It’s always a pleasure to team up with Parallels Media Group to deliver timeless captures of any event. This one was extra special as I got to celebrate my longtime ace and PopCulture contributor, Stella Alverson as she graduated from Buford High School the following evening. Along with her classmate, Katelyn Cortelloni, they threw a celebration party for the ages.

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCultureBC

The setting was first class with a houseboat on Lake Lanier. I brought Larry Rhinehart aka Shot By Larry to take it all in behind the lens. We’ll have footage and videos posted by the first of next week.

Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.

Parallels Media Group was founded by Jordan Davis and Larry Rhinehart in the summer of 2017. Both have been instrumental to the growth of PSBPopCulture and the parent company of Peach State Basketball, Inc. long before they teamed up to put an official title to their work. Based in the Atlanta area, they produce media content of all types having traveled nationwide for jobs over the past two years.

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCultureBC

THE BREAKDOWN:

Parallels Media Group is quickly emerging as a one-stop shop for clients looking to capture a moment in time to last forever. Follow them on Instagram and Twitter for more information and pricing. They also have a website: ParallelsMedia.com Take a look at some of their work:

Welcome to Parallels

A post shared by Parallels Media, LLC (@parallels) on Jul 8, 2017 at 4:06pm PDT

Just sit back, do what you do, and let the visuals tell your story. You hired @parallels to make your event/shoot lit 🔥🔥🎥

A post shared by Parallels Media, LLC (@parallels) on Mar 6, 2018 at 9:54am PST

Thank you @brooklynbyerly & @justinmattox82 for letting us capture your big day! Video coming soon!

A post shared by Parallels Media, LLC (@parallels) on Sep 12, 2017 at 8:01am PDT

A few years ago @larrywrhinehart & I met over a Kentucky shirt I was wearing. Fast forward and we're wearing media passes, working an Adidas tournament while sitting next to a Kentucky coach watching the #1 player in the country drop 30. You can't tell me God isn't good & his timing isn't perfect 🙏🏽🙏🏽. #wonthedoit #wenotdoneyet #stilldukenation

A post shared by 🌴JD (@palmtreejd) on Nov 25, 2017 at 3:43pm PST

Secured.

A post shared by Parallels Media, LLC (@parallels) on Nov 9, 2017 at 10:22am PST

Yo we not about to act like you don't see that…

A post shared by 🌴JD (@palmtreejd) on Jun 29, 2017 at 11:21am PDT

Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCultureBC

THE BREAKDOWN:

There is a part at the 23-minute mark where Jay talks about rap being a young man’s game and living in the white hot space while you sit at the top. The choices you make while you’re in the hot seat determine how the game will view you forever after you depart.

LISTEN TO THE WHOLE INTERVIEW:

Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.

Jay-Z brought his 4:44 Tour to Atlanta on Tuesday night to a packed house at Philips Arena. He ran through a mix of the new songs off of his album mixed in with some of the No. 1 hits from his previous albums.

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCultureBC

MY TAKE ON HIS TOP THREE ALBUMS TO DATE & TIDAL (start at Minute 22):

VIDEO CLIPS FROM THE SHOW:

EC005039-1C7D-40A9-AB34-1AC819EFAA59

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Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.

“Views From The Lab” is a quick, daily snapshot into my views gathered from countless hours entering information into the BrandonClayScouting.com & PeachStateBasketball.com databases.

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

iTunes Track of the Day: “Run It Up” – DAME D.O.L.L.A.

NBA All-Star Damian Lillard has become one of the premier young guards in the league. The Weber State product is the face of the Portland Trail Blazers franchise. 2017 marks the second straight summer that he’s released an album at the start of the NBA campaign. This time around, Lillard has chosen the title “CONFIRMED” and released his first single with Lil’ Wayne two Fridays ago.

My new album CONFIRMED drops this Friday on all major digital music platforms, including @spotify. It features @liltunechi, @hairweavekiller, @nickgrantmusic, @allstarbozzle, @bjthechicagokid, @versesimmonds, @em_i_see, @brookfieldduece and @dannyfromsobrante. — Why did I name the album CONFIRMED? One of the definitions of confirmed is "fixed in habit and unlikely to change." I named the album that because there's always been something said about me spending time in the studio, even though I've always shown up and produced for my team every night. I've never had issues with stardom. I'm also not new to music. I've always created music while playing at every level of basketball. But now this is no longer an experiment. This is my second album. I'm putting out respectable music yearly. I've invested in that. I'm settled in. I don't feel the need to answer questions or address concerns. This is who I am and what I do. #CONFIRMED — Inspiration behind the album cover? I wanted the cover to pay homage to some of my favorite artists. Crown: Biggie Prayer hands: PAC Gold rope and Rolex: @nas Highlighting my chest tattoo: for the art culture and community in Oakland. Shoutout to Olugbenro Ogunsemore (@olugbenro) for the 📸 work and @kampashai for the design work and 📸edit. #DameDOLLA #FrontPageMusic @frontpagehits Distribution partner: @human.re.sources

