CRIMINAL MINDED MEDIA: SUPER FEED

In this bonus episode, Jimmy Rosemond speaks in depth about his relationship with Khalil Abdullah, a one-time friend who the government claimed was his lieutenant in The Rosemond Organization.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

‘Stringbean' is a long-time acquaintance I had been associated with many years before the start of this adventure, which commenced in the mid-seventies. Having been affiliated with a small air charter business, I had become a pilot in the early 60’s and had been an influence on Stringbean’s learning to fly. He used his skills basically to smuggle Mexican pot into Southern California where we both resided While I initially used my flying skills in honest work; I too would become a pot smuggler.

At this particular point in time, Stringbean was flying for a dealer called ‘Poppa Charley.’ Stringbean introduced me to Poppa & his girlfriend that I will refer to as ‘Mom.’  She & I lived in the same neighborhood of Huntington Beach. Mom was a flamboyant lady who loved to party, do drugs socially, and hang out with drug dealers & smugglers. Long-term relationships were difficult for her to maintain, having been married 8 times & giving birth to 3 children. One of her children was Sheldon.

Before meeting Sheldon, I had been a failure with the ladies. I was a liar, a cheat & a playboy. I tried & tried to live out the customary roles society expected of me with conventional jobs & relationships, even marrying my high school sweetheart, but failed miserably because I was so unfulfilled.

I eventually came to realize I was allergic to traditional family life and the drudgery of the establishment, so much so, I abandoned my family, friends & acquaintances in my search for a higher quality of life.

During my smuggling career, I kept in touch with none of my family, making new acquaintances as my career progressed.” ~ Pilot Jack Reed

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The day has come and gone and we now know that Victor Wembenyama will most likely be drafted by the San Antonio Spurs, and then the journey starts. 

What I have been thinking a lot as of late, is the media’s role in myth building, in creating a narrative to feed the 24 Hour Sports News cycle with soundbyte after soundbyte, and different nuanced takes on the same topic, so Stephen A Smith can talk about Lebron James four hundred times throughout the course of one week of shows.

There is no one better at myth building than ESPN personality Brian Windhurst. 

A former beat writer for the Cleveland Caviliers, it appeared for many years that Brian Windhurst was the Lebron whisperer, breaking stories out of Cleveland, as Lebron James became a mega superstar. Windhurst a very talented journalist and savvy operator for lack of a better term rode the coattails of Lebron into an NBA Insider and media superstar, where his knowledge and expertise is pursued across the league, and defintely on ESPN.

This past week in following the Wemby news, I wasn’t surprised to see a very long think piece written by Windhurst on Wemby, the byline was from Paris France, where Windhurst had traveled to for 24 hours to get a byte from Wemby after the draft lottery.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legal battle between Yuga Labs and Ryder Ripps and Jeremy Cahan, has come to a conclusion, all the bolstering and posturing of Ryder Ripps around his theories of the Bored Ape Yacht Club has hit a legal precedent.

For me, a legal precedent, really means nothing other than Ryder was trying to poke the proverbial bear in the Bored Ape Yacht Club leadership, the sheer fact that it has gone this far says something.

In The lawsuit Yuga Labs accused Ryder of trademark infringement over a parody of BAYC’s non-fungible token (NFT) collection.

On Friday, a California court said that Yuga was entitled to protect the BAYC trademark and that Ripps and Cahen’s project, known as RR/BAYC, isn’t artistic expression protected by the First Amendment.

“Defendants’ sale of RR/BAYC NFTs is no more artistic than the sale of a counterfeit handbag,” wrote US District Judge John Walter in a summary judgment.

To me the judgement seems shortsighted, it seems like a judgment made without understanding the nuances or the fundamentals of NFTs and Ryders argument. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jimmy Rosemond talks about the LA Times printing a false story and the implications on his life and career, and perception vs. reality inside the business of Hip-Hop music.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2007, Jimmy Rosemond sent an email to all his co-workers expressing disappointment at not securing a new venture as VP of Urban Music at Virgin records.

Don Sikorski breaks down the email and the implications on Jimmy’s career trajectory.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Norman's Cay is an island 210 miles of the Florida Coast in the Bahamas Exuma chain.

Having gained notoriety in the late 70s as a staging point for drug smuggling, Norman's Cay was immortalized in Blow, a 2001 motion picture starring Johnny Depp.

From '78 through '82, Norman's Cay was the epicenter of the world's largest smuggling operation. It was the tropical playground of drug czar Carlos Lehder, partner to Pablo Escobar, founder of the Medellin Cartel.

Cocaine was flown in from Columbia by private aircraft, then reloaded into other aircraft, and flown to locations in Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas.

We continue tracking MayCay's story as she encounters the world of Norman's Cay and its nefarious inhabitants.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Show host and basketball expert Don Sikorski returns to take his rightful place at the sports desk.

He's back with a vengeance taking The Greek to task!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When I started to research, and dive into the Bored Ape story, I have to admit, while the founders of the Apes seemed mysterious, to me the more interesting aspect and character was Ryder Ripps.

I got the sense, that he was smart enough and understood the technology behind NFT’s and the blockchain enough, that he could explain this complex world, and also call bullshit, as I mined the caverns of the Internet for audio, this interview with Ryder, was a hidden gem of archival, it was honest, and had foresight, and as this story ebbs and flows week to week, I am sure at some point I will bring Ryder on board for an interview.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Bonus Episode contains unedited phone calls with James Rosemond discussing an article written by Ethan Brown, and the various issues with the federal CCE Charge (Continuing Criminal Enterprise).

Often referred to as the "Kingpin Statute," this law targets individuals and organizations that traffic controlled substances on a large scale.

A first-time conviction under CCE could land you 20 years to life in federal prison.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices