Jamal James’ Work With Circle Of Discipline Uplifts Minneapolis 

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Jamal James’ Work With Circle Of Discipline Uplifts Minneapolis 

By Lem Satterfield

During the chaos following the police-involved deaths of George Floyd and Duante Wright, Jamal James and his Circle Of Discipline have been a source of refuge and hope for many in his native Minneapolis, Minnesota.

James’ community engagement started years earlier but became more focused amid community protests and racial unrest in the wake of the killings of the two black men — Floyd in May 2020, and Wright in April of this year.

Jamal James (right) won a unanimous decision over title challenger Abel Ramos at the Minneapolis Armory in April 2018, with several youths from the Circle Of Discipline watching from ringside. (Premier Boxing Champions)

James, the current WBA welterweight champion, lives and trains in the neighborhood where Floyd died at the hands of police, and near Brooklyn Center where a police officer shot Wright.

Former officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced in June to 22½ years for Floyd’s death. Former officer Kim Potter, who fatally shot Wright after mistaking her gun for a Taser, is scheduled to go to trial Nov. 30.

Wright, 20, was a friend of James’ younger brother, Xavier.

“My little brother’s best friend got killed by the police officer who said she thought she was reaching for her Taser,” said James. “Talking to my little brother, I could hear the pain in his voice because he [Wright] had just helped my brother move into his apartment. Everybody was angry and frustrated, and I felt the same way. There’s a lot of healing that needs to take place.”

James trained amid unrest in the Minneapolis streets, winning his last fight in August 2020 in Los Angeles n a 12-round unanimous decision over Thomas Dulorme to earn his crown.

“Dulorme was three months after George Floyd’s killing, which was right down the street from where I live and where I do my roadwork,” said James. “I literally go to the coffee shop across the street [from where the killing occurred]. My grandmother had passed away while I was training for the fight, which was my first fight back in 13 months in the middle of the COVID pandemic.

“When the city was burning, smoke was coming in through the windows, and you could hear the shots being fired and there was teargas.  People were breaking into all sorts of businesses, looting, vandalizing. There were a lot of different things happening at once, but my goal was to win a title, so life has to go on. We had to stay focused in order to come back with that title.”

Drawing on his experiences in both the ring and life, James has been a longtime mentor of youngsters at the Circle Of Discipline, a nonprofit community-outreach center offering life lessons, activities and stability for inner-city youths. During periods of social unrest, the Circle Of Discipline’s venue serves as a food bank and refuge.

“Our building was right off of Lake Street where all the buildings were being torn down [after they were set afire during protests over Floyd’s death], but nobody touched our facility,” said James. “Our board and staff had a meeting about how and what we could do to help make things a little more positive, so we did a food drive and organized business cleanups. It was great to see random people in the community showing up to help.”

“When I’m in the ring, I want these kids to see that I put it all on the line so that they’re willing to find that extra strength in life,” said WBA welterweight champion Jamal James. (Premier Boxing Champions)

James’ mother took him to the Circle Of Discipline boxing gym as a 5-year-old to channel the youngster’s aggression and temper and to keep him off the streets. James met Shankara Frazier, who would later become his stepfather, along with stepbrother and co-trainer Adonis Frazier, who remains in James’ corner.

“One time a kid who was more experienced than Jamal got the better of him, and Jamal jumped the boy, took his headgear off and tried to choke the kid,” said Frazier.

Jamal would whine and complain about doing certain things,” said Shankara Frazier. “I would tell him to cut that whining out, not so much for the purpose of learning boxing, but to get Jamal to understand at that age what work ethic and discipline was about. He could hardly hold his arms up when he had the big gloves on.”

At 10-years-old, James began an amateur career comprising more than 150 fights, a No. 1 ranking at 141 pounds by USA Boxing, and a runner-up finish in the 2009 national Golden Gloves competition.

James made his professional debut in May 2010 with a third-round TKO of Justin Danforth, taking the nickname “Shango” from his grandfather, Aldric Peter Nelson, who founded the Minneapolis-based world-beat band Shangoya in the early 1970s. “Shango” is also the name of the African god of fire, lightning and thunder.

“When you grow up in a tough neighborhood, you encounter all kinds of crazy situations. I’ve watched my father deal with a lot of guys who were deep into gangs or guys who’ve come from real broken homes,” said James. “Their fathers may have been abusive or their mothers just really didn’t care about them. They were out acting wild in the streets, and they really just changed their lives around.”

