling edition of The Po Politickin Show. On today's show, we politick with The Original White Folks. With more than 40 years experience in the game, White Folks gives insight and wisdom that can only come from an old school player.

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What has happened to the critics and the talk heard around the world that basketball in the United States is turning into garbage and that foreign basketball is played the right way, and has caught up with U.S. ball players? I'm starting to believe that the media has a love affair with hating on the NBA and it's players. The talk is that the Olympics Mens Basketball tourney is boring and not worth watching because the U.S. team is making it look to easy. I didn't hear any of this rhetoric when Michael Phelps was smashing his opponents and world records on his way to winning 8 gold medals. No single Olympian has ever made it look as easy as Micheal Phelps, but yet were hearing that the U.S. mens basketball competitions are not worth watching. Why can't we watch these blowout games with pride. Pride that we have the best basketball players in the world. Pride that those NBA players put there million dollar lifestyles to the side for a summer and live in the Olympic village with all the other Olympians, represent the United States and bring home Gold Medals in there competitive sport like every other Olympian that has traveled to Beijing. We've been hearing for eight years how bad we have become in a sport that we introduced to the world. But yet this team has been proving all of that talk wrong.

The Question that I ask is why can't NBA players win. If these games were close the media would be killing this team made up of mostly all the top young players that represent the NBA. Instead they are doing what they should be doing, and the country that they represent could care less. The media could care less. A negative story cannot be produced from the success of this young brilliant team so the media can say nothing more but that the games are boring. I remember the games that the original Dream Team played in and cannot remember one close game. I also remember seeing the original Dream Team players posted on Big Mac wrappers and Coke cups, Wheaties Boxes and U.S.A. Jerseys all over the place. But this team is not producing that kind of attention. Because I believe it's deeper.

At some time between those 92 games and these games, the media, and the country has had a falling off with NBA players. Is it the money they make? Is it there lifestyles? Is it because there mostly young, rich and black? maybe. I just thought that when you went to the Olympics, you represented more then your hood. You represent more than your individual race. You represent that farmer in Western Pennsylvania, that hunter in West Virginia. You represent those struggling young kids in New York City that look up to you. That big State of Texas, and that flashy state we call California. You represent the United States. The mightiest country in the world. So it's time that we give this team it's due. What they are accomplishing over there is history, and all of those guys over there representing us will be Gold Medal Olympians for the rest of there lives. Something that no critic will ever be able to take away from them. Hate on that.

Welcome back to EP19 of Mirth:Nadir. Joe, The Isley Brothers, Cassie, and Janet Jackson highlight another strong show for you this week. Thanks to Antonio Carter who stopped by and talked with us for a few minutes.

To reach me you can call me at 1-800-882-9291, email me at MirthNadir@hotmail.com or visit the website www.mirthnadir.com. I have some cool stuff up on the website like:

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-a media player where you can listen to every episode of Mirth Nadir.
-interviews I have done with some people in the entertainment industry.

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Welcome to another outstanding edition of The Po Politickin Show. On today's show, we politick with New Jersey's own Serius Jones. Serius discusses his Fight Klub experience, his recent departure from Disturbing Tha Peace and his "Life is Serius" movement.

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Po

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"LIFE IS SERIUS" MOVIE TRAILER!!!

The Original White Folks returns with episode 2 of Ask A Player. Pimp cups explained. Strippers don't even know they're hos. Love -vs- dildo... Which one wins?

We all have argued about sports at one point or another, and we all have had that argument where someone uses a statistic that makes you say 'What?' or 'Man, why do people use that statistic to justify their arguments? Now I'll go through my 5 most insignificant, deceiving or just flat out meaningless statistics.

