Brandon Clay – Page 4

#EntertainmentPSB: “The Bachelor” Season Finale – March 15, 2016

Taylor: We are greeted with Ben telling us that he really, really regrets telling two women he loves them. I just hate it when that happens. This is followed by his annoying “I’m not lovable sob story.” The producers really needed a new story line.

By: Taylor Johnson @KTaylorPSB with commentary from Brandon Clay @psbpopculture

Taylor: Ben’s mom says that he is his biggest critic but I think she is his biggest critic because she is the first one to tell Lauren B. about all of Ben’s flaws. However, his mom is the first one to tell him how crazy he is for telling two women he loves them. At least his mom read The Bachelor rulebook. Ben’s dad describes Lauren B. as polished, so basically she’s uptight and JoJo seems like a good time. Well said Mr. Higgins.

Brandon: Wait a minute. I want John Clay to call my future wife polished. No punchline. That would be the very endorsement I need to make it official.

Taylor: JoJo is so nervous to meet Ben’s parents. It might partly because she has a crappy shell full of flowers as a gift for them. JoJo absolutely kills it with his parents and I’m not just talking about her perfect hair and romper. Ben’s mom is totoally #TeamJoJo, me too Ben’s mom. Maybe Ben’s mom and I can start a petition to make her the bachelorette.

Brandon: JoJo has been slightly uneasy about the process from the jump. Why should this be any different?

Taylor: Lauren says, “What are you thinking about?” to Ben. He replied, “ummmmm you’re beautiful?” It’s evident that he is trying not to piss off the producers and say the wrong thing again. Ben is all kinds of confused on his date with Lauren so he just keeps kissing her while Lauren wants to talk. Typical guy. Ben is equally as distracted on JoJo’s date but a lot less kissing and more just staring off into space. Along with a lot of bathroom floor talk. Both girls panic at the end of the date because Ben is acting noticeably strange. He wasn’t able to tell either of the girls why he was confused about who to pick. If only the girls had the ability to read Ben’s love signs like Olivia.

Brandon: There are shots fired at Ben everywhere in this paragraph. We all know he loves Lauren.

Taylor: Neil Lane makes his annual appearance for Ben to pick out a ring that is a little gaudy for my taste. Everyone and their mom could have figured out that he was picking Lauren with that ring. Not that Lauren isn’t adorable, but JoJo’s fashion on the show has been PERFECTION.

Brandon: Adorable is actually a great word to describe Lauren. The ring fits her figuratively and literally. As an aside, JoJo’s style is so SAUCY. I love it.

Taylor: JoJo is the first out of the helicopter, and Ben’s face says everything. He literally says “he’s been better” to her when she asks how he is. We all are screaming at the TV for her to be the next bachelorette (including Ben’s mom). Ben rudely let JoJo go on her entire speech about loving him only to break her heart. JoJo takes it like a champ while Ben tries to awkwardly kiss her on the forehead and everyone cringes.

Brandon: JoJo is beautiful. Let’s keep it honest here. Lauren’s connection with Ben has been buzzing since the early stages of the show. This is an easy call in my opinion. JoJo would be an outstanding choice for the next Bachelorette.

Taylor: Ben tries to win back America by calling Lauren’s dad to ask for his permission to propose to his daughter. It worked a little but I am still mad at your Ben for blind siding JoJo. As much as I am Team JoJo, Lauren and Ben are clearly perfect for each other.

Brandon: Agreed 100%.

Taylor: Everyone on social media, and Ben’s mom, can calm down because JOJO IS THE NEXT BACHELORETTE despite Chris Harrison trying to trick us (never trust him anyway). I am so excited for JoJo to be the next Bachelorette. Juan Pablo has even expressed interest in her season but I think he is banned from the mansion for life. With that being said I cannot wait to see the 25 crazies that sign up to meet JoJo.