Many of those kids were ringside at the Minneapolis Armory to watch James fight there four times: winning a 10-round unanimous decision over title challenger Abel Ramos in April 2018; a second-round knockout of Mahonry Montes in August 2018; a sixth-round stoppage of Janer Gonzalez in February 2019; and a 10-round unanimous decision over former champion Antonio DeMarco in July 2019.

The 6-foot-2 James (27-1, 12 KOs) makes the initial defense of his crown on Oct. 30 against Radzhab Butaev (13-0, 10 KOs), a 27-year-old Russian he’ll face at Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas.

“When I’m in the ring, I want these kids to see that I put it all on the line so that they’re willing to find that extra strength in life. Boxing is one of those perfect things that draws kids in,” said James. “Because it’s really going to test how strong you think you are, mentally and physically. They’ve got all that extra energy, and they don’t know what to do with it, but they still have a warrior-type heart.”

James credits one of the armory’s owners, Rich Richardson, for his assistance in organizing events there.

“A lot of young men and women we serve come from low income communities,” said James. “One of my favorite trips was to take them on a tour of the armory with some of their parents who came along as chaperones. They were given a rundown of what it’s used for and what it takes to run a business like that.”

Celso Ramirez met James as a 6-year-old, when his father brought him to the Circle Of Discipline. Now 24, Ramirez is 7-1-1 (7 KOs) having competed professionally at 145¼ to 152¾ pounds.

“I was coming home with black eyes after being bullied in school, and my father wanted me to learn how to defend myself,” said Ramirez.  “I met Jamal on the first day, and he was gentle and welcoming to me. He taught me that boxing’s not forever, so now I have my own business, Chana Lawn And Snow, doing lawns and snow removal.”

In February, James spoke to the Minneapolis Public School District’s Counselor and Coordinator gathering, which “serves all grade levels with a vision to make all students college and career-ready,” said George Terry Jr., an assistant principal at Nellie Stone Johnson Community School in North Minneapolis.

“We invited Shango to speak to our high school seniors across the district about his journey in boxing and how he has managed to overcome adversity and reach his dreams of becoming a championship boxer. Jamal spoke to staff and students about the Circle Of Discipline’s mission to empower underrepresented community members by providing greater access to opportunities,” said Terry, the area’s Gear Up College and Career Coordinator at the time.

“I can see his passion for working with underrepresented youth and why he’s a role model for the city of Minneapolis and the sport of boxing.  I think it is important for our students to dream big like Jamal because they too can accomplish their goals with discipline and hard work.

“I would love to see Jamal come out to Nellie Stone Johnson and speak with my younger students and families so his story and success can inspire them. We also have a room in our building with a heavy bag that students can use to blow off some steam.”

Jamal James (left) defeated Thomas Dulorme by unanimous decision in August 2020 to earn the WBA’s vacant welterweight title. (Premier Boxing Champions)

James hopes to relocate the Circle Of Discipline to a new location in November, in a facility paid for by fundraisers and grants.

“With the new location closer to the University of Minneapolis, we’ll have a main gym area with much more space, nice, new equipment, an upstairs area with a conference room, computers, an arts and craft area and a library with more books. They’ll have to do their schoolwork before working out.

“Next door to us, they’re opening a music studio, and we’re hoping to form a partnership with them as well. We do a leadership group every Saturday teaching life lessons like creating a budget, saving money, having good credit and forming good relationships,” said James.

“I’d like to get two or three more 15-passenger vans so that we can transport young men and women living in tough neighborhoods because some parents don’t have cars, and riding the bus can be dangerous going home at night. We want to both bring in guest speakers and take them out to places to see people doing things in real life, and hopefully, once a year, we can take them on a trip out of the country. It’s very rare that some of them get out of the city or state, let alone out of the country.”

Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Judith Isacoff



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VIDEO: Powered Exoskeleton Helps Lower-Limb Amputees Walk

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VIDEO: Powered Exoskeleton Helps Lower-Limb Amputees Walk

By Martin M Barillas

A 74-year-old man who lost his left leg in an accident “felt like a big wind was behind” him, “pushing” him down the road as he walked with the help of an experimental exoskeleton that controls itself with artificial intelligence (AI).

Stan Schaar was one of a half-dozen lower-limb amputees participating in a study by a University of Utah team led by Professor Tommaso Lenzi at the Bionic Engineering Lab. Using strong battery-powered electric motors and embedded microprocessors, the exoskeleton wraps around the wearer’s legs, giving an amputee a chance to walk with less effort.

Amputation above the knee involves removing leg muscles during surgery, thereby reducing mobility and quality of life of amputees. “The consequence of this, even though you have the ability to move your hip, is your abilities in walking are quite impaired,” Lenzi said, adding that strength and range of motion are also affected.

