Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
The following is a paid podcast.iHeartRadio's hosting of this podcast constitutes neither an
endorsement of the products offered or theideas expressed. Welcome to a Moment of
Zen. Time to sit back andrelax. As model, actress, mentor
and super mom, Zen SAMs takesyou on a sexy and wild ride covering
(00:20):
the latest in film, fashion,pop culture, cryptocurrency, fintech, cannabis,
and entertainment from the millennial mom's perspective. Here's your host, Zen SAMs.
Hello, my beautiful Tri State area. Welcome to our one hundred and
fifty second episode. It's always apleasure to spend my time with you on
the airwaves. Thank you for listeningand interacting with me on social media.
(00:42):
That truly makes it all worthwhile.Make sure to follow me at Zen Sam's
That's Zen with an X, nota Z. And also remember that all
episodes of a Moment of Zen streamtwenty four to seven on Kathy Ireland worldwide,
your home TV and channel partners,and you can find us, of
course on our YouTube channel. Inour Hydration with Heart segment brought to you
(01:03):
by Once Upon a Coconut, we'refeaturing actor and writer Jonathan Sheck. Jonathan
exploded onto the scenes as one ofHollywood's most handsome leading men in Jocelyn Moorehouses
How to Make an American Quilt andTom Hanks says directorial debut That Thing You
Do back in nineteen ninety six.He joins me today to chat all about
Below Ridge, the series, whichis based on the successful twenty twenty film
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Blue Ridge. And This is asix episode procedural prime drama set in the
forbidden mountains of North Carolina, whereSheriff Justin Wise, a modern day Western
hero, endeavors to uphold the lawwhile living in this small Appalachian town.
Jonathan Sheck's performance, i will say, is probably going to be one of
(01:47):
his better ones in this leading role. He's going to join us to chat
all about that production and its premiereApril seventh on the Cowboy Way Channel.
Now up next, in our DiscoverYour Potential segment, brought to you by
Body Aligne, were joined by ournewest contributor, podcaster and host, Anna
Devere. Anna is joined by singerand performer Alex Boyer, known for his
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African infused music that has gained overone billion views on YouTube. They joined
me today the chat career, mentalhealth crisis and the power of music.
In the scandal's segment, brought toyou by Your Home TV and their channel
partners, were featuring Imran Ansari ofIdalla Burtuna Cannons otherwise known as ABK Law
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right here in the heart of NewYork City. He's also a regular contributor
and legal analyst on law and crime. Today, we're chatting about young Thugs,
Rico case, and the use ofrap lyrics in criminal cases. In
our Going Deep Express segment brought toyou by Co two Lift, we're behind
the scenes at Beauty through Science.Today we're highlighting doctor Mark Epstein. He's
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a dual board certified plastic surgeon andfounder of Epstein Plastic Surgery of Long Island,
New York, as well as doctorMichael nay Stunt, he's medical director
of Fifth Avenue Wellness Medicine and anesthesiologySpecialists. We're going to be chatting about
the many use cases of carboxing therapyfor your skin, including the skin down
there. Stay tuned for our Hydrationwith Art segment haturing Jonathan Scheck, brought
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to you by One Spot of Coconut. We're chatting all about Low Range,
the series premiering April seventh on theCowboy Way Channel. You're listening to a
moment of Zen right here on sevento ten WR in the voice of New
york iHeart Radio. We'll be rightback after this. A Moment of Zen
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Tri State area. You're listening toa moment of Zen right here on seven
to ten WR, the voice ofNew york iHeartRadio. I'm your host,
Zen. Sam's up next in ourHydration with Heart segment brought to you by
Once Upon a Coconut, we're featuringactor and writer our dear friend, Jonathan
Sheck. Jonathan exploded onto the sceneas one of Hollywood's most handsome leading men
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in Jocelyn Morehouse's How to Make anAmerican Quilt back in nineteen ninety five and
if you recall Tom Hanks's directorial debut, That Thing You Do. Since then,
Jonathan has shown incredible versatility as anactor, and over the last twenty
years he starred in over one hundredand sixty Hollywood productions, working opposite some
of the most acclaimed actors, producers, writers, and directors. He captivated
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television audiences as the eccentric movie starin Showtimes hit series Ray Donovan, and
has portrayed comic book legend Jonah Hexon the first three seasons of DC's Ledgend.
Most recently, he's reprised his leadrole on the upcoming Blue Ridge the
series, which makes its worldwide premiereon April seventh at eight pm on Cowboy
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Wait Channel. He joins me todayto chat all about Blue Ridge the series,
which is based on the successful twentytwenty film Blue Ridge. Now,
this is a six episode procedural crimedrama set in the mountains of North Carolina,
where Sheriff Justin Wise, who's amodern Western hero, endeavors to uphold
the law while living in a smallAppalachian town that time and justice has forgotten.
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I can't wait to hear all aboutthis one. It sounds so exciting
and suspenseful. Welcoming now to theshow is the amazing Jonathan Sheck. Welcome,
superstar. Thank you for having mehere. Glad to be back.
Yeah, we've chatted before. You'rea dear friend of the show. You
predate back to our original first runon iHeart and what a success it was.
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I remember we covered some of yourpoignant moments as an actor. Now
bringing us full circle to your character, Sheriff Justin Wise in Blue Ridge the
series. How has the character evolvedsince the twenty twenty film. You know,
I don't think that Justin Wise hasreally evolved since that movie. He's
still the old school guy with adeep moral credo that he follows and it
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wants to be with his family.Let's spend more time with this family.
But his job just keeps getting inthe word and Blue Ridge is set.
We know in the Mountains of NorthCarolina. How did the location and setting
influence the storytelling and atmosphere of thisparticular series. What's out in the middle
of Nowhere? Well, it feelslike out in the middle of nowhere,
and there's a different People do thingsdifferently in the country than they do in
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the city. So these country folk, they had their own rules that they
go by. Just as a formerveteran was in California and left California who
go to a small town to bewith his family became share for this town,
and so he's an outsider trying toregulate and keep the law. You
know, it's interesting because I haven'tseen it yet, but the setting itself,
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to me, seems like it addsa very unique flavor to the series,
you know, the lush but ForbiddingMountains. The way that the short
form treatment has right, it createsan atmosphere that that's both beautiful and mysterious.
And this offers such a fresh takeon the crime drama genre. It's
like the perfect blend of natural beautyand suspenseful storytelling. Now, comparisons to
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other series in the genre are essentialfor context. Okay, So, for
instance, how does Blue Ridge theseries differentiate itself from other procedural crime dramas.
Is it more character driven, Doesit have a distinct visual style,
or does it bring a fresh narrativeapproach to the table. It definitely is.