Brandon: As for Chris Harrison, I’ll recite arguably the most popular lyric in rap music today “If Young Metro (Boomin) don’t trust ya…”

Taylor Johnson serves as Brandon Clay’s personal stylist and is one of the most fashionable people in Atlanta. She’s also the resident expert on Hulu and Netflix. While attending graduate school at Georgia State, she’ll contribute to various categories throughout the PSBPopCulture.com site. You can follow her on Twitter @KTaylorPSB.

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.

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#iTunesSounds: Four To Know – March 14, 2016

“Four To Know” is a glimpse inside what’s current in the iTunes Music Libraries of our team members. We’ll provide four songs to grab and a breakdown of what appeals to us in each track.

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

1) “7 Years” by Lukas Graham

The song is currently sitting at No. 1 inside the iTunes Store top songs listing. The Danish pop rock-soul group is headlined by Lukas Graham Forchhammer and will launch their debut album on April 1st. The song “7 Years” is an interesting take on life from a kid through adulthood into the later stages of life. Keep an eye on “Mama Said” as a potential second single after the album drops.

2) “She Don’t” by Ella Mai feat. Ty Dolla $ign

Ella Mai just might have my favorite RnB track of the first quarter to date. She teamed up with emerging star Ty Dolla to deliver a smooth yet soulful output. Her profile and sound is still so new to the scene that she doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page built yet. Given the buzz this song has created that shouldn’t last much longer.

3) “Miley Cyrus” – French Montana feat. Future

French Montana is back folks. This combination is mean with a banger for the spring coming as a result. In typical French fashion, he drops a basic though witty jewel with “I couldn’t Michael Jordan so I J. Cole’d.” Montana has another track called “Figure It Out” with Kanye West and Nas bubbling on the surface as well.

4) “Moolah” by Young Greatness

Along with Desiigner’s “Panda,” Moolah could be the anthem of Spring Break 2016. The video already has over 2.5 million views on YouTube. Hailing from New Orleans, Young Greatness has a hit on his hands with this one. The legendary Jazze Pha produced this monster, and the sound has been in steady rotation on my personal playlist since the top of the calendar year.

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#EntertainmentPSB: “The Bachelor” Episode Nine – March 9, 2016

Ben takes the girls to Jamaica this week but first he reviews the three girls and going in he has reservations for each:

Caila: She’s scared to love someone
Lauren: She’s too good for Ben
JoJo: He’s scared of her brothers

By: Taylor Johnson @KTaylorPSB with commentary from Brandon Clay @psbpopculture

TAYLOR: All of these are logical concerns, kinda. Ben walks around Jamaica and climbs walls in flip-flops the entire time. I have this philosophy that men should never wear open-toe shoes, so Ben’s choice of wearing flip flops for every date did not sit well with me. Chalk that up to be another one of my diva moments. Despite the differences in each relationship, Ben decided to take all three girls back to the fantasy suit where the producers so nicely documented the morning after on each date. Classy.

BRANDON: Just because we see the morning after doesn’t mean that anything happened Taylor. It’s a good idea to get as much quality time as possible before making tough decisions. They could have chilled and “chopped it up” all night.

TAYLOR: Caila has the first one-on-one date followed by awkward silence on a bamboo raft down a creepy river. For a second the silence made me think they were in a scary movie being lead to the end of the river where the creepy creatures live. The weird piano music and the terrible date make for a recipe for disaster. Start packing your bags Caila. Caila finally tells Ben that she is in love with him and he goes in for the kiss in a matter of miliseconds. I can only assume because he doesn’t know what to say back so he just kisses her to make her stop talking. America kind of hates her for being too perfect and accuses her of being insincere. I mean would you expose all of crazy on national television?! I know I wouldn’t! Cut Caila a break people!

BRANDON: Yeah. That was rough. She’s been on the chopping block for two weeks. In the words of my co-worker, Christian Simmons, “it’s time for it.”

TAYLOR: Lauren gets the next date and her and Ben save baby turtles. Already an upgrade from Caila’s river of death date. Lauren took the turtle saving a little too seriously, we get it but don’t quit your day job to save turtles. Ben and Lauren go back and forth talking about how the other one is too good for the other, barf. She tells Ben she loves him and he TELLS HER BACK. Someone didn’t read the Bachelor handbook. The producers crown him as the worst bachelor ever because now we all know who he picks. They are going to try to spin it like some drama goes down with him and Lauren but do not believe them. Lauren is his girl.