A post shared by Damian Lillard (@damianlillard) on Oct 2, 2017 at 6:19pm PDT

iPhone Group Message Topic of the Day: Damian Lillard’s Sphere of Influence

With a major push from Oregon-based adidas and his ability to connect with the core NBA fans who also like music, Lillard has risen to the top of the game in a hurry. Despite his lack of postseason national exposure, he has the No. 14 most popular jersey in the league. He also has a song on the new NBA2K18 soundtrack, “Wasatch Front,” that was featured on his first album “The Letter O.”

Lifestyle Assist:

Sticking to the theme of Lillard as a star trending upwards, check his latest signature release from adidas.

My 4th @adidashoops signature shoe, the #Dame4, drops everywhere this Friday. #teamadidas #YKWTII ⌚️ — 🎵: "No Punches" from my 2nd album, #CONFIRMED (Also dropping this Friday). Produced by @clearlyitslike. #DameDOLLA

A post shared by Damian Lillard (@damianlillard) on Oct 3, 2017 at 8:08am PDT

Today’s Takeaway:

I’ll never understand taking someone else’s life because you aren’t happy with your own.

— Brandon Clay (@BrandonClayPSB) October 2, 2017

The shootings in Vegas reinforce how important it is to tell the people you love and care about how you feel on a daily basis. No person knows the day they’ll be taken from this earth. I love you all for the motivation and support of the vision. Let’s keep this thing headed in the right direction.

Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.

“Views From The Lab” is a quick, daily snapshot into my views gathered from countless hours entering information into the BrandonClayScouting.com & PeachStateBasketball.com databases.

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

iTunes Track of the Day: “Found A Way” – Dave East

Nas has made East his priority artist over the past 18 months putting the resources behind him to garner over a million followers on Instagram. A former college ball player, East released his second full-length mixtape on Apple Music just before the summer came to a close. Found A Way caught my attention. It isn’t a radio-friendly track but much like the majority of East’s music to date has some depth buried inside witty lines.

iPhone Group Message Topic of the Day: The Federal Investigation of Men’s College Basketball

BREAKING

Huge news in the boys world.

Gatto is head of adidas sports marketing.

Code worked for Nike grassroots.https://t.co/hYJ7ww47rW pic.twitter.com/YL5ddxBhpa

— Brandon Clay (@BrandonClayPSB) September 26, 2017

There is a lot of information still coming in on this topic. There have been double digit arrests made in addition to legendary Louisville coach Rick Pitino being fired.

I read the 120 plus pages that the Federal Bureau released on the different charges involving college assistants, Fortune 500 corporate executives and other people in the community trying to advance their bank accounts off of the backs of fast-rising NBA prospects.

I’ll save you some time by passing on this ESPN link. It’s a concise, relatively short summation of the document.

Lifestyle Assist: Grab a Crisp Set of Luggage

As someone who travels a good amount, there’s a certain appreciation I have for people with matching luggage sets. The key isn’t to spend a lot of money but create a certain pop that can set you apart wherever you go ob the road. I love the combo that NBA All-Star Chris Paul (see below) developed with Hook and Albert as a guide on how to get it done. Taking it a step further, Asos has essentially the same backpack for $40 and Amazon has a duffle bag for $85. The black set is key as it goes with any outfit but Chris has a nice grey set available that can be built off of too.

Today’s Takeaway:

Telling someone you’re going to make a change is easy.

Following through on making those words become reality is hard.

— Brandon Clay (@BrandonClayPSB) September 28, 2017

Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.

“Views From The Lab” is a quick, daily snapshot into my views gathered from countless hours entering information into the BrandonClayScouting.com & PeachStateBasketball.com databases.

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

iTunes Track of the Day: “Best Part” – Daniel Caesar feat. H.E.R.

They performed it live in Canada last week. I actually prefer the studio, album version but the audience cheers when Caesar’s part start let me know he’s a star in the making.

Daniel Caesar & H.E.R performing, "Best Part" for the FIRST time together in Toronto😫 pic.twitter.com/MhT4YQK8ck

— Wanna (@WannasWorld) September 14, 2017

My iPhone Group Message Topic of the Day: Missouri Men’s Basketball

Cuonzo Martin has the Tigers poised for a big season like his last at SEC counterpart Tennessee in 2013-14. Martin led the Vols to a Sweet Sixteen appearance and 24 wins. With the nation’s most highly touted incoming freshman on the roster in Michael Porter Jr., expect similar things from this year’s Tigers. All but four of their SEC league games are on national television. That’s mighty impressive for a program who hasn’t made national noise in years.