It's unique. It reminds me ofmore of an old school procedural like
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it's reminds me of Long Mind,but without psychedelics. So it's it's for
a younger audience. It's PG.Thirteen so that I can sit there with
my son and watch it, who'sten years old. There's not over explicit
sexual tension in any anything. There'sviolence, but it's usually just these two
fists going at it with somebody.You know. I carry a gun,
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try not to use it, butof course I have to. So I
think it's it's unique. It remindsme of a little bit of Dukes of
Hazzard some parts of it. SoI was like, this feels like Dick
Sagard, which is not a badfit. I love Di Sagard. There's
sense of you were to it.Yeah, yeah, I remember Dukes of
Hazard. Gosh, I feel old. I love that. Now. You've
had a remarkable career with over onehundred and sixty Hollywood productions. What drew
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you to Blue Ridge and what doyou find unique about this project compared to
your previous work. You know,how it came to me is really quite
interesting. So I took my family. I had a ten year old,
had a little boy who was goingin school, and my wife is from
nash With, Tennessee. So wedecided we wanted to get out of LA
around twenty eighteen, and we movedto this town. And when I did,
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I left all my representation, everythingbehind me because I realized that I
wasn't living to my full potential inmy life. You know, I was
on the cover of Vanity Fair withWill Smith in like nineteen ninety. I
was the first cover of Leading Mento watch. And all those guys on
the cover, they all their careerspropelled and they're all leading men. And
I really wasn't a leading man.I was more of a character actor,
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which you know, people respect mywork, but I wasn't really living my
full potential. So I'd let everythinggo. I decided that no matter what,
I would give over everything and allowmy higher power to guide me wherever
it wol guide me. And ittook me to the place where I called
up a couple of friends of mine, one of them, Nick Gonzalez.
I said, Nick, I needto find work. There's no way for
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me to find work. I don'thave a representation anymore. And he said,
you got to meet this guy,Gary Wheeler, and he connected us.
And Gary called me up and offeredme the TV movie called Blue Ridge,
and he said, you got toread it. He was about a
man who left California moved to asmall town to be with his family,
and right and where I was,and as I was letting go and letting
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god, I found my way toBlue Ridge. And that's probably if that
answers your question. I think itdoes. Oh, it so does.
There are no coincidences, my dear, And what this really just is a
testament to you are exactly where youare supposed to be. And it just
warms my heart to hear how thestory came about. Now I want to
watch it even more because I canalmost sense that you've poured your definite heart
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and soul into this one. Now, given your experience working with a variety
of acclaimed actors and producers and writersand directors, what has been the most
memorable or influential moment in your careerso far. That's a tough question.
I always give the Tom Hanks answerbecause he was so influential in my life
from my career and everything that Ido. But the way I think that
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we set up the tone for BlueRidge that be a safe environment for creatives.
Everyone had open communication and didn't feellike there was any anyone who was,
you know, more powerful than anyoneelse, that we are all on
equal playing field, even though there'speople that are show Garry's the show right
around the lead actor. We justmade it a safe space. And that's
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one thing that I wanted to bringwherever I went. I wanted to make
it safe for creatives because it wasn'tso safe in Hollywood when I was first
starting out, and over the courseof the last you know, several years,
we stood up against some of thebullies in Hollywood and made it safer.
So that's what I wanted to bringthe most. You're so mature.
I wasn't. I think I've becomemore of adult. I've become more like
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my character, Justin Wise. Well, now now let's go back to Justin.
So Justin is a modern Western hero. It's always interesting to me to
see how these characters navigate the challengesof enforcing the law in small forgotten towns,
so to speak. Right, ButI'm curious about the complexities of his
character and how he handles the balancebetween duty and the unique dynamic of this
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Appalachian community. I mean, fromhow to make an American quill to Ray
Donovan. You've showcased incredible versatility asan actor. So how do you approach,
you know, in particular, likethis diverse role that you took on,
and were there any specific challenges orwere there any joys or what was
it like portraying a character like sheriffjustin wise, it's funny. There's a
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saying that we will become our parents. Right. So, my father was
a Baltimore City police officer. Hewas a Baltimore City cop for thirty six
years. He's as blue as Bluegits. So when I you know,
every time I've been on Blue Blood'sChicago ped I've always done these procedurals where
I was a police officer and thisguy was different. He was he was
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the rock, he was the reflectorof the community and he had to you
know, has to take on thechallenges that the human beings all the mistakes
of human beings make. And that'sreminded me when my father was a police
officer. He was a big coppof Baltimore City and a very different setting,
but he was just dealing with thehumanity humans and the mistakes they made
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and trying to set them right,like when to give them over to the
authorities or you know, when tojust kind of set them straight and they
wouldn't, you know, falter intheir life again. And that's what I
feel Justin is he really is likehe has a strong moral credo inside of
him. He doesn't put up withany book and he does the right thing
whatever he thinks that right thing is. It's interesting because these are the aspects
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of Sheriff Justin Wise's story that Iguess you're excited for viewers to explore in
the series. I mean, you'vegiven it away so far in terms of
who this man is. And Imean with look, with such a rich
and varied career, there's definitely aparticular genre and type of role that seems
to be fulfilling you. And it'sthis right, So I think you've come
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full circle and found a great,great way to reach your full potential as
you said at the beginning. Now, Blue Ridge, the series We Know
premieres on April seventh on the CowboyWaight Channel. What can viewers anticipate overall
from the show, and particularly doyou have any personal insights or favorite moments
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from filming. I'd love to knowthat that you can share. Well.
My cast is sensational, but theguest stars that come are special because I
get to be part of a lotof the casting of the guest stars.
Like Max Martini comes out, youknow, he's a personal friend of mine.
Came out and played well. Everyweek, something happens and Justin's got
to figure out how to make itright, you know, figure out who
did it or what went wrong orset the world back the way it was
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supposed to be. And Max cameout to play. He was a wrestling
promoter. Why Buddy Miguel Hearn cameout, he was a wrestler. And
then I even got Ethan Embury fromThe Wonders that thing you do to come
out and play a very important rolein the in piece. So yeah,
I think that's a lot of fun. They eat week. It's a little
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everything's a little different, something goeswrong and Justin's got to get right that
same procedural that we've seen with Longmire, and even when I did Little Bloods
and it was like something with whatwas the crime that you had to solve,
very much like a police officers doesevery single day in his life.
So the unique guest stars that wehave come out, and I'm looking forward
to people getting to see them andkind of experiencing my diverse career is long
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career that I have and how I'vebeen able to sustain these relationships that I
can call somebody up and come outplay it's fantastic. Well, we are
out of time and the series soundsso promising. It sounds captivating, the
setting sounds captivating, and it's amodern Western hero and the potential for intriguing
crime narratives. This is all rightup my alley. So I'm so eager
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to see how it stands out specificallyin this genre and whether it can be
and whether it can specifically build onthe success of the twenty twenty film.
So I wish you all the bestof luck, my dear friend. This
should be a good one. Thankyou very much. You Uh, I
wish I had all your words thatyou can go around with me and do
all the press because you make itsound so much better than I could ever
(16:11):
and I appreciate that so much.That was our Hydration with Heart segment brought
to you by One Spawn a Coconut. Check out Jonathan on the Gram at
Jonathan Shack and be sure to catchthe worldwide premiere of Blue Ridge the series
on April seventh at eight pm Easternon Cowboywaychannel dot com and keep up to
date on Instagram at COWBOYWATV. You'relistening to a Moment of Zen right here
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on seven to ten WR, thevoice of New York iHeartRadio. We'll be
right back after this. A Momentof Zen is brought to you by your
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(17:40):
with a great night's sleep. That'sbodyligne dot com. Welcome back, beautiful
Tri State area. You're listening toa Moment of Zen right here on seven
ten wr the Voice of New YorkiHeartRadio. I'm your host, Zen Zams
in our Discover your Potential segment,brought to you by Bodyline. We're joined
by our newest contributor, podcaster andhost, Anna Devere. She's joined by
(18:03):
singer and performer Alex Boyer. He'sknown for his African infused music that has
gained over one billion views on YouTube. He shared the stage with legendary artists,
and his innovative YouTube videos keep himfirmly grounded as a global phenomenon.