5. Field Goal Percentage (NBA)- I am not, by any means, saying that FG percentage is meaningless. I am just saying that this statistic can easily be bent and twisted to suit your argument. For example, LeBron James had an impressive 48% FG percentage last season. Folks will use that to say well LeBron is improving his jump shot and or his range which isn't necessarily the case. As twisted as this is going to sound, FG percentage doesn't really indicate how you shoot the ball in some cases. Dwyane Wade is the same way, he had a 47% FG percentage last season. Does that mean he's a good jump shooter? Not really. Does that mean he has good range of some kind? Not really. I'm not saying that those two literally drive the basket every single time down the floor, I'm just saying because you have a good FG %, doesn't mean you have a good jumper, when it comes to talking about perimeter NBA players. Now in some cases it does (ie Steve Nash, Ray Allen), but in a lot of cases it doesn't.


4. Interceptions (NFL)- Now this one is tough to put here, but I believe it deserves a spot. I'm not saying interceptions are meaningless. I just don't think its a fair evaluation tool, especially when you speak about defensive backs. There are so many different factors when talking about interceptions. What kind of interceptions were they, who is in your front 7, who is on the opposite side of you, besides the interceptions how did you play? I don't think its as cut and dry, using interceptions to support the argument of someone being good. I still remember in 2005, every Jets fan I knew used to argue with me telling me Ty Law was good for us because he had 10 picks on the season. The thing is, when Ty Law wasn't intercepting a tipped ball or a wounded duck he was committing an illegal contact penatly or getting smoked. Deltha O'Neal had 10 picks a few years ago as part of one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Now, obviously interceptions can be a part of a good CB, but in a lot of cases interceptions can be a result of luck, or a result of being thrown at a lot. And if you don't get thrown at you won't get many picks (see: Mathis, Rashean)

3. Wins- Losses (MLB, pitcher)- Now this statistic, I believe is truly meaningless. There are a group of pitchers every year who have a lot of wins because the team around them is providing them a lot of run support, and there are pitchers out there who battle and are great but have barely any wins to show for it because of a variety of reasons (bullpen, no hitting), like Jake Peavy and Johan Santana. What does this truly indicate? Does it indicate how good a pitcher is? No, WHIP, K/9, BB/9, ERA, H/9, those statistics do it. Wins and losses basically indicate how much each pitcher's supporting cast does for them. To put it simply, you can have one pitcher with 12 'wins' and another pitcher with 20 'wins', and the pitcher that has 12 wins can be argued as better, so in that case what is the point of the statistic?


2. Winning percentage (NFL QBs)- This one drives me up a wall. This one is used quite a bit for the QBs who aren't good but just happened to be on good teams (see: Young, Vince and Pennington, Chad). Then comes the famous 'he just wins' nonsense. First of all, there are very few players in this league who can singlehandedly will a team to victory. A QB with a 1:2 TD:INT ratio who happens to have a good team around him isn't one of those guys. A QB with a career 7:10 TD:INT ratio isn't going to carry anything. On the flip side a QB who leads 17th and 18th ranked offenses to the playoffs doesn't "just win anything".

There are 52 other players out there with him, and in the cases of a few QBs you can think of (Trent Dilfer, Rex Grossman 2006, Chad Pennington in 04 and 06, Todd Collins last season, Jake Plummer before Cutler stepped in) they really don't have an impact on the game. They "protect the football" (by this point I hate that phrase), play not to lose and basically hope that the defense is good enough to bring home the victory. Bottom line is, the only time you ever hear about the Wins- Losses in defense of a quarterback and the intangibles nonsense that comes with it is when the QB's statistics stink, or he just doesn't have the tools to succeed in the NFL. I mean think about it, saying Vince Young 'just wins games' is like saying to a lesser extent that Trent Dilfer 'just won games' in 2000 when the Ravens had that legendary defense on the field. Teams win games, one player doesn't, especially players who's statistics rank among the worst in the NFL.

