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#1 CHH MUSIC, CULTURE, FASHION AND SPORTS INSIGHT MAGAZINE
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Contents April 2021
This month RYZE Magazine presents to some and introduces to others TRACKSTARZ, the insightful music trio based in Atlanta, GA— creators of Nectar, a distribution outlet made by the culture for the culture, and radio/podcast hosts. We chop it up with Jered Sanders, Big Breeze, and B.R.I.G.H.T., as well as Jerrell Golden, and Ken Surry. Along with the ultimate breakdown of the biggest faithbased festival on the planet — that’s right The 20/20 Fest is Happening!...we’re serious about this CHH thing, sharing all of the music insight and charts you can handle.
INCOMING 23 Ken Surry 29 Jerrell Golden Artists on the RYZE 33 Big Breeze 39 B.R.I.G.H.T. Cover Story 44 TRACKSTARZ Feature Stories 57 Jered Sanders 64 THIS IS TBL 70 20/20 FEST The Charts 6 RYZE New Music Playlist 79 Internet CHH Charts 80 Hot CHH Single Charts
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WE’VE ALL DREAMT DREAMS we thought were impossible. Yet, in some ways, they were if done in our strength—the thought of owning businesses and labels or producing videos and records, for some, even graduating college during this pandemic, seemed astronomical. The list could honestly go on and on, but never could I imagine ALL of the many blessings that our GOD has bestowed upon me, us, and the vision of the ELEV8 Media / Entertainment Group conglomerate. RYZE Magazine started as an outlet to share stories and more insight on the woes of an ever-changing industry... but here I am, here we are together RYZING and doing more than we could have ever imagined! Today we stand in ahh with the newly released song “THIS IS TBL,” created in partnership with The Basketball League (TBL), in association with NTPR Agency and Management Group at the helm of navigating relationships. God’s House of Hip Hop (GH3) bringing the pieces together in a fantastic lineup of artists and producers. The power player list of artistry includes— Lamontt Blackshire x Emcee N.I.C.E., x DaLomonze, Sam Peezy, and Spechouse, who all did a phenomenal job captivating the necessary anthemic vibe for the professional leagues’ team anthem. Did I mention we’re just getting started? The TBL video is shortly upon us, and we can’t say enough about the visionary behind the lens in the person of Mr. Jimmie Ball and his crew. Jered Sanders stopped by to share some much-needed insight for up-and-coming artists who’d like to be effective in this music. And last but certainly not least, we’d like to officially welcome TRACKSTARZ— to the RYZE Magzine family; we’re on to something. Do miss it; you must be connected; there’s so much more in store.
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Ken Surry’s adoration for hip-hop has helped him transition from the streets to an actual relationship with Christ. Choppy life experiences caused him to lean into the soundtrack of life and come out liberated as a believer, minister, and artist. Here, Ken shares a bit more into his life as an artist returning to the stage. RYZE: Start from the beginning; who is Ken Surry? Trapper turned preacher. A young man who went hard for the streets and gangs, going harder for Jesus Christ because of His love for me. RYZE: What goes through your mind when you minister/perform on stage? This is war. I understand that there’s a spiritual war going on, and the devil doesn’t want me to gain any ground, so it’s a fight from the onset. Anytime I open my mouth, chains break, and demons scatter, souls are delivered and set free because the Holy Ghost gives me power, and He can’t be stopped nor intimidated. RYZE: What’s one of your most memorable experiences? Ministering on the Bobby Jones show which airs on The WORD Network across multiple channels on my birthday. It was an experience in that I certainly don’t look like a performer for the show. I was asked to wait, and several hours passed. I was upset and discouraged. But once I got in my element, the crowd got with me. I found myself amongst believers exchanging info and photos. RYZE: What’s your prayer for the Church today? I pray we’ll be ready! As the song says, 99 and 1/2 won’t do. We have to understand that GOD loves us and HE’s faithful and just to forgive, but we must repent and ask for forgiveness and be transparent. The LORD knows, and HE still cares for us. So let’s not take HIM for granted.
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JERRELL GOLDEN If it had not been for a direct heart change from the LORD GOD, Himself Jerrell Golden, the rapper would not exist. A car crash that should have left him mangled and possibly handicapped gave him a testimony about the resurrection power of our Savior. At that moment, things became so clear, Jerrell wrote a song about it. A mixture of gratitude and instinct powered his initial forays into the genre. “I just want to share my story,” he says in an interview with RYZE. Eight years later, after the crash, Golden’s terse street tales make him a burgeoning CHH rapper. RYZE: So start from the beginning! Who is Jerrell Golden? I am a husband to an amazing wife, a father to three super dope kids, CEO of Imago Dei Records, but most importantly, a man after God’s heart. RYZE: Did you always grow up knowing you’d be a singer/ rapper? I’ve always had a passion for music in general. But, did necessarily know that I would become an artist myself....no..... however once the opportunity presented itself ? I felt as if it was meant to be. It was a natural thing to convey my feelings on a beat and make them rhyme. RYZE: How do you balance life? I have a song entitled “Balance” on my latest album named “Transparency.” In that song, I speak of my rollercoaster of struggles with balance. Only speaking for myself, I’ve come to realize that my balance in life is predicated on my devotion to God. Submitting myself to Him and following His lead automatically balances everything because I’m operating in His will. When I started grabbing the steering wheel is when I began having issues
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ance. RYZE: Tell us how you keep your world spinning. Talk about the team and your support system. My wife is amazing, patient, and supportive. My manager is strategic, determined, and focused. My God is greater. RYZE: What is the process behind writing your songs? It’s either the beat pours out the emotion or a specific circumstance forces out the feeling; either way, the Holy Spirit gives me exactly what needs to be said. RYZE: What goes through your mind when you perform/minister on stage? Make them feel what I feel. Anything less is not an option. RYZE: So talk about your most memorable experiences. My kids being born. All three were significant in their unique way. RYZE: What can we look forward to this year from you? A sharper sense of knowing who I am in Christ Jesus. Having that knowledge will bleed over into my music as well as my overall business.
RYZE: What’s your favorite song right now? Misconceptions by Da TRUTH RYZE: If you had a chance to collaborate with someone, who would it be? I like Miles Minnick’s vibe. I also like Da T.R.U.T.H’s lyrical abilities and kingdom approach. So it would be a toss-up between those two. RYZE: What are your other passions and interests? Playing basketball. RYZE: What is your prayer for the church today? My prayer for the church today is that we get back to reflecting the image of God; the Imago Dei. Granted, none of us will ever achieve mirroring Christ totally but living with a passion for pursuing His reflection is the key to seeing a genuine change in the world around us. Not only would that sharpen our characteristics, but it’ll also increase our faith, which will bring about the power needed to bring Heaven down to Earth. Focus on the Kingdom is what church should be about; anything other than that is a foundation built on sand.
RYZE: What would you tell the younger you that just started being active in ministry and the industry? First and foremost, let the industry be the industry. Second, as far as ministry is concerned, establish a personal and intimate relationship with Christ Jesus. Submitting yourself to His divine nature and authority over your life will allow everything else to flow naturally as you follow in His footprints. That will let your light shine bright in an industry that’s not always as Christ-like as we’d like it to be.
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TRACKSTARZ knows the music industry; to be clear, the CHH movement within the industry. They all have different perspectives on the same journey, but there’s no doubt about their hearts behind the movement. Meeting along the path of sharing the Gospel message delivered in CHH music, Ryan, Sean, and Jeremaya created an exact locale; an X marks the spot kind of flow with Trackstarz. Starting more than 15 years ago in a student-run radio station at Clark Atlanta, University, the guys never thought their clips from a four-hour set would span into a loyal fanbase. It’s safe to say the trio has seen the emergence of not only the CHH culture but its plateaus and valleys. Trackstarz Radio boasts of many exclusive interviews with elite artists, and some of the culture’s most hidden jewels, along with a finger on the pulse of the genre, news, reviews, and particular areas of exploration. Created under the guise of “If they (radio stations) won’t change the music that they’re playing, we’ll change it ourselves,” Trackstarz came forth. Birthed out of being utterly disgusted with the power of secular music, moving young listeners down a rabbit hole to hell. Here, Trackstarz discuss with us more insight on their current endeavors and what’s to come. RYZE: If the music was taking them to hell, then what’s happening now? (we all laughed with concern) Fifteen years strong, you’ve cultivated many relationships interviewed many of the Christian Hip-Hop culture’s successful artistry. Can you give a quick rundown of some of your guests that have gone on to be successful? Trackstarz: We’ve interviewed Lecrae’, Andy Mineo, Derek Minor, Emcee N.I.C.E.,
of course, Propaganda, Dee-1, Da-TRUTH, most of the Reach Label roster, Bizzle, Thisl, and Wande, to name a few. RYZE: And now you’ve started a subsidiary of Trackstarz, a distribution company comparable to, say, iTunes, TuneCore, and DistroKid, called Nectar. Can you share how it came to be, where you are currently, and what we can expect from you guys shortly? Trackstarz: Nectar started in 2017 during the release of both Jeremaya’s new album and our group project. We initially put the album out through CD Baby, and there was an error with the cover. CD Baby wouldn’t let us fix it. They responded to our request, “Once the album is out, it’s out.” And, I (Sean) started thinking to myself, that can’t be right; there has to be a way to fix that. So, I started researching our options and was like; you know what? I think I can figure out how to make a “CD Baby.” Like, all they’re doing is sending formatted files to outlets with graphics in the wav files, and Spotify puts them up, so I’m going to figure out how to get that going. And through that process, we established rapport with several companies, one in which we took on the responsibility of distributing their music, which led me to learn a great deal about distribution. The company worked through Sony, “The Orchard,” with the information exposure, I was like, I think we can be The Orchard! There’s nothing they’re doing that I can’t. So, we’ve signed deals with Spotify, iTunes, and Deezer direct through Merlin. They do independent deals with distribution companies and record labels. And then we started building up our platform. Today we’re to the point of full automation. We have several artists that we distribute now. The sky is truly the limit. We’ve been working over the last five years toward automation Vol. Vol. 2221 RYZEMagazine.com RYZEMagazine.com 4737
because everything was manual initially— sending out releases one at a time. Now, you send your release; we check to make sure all things are a go, and it gets sent out to all the DSPs. We created a state-of-the-art platform with detailed reporting, plus an option called Single Maximizer, where we assist with promoting the song, including sending out the music to a very detailed list of recipients. i.e., magazines, playlist curators, and extended outlets. Promotions are just as important as distributing the music because if no one knows about your new release, it won’t get heard. With Nectar, we focused on providing artists a platform they could dig into that produces the same options a signed artist has yet allows them to maintain complete control over this process. RYZE: How does Nectar compare to, say, DistroKid or TuneCore? Does it distribute to all of the same places? And, what’s the pricing differentiation compared to other platforms mentioned?
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Trackstarz: Nectar distributes t other sites do, and we’re competit did that purposefully and then w marketing and promotional servi their release and pre-order dates signup. The ultimate experience, ly commitment that includes pro cost and the Single Maximizer to press kit) usage as well, where art which include a direct link to the editors, or whomever they’d like. available at $19.99 a year. Of cour royalties.
RYZE: When you say promotio
Trackstarz: We promote the art platforms, which includes hundre
to the same places all of the tive in pricing to DistroKid. We went the extra mile in providing ices, allowing the artist to pick depending on the level chosen at Nectar Elite— has a $50 monthomotional services at no extra ool. We added an EPK (electronic tists can send out their EPK’s, eir catalog to anyone, be it radio, We also have a primary option rse, artists retain 100% of their
ons, what does that mean?
tist across ALL TRACKSTARZ eds of thousands of listeners, and
the Single Maximizer tool, which sends your music to thousands of media outlets that have many followers as well. Add we’re constantly adding to the list on a continuum. RYZE: DistroKid separates the money and pays it out to each individual. Does Nectar do the same? Trackstarz: We can; it’s not a built-in function just yet; we’re working diligently on this update. That’s the last nuance as far a functionality that differs right now. If someone requests the payout split, we can do it for them. But we’re working to make sure one can do it right from the platform portal. RYZE: Now, is that something you can find on the site? Trackstarz: Yes. RYZE: Is that included in what you pay, or is there another fee?