Because prosthetic legs cannot replicate a human leg entirely, above-knee amputees must make greater exertion while using their remaining limb and muscles to compensate. Featuring a lightweight electromechanical actuator connected to the user’s thigh above the amputation, Lenzi team’s device aims to make walking feel natural. The device, which weighs a little more than five pounds, is composed of carbon-fiber, plastic composites and aluminum.

Electronics, microcontrollers and sensors use advanced control algorithms in the exoskeleton’s AI to assist “how the person moves,” study co-author Dante Archangeli said. The actuator can be swapped between the right and left of the waist harness for either leg and can restore much of the wearer’s sensation of walking on two healthy legs.

Unlike the powered suits of Hollywood movies, the exoskeleton just gives the user enough extra power for walking. Lenzi likened it to motorized bicycles that give riders help pedaling uphill. “It’s equivalent to taking off a 26-pound backpack. That is a really big improvement,” Lenzi said. With the exoskeleton, users’ metabolic rate is nearly identical to that of an able-bodied person.

Amputee Schaar said using the exoskeleton felt similar to his human leg. On first use, he felt as if his muscles were fused to the exoskeleton, helping him to relax and move forward. “I could probably walk for miles with this thing on because it was helping my muscles move,” Schaar said.

Lenzi said the exoskeleton may be on the market in two years. A grant from the U.S. Department of Defense funded its development for military veterans, and Lenzi received another grant earlier this year from the National Science Foundation for improvements to the device.

Edited by Richard Pretorius and Kristen Butler



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Comedy Series ‘Acapulco’ To Premiere On Apple TV+ 

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Comedy Series ‘Acapulco’ To Premiere On Apple TV+ 

By Cesar Arredondo

Those who liked the movie “How to Be a Latin Lover” may want to tune in to Apple TV+’s upcoming “Acapulco” series.

It is inspired by the comedy film starring Eugenio Derbez, one of the top Mexican commodities in Hollywood, who doubles as actor and filmmaker. The new streaming show, executive produced and starring Derbez, premieres on Oct. 8.

“Acapulco” is a prequel to the film. It features a younger Máximo played by Enrique Arrizon, a Mexican actor nominated for a Diosa de Plata award for his role in the 2017 drama “Las Hijas de Abril.”

 

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A post shared by Eugenio Derbez (@ederbez)

In a journey back to the 1980s, the new series tells the story of 20something Máximo, who dreams of working as a cabana boy at the hottest resort in the Mexican port of Acapulco. However, the gig is more complex than he thought.

To succeed, Máximo must learn to navigate a demanding clientele, a mercurial mentor and a complicated home life, all while facing temptations to get the job done.

The true setting of the series was not Acapulco but the Mexican beach town of Puerto Vallarta.

Joining Derbez and Arrizon as part of the cast are newcomer Fernando Carsa, Damián Alcázar (“La Ley de Herodes”), Camila Perez (“Gotham”), Chord Overstreet (“Glee”), Vanessa Bauche (“Amores Perros”), Regina Reynoso (“Ahí te Encargo”), Jessica Collins (“Catch Me If You Can”) and Rafael Cebrián (“Narcos”).

Chris Spain and Jon Zack, who penned “How to Be a Latin Lover,” are credited as writers.

The show’s writing team includes Mara Vargas Jackson (“La Casa de las Flores”), Eduardo Cisneros (“Instructions Not Included”), Chris Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”), Jason Shuman (“Bangkok Dangerous”) and Austin Winsberg (“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”).

Series directors include an impressive combination of talent from both sides of the border. They are the Mexican Roberto Sneider (“Me Estás Matando,” “Susana”), along with some award-winning filmmakers who helmed acclaimed shows, like Jay Karas (“Superstore”), Tristram Shapeero (“Community”) and Dean Holland (“The Office”).

Also directing is Richard Shepard (“The Matador”).

‘Acapulco’ to Premiere on Apple TV+ was published in collaboration with LatinHeat Entertainment.

Edited by Gabriela Alejandra Olmos and Fern Siegel



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VIDEO: River Chance: Robber Rammed Two Police Cars And Tried To Swim To Freedom

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VIDEO: River Chance: Robber Rammed Two Police Cars And Tried To Swim To Freedom

By Joseph Golder

Here’s a fugitive from the law who wound up being all wet— literally.

Edward Sotelo, a fleeing robbery suspect in Florida, rammed his car into two police cruisers and later jumped into a river, all in a futile attempt to avoid capture.

The chase unfolded in Volusia County, Florida, on the afternoon of Oct. 13.