1. Quarterback rating- The number one spot couldn't be reserved for anything other than the vaunted QB rating. As a Jets fan I've been in a debate about this very statistic 1 or 2 million times over the course of the last six years. In my opinion, QB rating says nothing except if you played a great game or if you played a horrific one. And since at the end of the season, basically no one is going to have a QB rating of 140 or 32, the stat is meaningless. The Quarterback rating is more about efficiency than productivity. Here's an example of that very theory. Let's look at 2 performances by QBs last season

Performance #1- 16/21 167 yds 2 TD 0 INT 10 Yards Per completion, team scores 14 points, 130.7 rating

Performance #2- 22/32 272 yds 3 TD 1 INT 12 yards per completion, team scores 31 points, 113.0 rating

So as you can clearly see, performance #2 was better than performance #1, yet the QB who produced performance #1 had the better QB rating. Why? I have no idea. Why QB rating is used to evaluate anything? I have no idea. There are many, many examples like the one above as well. QB rating is more worried about completion percentage, and not throwing any interceptions. It is more about efficiency than it is about productivity, which is exactly why it deserves no merit, since it doesn't actually indicate much.

Honorable mentions: Completion Percentage, Saves

With the season coming soon, I'll give 10 players who I feel are under the radar who will have significant impacts on their teams.

-Devin Thomas, WR, Washington Redskins- Granted, I don't know TOO much about this kid, I like the little that I saw. He seems to be a big, physical guy who can win the battle at the LOS with CBs, and can create after the catch. In that sense he reminds me of a bigger Laveranues Coles. Unfortunately for Thomas he is behind as far as trying to gain confidence from his coach and playing time due to a bad hamstring. I do think that once the games start and he gets into the flow, especially considering Coach Jim Zorn should be using a lot of spread sets, that Thomas will have a bigger impact than a rookie WR normally would.

-Kenny Phillips, FS, New York Giants- I'll be honest with you. As a Jets fan, though I like the pick of Dustin Keller, I was absolutely screaming at my TV for the Jets to take Kenny Phillips when we traded back into the first round. I like this kid's game a lot. His versatility in being able to cover, tackle and run with most people along with his prototype size. I think he will be the best defensive rookie in the NFL this season, and down the line I believe he will be the best pick of this entire draft. That's how good I think this kid will be.

-Vincent Jackson, WR, San Diego Chargers- This is Vincent Jackson's 4th season in the NFL. Last season was his best yet as he had 41 catches for 652 yards and 4 TDs. He averaged an impressive 15.2 yards per catch. Jackson has the type of size and speed you look for in a WR and he is part of a good offensive unit that features weapons such as WR Chris Chambers and the best TE in the game Antonio Gates. Not only does this guy have a very nice skillset he also has complimentary players to help deflect attention off of him. Look for Vincent to have his breakout season this year.

-Greg Olsen, TE, Chicago Bears- Yes I know that their QB situation is unsettled to say the least. That being said, with the departure of Berrian and considering that their #1 and #2 WRs as we speak are Marty Booker, and Brandon Lloyd, Olsen will see a lot of looks. He has all the necessary skills to be a good player and as of right now you can actually make the argument that hes the Bears best offensive position player. He has the speed, the size and the hands to make an impact and I think he will.

-Darrelle Revis, CB, New York Jets- Last year, Revis had a very good rookie season, as he was relied on to face the #1 WR on every team, week in and week out. Facing the likes of Chad Johnson, Lee Evans, Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, Revis held his own. Revis has good footwork, he anticipates like a veteran CB does, he has the speed to keep up with most CBs and is good with his hands in bump and run coverage. In his second season, with a full training camp under his belt, I expect Revis to establish himself as one of the top ten CBs in this league. Even with all the new acquisitions and Kerry Rhodes still being there, I firmly believe Darrelle Revis will be the best player on the Jets in two seasons.

-LaRon Landry, S, Washington Redskins- Landry played very well last year in a tough year for the Skins, with the death of Sean Taylor. His athleticism, his hitting ability, his speed and natural instinct all make him a special talent. He is a little undisciplined at the current moment and will make the boneheaded penalty, as well as trying to do too much at times. All that being said, he has a year under his belt, and I expect him to be even better this year. As I've said to friends and family before, I I believe that after this season LaRon Landry will be at least in the discussion when it comes to discussing who the best safety in the league. I personally believe he'll have the best season of any safety in the NFL. He's that good.