With today being March second, WorldTeen Mental Health Awareness Day, it's also
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important to mention how Alex proudly shareshis talent as an official ambassador for many
causes, including the American Foundation forSuicide Prevention and focuses on improving the mental
health of teens. Today, theyjoined me to discuss his career, the
teen mental health crisis, and thepower of music. Welcoming down to the
show, are my dear friends.Welcome superstars. Hi, thanks for having
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us on. This is so awesome. So Alex will start with you.
You've had this amazing, incredible journeyas an artist, gaining many accolades and
accomplishments along the way, from seasonten of America's Got Talent, to being
a featured voice in Cruel Summer,which was a short film by Kanye West
that premiered at the con Film Festival, to even being named twenty seventeen Artists
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of the Year and the Grand prizewinner in a music contest sponsored by Pepsi
and Hard rock cafe. That's alot. Could you tell us more about
how you got to where you aretoday and where you always and were you
always sure that music was your path? Yeah? I never knew it was
going to be my path, butit became my saving grace because when I
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was sixteen, I got kicked outof my house. I lived on the
streets for a while. This ison the streets of London where I was
born and raised, and I wasin a really really bad way, and
I used to go to this onenight club and just dance my sorrows away.
And one time I actually wanted totake my life. I was just
going through so much pain and hadsome abusive relationships and in terms of like
an uncle who basically sexually sexually abusedme for many, many months, and
(19:59):
so I ran away from home andI went to this nightclub. My goal
was to take my life, butI was going to dance, get my
dance done, you know what I'msaying, and then I was going to
exit. That was it. WhileI was in a dance floor, the
DJ says my name, and I'mlike, wait, first of all,
I'm a sixteen years old in thisnightclub. I shouldn't even be there.
So twenty one year old up,how does this guy know? Come to
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find out? I did this talentcontest two weeks before and then he said
to me, Alex, I rememberyou. He said that on the stage
in front of everyone. He says, you keep going. I want to
dedicate this song to you. Andthe lyrics of that song changed my life.
And that's when I knew that Iwanted to do music for the rest
of my life. Wow, okay, pause right there, And how did
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you first cross paths with Alex?I know? How do I follow that?
Okay? So was this time lastyear. I had just performed in
Nashville at the Bluebird Cafe and forwhatever reason, I was in a slump.
And I know when I'm going intoa dark place that I just need
to hit a reset, right,So I took a nap that day.
I just laid down about fifteen minutesin and our friend Billy Cole called and
said, can you be on stagewith Alex Boyer at a teen mental health
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suicide prevention singing Ben not break withhim? And I went that took my
breath away. That was a sign. I said yes, And that's how
we met last year this time.What a beautiful story. Yeah, everything
comes full circle. There are nocoincidences, and you are exactly where you
are supposed to be. So Alex, You've had many breakout moments, and
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you've performed with legendary artists such asJay Z and Tim McGrath and George Michael
and Missy Elliott and Timberlake and theBeach Boys. I mean, I don't
know who you haven't performed with.However, However, everyone knows that the
life of a musical artist isn't alwayssmooth. Yes, why are you currently
focusing on mental health for teens andsuicide prevention in your speaking engagements? Okay,
(21:49):
the reason why you said some reallyinterestings. Then well, you said
you've had many breakout moments, andthen you talked about all my accolades.
But none of those accolades made mehappy. That's the problem with us.
We look for accolades to make usfeel important, but then also hoping that
it will make us feel better,and it doesn't. And what I'm starting
(22:11):
to realize, Like I remember Iread this quote once and said, sometimes
we find ourselves climbing the ladder ofsuccess. Then we get to the top
and we find we're leaning on thewrong side of the wall because all those
accolades don't mean nothing if you ain'thappy first, if you aren't happy with
yourself, you can get a pileof money land in your hand and that
will last three seconds and then you'relike, okay next. And so I
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have to find it from I foundit for my African roots actually, because
you go to African you go andyou try and do a humanitarian service.
Look at the kids and see themsmiling. Have you ever gone to service
in Africa? A depressed kid inAfrica? I needed to learn what it
is that makes my people so happyeven when they have no accolades, no
(23:00):
money, nowhere to live, nowhere to stay, no future. So
I had to learn that and Irealized that it came from knowing that you
are something special. Whether you havesomeone tell you that or not, well,
you are very special, my dear. And it's interesting because the focus
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on mental health is so important rightnow these days. Millions of people in
the US are affected by mental illnesseach year, and according to the CDC,
one in five US adults live witha mental illness and over one in
five youth ages thirteen to eighteen,either currently or at some point during their
life, have had a serious,debilitating mental illness, and these statistics are
(23:44):
staggering. Focusing on mental health forteens is extra important in my opinion,
because fifty percent of all lifetime mentalillness begins by age fourteen, and suicide,
as we know, is the secondleading cause of death among those kids
age ten to fourteen, which issuch a sad statistic. As a mother,
this breaks my heart. Now musicand mental health may be more connected
(24:07):
than we've ever thought. Now,your favorite song may not have the potential
to not just sound good, butbe good for you in terms of the
emotion it makes you evoke, andmusic has been linked with positive effects on
the brain, such as improved mood, decreased anxiety, a better overall emotional
wellbeing. It's science. Research showsthat music affects both dopamine and oxytocin levels,
(24:30):
and even lower levels of it lowersthe levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Now, Anna, what role doesmusic play? I know this is
a big one for you in youroverall mental wellbeing. So I think everyone
can relate to putting on a dancesong when they want to blow off steam.
That's one way. I also believethat music anchors you emotionally. Sometimes
(24:52):
if you resist emotion, it'll startto eat you alive. I think it's
really important to pay attention to yourteam's playlist. I got really deep into
my teen's playlist so that it wasin my brain and I spotted things,
and I got to have a conversationthat was real, and I didn't avoid
the hard stuff. In fact,I said, that's universal, that feeling
that you have that right on theedge. That's really important that you don't
(25:15):
try to resist that emotion that you'rebrave enough to admit to your team.
I feel the same as you.That's a conversation starter, and music is
an emotional anchor for those kinds ofhistory. My daughter has been sleep trained
and listening to baby Motter Lallabi.Yeah, he's in the womb now,
Alex. Early last year you facedsome significant challenges, but when you decided
(25:38):
to say yes to an invitation tospeak to a full auditorium of school superintendence,
the impact was incredible and you arenow also a highly sought after speaker
and your I Am a ten uhmusical presentation fills students and adults with so
much hope, tell us more aboutabout your you are a number ten campaign,
(26:00):
and how are you sending how areyou spending your time these days?