“The incident started shortly before 2 p.m. when a Daytona Beach Police Department officer assigned to the U.S. Marshals Task Force advised he was driving behind Sotelo, who had an active federal warrant for violation of probation on a prior armed robbery charge,” the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said.

In video of the chase shared by the sheriff’s department, Sotelo’s car is shown exiting the road and entering the parking lot of a gas station, where it rams into two police vehicles and gets wedged between them. But rather than surrender, he jockeys the car out from between the police vehicles and takes off.

Sotelo is then chased through the New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater areas, ditches his vehicle in a mobile home park and jumps into an inlet of the Intracoastal Waterway. He was in the water for nearly 20 minutes before reluctantly surrendering to officers on a U.S. Coast Guard boat. (A local boater helped to guide officers to the suspect.)

Edward A. Sotelo, who jumped in the Intracoastal Waterway while trying to escape the police, talking with an officer shortly before his surrender. (Volusia Sheriff’s Office/Zenger)

Sotelo had outstanding warrants in Orange County, Florida, for fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, grand theft and retail theft, and was identified as a suspect in a series of retail thefts across Florida, authorities said.

In addition to those warrants, Sotelo was charged by Volusia County authorities with aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude with property damage, aggravated battery and assault on a law enforcement officer, driving with a suspended license and resisting an officer without violence.

Sotelo’s car also contained a female passenger, who remained in the vehicle after he fled on foot. The woman, identified by authorities as Melissa Anderson, was taken into custody without further incident. She was found to have two active warrants issued in Brevard County for driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance. After searching her, Volusia County’s officers charged her with possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia, as well as resisting an officer without violence.

As of this posting, the two suspects remained in police custody in Volusia County. Sotelo is not eligible for bond while Anderson has a bond of $19,000.

Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Kristen Butler



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Dog Shot In Face While Helping To Protect Homeowners From Burglars

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Dog Shot In Face While Helping To Protect Homeowners From Burglars

By Joseph Golder

Kei is her homeowners’ hero after she took a bullet while helping to save them from burglars who invaded their home in Benoni, South Africa.

The Lamont family’s 2-year-old rescue dog was shot in the face while confronting burglars who broke into the home of Sarah and Warren Lamont on the morning of Oct. 10. When one of the gun-wielding invaders entered the bedroom occupied by Warren and his wife, Warren shot and killed the intruder.

Another of the Lamonts’ dogs, a tiny Biewer terrier named Holly, also rushed to try to ward off the burglars. Sadly, Sarah Lamont said, Holly was shot and killed by one of the intruders.

Sarah Lamont said that she and her family are still traumatized by the events, but she said she is very grateful to her two dogs for having been so brave.

Kei is doing well after major surgery on her jaw. (Boksburg SPCA/Zenger)

“My Holly died being a hero and Kei is a hero because she continued attacking the intruder despite her injuries.”

The burglars apparently were drawn to the Lamonts’ house because they heard the alarm going off. The Lamonts had been working on the home alarm system, which had been struck by lightning, Sarah Lamont said.

She said she and Warren were in their bedroom, and their daughter, Jordan, 13, was in her bedroom at the time of the home invasion.

Lamont said they heard a noise downstairs, but before they could investigate, one of the home invaders made his way up the stairs. At Jordan’s bedroom, the burglar was met by Kei, who had been lying on the bed.

Sarah Lamont said that despite being shot, Kei bravely continued to fight the intruders at her home in Benoni, South Africa. (Boksburg SPCA/Zenger)

“Maybe she just wanted to stay with my daughter, because she was afraid that if she left her she would not be able to protect her. But you never know how a dog is thinking, you know? But in any case she is a true hero,” Sarah Lamont said.

Sarah Lamont said that despite being shot, Kei bravely continued to fight the intruders.

One of the men fled downstairs “still shooting all over the place,” Lamont said: “He actually jumped over the back wall and fled.”

Kei chased after him, despite her injuries, Lamont said.

Sarah Lamont said a fundraising campaign has been set up to pay for Kei’s treatment, which will be long and arduous, though veterinarians think she will make a full recovery. She said the response has been “wonderful,” and a local company has offered to pay for Kei’s rehabilitation.

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Kristen Butler



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Twins With Different Skin Tone Born In Mexico

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Twins With Different Skin Tone Born In Mexico

By Julio Guzmán

Ever Arturo and Luis Fernando are almost identical twins. They were born on Aug. 28, 2021, one minute apart. But they have one unusual and rare trait — while Ever has light skin, Luis has a darker one.

Arturo Vázquez and Diana Serrano, a young couple from Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, were looking forward to the birth, but surprised when they first saw their children.