BRANDON: Lauren is amazing. She’s even adorable saving baby turtles. That’s all.

TAYLOR: JoJo has the luxury of following up the love fest date of Ben and Lauren. At least Ben takes her to a nice waterfall. Here JoJo displays her greatest talent yet, jumping off a waterfall without losing her bathing suit. JoJo wastes no time to tell ben that she loves him and he quickly follows up with “I love you too.” At least JoJo knows the Bachelor rules because instead of being happy she says “are you allowed to say that?” JoJo you took the words right out of our mouths. I personally think JoJo is the one too good for Ben, not Lauren; which means she should obviously be the next bachelorette. Ben follows the I Love You conversation with a conversation about being terrified of her brothers. I think that is just a cop out for getting out of telling two girls that he loves them, he is just trying to think of any excuse for why he ultimately chooses Lauren.

BRANDON: I was really happy that she knew he wasn’t supposed to say that. The producers have done a great job of setting up the finale with a kick save of Ben’s love profession to Lauren. That said, JoJo has done a really good job of holding her own. That would be a tough choice if you ask me.

TAYLOR: In typical Bachelor producers fashion, they send giddy Caila over to Ben’s place so she can embarrass herself on national TV. Sorry Caila, you’re the only person he doesn’t love right now. All Caila wanted to do was surprise Ben, but he has a different kind of surprise for her. Ben sends Caila home in tears and America is just glad to see she has another emotion.

BRANDON: The Struggle is so real. Salute to Caila for not spazzing out on Ben. Most people I know (men or women) would have gone off or completely broken down in that scenario.

TAYLOR: Next week is the women tell all episode, which means we get Lace, Jubilee, and Olivia back! Am I the only one that missed the crazies? Let’s hope they don’t disappoint me by being on their best behavior.

BRANDON: Catch me again in two weeks. I just want to know who wins!

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#iTunesSounds: Four To Know – March 1, 2016

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

1) “L.A. Confidential” by Tory Lanez

BREAKDOWN: Lanez brought the heat with the lead single off of his upcoming album scheduled to be titled “L.A. Confidential.” He performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel at the end of January, and it is already charting on The Heat’s Weekly Top 35 countdown on Sirius XM. I was in Los Angeles at the beginning of February and had a chance to really listen. This record has the potential to take off the way that “Say It” did during the back half of 2015. Despite Lanez “off-field” issues with fellow Canadian, Drake, the music Lanez is putting out has his name amongst the up-and-comers in the urban music game right now.

2) “Panda” by Desiigner

BREAKDOWN: First of all, I thought this was Future when I heard the song. Second, Kanye West tossed the Brooklyn-based rapper a MEAN alley oop by putting a sample of this song on his “The Life of Pablo” album. Kanye also announced earlier in February that Desiigner is signed to G.O.O.D. Music so the placement is purely by design. With the catchy beat and hook, this just might be the Spring Break anthem before it’s all said and done.

SIDENOTE: I heard Uncle Murda’s remix of “Panda.” He too thought it was Future and stated so on the song. At least I wasn’t alone.

3) “Jam” by Kevin Gates

BREAKDOWN: Kevin Gates dropped the “Isiah” album earlier in the year. 48 hours later, Gates proceeded to release this track with Trey Songz and Ty Dolla $ign. It’s Gates at his essence: crisp hook, witty wordplay all based on his relationship with a female.

4) “Pillowtalk” by Zayn (Malik)

BREAKDOWN: From the opening beat drop, the former One Direction group member showed that he has a song built to top the charts sooner than later. His debut single is currently sitting at No. 10 on the iTunes charts and is getting major airplay on radio stations from coast-to-coast. Expect this one to stay in rotation for a while.