Real It really started from going backto the memory of me eating food out
of trash cans on the streets ofLondon when I was homeless. And what
I realized is that guess what,you guys do it every single day,
everyone all over the world, especiallythe kids. We eat mental trash out
of mental trash cans every day.And that's where it's coming. I think
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I heard a quote. It wasby Oh Bruce Lee, and he says,
don't speak negatively about yourself, evenas a joke. Your body doesn't
know the difference. Words are energyand cast spells. That's why it's called
spelling. We hypnotize ourselves when wesay I'm not gonna make it today,
I'm a terrible person. Do dodo do do. Everything that comes out
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of my mouth our mouths is selfhypnotism. You know what, I'm gonna
have a great day today. Dodo do do do do do. I'm
not gonna beat myself up. I'msomething that is worth it. I'm a
ten do do so everything that comesout of our mouths is hypnism for good
or for bad. There's an Irishthought leader. I want to read this,
(27:06):
he says Emmett Fox. He says, whether you are generally happy,
cheerful, low spirited, or fearful, it depends on the quality of mental
food upon which you diet yourself.We feed ourselves on a daily basis what
we are thinking, by what weare saying, and by what we are
watching. And so that's what Itell the kids. And it's not from
me being a professor. I didn'teven pass second grade, but I'm a
(27:30):
professor of the streets, and I'ma professor of someone that wanted to take
his life and lived because I realizedthat there was so much more to me
than I thought. And I hadto find that out to realize that I
was a tend Like you see thisten hens ten dollar bill. So if
you scrunch it up right and yougive it to a kid and he says
you want it, they'll still wantit. If you step on it,
(27:51):
travel it, even spit on it, talk bad to it. I hate
You may use something you think youbreast mess a tit tacks right, and
then you say to the kid,will you still take it? And they'll
say yeah, and you're like whybecause it's worth doesn't change very very wise
words. Thank you for sharing that. I love that analogy and I love
the spin you put on that tendollars bill. Now I see it,
(28:14):
now, I see its value isso much more worth than ten Anna,
I hear so I heard I heardyou earlier. Tell me the story of
when you first met in this incredibleperformance. So you performed together at this
Team Mental Health and Suicide Prevention summitlast year where you where you joined the
Tomorrow's Stars Choir and you accompanied Alexon the song Bend not Break. What
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was that like? Well, ifyou watch his audition tape where America's Got
Talent, you'll know he's a forceof nature. He's got the judges and
he's got the crowd whipped up likezero to one thousand and seconds. So
he's a force of nature. It'svery surreal to be on stage with Alex.
But I want to just say,as you hear him speak, I
mean, performing is that special.There's something really in the message and it
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doesn't matter if six people are listeningor an arena is listening. Alex as
the vibrancy. I don't pay youenough. Do you need that? Wow,
it's very true, and so Imean that's what you look for in
a performer, but that that's rareto me, That's really rare. I
love it now, Alex, veryquickly. We have about a minute left,
(29:21):
and I know that you have someincredible YouTube videos up there. You
have a billion views on YouTube.You have a wide array of work posted,
both covers and original songs, withyour most popular video being an Africanized
tribal cover of let It Go fromFrozen featuring the One Voice Children's Choir.
It's clear you're always on it andcontinuously working with you know, to perfect
(29:45):
your craft. Not everybody stays ascommitted as you do. What keeps you
in the game with producing your musicvideos, I think because I'm realizing now
that it's affecting people, and themore I'm seeing the comments, it's like,
oh, I've got to do moreof this because as it's working for
me and you know, in mylane, and so I'm just enjoying just
the experience of just having kids,especially the youth. That's how Anna and
(30:08):
I connect. We just we literallyhave this vision of just youth all over
the world just being hurted through words, through music, through entertainment, and
that's what we want to do.That's beautiful. Anna, what's your discovery
your potential takeaway from this amazing artist? So Alex is my hero because he
dreams bigger than most people and hekeeps, he keeps building. You're never
(30:33):
too old to dream big and that'sinfectious and it's really important. So that's
the message today. You know,you're never you're you're never too big to
get down on the ground level.You're never too old to dream. And
Alex, thank you for being suchan accessible and wail artist. Thank you,
Thank you both for coming on.This was an incredible segment, very
feel good. Alex. I wishyou nothing but the best. You are
(30:56):
so inspirational and definitely where went wherethere is no path and left the great
big journey. And Anna, thankyou so much for being on such a
great guest. Thank you, Zen, Thank you for opening your heart and
giving us a stage to be ableto share our message. You doing incredible
things to thank you the Pleasures Online. That was our Discover Your Potential segment
(31:18):
brought to you by Bodyligne. Besure to check out Alex Boyer on his
YouTube channel at Alexboyer Real and ofcourse seemre Vanna by heading to Discover your
Potential show dot com. You're listeningto a moment of Zen right here on
seven to ten wo R the Voiceof New York iHeartRadio. We'll be right
back after this. A moment ofZen is brought to you by your Home
TV with Kathy Ireland and their channelpartners. Head to your home TV dot
(31:41):
com for free family friendly programming streamingtwenty four to seven, Join Jimmy Jimbo
Temple on Cowboys, Trailers and Ranchesand get ready for a crazy ride from
up and coming country Western performers toranchers with purpose, Jimmy takes you behind
the scenes with a front row seatto all the action. Cowboys Trailers and
Ranches is dedicated to celebrating and preservingall things Western. Check them out on
(32:07):
your home TV dot com. Tuneinto a moment of Zen Saturday nights from
nine to ten pm on seven toten WOR the Voice of New York.
Welcome back, beautiful Tri State Area. You're listening to a moment of Zen
right here on seven ten war theVoice of New york iHeartRadio. I'm your
host, Zenzam's up in just afew minutes in our Scandals segment brought to
(32:30):
you by your Home TV and KathyIreland Worldwide. Today we're featuring our regular
contributor imron On Sari partner at IdalaBertuna Cammons, otherwise known as ABK Law
right here in the heart of NewYork City. He's also a legal contributor
and analyst on law and crime andCourt TV. Today we're chatting Young Thug's
reco case and the use of raplyrics in criminal cases. Now. Young
(32:52):
Thug was initially indicted for conspiring toviolate the Rico Statute and participating in criminal
street gang activity, and in areindictment filed in August of last year,
prosecutors charged him with additional counts relatedto gang activity, as well as drug
and firearms violations. Now, ina pre recorded address screened at Hot ninety
(33:15):
seven's Summer Jam back in June oftwenty twenty two, he urged his fans
to sign the Protect Black Art petitionand keep praying for him. Now.
The Petition to Protect Black Art isa document co written by three hundred entertainment
COEO Kevin Lyles, he first signedThug and helped get his label YSL off
(33:36):
the ground as a subsidiary company,and Atlanta Record COO Julie Greenwald also wrote
this Act. Now the document asksboth federal and state legislators to adopt bills
that limit the use of rap lyricsas evidence in a court of law.
Thugs Plea arrived on the heels ofa sprawling fifty six count reco case against
(33:57):
him, Gunna and twenty six membersof his Young Stoner Life collective. Now,
after five hundred and sixty seven daysin jail for Young Thug, the
trial against him finally began at theend of November of last year. Now
we're going to tie it all together. Interestingly enough, running parallel to all
of this, the man accused ofkilling run DMC's jam Master j can't have
(34:21):
his rap lyrics used against him ata trial, is what a Brooklyn judge
decided in a ruling not long ago. Now, there's a correlation here in
Imran and I are going to breakit down for you. But the use
of rap lyrics in criminal prosecutions hasbeen a contentious subject in several high profile
cases, including the ongoing racketeering trialof Young Thug, and in that case,
(34:43):
the judge allowed the lyrics to bepresented at trial, a decision that
defense attorneys say amounts to racist characterassassination, meant to poison a jury already
skeptical of rap music. Now,in the context of Young Thug's case,
Imran, how common is it forrap lyrics to be used as evidence in
criminal prosecutions and what challenges does thispresent for artists going forward? Yes,
(35:07):
Zen, I mean this is alike you said, it's a hot button
topic. In fact right now it'sthe subject of what's called the Rap Act,
which was introduced to Congress, whichwould ban the use of rap lyrics
to by a prosecutor in order toprove a crime in the court of law.
And it's going to have resounding effectsif that is the case, including
(35:30):
on a case like this. Butthis case is well underway. They are
using the lyrics by Young Thug againsthim to show or prove or help prove
that he is an alleged gang memberand part of a criminal enterprise. And
that's the crux of that rico charge. Zen, that the DA's office there
(35:51):
led by Fannie Willine Fannie Willis,So you know, Fannie Willis is,
of course the district attorney bringing theRico case against former President Trum and others.