“The twins were supposed to be identical, both in features and skin tone. At first, I did not give the issue much importance. Maybe their skin tone changes after the first hours, I thought,” Vázquez told Zenger.

“The doctor had told us it was a very rare twin pregnancy. He said they came in two different amniotic sacs, but shared a single placenta. In the 4D ultrasound, we saw that both twins had identical features. They also had more or less of the same weight at birth. We knew it was a different pregnancy, but we didn’t know that they were going to have different skin tones,” Serrano said.

Arturo Vázquez and Diana Serrano, the twins’ parents, with their children. (Courtesy of Arturo Vázquez)

There are different types of twin pregnancies, said Juan Velázquez, an obstetrician chemist caring for the couple at Hospital Angeles in Culiacán.

Monozygotic twins are the result of a division in the fertilized egg. In contrast, dizygotic twins come from two eggs fertilized by two sperms in the same pregnancy, producing two fetuses with different characteristics.

“We have to reproduce, but this is like a clone of procreation. That’s what these babies are. The fact that the zygote clones itself is called the bipartite factor, which is believed to be present in all pregnancies. What activates it is a mystery because these babies’ [particularity] is not associated with genetics. It is a sporadic case, fortuitous,” he told Zenger.

Both babies share certain traits of monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Doctors do not know yet whether they are a case of the former or the latter. But a genetic matching test would help clear up doubts, said Velázquez.

“Monozygotic twins are clones in the genetic level, but they can have retinal variation, fingerprints, nevi, moles. … Monozygotic twins are the least common. There is one case in every 3,000 pairs of twins,” he said.

“I believe they are monozygotic because they are same-sex twins. These guys have [the] same genetic material, but they have a variant: while one has dark skin, the other is white,” she said.

They are identical and at the same time, different. There are records of similar cases in other countries, but they tend to be rare. (Courtesy of Arturo Vázquez)

After 35.6 weeks of a high-risk pregnancy, the twins were delivered through Cesarean section.

The children’s skin tone became less important when the parents discovered that one baby had a medical complication. Ever Arturo, the light-skinned twin, caught a lung infection after breaking his amniotic sac. He was taken to another clinic, where he remained hospitalized for 26 days, 17 on an artificial ventilator.

“A baby with an iron lung has a serious condition. Doctors tell us he is receiving all the attention [he needs], but they cannot guarantee he will make it. At any moment, he might not resist,” Serrano said. At present, Ever is out of danger.

Both Vázquez and Serrano are enjoying their first children as a couple. They have five more children from previous relationships.

“I feel very happy and motivated. When you have a baby, you feel motivated. But when you have two, you feel more driven to tenderness.” said Vázquez. “You want to hug them, buy them the same things: two little suits, two pairs of shoes, etc.”

“It caught my attention that there are records of similar cases in other countries. We did not want Mexico to be left behind,” he said.

Translated by Gabriela Alejandra Olmos, Edited by Gabriela Alejandra Olmos and Fern Siegel



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VIDEO: I Can’t Bear This Cold Weather: Brown Bear Gets Ready For Hibernation

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VIDEO: I Can’t Bear This Cold Weather: Brown Bear Gets Ready For Hibernation

By Joseph Golder

A brown bear is spotted from a cruise ship as he strolls across a snow-covered Alaskan landscape in front of an 8-mile-long glacier as hibernation season approaches.

The scene was captured on video the Glacier Bay National Park in front of Lamplugh Glacier on Oct. 12.

After the sighting, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve announced “winter has arrived.”

In the video, the brown bear is easily visible against the white backdrop of snow and glacier.

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve posted the video on Facebook on Oct. 14 with the message: “Winter has arrived in Glacier Bay! A brown bear was easily spotted walking amongst the icebergs and snow covered terrain in front of Lamplugh Glacier.

“At park headquarters in Bartlett Cove, we’ve yet to see a snowflake, but only 50 miles north in glacier country, snow and ice abound.”

The park said “heavy snow distorts the distant bear as it walks from left to right through the scene” after walking across “snow-covered land strewn with icebergs in front of Lamplugh Glacier.”

The frozen wonderland of Alaska’s Glacier Bay area, with the Lamplugh Glacier in the background, is home to hundreds of brown bears. (Glacier Bay National Park/Zenger)

Brown bears hibernate between October and December. They typically dig a den that they may use for a number of consecutive years. They also hibernate in natural caves or rock fissures. They may cushion their dens with items such as moss, grass, leaves and ferns as the cold weather sets in.