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Trackstarz: No, pricing is all-inclusive. You get sent everywhere for that introductory price. RYZE: How do you compete with TuneCore’s sync/music licensing and the TuneCore Community? Trackstarz: We have YouTube licensing, publishing, tracking, and we’re working toward establishing the necessary relationships and rapport to create those opportunities. RYZE: Nectar is a game-changer for Christian Hip Hop... and we’re dedicated to helping bring about more exposure. Trackstarz: (Jeremaya) Can I say one thing? Emcee N.I.C.E., you are putting us in a position to win as a culture. Trackstarz as well, but the overall culture of CHH to WIN! I don’t know if people realize that, and brotha, we are grateful for it. We’re thankful for it because even besides the 20/20 FEST, the stuff you have going is constantly working to help CHH reach the masses so that people can see it, and we salute you for that, bro. RYZE: (Emcee NICE.) I apRYZE Magazine and many to ignite the culture. Nectar is standing of distribution. And ness.
preciate that. I, along with others, are coming together going to open up a new underwe’re here to create aware-
RYZE: What opportunities what’s the process of being a
are available on the show, and part?
Trackstarz: We have a guest host spot for new artists or artists who our audience may not know, and a random interview might not be good because people may not click it. If they’re a guest host on the show with us, they’ll get to hear them talk about whatever we’re talking about and see them throughout the show. It’s an excellent opportunity to get to know our audience and our audience to know them. From then on, next time they see ‘em, they’re already family. For bookings, utilize the contact page. That will lead to a response email with the scheduler’s information; it’s a pretty simple process. RYZE: Where can readers find out more about you guys? Trackstarz: You can find us on TRACKSTARZ.com and @trackstarz on all social media and YouTube as well. For Nectar, we can be located on our website nectardistro. com
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GOM’s Young Gunna, but also the Hope is Dope General— Jered Sanders is an artist who can lyrically hopscotch through rhymes and flows. His clever metaphors and witty observances compliment a rhyme scheme that few match, let alone live up to. However, that’s only a tiny portion of who he is as an artist. Jered’s journey to one of CHH’s most exciting record labels didn’t happen overnight. The artist we’ve come to know has many layers to his persona. We had an opportunity to sit with Jered and explore the space he currently occupies, along with exploration into what’s coming down the pipelines. RYZE: Salute, we got a general in the building— Jered Sanders, I want my bars to be like you when they grow up (laughing)... you are one of our favorite rappers in the game, period. You can undoubtedly hold yours with the best of them; you stand out. Jered Sanders: Appreciate it, appreciate it! RYZE: So, let’s get into it... tell us more about you. Who is Jered Sanders? Jered Sanders: I’m just a dude trying hard not to take himself too seriously, at this point cause my kids don’t care about the music (lol), and my wife wants me to be a husband, so she’s not worried about bars either. So I’m just trying to take everything I say seriously as far as on record, just trying to be a good Dad, husband, that kind of thing. The artistry piece is one of the things that go along with who I am. RYZE: Where are you from, initially? Jered Sanders: I was born in St. Petersburg, FL. I was born right across the bridge from Tampa Bay. 58 RYZE APRIL/MAY 2021
go, Buccaneers, we Superbowl Champions! (lol), yeap I’m from there, but I grew up most of my life in Virginia, though. We relocated there when I was about three years old, and I live here now. RYZE: So, how long you been rapping, man, and when did you take it seriously? Jered Sanders: You know it’s pretty funny; my first rap and project were probably done within a year of each other, like 2013— I haven’t been rapping as long. I was a singer; first, I didn’t rap at all. I liked rap listened to it. I appreciated it. The thing that got me into rap was I found it more challenging. Singing came naturally to me. I was writing songs for other people and stuff like that. But eventually, I got fascinated by rap. It became something I was interested in. Let me dive in and see what I could do; it turned into something I liked. RYZE: That was in 2013? Jered Sanders: Yeah RYZE: Man... 2013 until now? For you to have the bar game you have, that means the sky is the limit for you. You haven’t even really tapped in. You haven’t hit your stride yet. Jered Sanders: Nahh, it’s so crazy cause I got signed to an independent label, I’m singing the hooks, and one of the producers sent me a joint to do the hook for, and it had an open verse. I was like, you, I’m going to try this rapping thing. I could do this. So I put a verse on the record, and I sent it to them. The response was, “the hook is dope!” and I was like, “what about them raps, though?” The label owner was like, you know how Usher does the rap part on Nice and Slow? You sound like that. So that offended me, right.