But this is a RICO case underthe same Georgia Rico statute that she
and her office are bringing against YoungThug. They are looking to use those
lyrics. They are using those lyrics, and of course the defense for Young
(36:15):
Thug are saying, listen, thisisn't evidence of any sort of criminal enterprise.
These are rap lyrics. We knowthat rap sometimes glorifies street life,
gang culture, but it can't betaken as true. It's artistic expression from
the streets. But it is notevidence that Young Thug and his co defendants
(36:37):
were engaged in some sort of criminalenterprise or gang and you know, perpetuating
crime under that enterprise, which wouldbe the crux of that Rico charge.
Send It's interesting to me that thisruling came in response to an attempt by
federal prosecutors to introduce lyrics penned byCarl Jordan Junior as if evident of his
(37:00):
role in gunning down jam Master jwho was a pioneering artist whose birth name
was really Jason Mazelle, but hedied in two thousand and two, and
his death remains one of rap's mostinfamous slayings. Right, so, prosecutors
had sought to introduce several lines writtenby Jordan that described first person accounts of
(37:20):
violence and drug dealing, including therewas one specific line, we aim for
the head, no body shots,and we stick around just to see the
body drop. Now similar lines writtenby rappers nas Ice Cube and Vince Staples,
along with interviews with artists like FatJoe in Future who have publicly discussed
the distance between their art and reallives. So this is you know,
(37:43):
you can't you can't use it foryou know, in the context of one
court and one jury in one caseand then dismiss it for another. It's
either an act or it's not.So with the recent ruling in the case
of jam Master j how does itimpact the use of rap lyrics as evidence
in criminal trials? Because that wasthe complete opposite, And that's why I
think there needs to be some clarityunder the law of when, uh these
(38:07):
sort of lyrics can be used againsta criminal defendant. And zen I do
believe that rappers and hip hop artistsoften rap about street life that are experiences
uh in the inner city, thethings that they have witnessed, as you
know, individuals living many times inthe inner city uh and experiencing things like
(38:28):
gang life, you know, andand crime hands on, and they rap
about that sometimes there you know,there's some rappers who glorify that and whatever
you think about that, whether rightor wrong is another debate, But they
do that, but it doesn't necessarilymean that they have done those crimes or
committed those crimes. In fact,there are often rappers who get called out
(38:49):
by other rappers saying that they're youknow, just sort of you know,
poser their opposer and they don't reallyhave that street cred and things like that.
But I do think it's important thatunder the law you do allow the
ability to use lyrics when there isa connection, a very clear connection to
a crime and other evidence that wouldcorroborate, uh, the individual's commission of
(39:15):
the crime. So let's say,uh, someone you know with the glasses,
red hair and their name is Marywas shot by rapper X, right,
Uh, and then he goes intoand now there's some other evidence that
may connect that individual, rapper X, to that crime. And then he
lyrics. There are some lyrics ina rap song by rapper X where he
(39:36):
says, I shot the lady withthe red hair and the glasses. You
know that's going to be so specificand corroborated by other evidence that that would
be a situation where prosecutors shouldn't behandcuffed from not being able to use that
lyricsence. Okay, So to yourpoint, According to its website, y
sl stands for Young Stoner Life.It's the record label that includes artists Young
(40:00):
Thug, Gunna Yakgatti, and Unfunk. Okay, they're all defendants in this
trial. The prosecution is arguing thatWHYASEL also stands for Young Slime Life,
which is a criminal street gang,right, the prosecution is going to have
to prove that. And it's beena very long trials end this for quite
(40:22):
some time. They had one individualwho used to be a co defendant with
Young Thug and these other co defendantswho ended up testifying for the state after
reaching a plea deal. And thereare some moments during that testimonies end where
it may have backfired on the prosecutionwhere this individual actually testified in a way
that would be more helpful or helpfulto young Thug and his co defendants than
(40:45):
the prosecution. There was, ofcourse some testimony from this individual that would
help the prosecution. But it's goingto be ultimately a very difficult case,
not only because of the nature ofthe case, the defenseance, and the
evidence and trying the prosecution has toestablish certain things, but because it's a
(41:06):
reco case, and a recocase ingeneral are very difficult cases to prove.
You have to prove that there's acriminal enterprise. They're all acting in furtherance
of that criminal enterprise and committing individualcrimes. Those have to then individually be
proved beyond a reasonable doubt to thisjury. And you have multiple defendants here,
(41:27):
Zen It's say a trial that's beentaking weeks, and it's a trial
that has multiple defendants, multiple witnesses, and the prosecution are going to really
have to link those rap lyrics alongwith other evidence in order to prove that
reco case. They have a verytough job ahead of them. Not to
say that they won't be able tobe successful at the end. This is
going to be up to the jury, but it's a really complicated case.
(41:49):
And now you see very interestingly theintersection between real life and possibly what is
just art and hip hop life,right, and it's going to be something
that's going to resonate not just inthis case, sen but as the lawmakers
deal with the RAP Act, asindividual states deal with this call to prevent
(42:10):
prosecutors from using rap lyrics. California, for example, is a state that
already prohibits the use of rap lyricsand criminal prosecutions as evidence of crime.
And you know you're going to haveyou're going to see after this case around
the country how individual states deal withthis. And of course the federal government
would that RAP Act to consider beforeCongress. So much to consider and so
(42:35):
much at risk for a lot ofthese artists. But then again, it
could be the smoking gun, andit could be right there written by their
very own by by the by themselves, and it's an admission of guilt in
many respects. So considering the contentiousnature of using rap lyrics in trials,
because it is very contentious right now, this particular ruling, how do you
think it's going to affect Young Thugscase? Given the judges deci in his
(43:00):
ongoing racketeering trial, then if there'ssome sort of shift in the law,
including in Georgia. You know,and there's this issue. I'm sure this
issue has been preserved by his defenseteam and the other defendants and their attorneys
for an issue on appeal. Andif there is an ability, if there
is a conviction, of course,we have to this hypothetical here is if
(43:22):
there is a conviction, if thenyou are sure that the defense teams will
bring this issue up on appeal,especially if there's a shift in the law
and that this evidence should not havebeen admitted before that jury is proof of
a crime, and that would bean appelate issue and it could lead to
a reversal of a conviction if theprosecution are able to get a conviction against
(43:45):
Young Thug and or any of theseother co defendants. So it's gonna be
interesting to see and it's gonna youknow, if this law is not put
into effect, if states are ableto keep using this evidence without other co
op corroboration, etc. You haveto expect or wonder if it's going to
have a chilling effect on artistic expressionand hip hop. And you know,
(44:09):
someone may be a little hesitant torap or say something in their song because
they don't know if it's going tobe used against them when they didn't mean
it that way. So there's thatbalance. You want to have this evidence,
if it's very strong and corrobative ofa crime, to be able to
use as a prosecutor. But thenalso you don't want to have a chilling
effect on the First Amendment and alsoartistic expression. And that's where the courts
(44:32):
and the law have to balance thoseconsiderations, including in a case like Young
Thug. You said it, myfriend, Well, thank you so much
for coming on. I love thatyou broke it down for us as clearly
as you did. You definitely haveyour work cut out for you. You
analyze it so fluidly and make allof us understand these cases from both a
legal perspective, both defense and prosecution. So you're really really amazing at breaking
(44:55):
down these cases. We love havingyou on. Thanks for having these inn
That was the the Scandals segment broughtto you by your Home TV and their
channel partners Kathy Ireland Worldwide. Thatwas the awesome imrand On Sari of Idella
Burtuna Cammons otherwise known as ABK Lawright here in the heart of New York
City. He's also a regular contributorand legal analyst on Lawn, Crime and
Court TV. You're listening to aMoment of Zen right here on seven to
(45:17):
ten WR The Voice of New YorkiHeartRadio. We'll be right back after this.