“Most brown bears spend the winter hibernating in dens to avoid the cold weather and lack of abundant food sources,” the National Park Service website says. “During their winter slumber, bears’ bodies drop in body temperature, pulse rate, and respiration. Their bodies use the fat they stored in the summer as energy.

“Brown bears in the coldest parts of Alaska hibernate through the winter. Hibernation can last from five to eight months. Most bears hibernate, but bears in warmer areas, like Kodiak Island off Kenai Fjords National Park, may remain active throughout winter.

“During the winter denning period, pregnant Alaskan brown bears give birth. Like the Yellowstone grizzly, Alaskan brown bear cubs spend the rest of winter nursing and gaining weight to prepare to leave the den in the spring. Bears emerge from their dens in April or May.”

Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, is 8 miles long and leads north to the Johns Hopkins Inlet, 1.4 miles west of Ptarmigan Creek.

On June 28, 2016, a nearly 4,000-foot mountainside collapsed, causing a huge landslide that dropped millions of tons of rock and debris on Lamplugh Glacier. The landslide also left a 30-foot-long debris field on the surface.

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Kristen Butler



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Music And Movies Keep Nappy Roots’ Big V A Very Busy Man

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Music And Movies Keep Nappy Roots’ Big V A Very Busy Man

By Percy Lovell Crawford

Whether as Big V, his musical stage name, or Vito, his birth name used on movie sets, expect to see a lot of Vito “Big V” Tisdale, formerly of Kentucky-based Nappy Roots.

He is currently balancing the pursuit of a solo career while handling movie scripts. The musician and actor continues to spread his wings, tackling both occupations and using his time to live life and raise his kids since the COVID lockdown.

Back on the road and performing, Big V called on one of music’s most underrated gems, Urban Mystic, for his new single, “All On Me,” which will be released soon. V has also replaced a wild afro for a shiny bald head, but the deep, raspy voice that he is known for is still prevalent.

Zenger spoke with Big V, who compared Nappy Roots to The Temptations, highlights Urban Mystic’s talents, and much more.

Percy Crawford interviewed Vito “Big V” Tisdale for Zenger.

Zenger: You have been very busy. How is everything going?

Big V: Life is life! Life during COVID makes you realize what you got is what you got. Work it. I’m raising my kids, dropping a new record and just ready to get it.

Zenger: You are back on the road, booking shows and entertaining crowds. I’m sure that has been therapeutic for you.

Big V: You realize what the world means to you and what you mean to the world. You realize that people don’t have much time in this life, so you better start living and enjoying. Stop remembering pain. Start remembering the memories and have fun and create some more if you ain’t have enough. That’s what I’m back doing.

Zenger: You were recently on a film set of “Black And Blue Tears!” Continuously expanding the brand, I see.

Percy Crawford interviewed Vito “Big V” Tisdale for Zenger. (Heidi Malone/Zenger)

Big V: This is my fourth film since COVID. I’ve always been an actor. In high school and out of college, I was drama and theater. I just never had the avenues in Nappy Roots. Everybody just wanted music, and I never got into Vito [Tisdale]. After COVID really hit, I decided to lose 40 pounds, get back daddy built and really get with a voice that I kept hearing — “Where Were You,” by Urban Mystic. I was like, man… Lionel Richie, K-Ci Hailey and Anthony Hamilton all in one. Me being King of Hick-Hop, that country sound right after Nelly, that whole country movement. He had the sound Lionel Richie had with The Commodores; it was just time to bring that back.

Zenger: Urban Mystic is one of my favorite artists, definitely one of the most under-appreciated talents out there.

Big V: Oh my my, this boy a superstar, man. I said, I wouldn’t mind reintroducing myself as people know me, with another singer. This guy is a star in his own right. I hope he bless me. I’m back at home with my own production team now, with the acting, I have acted as a grandfather, I have acted as a gangster in “45 Seconds,” and that was a pretty good cast.

I felt like it was time to put some soul in these scripts. I have my own beat time back at the house, Kyng Of Da Beatz, shout out to Ralph [Mumford], J [Mel], Pat [Solomon], the whole family. I know I missed somebody, but y’all know I smoke. Just moving around, being on the music scene got me ready for the music.

Zenger: You still provide music with a message. “One Blunt” is deep and requires a level of intellect to follow. We don’t get that on a consistent basis these days.

Big V: I like to look at myself as a last hard-copy artist. I come from a time with no pro tools, CDs, I had a tape out. When you were an Atlantic [Records} artist and training to be that guy, you always stay true to yourself within your training. No matter how sounds change. I would talk to Busta [Rhymes] or Twista, and guys who came before me, and they were like, “Man, this is a rollercoaster. Be true to yourself.”