-D.J. Hackett, WR, Carolina Panthers- Last season, D.J. was on his way to a good season before he hurt himself. With Steve Smith out for the first two games, and no legitimate option at TE for the Panthers, Hackett should get a lot of looks the first two games. Once Smith comes back, he will have his usual bullseye on his back, and should be the focus of the defense, and that will create space for Hackett who has the skills to exploit most #2 CBs in this league. If Delhomme can get back to his 2003 form, expect D.J. to put up big numbers.

-Santonio Holmes, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers- While I realize Holmes had a good year last year recording 52 catches for 942 yards, averaging 18.1 YPC and 8 TDs, I still think he has room for improvement. With a declining Hines Ward and a rookie WR Limas Sweed playing alongside him, Holmes should have a lot of opportunities as Roethlisberger's main big play thread. Last season, Holmes had 21 catches of over 20 yards. This is his third season in the league, and the third season is normally when a young WR sees a spike in his production. I fully expect Holmes to break 1000 yds this season and 10 TDs.

-Jerious Norwood, HB, Atlanta Falcons- This is a bit of an oddball pick since Norwood is still listed as the 2 back, and they just spent a lot of money on likely FA disappointment Michael Turner. I don't believe Turner will do enough to keep Norwood off the field, and when Norwood is on the field he produces as evidenced by his 6.2 yard per carry clip. I believe he will see an increase in carries this year, and have a good year for the Falcons. With a rookie QB potentially starting, the Falcons should rely on the running game a lot, which means Norwood should see plenty of opportunities.

-Tony Scheffler, TE, Denver Broncos- This kid has been impressive in the time he's been on the field, and has a chemistry with standout young QB Jay Cutler. Scheffler had 49 catches for 549 yards last season and 5 TDs. In those 49 catches, Scheffler made a lot of difficult catches in traffic and with guys draped all over him. Considering Brandon Marshall is suspended for the first three games of the season, and Denver doesn't have anything else worth noting at WR, I expect Scheffler to get a lot of looks in the first three weeks of the season. Considering Scheffler and Cutler already have a chemistry I expect that chemistry between the two to grow as Cutler relies on him more during the Marshall suspension. I can see Scheffler being a Cooley type of TE, and I believe he will have a rise in his numbers.

Read more at http://captainclutch.blogspot.com/

You know how the say star players get special treatment, and can get away with 'murder' so to speak. Well with Panthers superstar WR Steve Smith, this isn't the case. The Carolina Panthers made an example of Smith by suspending him two regular season games for his role in a scuffle with Panthers CB Ken Lucas. There are always scuffles in preseason as playing in pads in the oppressively hot weather seems to get to some guys. While some other guys are just, well, rather annoying.

The scuffle between Smith and Lucas reached its height after both players had removed their helmets during a break for the starters in the middle of a special teams drill. Smith then gave Lucas a cheap shot right in the face. The blow broke Lucas' nose and now he is listed as day to day. As a result of the skirmish, Smith was kicked out of practice and sent home to Charlotte. He was also suspended the first two games of the season.

A message was sent loud and clear through this suspension. No player, even our best, is above the team. Smith is obviously the Panthers most indispensable player as he is the Panthers loan threat (though I think Jonathan Stewart could change that very soon), and has been the Panthers lone source of consistent offense for a few years now. He is one of the most feared offensive players in the NFL, and his production will be missed.

I think the suspension was warranted but I personally think it should have been a game's worth along with a $500,000 fine. While I understand that Smith's conduct was reprehensible the league is still about winning. He is going to miss two games against two pretty good defenses (Chargers and Bears), and in the NFL EVERY game is important. Smith missing two games doesn't benefit anyone. Now, if the team takes this as a message of accountability, it may help with team chemistry. I know its a long shot but you never know. Seeing as how the star player is being treated like everyone else, might help unite the team. I don't really think its going to make a difference with Smith, as he seems to be a hotheaded little guy with a short fuse. This isn't the first time something like this has happened, as he also punched someone else in the face during film session. Man that guy must have REALLY ticked off Smith to get clocked during a film session.

Smith: 'I was wide open up the seams'
Player: 'No you weren't, don't you see the two guys right there, are you blind?'
Smith: 'WHAT YOU SAY TO ME? GRRRRRRRR!!!!!
Player: YOU HEARD ME!!