@SEC TV Times ✅ #MIZ 🐯🏀

A post shared by Mizzou Basketball (@mizzouhoops) on Sep 13, 2017 at 11:35am PDT

Lifestyle Assist: Follow Gucci

Since getting out of prison, Gucci Mane has changed his style to match his revamped frame. Regardless of how much money you have to spend, there are plenty of options to give your wardrobe that custom tailored look. For men, Polo Ralph Lauren v-neck shirts are about the same as a combo meal at Chick-Fil-A and show off the work you’ve put in during your gym sessions. With fall and winter coming soon, check H&M / Asos for slim (and inexpensive) sweaters for looks like the one Gucci has on below.

Guwop just having one helluva year!

A post shared by Gucci Mane (@laflare1017) on Sep 15, 2017 at 5:36pm PDT

Today’s Takeaway:

Life is short. If healthy, no one sits on their last day and says that life was long enough. Take advantage of today.

Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.

“If somebody would have told em that HOV would sell clothing, not in this lifetime, wasn’t in my right mind.” Jay-Z, “You Don’t Know” (2001)

This lyric has influenced me for the past 16 years, 15 of which I’ve spent building brands that push the envelope of traditional thought.

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

The Breakdown:

My mom, Willie Ann Clay, and I came up with the slogan in 2004. Since then, we’ve manufactured and produced tens of thousands of shirts in various color ways and designs. It still never gets old to see someone proudly rocking their shirt whether it’s a newer design or a vintage look.

Social Media Buzz:

Just me and my Warriors, all my Day One's are #AnyGymIsHome suited up. [📷: @typhotog] 👟: #Jordan #Retro11

A post shared by Brandon Clay ™ (@brandonclaypsb) on Oct 22, 2016 at 7:08pm PDT

If somebody would have told me 15 years ago that we'd have #AnyGymIsHome clothing, I'd have said not in my lifetime…but here we are. {shot by @larrywrhinehart} —————————————— •🎩: @nike •👕: @peachstatebasketball •📱: @apple

A post shared by Brandon Clay ™ (@brandonclaypsb) on May 7, 2017 at 4:47pm PDT

#AnyGymIsHome 🎅🏾: #SMPMember @haileyhigashi of @emeraldcitybasketball received her presents just in time for the big day. —————————————— #basketball #hoops #fashion #PSBAllAccess #PSBPopCulture #alabama #courtside #hardwood #clothes #ootd #roundball #canon #picoftheday #pic #instame #instagood #instadaily #santa #christmas

A post shared by Peach State Basketball (@peachstatebball) on Dec 25, 2016 at 4:03pm PST

Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.

Last spring, JD Davis challenged ourselves to step up the pictures that we deliver to the masses via our social media accounts. Part of that was about the physical shape we were in while another large part was focused on our fashion. The last part that tied it all together was the quality of the actual shot that was taken.

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

The Breakdown:

Over the past 15 months, I’ve run countless miles / sprints, lifted thousands of pounds at LA Fitness, used Looklive.com so much that it’s bookmarked on my Safari browser and employed two of the best in the photography world in Ty Freeman and Larry Rhinehart.

Sidenote: Shoutout my dudes Ant Adeniyi, Adrian Potter and Justice Bramer. They’re always at the gym. I’m chasing them down!

Whether it’s snapping a picture with Bre Stewart or Morgan William to showing off the latest fashion from Asos or Lifted Anchors, it’s been a cool journey to document. I think my dude JD would approve of the growth. The challenge now is to Level Up (Fabolous voice) again. I’ll be back Summer ’18 to give you the summary.

Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.

I often tell my PSB team that I won’t demand anything of my team that I wouldn’t ask of myself. I remember listening to Jay-Z rap those lyrics on “Justify My Thug” off of the “Black Album” back in the early 2000’s. In March, we hosted our first event of the summer. Games tipped off at 5 pm. One of our clock keepers was stuck in Atlanta traffic. I always tell our team that no job is too big or too small. In order to stay true to those words, the first must also be last.

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

The Breakdown:

I believe in doing whatever it takes to get the job done for my team. We all pitch in so we all win.

Sidenote: Huge shoutout to my guys Jay Kohr and Geoff Lampe from BSN Sports who have our AnyGymIsHome apparel Collection on another level right now.

I won't demand anything of my team that I wouldn't ask of myself. First event of the summer. Games tipped at 5 pm. One of our clock keepers was stuck in Atlanta traffic. I always tell our team that no job is too big or too small. In order to stay true to those words, the first must also be last. {shot by @larrywrhinehart}

A post shared by Brandon Clay (@brandonclaypsb) on Mar 31, 2017 at 6:53pm PDT

Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.