I watched it happen in front of my face when he (Twista) ran into Kanye [West]. Kanye reintroduced him on “Slow Jamz.” I have always been a conscious rapper. Just being in reality is what Nappy Roots was based on. Me being the big voice in that, and the songwriter for “Awnaw” and “Po’ Folks,” the bigger records that really had my influence as far as working class.

My mom twisted tobacco and my daddy was a garbage man, and I learned to count from a man in a wheelchair, so all the stories are just forever. All I know is a life of reality. My son is a [University of] Kentucky Wildcat. We kept it home when he was recruited by the big boys. We appreciate life, living and enjoying what we know.

Big V will soon release his first solo single, featuring Urban Mystic. (Kase) 

Zenger: Ask your son why they had to do that to my LSU Tigers last Saturday (laughing). [Kentucky’s football team beat LSU 42-21 on Oct. 9.]

Big V: (Laughing). You know SEC football. You already know how the tailgate was. I wore a loose shirt. Y’all got a down year, and we wanted to let ya’ll know it.

Zenger: You’re talking about keeping it at home, but I didn’t know rap music existed in Kentucky until Nappy Roots introduced me to it. That had to feel good to make that history happen being from a place not known for that type of content.

Big V: Yeah! I think if you’re a big game hunter, you know how the game hunters fly into a distant place where there is no road, there is no traffic or anything. You can find the biggest beast in the woods. When they figured out it was magic in St. Louis, and Nelly came out with, “Country Grammar,” to be the next phone call or the next ship out, you ask the A&R, “How did you find these boys? Why you signed these boys?”

Back then it was off the pure notion that they are going to be great or they not, off of somebody else’s word. Mike Caren said, “I heard a song by some songwriter that said, ridin’ on these country roads, I don’t know where to go, but I’m gonna ride… I gotsta ride these country roads.” He walked in the room, and he said, “Who wrote that?” I spit on the floor.

So, not to have a Dr. Dre or some big producer find us. To know that you swung that blow to get them right here, and to talk your craft over and over like Daniel-San and Mr. Miyagi [from “The Karate Kid” movies of the 1980s], and to still be relevant today, is like watching Aretha Franklin sing at the inauguration. Those other stars was out there when [Barack] Obama got into office, but they brought out the big fish. That old sewing machine that didn’t need pro tools.

Big V has several acting credits, including in the upcoming “45 Seconds.” (Kase)

Zenger: When can we expect the project with Urban Mystic and is this one feature or a collaborative album?

Big V: We are both independent and the sky is the view — it ain’t the limit. The single, “All On Me,” is done. We shot a piece of the video in Birmingham, [Alabama]. Shout out to Eugene’s Hot Chicken there. I can go down there just to eat (laughing).

We got this album, we got some ideas, and we both doing day parties and moving around and grinding. Right now, it’s just the single. We’re looking forward to making it do other situations. Within the next few weeks we will both have an EP ready. The single “All On Me,” will be printed up in a week or so. Urb is doing his thing. If you grew up in the ’80s it feels like Magic [Johnson] throwing it to [James] Worthy.

If you grew up in the ’90s, it feel like [Michael] Jordan just faded away against Isiah [Thomas] with Vinnie [Johnson] chasing him. If you’re a 2000 cat, The Mamba [Kobe Bryant]. It feels good, man. The song is like, “OK, I remember that feel.” Musiq Soulchild and Black Thought, 8Ball & MJG, that combination. Just to have that and to have some guys interested in moving it this way and moving it that way feels good. And it feels good to be back working at your craft. Shout out to Skinny [Deville] and the others, they still doing their thing with Nappy Roots. If you watch The Temptations, Skinny and Scales are like “Blue” [Melvin Franklin] and Otis [Williams], and here comes ole’ David Ruffin.

Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Judith Isacoff



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Shell Shocking: 15 Giant Galapagos Tortoises Found Slaughtered

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Shell Shocking: 15 Giant Galapagos Tortoises Found Slaughtered

By Peter Barker

Galápagos National Park rangers have discovered the remains of 15 giant tortoises in the wild in southern Isabela Island.

The tortoises were found in the remote Sierra Negra Volcano area on southern Isabela Island.

Most of the tortoises were killed “at an undetermined time,” but two are believed to have been killed recently, the Galápagos Conservancy said on Oct. 13.

The Galápagos National Park was established to protect giant tortoises. (Srdjan Mitrovic, Galápagos Conservancy/Zenger)

“The disturbing news follows on another report this year of 185 small tortoises found on March 29, 2021, in a suitcase at the Baltra Island airport being trafficked to the mainland for sale, as well as earlier reports: in 2018, 123 juvenile tortoises were stolen from the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center on Isabela Island,” the conservancy said, “and in 2017, 29 were taken from the same facility, some of which were later recovered in Piura, Perú.