**Smith goes off and hits player**

I personally wouldn't have suspended Smith for two games given his importance to the team, but I do feel like they sent a message with this suspension. I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being the turning point of the Panthers season. Considering John Fox has a lot on the line this season, this is ballsy. Apparently he isn't concerned about saving his job, he is concerned about this year's team. Eric Mangini should take notes.

Read more at http://captainclutch.blogspot.com/

Concluding a whirlwind sequence of events for the New Yoennington signed on with the team's most hated rival, the Miami Dolphins. Pennington, who was unceremoniously released after the Jets traded for Brett Favre, signed a 2 year, 11.5 million dollar deal to presumably start for the cellar dwelling Dolphins.

Pennington caught on with the Dolphins quickly, after reportedly drawing lukewarm interest from other teams, signing his deal within 24 hours of being released. With this signing, Pennington is reunited with the guy who originally drafted him in Bill Parcells as well as his first offensive coordinator, Dan Henning. Miami, who went 1-15 last season, has drafted a QB in the second round in each of the last two seasons. The signing of Pennington along with the drafting of Chad Henne, is an indictment on QB John Beck, who won't be a Miami Dolphin for much longer I imagine. Beck, who often looked lost on the field, was drafted in the second round of last year's draft presumably to be the future franchise QB. Now that the coach who drafted him (Cameron) was fired and there is a whole new regime in town the writing seems to be on the wall for Beck.

As far as Pennington's impact on the Dolphins, he turns them from a one win team to a potential four or five win team. He is just keeping the seat warm, for maybe two seasons, until Henne can step into a decent situation. He is a sacrificial lamb of sorts, as he is just in there so they don't have to throw Henne into the fire too soon and potentially set him back. Pennington's ability, while it is among the worst of starting NFL QBs, and his style of play, while boring and often times unproductive can beat the cupcakes of the league. In that sense Miami does gain from him starting, but Pennington won't be working any miracles. This Miami team is VERY bad. While I think Ted Ginn will be a pretty good WR in this league, once he learns the ropes, he is nowhere near a #1 WR. Now factor in the fact that the starting QB is limited as far in his ability to throw a deep ball, and you have a situation where Ginn will probably end up being misused (see: Moss, Santana). They have no threats outside of Ginn as far as pass catchers, and their best offensive player is coming off of serious knee surgery. Miami finds itself in a situation where they are going to probably have to rely on Ricky Williams. That isn't good.

This signing, while I don't agree with it, makes sense. Obviously Parcells feels his team is a winning team, and Pennington brings veteran leadership. I don't think given Pennington's limited skills, and his unproductive career that he does much for the Dolphins for the present and the near future. I think starting Beck and sending him to the proverbial wolves would have been the better option. Then when the team gets into better shape, start Henne.

Read more at http://captainclutch.blogspot.com/

I got the call at 11:49 last night. It was my cousin on the line. I was watching the George Lopez show. Then I heard the words 'Brett Favre got traded to the Jets'. It took me about five minutes after repeatedly saying, "Stop lying, you are not serious, '' to finally change the channel to ESPN. I saw the words on the screen, "Breaking News, Favre traded to Jets and something unusual happened. I became speechless, I didn't know what to say. It was surreal, seeing those words on the screen. Brett Favre is a New York Jet.

Considering that I am not too fond about Brett Favre, I didn't think I would be too excited. But you know what I am excited for a few reasons. My love and excitement for my favorite team this season is back, as this means Chad Pennington, the black cloud of neutrality that hovered over this team is gone. We have a QB who will make life easier for all of our offensive players. I'm sure Thomas Jones is happy. How could he not be? He won't be running against the whole state of NY in the box anymore. I'm sure Jerricho Cotchery is excited, as this is the first time he is playing with a legit quarterback, and his numbers stand for an increase. Laveranues Coles might not be too happy considering his best friend on the team is a casualty in the matter, but this is the first time he's played with a legitimate QB in his eight year career. Maybe we will see what Coles can do deep down the field.

From an entertainment standpoint, this should be a great season. Watching Favre launch the ball to our two solid WRs, watching Dustin Keller develop (if everything goes as planned this kid could be the Offensive Rookie of the Year), as well as watching the defense confuse and sometimes flat out brutalize people.

The Jets have a lot of good young talent. They have CB Darrelle Revis, S Kerry Rhodes, LB Calvin Pace, LB Vernon Gholston, WR Jerricho Cotchery OL D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold, HB Leon Washington. Basically the only gaping hole on this team was QB, and they managed to get a top 10 QB in the league to fill this spot, which is good even if Favre is 39.

Am I convinced that this team can win a Superbowl? No, I am not. Do I respect the fact that Mike Tannebaum and Eric Mangini seem to be trying? Yes. They have done so much to improve the team this offseason, meanwhile the critics call us desperate among other things. I love that when the Jets make a lot of moves, they are desperate while the Patriots (last season) and the Saints (this season) make moves and they are "on a mission". Anyway, back to the point, the Jets have improved their running game, they improved the pass rush as well and now the QB position. On paper (and yes I know the games aren't played there), this was a good move for the Jets. Its a ballsy move, as Tannebaum obviously believes this team is capable of big things, or they were just as sick of Chad Pennington as I was while Clemens isn't ready or isn't the answer. It's a low risk, high reward move for the Jets.

As far as the negatives for this deal,it looks like Kellen Clemens won't be playing for the Jets until at least next season, or he might flat out not be the answer. Our QB of the future, by the looks of it, still has to be found. You have to wonder if Favre will have his heart into it, since New York was his absolute last choice by all accounts. He has three weeks to learn the offense, and he isn't used to any of our guys. All that being said, Brett Favre running an offense straight out of a football movie is better than Chad Pennington. This is a big time move and finally our Front Office and our coach grew a collective pair of balls. My joy and love for football is back as I can watch this team again. Thank you Mike Tannebaum.

Read more of my blog at http://captainclutch.blogspot.com/

Spinz is ill.. By grinding for the past 15 years, Spinz has now obtained a cult status in the underground intellectual hip hop scene... The Cali native has worked with many of hip hop's elite including: Xzibit, Talib Kweli, Ghostace Killah, Kurupt and Guru.

Spinz is currently on a European Tour... So it was difficult to arrange an audio interview but I did manage to do a written interview...

Enjoy!

Interview w/ Spinz

Po: Tell us a little bit about yourself?

Spinz: I am a multi-tasker, multi balanced, multi talented artist from a small town north of Los Angeles called Oxnard. I am a teacher, MC, producer, DJ, father, counselor, coach and more..

Po: How was it growing up?

Spinz: I grew up in the foster care system so you can imagine what that was like. I never knew my birth parents and was passed around to a few foster homes before I ended up in a multi cultural home, 2 of my brothers are african american and one even raps now. He was 2 years old when we brought him on stage for the first time and now he is following big brothers footsteps,but I wont tell you who he is, he's gotta earn that part. I grew up around every culture, mexican, black, asian even the irish kids,wild asses. I think that made me aware of my surroundings and aware of social problems at a young age and much I talk about in my music today.

Po: How did you get involved in hip-hop? How long have you been in the game?

Spinz: I got involved in hip hop with some kids on my street, High Life Kingz, they are still going strong after 18 years. More than 18 years, coming on 20 now, crazy. My first freestyle sessions were with cats like DJ Babu from Dilated peoples, Kankick one of the original producers with Madlib on Tha Alkoholiks first albums in 93. Emmit Walker was the guy that got me into hip hop big time though, I really looked up to him as a kid and he was dope as hell, maybe the best I haver heard since, he passed away a few years back and his memory in the 805 is still alive in some of us, we all even took a lot from his style and he shaped a lot of artists whether they want to admit it or not, that flow we have in Oxnard, abstract, underground was really formed by him and a few other cats that were feeding off that vibe and that style, now you got guys like Madlib, his brother Ohno, Dudley Perkins, MED aka Medaphor and younger heads like Filiblunt and Epsilon Project that bring that boom bap back.