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#EntertainmentPSB: “The Bachelor” Episode Eight – February 29, 2016

The “Hometown Dates” episode is always my favorite because everyone in the family always has a token crazy person. Unfortunately, this season there were a lot of normal (boring) families on their best behavior. That’s with sole exception of JoJo’s mom but we will get into that later.

By: Taylor Johnson @KTaylorPSB with commentary from Brandon Clay @psbpopculture

TAYLOR: Amanda has the first hometown date in Laguna Beach, Calif., where Ben meets Amanda’s ADORABLE little girls. Even Amanda’s little girls are outfit goals in their mini gladiator sandals. The girls spend the day with Ben at the beach followed by a crying toddler filled car ride to meet the rest of her family later in the night. Amanda’s family has real concerns about Ben being too young to take on the stepdad role. Most of the date was centered around crying toddlers so interaction between Amanda and Ben was few and far between.

CLAY: I could tell Ben thought the kids were adorable (I did too). In a normal setting, maybe Ben would stick around to see how it plays out. In this setting, he has three other extremely attractive women who don’t have ready-made families. I don’t see how this can work.

TAYLOR: Ben visits Portland, Ore., to see Lauren B. where she immediately tells America how in love with Ben she is. Lauren’s build up to Ben meeting her family makes me excited, and Ben concerned for the drama ahead. Lauren’s sister grills Ben the most and honestly I think he is a little distracted because she’s so gorgeous so he just awkwardly cries. Again, I’m a diva so a guy crying makes me so uncomfortable. While other girls would think this is sweet, I just cringe.

CLAY: Oh Taylor. Let Ben have his moment. Though Lauren’s sister is attractive, Ben is very into Lauren. That’s been evident since the opening episode and was on display again here. That said, I would cry real tears (of joy) in a room with her grilling me as I envision an all-expenses paid overseas trip with Lauren hanging in the balance.

TAYLOR: Caila is next up on the hometown dates and her turtleneck vest combo is just as confusing as her comments about her and Ben’s relationship. Her dad is the CEO of a toy company so now we know why Caila reminds us of a giggly 13-year-old. Caila’s mom told Caila to tell Ben that she loved him but Caila ignores her mom like every other 13-year-old girl. Ben leaves her hometown without knowing how Caila feels but knowing all things Pilipino thanks to Caila’s mom.

CLAY: Caila’s vibe in relation to the women left reminds me of Emily who Ben sent home. Caila is still maturing as a person. I would be surprised if she makes it to the final two.

TAYLOR: JoJo’s hometown date was a lot less boring than the other three. Her ex boyfriend, Chad, sends her a dozen roses confessing his love for her. She awkwardly calls Chad right before Ben shows up so she is in tears when he arrives. Naturally seems like a great time for JoJo to tell Ben that she loves him, with tears still in her eyes from her Chad phone call. The only questions I have about JoJo’s ex is if he is the one who bought her that Cartier bracelet that I cannot stop obsessing over. She takes Ben to meet her family and immediately JoJo’s brothers play the role that the producers told them too: crazy, overprotective, jerk. The have to tell her how crazy she is to be in love with someone who she has been on two dates with, and no one is arguing with them. At least someone is speaking the truth because the mom has zero concept of how the show works, partly because she has been drinking wine straight from the bottle all night. JoJo had to tell her that Ben had three other girlfriends at the moment so why not continue to chug?

CLAY: The whole date was excessive. Her brothers made me uncomfortable and I’m not in the mix to date JoJo. I like her though and see her as the main competition to Lauren right now.

TAYLOR: Sadly, Amanda goes home and America yells at their TVs because Ben is a terrible person. Amanda isn’t even ugly when she cries during an exit, but Ben kind of is and he can barely keep it together when she leaves.

CLAY: We all saw this coming. Amanda appears to be a chill, well put together human being. She’ll bounce back and hopefully find an amazing guy to build a life with.

TAYLOR: Next week we get to watch Ben tell two girls he loves him in hopes of them being down for some kind of sister / wife situation. I cannot wait for that drama.