“Together, these events could be evidence that Galápagos is becoming increasingly ensnared in the global wildlife trade, which takes a particularly heavy toll on turtle and tortoise species around the world.”

The conservancy said the tortoises are under constant threat of being killed and illegally exported, putting pressure on a species that has spent decades fighting to survive.

“The highly imperiled state of tortoises today on southern Isabela Island, caused by the historic destruction of tortoise populations by whalers and early colonists, has been difficult to reverse because poaching continues,” the conservancy said. “While only a few local residents still kill tortoises, local demand for tortoise meat and other tortoise products has escalated.

“With few tortoises remaining on the primary volcano affected — Sierra Negra, which once hosted the largest of all populations in Galápagos — this ongoing killing poses a major threat to the species’ continued existence.”

A giant tortoise eating on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos. (Bill Klipp, Galápagos Conservancy/Zenger)

The conservancy has spent the last decade providing resources and assistance to local authorities who are trying to protect tortoises from local hunters.

“However, these latest discoveries show that it is more urgent than ever to end the killing and trafficking of Giant Tortoises before they undermine the long-term trajectory of tortoise recovery. Galápagos Conservancy is stepping up our efforts to support the Galápagos National Park Directorate to find those responsible and end this despicable activity, forever.”

The Galápagos Conservancy is conducting an investigation into the 15 tortoise deaths.

Galápagos tortoises are the largest living species of tortoise in the world, weighing up to 919 pounds. They may live longer than 100 years.

The islands are well known because of the tortoises and other wildlife and also because of Charles Darwin’s use of the island to develop his theories about evolution.

Edited by Judith Isacoff and Kristen Butler



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VIDEO: Aaaah-Madillo Lizard Babies Charm Fans  

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VIDEO: Aaaah-Madillo Lizard Babies Charm Fans  

By Joseph Golder

Giant armored lizards have been born at the Tiergarten Schönbrunn zoo in Vienna, Austria.

The footage shows a newborn armadillo girdled lizard, which resembles a scaly, wingless dragon, biting its own tail and curling up into a ball while resting in the palm of a zookeeper’s hand.

The two reptiles, born Sept. 27, instinctively adopt this posture to protect their soft underbelly from potential predators.

The baby lizards are endemic to the desert areas on the western coast of South Africa.

“In Europe, there are currently only five zoos in which armadillo girdled lizards live. That the offspring are successful is something very special,” said Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck, the Schönbrunn Zoo director.

A newborn South African armadillo girdled lizard at the Vienna Zoo in Austria. (Daniel Zupanc/Zenger)

“With these lizards, the eggs develop in the mother’s body, where the young hatch and are born. Their spiky scales and defense strategy protect armadillo girdled lizards from natural predators, such as birds of prey and jackals, but not from humans,” the zoo said in a statement.”

“In 2016, for example, the adult animals were confiscated from a smuggler by customs at Vienna Schwechat Airport. For long-term care, the animals were brought to the Schönbrunn Zoo together with poisonous snakes, turtles and geckos.”

Armadillo girdled lizards can grow up to 7.8 inches in size. Its coloration varies from light brown, yellowish-brown to dark brown. At present, it is not known how large their population is in the wild, the zoo said.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature believes illegal trade represents an enormous threat to the species and sees an urgent need for action.

Two newborn South African armadillo girdled lizards, born in the Vienna Zoo on Sept. 27, are endemic to South Africa. (Daniel Zupanc/Zenger)

Armadillo girdled lizards primarily feed on insects and spiders, although they also eat plants. They are often fed crickets in captivity, but their most common prey in the wild are termites.

Both males and females have multiple partners in a single breeding season. Females do not lay eggs; they give birth to one or two live young.

The two South African armadillo girdled lizards live on plants and insects. Females do not lay eggs. They give birth to live young. (Tiergarten Schonbrunn/Zenger)

Like most lizards, they are most active during the day, hiding between cracks in rocks and small crevices. They communicate with each other by wagging their tails, bobbing their heads and flicking their tongues.

They tend to live in groups that range from 30 to 60 members, if not fewer. Males are known to be territorial toward other males that might challenge them for mating rights with the females.

The armadillo part of its name comes from the fact that it has scales along its back that are almost square and spines on its tail, which is a protection from predators when it rolls itself into a ball, just like an armadillo.

Edited by Fern Siegel and Kristen Butler



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