Po: Explain the difference between hip and rap?

Spinz: Rap is something you do hip hop is something you live- krs1

Po: Describe Spinz's music? Why should one buy your music?

Spinz: My music is for the one's with problems, the one's that live every day lives and don't adjust to what the masses say or do. Spinz music is from the heart and made with soul and I am someone you can associate with even if you can't put a face to the name. Someone should buy my music because I work very hard at it and I got kids to feed, ha-ha.

Po: Who are some of your influences?

Spinz: Talib Kweli,Chuck D, Zack De-La Rocha

Po: Name of all-time top 5 MC's?

Spinz: In no special order, Krs-1, Chuck D, Slug, Sadat X,Talib Kweli

Po: Name your all-time top 5 albums?

Spinz: 21&Over-Tha Liks, Fear of a Black Planet-P.E., Push Comes to Shove-MED, Balkonsko Nase-Edo Maajka, Life, Love & The Low End-Spinz

Po: You currently on a European tour? How is it?

Spinz: Europe is great, everywhere we go they gotta lot of love for me. We rock 2 hour shows sometimes because the crowds don't let you off stage or they want to hear a song and they yell for it until you play it. Hip hop is alive and well in Europe. Switzerland has great spots and people and studios, Germany,Bosnia, Holland, Croatia, all great spots to rock shows and great crowds. It is cool to see all the different types of cultures and languages and no matter where you go something is always different. There are different cultures and people all together if you travel 1 hour either way, it's amazing. I have been to some amazing places over here and I never would have imagined it like this growing up,being on tour overseas and making a living off my music even as an "unknown"

Po: What are the advantages to performing overseas that in the United States.

Spinz: I think the advantages of performing here or in the states are the same, I think in the states you have bigger markets so you can reach more people performing in America but at the shows in Europe you actually have people that want to be at the shows and actually go out to a night life so they are more responsive to your stage performance and music than in the states. I think in the states nothing is really new for people, but I will have my first major USA tour in November so that will all change.

Po: What do you like and dislike the most about being a MC?

Spinz: I like being on stage. I dislike the traveling there.

Po: Do you have any upcoming projects?

Spinz: I have a few. I also have a band called Leeloojamais and we have a new single coming out called "1 in a million" and we were just nominated for the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards which will be hosted in Finland I think so that is one. I have a single with a house DJ named DJ UMEK coming out. I have a 12" single coming out on DC Jam Records soon with DJ ZEP from Slovenia and a follow up album to Life, Love & The Low End (Vibra Music Group 2007) called "This is what it feels like..." (Vibra Music Group) coming out in January 2009 and I am writing lyrics and producing for a lot of bigger names right now, r&b,pop, hip hop, rock, blues, a lot of music.

Po: I appreciate you coming through and politickin with me. Do you have any shout-outs? How can the people contact you?

Spinz: Shout outs to FM JAM, Blackout and my crew back home in the 805. People can contact me directly on myspace at myspace.com/spinz805

Po: Is there any words that you would like to leave the readers with?

Spinz: Make music not war!





Spinz - Love
from "This is Life DVD"

See more of Spinz by visiting his myspace page at www.myspace.com/spinz805

Talented, Gifted and Focused are the words that come to mind when describing 23 year old music producer Andrew U The Perfectionist. For years Andrew U The Perfectionist has been collaborating with artists to help create some of the hottest music underground. Now that he's finished his educational pursuits, he has a different ambition: taking the industry by storm. After searching his name and visiting his myspace page (www.myspace.com/andrewutheperfectionist) its clear why he has the entire music industry buzzing.

He is young and yet he has already worked with huge talent. His recent work with controversial hip-hop artist Remy Ma, best known for her appearance in Terror Squad's hit "Lean Back" has propelled Andrew into the spotlight. His recent success has been hard-earned but also natural for this Long Island resident. He started following his dream years ago in his dorm room and then turned it into a reality through hard work, determination, creativity and collaboration. With his major affiliation to: Gallic Wars Mixtapes, he has been able to take the underground mixtape circuit by storm- offering quality and affordable production to upcoming new talent. Today he can be seen in the company of industry giants at high profile music industry events, showcases, and recording sessions.

As the owner of Echilon Enterprises Corp. he oversees a company he founded which specializes in music production, estate marketing, retail, and communication services. We ask him where he could see himself in a few years and he states: "The sky is the limit for me so all I can say is..... if you're lookin for me? look up" He smiles.

See more of Andrew U The Perfectionist at (www.myspace.com/andrewutheperfectionist)

Exclusive interview with Raheem Devaughn in this episode!!

Music from Sade, Mario, Colby Caillat, Rafael Saadiq and more inside.

Don't forget to call the loveline @ 1-800-882-9291 for dedications. Check out the website at www.mirthnadir.com. If you would like to email a dedication in, please send the email to MirthNadir@hotmail.com

Thanks for listening. Have a great week.

**Remember, if you know which artist and song (from this episode) the lyric in the title comes from, email me with this info and you can qualify for a prize**

Click here to download Mirth:Nadir EP18

Welcome to another jamming edition of The Po Politickin Show. On today's show, we politick with reggae artists Miss Princess and King Schascha. King Schascha discusses life in Trinidad, the origin of his single "Jimmy Garlin" and tells listeners he is "Just a Man". Miss Princess talks about her triple threat career (modeling, acting and singing), Myspace Stalkers (you know who you are) and her transition from R&B to Reggae.

To Listen, Click Below:


Also available on www.popolitickin.mypodcast.com

A True Comedy Legend... Rest in Peace Homie...



Bernard Jeffrey "Bernie Mac" McCullough
October 5, 1957 – August 9, 2008

Welcome to another fantastic edition of The Po Politickin Show. On today's show, we politick with Cali R Music Group/Ruff Ryders recording artist Hi Post. HiPost discusses how he got his deal with Ruff Ryders and gives advice to aspiring rappers. Pistol Pete stops bye to examine the latest trades in Major League Baseball and compares the original Dream Team against the current Dream Team.

Enjoy the show! Po

To Listen, Click Below:



Also available at:
www.mrrigglashow.com
www.popolitickin.mypodcast.com

Marvin Gaye, Morris Day & the Time, Carrie Underwood, Mya, Vivian Greene and Phyllis Hyman highlight EP17 of Mirth:Nadir. Thanks for listening.

Check out the website at www.mirthnadir.com. Take the poll I have posted ... check out the celebrity interviews that I have done in the past which are also posted on the mirthnadir.com website.

To reach me call me at 1-800-882-9291 ... or email me @ Mirthnadir@hotmail.com.

**Remember that if you guess which song the lyric in the episode title comes from, you will win a prize!!**

Enjoy the show ..

To Listen, Click on the link below (Please allow 2-3 minutes for download)
http://www.mypodcast.com/fsaudio/mirthnadir_20080803_1830-271650.mp3

'The Original Dream Team


Team roster
Charles Barkley
Larry Bird
Clyde Drexler
Patrick Ewing
Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Michael Jordan
Christian Laettner
Karl Malone
Chris Mullin
Scottie Pippen
David Robinson
John Stockton
Coach: Chuck Daly








2008 Dream Team

Team Roster:
Jason Kidd
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Carmelo Anthony
Dwight Howard
Dwayne Wade
Tayshaun Prince
Michael Redd
Chris Bosh
Carlos Boozer
Chris Paul
Deron Williams
Coach: Coach K

Welcome to another splendid edition of The Po Politickin Show. On today's show, we politick with Disturbing Tha Peace artist Willy Northpole. Willy explains how he overcame a troubled past, the joys of working for DTP and declares that his highly anticipated album "The Connect" is a classic. Lady T discusses why she gave her daughter up for adoption in a poem called "I Gave You Life". Period also stops bye to talk about current events.

Enjoy the Show!
Po

To Listen, Click Below:



Also available at:
www.mrrigglashow.com
www.popolitickin.podcast.com

Body Marked Up


Welcome to Arizona