CLAY: Me either. From Lauren’s brothers getting Ben at the end of the episode about the “Fantasy Suite” to the red dress JoJo slayed at the rose ceremony tonight, next week should be even more entertaining.

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#iTunesSounds: Kirk Franklin – “Losing My Religion” – February 27, 2016

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

Kirk Franklin is one of the most well-known gospel artists of all time. Since introducing us to “The Family” back in the 90’s, Franklin has assisted in delivering jewels for the past three decades. His latest album, “Losing My Religion” is a combination of the soulful music and vocals that we’re accustomed to hearing from Franklin. Here’s a look at some of my favorite tracks:

1) Miracles

This is Franklin back in the “Kirk and The Family” days to me with the choir singing both the chorus and the hook. Kirk does his normal 1-2 talking at various points during the song.

FAVORITE LINE: “My Life is a miracle, can’t deny it I’m a miracle. For the price of my miracle, nailed in his hands and his feet for me.”

2) It’s Time

Gospel artists Tasha Page-Lockhart and Zacardi Cortez join Franklin for this one. The choir wasted no time hitting this one punching the opening line. It’s right behind “When” as my favorite song on the album.

FAVORITE LINE: “Giving up feels wrong when you’ve been waiting for so long, for destiny and victory to finally collide. There is no sound more sweeter than when God says it’s time.”

3) Wanna Be Happy?

The CD’s lead single delivers an upbeat vibe as the choir takes the listener from a place of struggle to a place of triumph. The key to it all, giving your life’s desires to Jesus.

FAVORITE LINE: “If you’re tired of being the same, if you’re tired of things not changing, it’s time for you to get out the way. Don’t get stuck in how you feel, say Jesus take the wheel. He knows the road that you need to take. Don’t you wanna be happy?”

4) When

Two more high profile artists, Kim Burrell and Lalah Hathaway, join Franklin on this track. This is my favorite song on the entire album. They collaborate to deliver a silky smooth sound over the laid back instrumental.

FAVORITE LINE: “When will come for your daughters and sons? We’re homesick. We try but we don’t belong. Even if that day is a million light years away, each day we’ll begin with the same question: when?”

5) Pray For Me

Franklin actually delivers the vocals on this one. For years, he’s been the MC of the show. Over this mellow instrumental, he gives us a look at where he is in his spiritual walk asking for prayer in the process.

FAVORITE LINE: “Listen close, you can hear the world crying. Pray for me. It’s saying don’t talk about me, don’t judge me just pray for me.”

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#PSBPopCulture: Kylie Lip Kit – February 24, 2016

By: Taylor Johnson @KTaylorPSB

The Kylie Jenner Lip Kits have been the must have item for makeup addicts everywhere. Unfortunately getting your hands on one isn’t easy. Both times they have gone on sale all of the Lip Kits have sold out in less than 30 minutes. I was lucky enough to get my hands on two colors this time around because my sister, Brooke, texted me as soon as they went live. Kylie announces when the lipsticks go on sale on her social media with zero heads up. So if you want to be one of the lucky few that gets a kit, I suggest following her on Instagram or Twitter.

The Lip Kit is a matte liquid lipstick along with the matching liner. I might love the liner more than the actually lipstick. The liner glides on better than any other liner that I have used. I have never used a liquid lipstick before, but clearly I have been missing out. It goes on as easy as lip gloss but stays on like lipstick. It even smells amazing! The kit stays on for several hours however my suggestion is to wear a clear chap stick over the top of it. The chap stick reduces the chances of your lips drying out and less lipstick transfers when you are eating and drinking.

I decided to get KoKo K and Posie K. KoKo K is a neutral shade of light pink that is great for an everyday look. Posie K is a darker pink color with neutral undertones that makes more of statement. Posie K is definitely my favorite of the two! All of the colors have some kind of a neutral undertone, which is very on trend right now so honestly you can’t go wrong with any of the six shades.