RYZE: So, he said you were a singer-rapper, not a rapper, rapper? Jered Sanders: Yeah, yeah... we want to hear you sing; and I took that as a challenge. And at that point, I just immersed myself in rap (laughing). You not ever gone tell me I’m not nice ever again! And that’s when I became challenged to be a rapper, more than anything else. RYZE: Ahh, man, that’s dope! So you’re a singer too? Can we anticipate an R/B album from Jered Sanders? Jered Sanders: I would say so. The record I’m working on now is like 80, 90 to 10 singing to rapping. It has a lot more singing than rapping by az long shot. RYZE: Ahh, man, that’s something to look forward to. When’s that project dropping? Jered Sanders: It will probably be dropping this year in a couple of different parts. And my wife challenged me to do an R/B project as well. RYZE: Hope is Dope, your apparel line. Can you tell us a bit about that? Jered Sanders: The brand idea comes from a thought I had about messaging when I first came out. I called my music Hope Hop. But, my daughter’s name is Hope as well. And, I put out a project called Hope is Dope. It’s a double entendre, part of it was obviously hope in Christ, but it was also like, yo, I got a kid, and she’s talkative, she brings a lot of energy and life to the conversation, she inspires me to be a great Dad. So, from that point on, I told the designers I wanted a dope symbol that would be a declaration like a Dove; yeah, let’s put a red exclamation point to make a statement that supersedes me as an artist— Hope is Dope! Vol. 22 RYZEMagazine.com 59
RYZE: Let’s talk strategy. What are your thoughts on moving progressively when releasing new music? Jered Sanders: I always consider how to approach the industry because it’s so fluid, and it changes so consistently. You have people who are event-based album artists who have these 6-8 week roll-outs and build and build and build. I realized philosophically that when people do that, everything you do is built on one day. But, after that one day, it’s like that’s it, so for me, I decided to make small announcements, with entertainment, and then drop the song like here it goes and watched how the people responded. I got more responses from the mixtapes than the albums, and we spent way more money on the album. Content is king now when it comes to roll-outs. I was like, let’s do five-one-take videos, drop the mixtape on Friday, and see what happens. I think, like, within four days, I was up 1000 followers. I dropped the videos, and the count within a month was up 150K views. In contrast, others drop one video and then try to drive the numbers up. I’m like, what difference does it make? It’s still 150K views. Derek Minor gave me this idea. I’ll always give him credit— he said if I get a million streams from dropping four projects or get a million streams from dropping one project, it’s still a million streams. It doesn’t matter how you get it, so long as you get it. I’m learning I’m more a release in a kind of spur person because this is the era we’re in now on demand. So when people are interested in something, they want it. RYZE: For artists who aren’t sought after like you, how can they get people to buy into their artistry? Jered Sanders: As a new artist, focus on the people who do rock wit you first. I think many people try to cast a wide net in the ocean and the tricky part about that is being direct is probably more effective for somebody who doesn’t have a lot of fans. Catch the rest of the interview on RYZEMagazine.com
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A Very Good League and A Remarkable TBL Experience by Ernest Ricks Fans in Shreveport welcomed home a professional basketball club for the first time since 2015. Local fans in the Shreveport area missed their beloved Mavericks, and for what can be expected in this Covid-19 era, it showed. Mavericks’ fans have not seen their team in Shreveport since the Mavericks headed to Owensboro, Kentucky, in 2015. Before their departure in 2015, the Shreveport-Bossier City Mavericks won two championships with a perfect record of 66-0, led by head coach Steve Tucker. However, after nearly two seasons in the Premier League, their time in Kentucky came to an end in 2017. On April 5th, the Mavericks announced their schedule to make their return to Shreveport. Since their time in the ABA, the Mavericks are undefeated, with a record that stood at 50-0. So fans were happy to welcome back their champions. Local Radio host Joseph Kelly of Magic 102.9 said, “Oh yeah, that was my team when they were here, and when I heard they were coming back, I was very excited.” With all the anticipation of their return and the excitement in the building, The Shreveport Mavericks did not disappoint. In the LSU-Shreveport Gymnasium “The Gold Gym,” the Mavericks hosted the Dallas Skyline. The game was a rematch of their game in Dallas, Texas, where the Mavericks defeated the Skyline 97-93. The game was not nearly as close this time around as the Mavericks dominated the Skyline from start to finish. Mavericks star Devin White said, “We figured out our strong points and their weak points, and we exploited them, they were small, and they have a good guard, we had to take him out of the game. We did that, and it worked to our favor.” White spoke about the pressure they applied to the Skyline and how one of the strategies going into the game was to make the Skyline feel uncomfortable. Skyline Head Coach Angela Davidson Weathers, the first female head coach of a TBL team, echoed White’s
assessment stating that Mavericks applied a full-court press and they also did an excellent job of “packing it in” when their top scorer had the ball. The Mavericks fans did their part in making the Skyline feel uncomfortable as well. Throughout the contest, fans cheered loudly for their home team as the Mavericks racked up points. Late in the game, after the Mavericks missed several threepoint shot attempts, the Mavericks’ Power Forward Devin White finally hit one from deep, and the crowd erupted. The Skyline, moments later, after experiencing the same lack of success from deep, finally hit a three-point attempt, and there was dead silence. It felt very much like a home game, and the Mavericks felt the support. White stated, “When you know you got somebody on your back, people supporting you, pushing you going forward, it gives you an extra boost of confidence to know that they right there with you.” Coach Weathers noticed the home-court advantage as well, “We got a lot of (physical) contact early on with our top scorer, and we didn’t get the same calls on the other end, and that takes a toll on you as a player, but no excuses, we got to match up…” The Skyline will get their chance to avenge the loss on May 28th in Shreveport. Coach Weathers is looking forward to the matchup, stating, “The only place to go from here is up, we’re going to regroup as a staff … we go back to the drawing table, and we know we have to average more than 99 points and have fewer turnovers to win in this league. TBL is an outstanding league.” Here are a few quick notes and takeaways from our very first TBL experience. The game was fast-paced, and the players were ultra-athletic; there were multiple dunks, and there was even a successful three-point attempt from half-court. The game got away from the Skyline pretty quickly, but they mounted a comeback towards the end. That comeback was thwartVol. 22 RYZEMagazine.com 65
thwarted by a three-point shot made by White in the waning moments of the 4th quarter. White stated, “that was the closer that was the finisher, we put the nail in the coffin, got them out of here… The three was Ball Game”. The three-point attempt was one of many by both teams, but as stated earlier, one of the few successful attempts, as both teams struggled mightily from the three-point range. As far as the atmosphere goes, the gym atmosphere felt energetic and intimate; it had the feeling of a minor college program’s home basketball game. The music selection was excellent, and the crowd enjoyed the playlist. The Mavericks’ first home game had the look of an actual professional home game with announcers, cheerleaders, dancers, and multiple giveaways during the game. The crowd was very diverse in terms of ages and ethnicity, as many families were out to support their sons in their home debut. Multiple stars were in the building, including part team owner and former LSU/Houston Rockets star Stromile Swift; female football superstar and Instagram sensation, Santia Deck, was also in attendance supporting the TBL and promoting her new shoe line “Tronus.” Ms. Deck mentioned how much she enjoyed the game and the multiple events taking place in the Shreveport area that night. The Mavericks also hosted an after-party following the game for their fans at a nearby venue. Another thing of note was the passion of the players. Players are competitive, hungry, and are striving for a championship in this league. Mavericks’ 32-year old Devin White, who has 66 RYZE APRIL/MAY 2021
bounced around to several professional leagues after leaving Northwestern State, stated, “(A Championship) that’s the goal, I don’t care what level you play on, if you not playing for a championship, you might as well pack it up and end your season… If you don’t want to win, this ain’t it for you.” In essence, it was a wonderful experience, a great family outing, and an incredible atmosphere. Fans with a nearby TBL team should take full advantage of the opportunity to watch professional, fast-paced, high-quality basketball in an intimate and engaging setting. For fans in Shreveport, Louisiana, Mavericks part-owner Stromile Swift has every desire to make this season a memorable one for the city of Shreveport. Swift stated, “I just want to bring a good product to the city, be able to come out and watch some good basketball. Hopefully, the city can get behind it and support it, and hopefully, we’ll continue to do well.”
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Faith Without Works Is
DEAD
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