Keepin' It A Hundo

On Thanksgiving Eve I linked up with one of my closest friends, Mike Simmons aka Smooth aka Folio Sims aka Carpaccio. Mike runs a basketball program in Miami called Pro Day Academy where he specializes in player development. He’s as good as anybody in the game at what he does. We talked about his struggles growing up in South Central LA and how that has influenced him as a father. We talked about our love for basketball and how it took him from the hood to running the point for the University of Miami, next to a couple of future NBA players. And of course I had to ask him about his days as a ladies man on campus at The U. Palmolive, beef carpaccio, incense, hors d'oeuvres, Schea Cotton, & more.

To me she will always be the sister of my friend Too Tan Disco Dan, but to Yankee fans all over she is their connection to the team. For 7 years, Meredith Marakovits has been the clubhouse reporter for the New York Yankees on the Yes Network. She has worked her way up from the sidelines of arena football and minor league baseball to a stint with the Philadelphia 76ers and currently the Yankees. We examined her fortuitous career path, her dad's dance moves, and of course the time we played 2 on 2.

This conversation was recorded in an undisclosed location, under an agreement of anonymity. My guests included a 30-something year old bookie and his old-school "wiseguy" uncle. We discussed the legalization of sports gambling and its impact on their business. Uncle "Wiseguy" reminisced fondly about the time he went on trial for racketeering. And we even made a call to an associate of theirs to clarify a few things. Enjoy this conversation with a couple friends of ours.

The last time John "Shaky" Rains was on Keepin' It A Hundo he didn't hold back. He detailed his 40+ years living on the streets of Miami as a crack addict. He had recently stopped using and gained access to a homeless shelter. That was 6 months ago. We spent some time together last week to celebrate his birthday and discuss his current battle with addiction and his fight to stay off the streets.

Very few young men make it out out of Academy Homes, a housing project in Roxbury, Mass. Elton Tyler is one of the few. His story is not unlike many athletes that make it out of the hood, but the one thing that stands out about his story is he ended the cycle. His daughter Amina (my Goddaughter) will not grow up without a father, like he did. That is why I’m proud to call Elton Tyler my best friend, my brother. Sure, he was a great basketball player coming up in Boston, then at University of Miami, and eventually made a career playing professionally in Europe. And we have some great stories from years of hanging out, but a lot of those stories we can’t share on the podcast. Fortunately, some of them we can share. Here are those stories and the story of Elton Tyler.

I recently stopped by The Walbert Estate in Atlanta to talk to Mike Walbert about his company a3c aka All 3 Coasts. It's one of the premiere hip hop festivals in the world. This year the headliners include Wu-Tang Clan, Lil Wayne and Dipset. Last year, it was Nas. We talked about the growth of a3c and the direction it's headed, the influence ATL has had on hip hop, and of course how I will be on stage this year along with Jalen Rose when Wu-Tang performs at a3c.

James Caldwell is commonly referred to as a bounty hunter, but he would prefer to be called a fugitive recovery agent. I'm glad he's on my side because I don't want him coming after me. If you're not fortunate enough to be captured by James you can find him on the Netflix documentary series "Dope''. That's where I found him.

This is another story about an immigrant child that came to the US with nothing. Andrew Jang was adopted from an orphanage in South Korea by an American family. He was raised on a farm, in a rural town in Iowa, in a house full of adopted kids. This isn't exactly the recipe for a successful career in fashion. Despite his lack of interest in sports, his clothing line Adriaen Black fits and styles many of the top names in the NBA and NFL. He is a tailor, a stylist, an entrepreneur and a philanthropist. Last year he donated half a million dollars worth of coats to kids at public schools in the Bronx. It’s safe to say Andrew’s passion for helping less fortunate kids can be traced back to his hardscrabble upbringing.

"Fake it til u make it" is a popular saying. I did my best to try and keep up with Andrew in our conversation. Fashion and suit designing is not my forte. But I really enjoyed getting to know him and hearing his story. He’s an easy guy to root for. Here’s my conversation with my new friend Andrew Jang.

If there were more people in the world like Che Scott the world would be a better place. However, as we discuss in this weeks podcast, to live this way is very challenging. I would even go as far as saying he is living an alternative lifestyle. I have known Che since our days at the University of Miami. He has been preaching abstinence ever since and he has served as a great role model and motivator.

Che is a chaplain for the NBA, providing prayer services for the players at Miami Heat games. He has authored two books, including "I Like Girls: The New Guy Code". He is also known for his Ted Talk. In this episode we discuss how to add value to women, why it is important for him to lead by example, and how difficult it is to say "no" to a woman when she wants to get in his pants.

Now performing on the Keepin' It A Hundo mainstage is Diamond, a stripper/professional dancer. She shares stories about her life on and off the pole. From getting stalked by a customer to the best way to deposit a trash bag full of $1 bills at the local bank. Is there sex in the champagne room? Listen to my conversation to find out.