The kits are sold at www.kyliecosmetics.com for $29. For now they are sold out, but if you are REALLY desperate they are being resold on eBay for an average of $200. However, I suggest you wait until she restocks and announces they are back up for sale.

After receiving mine in the mail, I had this message for team members Brandon Clay and Jordan Davis:

Taylor Johnson serves as Brandon Clay’s personal stylist and is one of the most fashionable people in Atlanta. She’s also the resident expert on Hulu and Netflix. While attending graduate school at Georgia State, she’ll contribute to various categories throughout the PSBPopCulture.com site. You can follow her on Twitter @KTaylorPSB.

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#EntertainmentPSB: Sports, Music and Entertainment Summit – February 21, 2016

By: Jordan Davis @JDavisPSB and Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

The Sports, Music and Entertainment Summit was created by Jah Rawlings. The SME Summit provides a network for students and individuals in pursuit of careers in sports, music, television, film, and fashion industries. It was held at the Blackburn Conference Center on the campus of John Marshall Law School.

Brandon’s Panel Thoughts:

*** Follow Brandon on Instagram and Snapchat: @BrandonClayPSB

Fortunately, the summit was rescheduled due to weather concerns as I was in Austin, Texas on January 23rd. I sat on “The Playbook: The Business of Sports” panel with Jah, Cecelia Townes (practicing attorney) and Matthew Givens (sports agent).

Bria Janelle (Smith) of LoudGenius.com served as the moderator. Bria actually played in our events as a high school prospect so she provided a first-hand take of the growth to the crowd. I tried to convey the energy, passion and spirit needed to make it in the industry. There will be some no’s along the way. The key is knowing when those signal whether an idea needs to be modified or if it’s an executive who is missing the boat on an idea worth executing. That comes with a feel for the market which can only be gained over time. The questions that came from the audience were outstanding and allowed me to also infuse my love of fashion as well as music into the discussion. Thanks again to everyone on stage and the people who put the summit together.

A couple of thoughts I shared with the audience from the music industry:

“Chains are cool to cop but more important are lawyer fees. That’s how it is now, that’s how it’ll always be. I’ll never change. This is always me.” – Jay-Z

“Music and sports are so synonymous cause we wanna be them and they wanna be us.” – Drake

Jordan’s SME Summit Take:

***Follow Jordan on Instagram and Snapchat: @PalmtreeJD

We pulled up to Blackburn Conference Center at John Marshall Law School around 12:10. After taking pre-panel pictures, we chopped it with some of the panelists while the panel before Brandon’s came to a close. They even had one of the producers of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta sitting on the panel.

Once Brandon’s panel got started, they gave some really good insight into the start up of a business and the different obstacles a person would come across. Towards the end there was a a brief “Q & A” in which some great questions were asked including discussions about religious tolerance in the sports/business world. I thought it was a great seminar to attend for anyone, including myself, who wants to really pick the brain of some successful entrepreneurs & CEO’s. I even heard a student say, “this is the best conference I’ve ever attended. All of the panelists were so accessible after they spoke.”

On hand with @BrandonClayPSB at the SME Summit pic.twitter.com/CT0zmbjEdE

— JD Davis (@JDavisPSB) February 20, 2016

Brandon’s Post-Summit Take:

I want to personally thank everyone in the audience who took the time to come and speak to me afterwards. Jordan said we were there an extra 75 minutes. Truthfully, it felt like 10 minutes to me. Your stories, passion and vision for the future motivated me throughout the remainder of the day. There were people I’ve known for years coupled with fresh new faces. We’re all in the same boat in terms of helping each other move forward. I want to shout out everyone who took time to place a card in my hand, follow me on social media or sent me a follow-up email / text since I left yesterday. Here’s to hoping I don’t miss anyone:

Ali Abedi
Benjamin Aqua
Scott Bates
Chad Berger
Julius Bryant
Erin Chance
Nicole Davis Edwards
Sara Gershon
Latisha Hanna
Nicole Metsch
Joycelynn Okezie
John Rose
La’Porscha Smalls

Here’s more of what went on at the SME via Jordan Davis…

Clay on Shaping Lives through providing college options:

Onsite pre-panel discussion prep:

Clay on youth mentorship:

Clay on the importance of the family unit:

Post panel discussion with attendees:

Clay on corporate partnerships:

You know Clay like Draymonndddd

A photo posted by JD (@palmtreejd) on Feb 23, 2016 at 11:47am PST

Jordan Davis is a contributor to PSBPopCulture.com with a unique blend of #PSBPopCulture reviews. Davis has been rocking the latest trends since arriving here in 1995. He is currently a student at Kennesaw State, a Social Media Intern with PeachStateBasketball.com and is well on his way to being the youngest in charge sooner than later.

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#EntertainmentPSB: “The Bachelor” Episode Seven – February 18, 2016

By: Taylor Johnson @KTaylorPSB with commentary from Brandon Clay @psbpopculture

TAYLOR: Ben takes the girls back to his hometown in Warsaw, Ind. There is definitely a small town feel to the episode. As an aside, I don’t think Jubilee would have blended in well here at all. Ben is eager to tell his parents all about his six girlfriends, which isn’t weird at all (tongue firmly in cheek). Ben takes the girls by pontoon boat (lame) to the house that they are going to stay in while they are in Indiana. The boat ride made for some interesting hair and left JoJo’s extensions in plain site. Finally, she has a flaw: poor placement of extensions.

CLAY: Jubilee would not have made it 24 hours in Warsaw. She should be glad she’s back home enjoying life as a war veteran.

TAYLOR: Lauren B. gets the first date and immediately the girls express all of their jealousy similar to Olivia’s time as Ben’s go-to girl. Ben takes Lauren B. on a tour of Warsaw in a cheesy red pick up truck. Talk about the most boring date ever. Their last stop was at the community youth club, so the date only gets more horrible for Lauren. I love kids, but babysitting isn’t a date I dream about. Even Ben knows this date is boring so he brings out reinforcements including NBA All-Star Paul George of the Indiana Pacers. Ben brings up again the fact that the girls said Lauren B. is different around Ben than in the house. Well I certainly hope she isn’t trying to date any of the girls in the house, so maybe that is why she is acting differently.

CLAY: I’m a HUGE basketball fan and actually appreciated that Lauren made a couple of shots. I do think Ben and the producers are painting the picture of her as a potential mom in addition to wife.

TAYLOR: JoJo gets the second one-on-one date to Wrigley Field. It’s where the Chicago Cubs play baseball games. I say this because if someone say Wrigley Field to me, I’d have no idea what they were talking about. JoJo and Ben have the entire field to themselves to play baseball together. Their chemistry is undeniable and I have no doubts in my prediction of her being in the top two but Ben is nervous that JoJo is closed off. I mean you do have five other girlfriends Ben.

CLAY: Jojo won real points with me this week. She’s confident without being arrogant, pretty without coming across as conceited. The “Mrs. Higgins” uniform they made her wear got her to open up on camera about her feelings more so than previous episodes.

TAYLOR: The group date this week was with Becca, Caila and Amanda. All of these girls are gorgeous, but Amanda’s outfit is something that I need in my closet like tomorrow. Becca spent most of her date complaining about how Ben hasn’t reciprocated any feelings like he has for other girls. Not the best move Becca. Amanda gets the group date rose so her and Ben ditch the other two girls to sit there and wallow in self pity. Becca can’t stop crying all the way home, so basically she knows she is going home.

CLAY: For as far as she advanced, I never saw a real chemistry develop between Ben and Becca. She was very guarded (and who can blame her).

TAYLOR: Ben continues his date with Amanda by WORKING THE MCDONALD’S DRIVE-THRU WITH AMANDA. I take back my comments about Lauren’s horrible date. If a man EVER took me to McDonald’s, they would regret it. I mean he recovers by taking her on an adorable Warsaw Fair date but I’d be still be mad about McDonald’s. I guess I’m just a diva.

CLAY: All caps Taylor, really? Haha. Let’s keep it all the way honest here. The McDonald’s placement was great to continue their season-long promotion of breakfast being served all day through “The Bachelor” partnership. This might not be the last we see of the Golden Arches this season.

TAYLOR: Emily went on the last one-on-one date and he took her to meet his parents, which was very surprising. She was asking questions about ducks so it made for an awkward conversation, and even more awkward was when she wouldn’t stop talking. Ben’s mom was not a fan of Emily and without saying it, she said Emily was immature. Ben immediately speeds home in the pontoon after that comment from his mom so he could break up with her. He then proceeds to break up with her while all of the other girls watch from the window. As much as Emily is a bimbo, she took the breakup in the classiest way possible.

CLAY: Emily still has a long way to grow in maturing. Spending time away from her sister and finding a potential career path would help. The time on the show helped I’m sure.

TAYLOR: Ben sent Becca home during the rose ceremony, and she was not happy. I can’t blame her because she has now been rejected on the Bachelor twice. Caila, Amanda, Lauren, and JoJo are all taking Ben home to meet their families which is always a great episode because everyone always has at least one embarrassing family member.

CLAY: She saw it coming though. All the tears, the “please don’t hurt her.” As a guy, that’s not what we want to hear with one girl we are dating let alone six. Hometown dates next week should be really interesting.

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#PSBPopCulture: Kendrick Lamar’s Effect on the Rap Industry – February 17, 2016

By: Donte’ Grant @DineroJones and Brandon Clay @psbpopculture

Donte’s Take on Kendrick at the Grammy’s:

Kendrick Lamar walked away last night with five Grammy Awards, one being obvious, best rap album. “To Pimp A Butterfly” is easily one the best albums of the last decade, of any genre. The Grammy’s one slip up last night was not recognizing its greatness and honoring it with Album of the year.

Brandon’s Take on Kendrick’s impact on the industry:

Lamar’s ability to win album of the year on a major stage this week without a “radio-friendly” single is validation that music content is still the most important part of the game. His style of dress, word content is very non-traditional in comparison to the status quo of the industry in 2016. Now Lamar has been on features ranging in genre as far over as Taylor Swift‘s “Bad Blood,” so it’s not as if he hasn’t built a name brand that allowed him to take a chance with his latest album. That said, Lamar represents a noticeable variation musically from some of the other mainstream A-List rap artists in Drake, Future. With samples including Lalah Hathaway on “Momma,” the album was so appealing to me that I completely skipped over “These Walls.” I just got to dive into that track during the Christmas Holidays.

Donte’s Take on To Pimp A Butterfly:

Kendrick Lamar’s critically acclaimed, instant classic plays out like a Spike Lee film in sound. Though it doesn’t explicitly bill itself as a movie like good kid, m.A.A.d city did, but the seamless interlocking dramas contained here feels filmic nonetheless, and a variety of characters appear across the album’s soundscape.

The opener, “Wesley’s Theory”, turns the public downfall of Wesley Snipes into a kind of parable. Snoop Dogg drops by on “Institutionalized”; Dr. Dre himself phones in on “Wesley”. The mood is wry, theatrical, chaotic, ironic, and mournful, often all at once; yet it all blends together effortlessly: On “For Free? (Interlude)” an impatient woman ticks off a laundry list of demands before Kendrick snaps back that “This …. ain’t free!” and roars through a history of black oppression, spoken-word style, definitely a highlight of the album.

The album is dotted with religious moments and analogies, like modern bible passages written by an urban man. God even appears in the guise of a homeless man in “How Much a Dollar Cost”, and closer “Mortal Man” ends on a lengthy, surreal dream interview with the ghost of 2Pac and Kendrick himself.

Donte’ Grant is a contributor to PSBPopCulture.com. He’s been a part of the team since playing pickup basketball with Clay at the Georgia Southern recreation center. Grant, a 10-year music industry veteran, a former A&R at Atlantic Records, Jeezy’s CTE label, and founder of TheOrganizedGrind. Follow him on IG @MuchoDineros and Twitter @dinerojones.

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