A Moment of Zen is brought toyou by your Home TV with Kathy
Ireland and their channel partners. Headto your Home TV dot com for free
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WR the Voice of New York.A Moment of Zen is brought to you
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by CO two Lift. As weage, our skin loses moisture and elasticity,
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So we've come across a product calledcarbon dioxid therapy for the skin.
It's been around since the nineteen thirties, although the method of delivery has dramatically
(47:50):
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So carboxy therapy trends very well rightnow. Lots of people aren't using it
as a skin rejuvenator, tightening boostingelasogen. You've heard of this product on
a surface level. What's your takeon carbon dibxide therapy in general. Well,
I think it's a great idea.Carbon dioxide in theory, what it
(48:14):
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vessel, so you have increased flowto the base. That's very important because
then we're actually delivering a lot ofpro inflammatory agents in the blood that will
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(48:35):
the treatments that we do in myoffice that are very regenerative, when we're
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the use cases where you think atherapy like this can be most beneficial figure
(49:43):
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but it's anywhere. I mean evenlike small deposits that that are possible
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increase blood flow to this areas toregenerate so many different applications. I'll definitely
be visiting you doctor Michael. Thankyou so much. Slus how we could
mind you five Thawn dot com.So that's fifth that while Inness Medicine dot
com. All right, thank youso much for droiding us today. So
(50:27):
as you're listening to seven ten wrthe voice of your Guyheart Radio, we're
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A Moment of Zen is sponsored byFintech TV. Fintech TV, the
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(51:34):
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(51:55):
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(52:15):
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The following is a paid podcast.iHeartRadio's hosting of this podcast constitutes neither an
endorsement of the products offered or theideas expressed. Welcome to a Moment of
Zen. Time to sit back andrelax. As model, actress, mentor
and super mom, Zen SAMs takesyou on a sexy and wild ride covering
(00:20):
the latest in film, fashion,pop culture, cryptocurrency, fintech, cannabis,
and entertainment from the millennial mom's perspective. Here's your host, Zen SAMs.
Hello, my beautiful Tri State area. Welcome to our one hundred and
fifty second episode. It's always apleasure to spend my time with you on
the airwaves. Thank you for listeningand interacting with me on social media.
(00:42):
That truly makes it all worthwhile.Make sure to follow me at Zen Sam's
That's Zen with an X, nota Z. And also remember that all
episodes of a Moment of Zen streamtwenty four to seven on Kathy Ireland worldwide,
your home TV and channel partners,and you can find us, of
course on our YouTube channel. Inour Hydration with Heart segment brought to you
(01:03):
by Once Upon a Coconut, we'refeaturing actor and writer Jonathan Sheck. Jonathan
exploded onto the scenes as one ofHollywood's most handsome leading men in Jocelyn Moorehouses
How to Make an American Quilt andTom Hanks says directorial debut That Thing You
Do back in nineteen ninety six.He joins me today to chat all about
Below Ridge, the series, whichis based on the successful twenty twenty film
(01:26):
Blue Ridge. And This is asix episode procedural prime drama set in the
forbidden mountains of North Carolina, whereSheriff Justin Wise, a modern day Western
hero, endeavors to uphold the lawwhile living in this small Appalachian town.
Jonathan Sheck's performance, i will say, is probably going to be one of
(01:47):
his better ones in this leading role. He's going to join us to chat
all about that production and its premiereApril seventh on the Cowboy Way Channel.
Now up next, in our DiscoverYour Potential segment, brought to you by
Body Aligne, were joined by ournewest contributor, podcaster and host, Anna
Devere. Anna is joined by singerand performer Alex Boyer, known for his
(02:09):
African infused music that has gained overone billion views on YouTube. They joined
me today the chat career, mentalhealth crisis and the power of music.
In the scandal's segment, brought toyou by Your Home TV and their channel
partners, were featuring Imran Ansari ofIdalla Burtuna Cannons otherwise known as ABK Law
(02:30):
right here in the heart of NewYork City. He's also a regular contributor
and legal analyst on law and crime. Today, we're chatting about young Thugs,
Rico case, and the use ofrap lyrics in criminal cases. In
our Going Deep Express segment brought toyou by Co two Lift, we're behind
the scenes at Beauty through Science.Today we're highlighting doctor Mark Epstein. He's
(02:53):
a dual board certified plastic surgeon andfounder of Epstein Plastic Surgery of Long Island,
New York, as well as doctorMichael nay Stunt, he's medical director
of Fifth Avenue Wellness Medicine and anesthesiologySpecialists. We're going to be chatting about
the many use cases of carboxing therapyfor your skin, including the skin down
there. Stay tuned for our Hydrationwith Art segment haturing Jonathan Scheck, brought
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to you by One Spot of Coconut. We're chatting all about Low Range,
the series premiering April seventh on theCowboy Way Channel. You're listening to a
moment of Zen right here on sevento ten WR in the voice of New
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is brought to you by Once Upona Coconut, a one hundred percent pure
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(04:00):
Tri State area. You're listening toa moment of Zen right here on seven
to ten WR, the voice ofNew york iHeartRadio. I'm your host,
Zen. Sam's up next in ourHydration with Heart segment brought to you by
Once Upon a Coconut, we're featuringactor and writer our dear friend, Jonathan
Sheck. Jonathan exploded onto the sceneas one of Hollywood's most handsome leading men
(04:24):
in Jocelyn Morehouse's How to Make anAmerican Quilt back in nineteen ninety five and
if you recall Tom Hanks's directorial debut, That Thing You Do. Since then,
Jonathan has shown incredible versatility as anactor, and over the last twenty
years he starred in over one hundredand sixty Hollywood productions, working opposite some
of the most acclaimed actors, producers, writers, and directors. He captivated
(04:47):
television audiences as the eccentric movie starin Showtimes hit series Ray Donovan, and
has portrayed comic book legend Jonah Hexon the first three seasons of DC's Ledgend.
Most recently, he's reprised his leadrole on the upcoming Blue Ridge the
series, which makes its worldwide premiereon April seventh at eight pm on Cowboy
(05:11):
Wait Channel. He joins me todayto chat all about Blue Ridge the series,
which is based on the successful twentytwenty film Blue Ridge. Now,
this is a six episode procedural crimedrama set in the mountains of North Carolina,
where Sheriff Justin Wise, who's amodern Western hero, endeavors to uphold
the law while living in a smallAppalachian town that time and justice has forgotten.
(05:36):
I can't wait to hear all aboutthis one. It sounds so exciting
and suspenseful. Welcoming now to theshow is the amazing Jonathan Sheck. Welcome,
superstar. Thank you for having mehere. Glad to be back.
Yeah, we've chatted before. You'rea dear friend of the show. You
predate back to our original first runon iHeart and what a success it was.
(06:00):
I remember we covered some of yourpoignant moments as an actor. Now
bringing us full circle to your character, Sheriff Justin Wise in Blue Ridge the
series. How has the character evolvedsince the twenty twenty film. You know,
I don't think that Justin Wise hasreally evolved since that movie. He's
still the old school guy with adeep moral credo that he follows and it
(06:24):
wants to be with his family.Let's spend more time with this family.
But his job just keeps getting inthe word and Blue Ridge is set.
We know in the Mountains of NorthCarolina. How did the location and setting
influence the storytelling and atmosphere of thisparticular series. What's out in the middle
of Nowhere? Well, it feelslike out in the middle of nowhere,
and there's a different People do thingsdifferently in the country than they do in
(06:46):
the city. So these country folk, they had their own rules that they
go by. Just as a formerveteran was in California and left California who
go to a small town to bewith his family became share for this town,
and so he's an outsider trying toregulate and keep the law. You
know, it's interesting because I haven'tseen it yet, but the setting itself,
(07:10):
to me, seems like it addsa very unique flavor to the series,
you know, the lush but ForbiddingMountains. The way that the short
form treatment has right, it createsan atmosphere that that's both beautiful and mysterious.
And this offers such a fresh takeon the crime drama genre. It's
like the perfect blend of natural beautyand suspenseful storytelling. Now, comparisons to
(07:33):
other series in the genre are essentialfor context. Okay, So, for
instance, how does Blue Ridge theseries differentiate itself from other procedural crime dramas.
Is it more character driven, Doesit have a distinct visual style,
or does it bring a fresh narrativeapproach to the table. It definitely is.
It's unique. It reminds me ofmore of an old school procedural like
(07:58):
it's reminds me of Long Mind,but without psychedelics. So it's it's for
a younger audience. It's PG.Thirteen so that I can sit there with
my son and watch it, who'sten years old. There's not over explicit
sexual tension in any anything. There'sviolence, but it's usually just these two
fists going at it with somebody.You know. I carry a gun,
(08:20):
try not to use it, butof course I have to. So I
think it's it's unique. It remindsme of a little bit of Dukes of
Hazzard some parts of it. SoI was like, this feels like Dick
Sagard, which is not a badfit. I love Di Sagard. There's
sense of you were to it.Yeah, yeah, I remember Dukes of
Hazard. Gosh, I feel old. I love that. Now. You've
had a remarkable career with over onehundred and sixty Hollywood productions. What drew
(08:43):
you to Blue Ridge and what doyou find unique about this project compared to
your previous work. You know,how it came to me is really quite
interesting. So I took my family. I had a ten year old,
had a little boy who was goingin school, and my wife is from
nash With, Tennessee. So wedecided we wanted to get out of LA
around twenty eighteen, and we movedto this town. And when I did,
(09:07):
I left all my representation, everythingbehind me because I realized that I
wasn't living to my full potential inmy life. You know, I was
on the cover of Vanity Fair withWill Smith in like nineteen ninety. I
was the first cover of Leading Mento watch. And all those guys on
the cover, they all their careerspropelled and they're all leading men. And
I really wasn't a leading man.I was more of a character actor,
(09:28):
which you know, people respect mywork, but I wasn't really living my
full potential. So I'd let everythinggo. I decided that no matter what,
I would give over everything and allowmy higher power to guide me wherever
it wol guide me. And ittook me to the place where I called
up a couple of friends of mine, one of them, Nick Gonzalez.
I said, Nick, I needto find work. There's no way for
(09:50):
me to find work. I don'thave a representation anymore. And he said,
you got to meet this guy,Gary Wheeler, and he connected us.
And Gary called me up and offeredme the TV movie called Blue Ridge,
and he said, you got toread it. He was about a
man who left California moved to asmall town to be with his family,
and right and where I was,and as I was letting go and letting
(10:13):
god, I found my way toBlue Ridge. And that's probably if that
answers your question. I think itdoes. Oh, it so does.
There are no coincidences, my dear, And what this really just is a
testament to you are exactly where youare supposed to be. And it just
warms my heart to hear how thestory came about. Now I want to
watch it even more because I canalmost sense that you've poured your definite heart
(10:35):
and soul into this one. Now, given your experience working with a variety
of acclaimed actors and producers and writersand directors, what has been the most
memorable or influential moment in your careerso far. That's a tough question.
I always give the Tom Hanks answerbecause he was so influential in my life
from my career and everything that Ido. But the way I think that
(10:56):
we set up the tone for BlueRidge that be a safe environment for creatives.
Everyone had open communication and didn't feellike there was any anyone who was,
you know, more powerful than anyoneelse, that we are all on
equal playing field, even though there'speople that are show Garry's the show right
around the lead actor. We justmade it a safe space. And that's
(11:16):
one thing that I wanted to bringwherever I went. I wanted to make
it safe for creatives because it wasn'tso safe in Hollywood when I was first
starting out, and over the courseof the last you know, several years,
we stood up against some of thebullies in Hollywood and made it safer.
So that's what I wanted to bringthe most. You're so mature.
I wasn't. I think I've becomemore of adult. I've become more like
(11:37):
my character, Justin Wise. Well, now now let's go back to Justin.
So Justin is a modern Western hero. It's always interesting to me to
see how these characters navigate the challengesof enforcing the law in small forgotten towns,
so to speak. Right, ButI'm curious about the complexities of his
character and how he handles the balancebetween duty and the unique dynamic of this
(12:01):
Appalachian community. I mean, fromhow to make an American quill to Ray
Donovan. You've showcased incredible versatility asan actor. So how do you approach,
you know, in particular, likethis diverse role that you took on,
and were there any specific challenges orwere there any joys or what was
it like portraying a character like sheriffjustin wise, it's funny. There's a
(12:22):
saying that we will become our parents. Right. So, my father was
a Baltimore City police officer. Hewas a Baltimore City cop for thirty six
years. He's as blue as Bluegits. So when I you know,
every time I've been on Blue Blood'sChicago ped I've always done these procedurals where
I was a police officer and thisguy was different. He was he was
(12:43):
the rock, he was the reflectorof the community and he had to you
know, has to take on thechallenges that the human beings all the mistakes
of human beings make. And that'sreminded me when my father was a police
officer. He was a big coppof Baltimore City and a very different setting,
but he was just dealing with thehumanity humans and the mistakes they made
(13:07):
and trying to set them right,like when to give them over to the
authorities or you know, when tojust kind of set them straight and they
wouldn't, you know, falter intheir life again. And that's what I
feel Justin is he really is likehe has a strong moral credo inside of
him. He doesn't put up withany book and he does the right thing
whatever he thinks that right thing is. It's interesting because these are the aspects
(13:33):
of Sheriff Justin Wise's story that Iguess you're excited for viewers to explore in
the series. I mean, you'vegiven it away so far in terms of
who this man is. And Imean with look, with such a rich
and varied career, there's definitely aparticular genre and type of role that seems
to be fulfilling you. And it'sthis right, So I think you've come
(13:56):
full circle and found a great,great way to reach your full potential as
you said at the beginning. Now, Blue Ridge, the series We Know
premieres on April seventh on the CowboyWaight Channel. What can viewers anticipate overall
from the show, and particularly doyou have any personal insights or favorite moments
(14:16):
from filming. I'd love to knowthat that you can share. Well.
My cast is sensational, but theguest stars that come are special because I
get to be part of a lotof the casting of the guest stars.
Like Max Martini comes out, youknow, he's a personal friend of mine.
Came out and played well. Everyweek, something happens and Justin's got
to figure out how to make itright, you know, figure out who
did it or what went wrong orset the world back the way it was
(14:39):
supposed to be. And Max cameout to play. He was a wrestling
promoter. Why Buddy Miguel Hearn cameout, he was a wrestler. And
then I even got Ethan Embury fromThe Wonders that thing you do to come
out and play a very important rolein the in piece. So yeah,
I think that's a lot of fun. They eat week. It's a little
(15:00):
everything's a little different, something goeswrong and Justin's got to get right that
same procedural that we've seen with Longmire, and even when I did Little Bloods
and it was like something with whatwas the crime that you had to solve,
very much like a police officers doesevery single day in his life.
So the unique guest stars that wehave come out, and I'm looking forward
to people getting to see them andkind of experiencing my diverse career is long
(15:26):
career that I have and how I'vebeen able to sustain these relationships that I
can call somebody up and come outplay it's fantastic. Well, we are
out of time and the series soundsso promising. It sounds captivating, the
setting sounds captivating, and it's amodern Western hero and the potential for intriguing
crime narratives. This is all rightup my alley. So I'm so eager
(15:48):
to see how it stands out specificallyin this genre and whether it can be
and whether it can specifically build onthe success of the twenty twenty film.
So I wish you all the bestof luck, my dear friend. This
should be a good one. Thankyou very much. You Uh, I
wish I had all your words thatyou can go around with me and do
all the press because you make itsound so much better than I could ever
(16:11):
and I appreciate that so much.That was our Hydration with Heart segment brought
to you by One Spawn a Coconut. Check out Jonathan on the Gram at
Jonathan Shack and be sure to catchthe worldwide premiere of Blue Ridge the series
on April seventh at eight pm Easternon Cowboywaychannel dot com and keep up to
date on Instagram at COWBOYWATV. You'relistening to a Moment of Zen right here
(16:34):
on seven to ten WR, thevoice of New York iHeartRadio. We'll be
right back after this. A Momentof Zen is brought to you by your
Home TV with Kathy Ireland and theirchannel partners. Head to your Home TV
dot com for free family friendly programmingstreaming twenty four to seven. Do you
have the dream of starting and owningyour own business or know of someone who
(16:55):
does. If so, check outyour Home Business program where they inspire,
equip and encourage those who dream ofowning and operating their own business. Check
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of Zen Saturday nights from nine toten pm on seven to ten WOOR the
Voice of New York. A momentof Zen is sponsored by body Aligne.
(17:17):
Are you ready for a long winter'snap? Over one hundred and eighty three
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Visit bodylign dot com and editor dypat checkout. Because discovering your potential starts
(17:40):
with a great night's sleep. That'sbodyligne dot com. Welcome back, beautiful
Tri State area. You're listening toa Moment of Zen right here on seven
ten wr the Voice of New YorkiHeartRadio. I'm your host, Zen Zams
in our Discover your Potential segment,brought to you by Bodyline. We're joined
by our newest contributor, podcaster andhost, Anna Devere. She's joined by
(18:03):
singer and performer Alex Boyer. He'sknown for his African infused music that has
gained over one billion views on YouTube. He shared the stage with legendary artists,
and his innovative YouTube videos keep himfirmly grounded as a global phenomenon.
With today being March second, WorldTeen Mental Health Awareness Day, it's also
(18:23):
important to mention how Alex proudly shareshis talent as an official ambassador for many
causes, including the American Foundation forSuicide Prevention and focuses on improving the mental
health of teens. Today, theyjoined me to discuss his career, the
teen mental health crisis, and thepower of music. Welcoming down to the
show, are my dear friends.Welcome superstars. Hi, thanks for having
(18:48):
us on. This is so awesome. So Alex will start with you.
You've had this amazing, incredible journeyas an artist, gaining many accolades and
accomplishments along the way, from seasonten of America's Got Talent, to being
a featured voice in Cruel Summer,which was a short film by Kanye West
that premiered at the con Film Festival, to even being named twenty seventeen Artists
(19:11):
of the Year and the Grand prizewinner in a music contest sponsored by Pepsi
and Hard rock cafe. That's alot. Could you tell us more about
how you got to where you aretoday and where you always and were you
always sure that music was your path? Yeah? I never knew it was
going to be my path, butit became my saving grace because when I
(19:32):
was sixteen, I got kicked outof my house. I lived on the
streets for a while. This ison the streets of London where I was
born and raised, and I wasin a really really bad way, and
I used to go to this onenight club and just dance my sorrows away.
And one time I actually wanted totake my life. I was just
going through so much pain and hadsome abusive relationships and in terms of like
an uncle who basically sexually sexually abusedme for many, many months, and
(19:59):
so I ran away from home andI went to this nightclub. My goal
was to take my life, butI was going to dance, get my
dance done, you know what I'msaying, and then I was going to
exit. That was it. WhileI was in a dance floor, the
DJ says my name, and I'mlike, wait, first of all,
I'm a sixteen years old in thisnightclub. I shouldn't even be there.
So twenty one year old up,how does this guy know? Come to
(20:19):
find out? I did this talentcontest two weeks before and then he said
to me, Alex, I rememberyou. He said that on the stage
in front of everyone. He says, you keep going. I want to
dedicate this song to you. Andthe lyrics of that song changed my life.
And that's when I knew that Iwanted to do music for the rest
of my life. Wow, okay, pause right there, And how did
(20:40):
you first cross paths with Alex?I know? How do I follow that?
Okay? So was this time lastyear. I had just performed in
Nashville at the Bluebird Cafe and forwhatever reason, I was in a slump.
And I know when I'm going intoa dark place that I just need
to hit a reset, right,So I took a nap that day.
I just laid down about fifteen minutesin and our friend Billy Cole called and
said, can you be on stagewith Alex Boyer at a teen mental health
(21:04):
suicide prevention singing Ben not break withhim? And I went that took my
breath away. That was a sign. I said yes, And that's how
we met last year this time.What a beautiful story. Yeah, everything
comes full circle. There are nocoincidences, and you are exactly where you
are supposed to be. So Alex, You've had many breakout moments, and
(21:25):
you've performed with legendary artists such asJay Z and Tim McGrath and George Michael
and Missy Elliott and Timberlake and theBeach Boys. I mean, I don't
know who you haven't performed with.However, However, everyone knows that the
life of a musical artist isn't alwayssmooth. Yes, why are you currently
focusing on mental health for teens andsuicide prevention in your speaking engagements? Okay,
(21:49):
the reason why you said some reallyinterestings. Then well, you said
you've had many breakout moments, andthen you talked about all my accolades.
But none of those accolades made mehappy. That's the problem with us.
We look for accolades to make usfeel important, but then also hoping that
it will make us feel better,and it doesn't. And what I'm starting
(22:11):
to realize, Like I remember Iread this quote once and said, sometimes
we find ourselves climbing the ladder ofsuccess. Then we get to the top
and we find we're leaning on thewrong side of the wall because all those
accolades don't mean nothing if you ain'thappy first, if you aren't happy with
yourself, you can get a pileof money land in your hand and that
will last three seconds and then you'relike, okay next. And so I
(22:34):
have to find it from I foundit for my African roots actually, because
you go to African you go andyou try and do a humanitarian service.
Look at the kids and see themsmiling. Have you ever gone to service
in Africa? A depressed kid inAfrica? I needed to learn what it
is that makes my people so happyeven when they have no accolades, no
(23:00):
money, nowhere to live, nowhere to stay, no future. So
I had to learn that and Irealized that it came from knowing that you
are something special. Whether you havesomeone tell you that or not, well,
you are very special, my dear. And it's interesting because the focus
(23:22):
on mental health is so important rightnow these days. Millions of people in
the US are affected by mental illnesseach year, and according to the CDC,
one in five US adults live witha mental illness and over one in
five youth ages thirteen to eighteen,either currently or at some point during their
life, have had a serious,debilitating mental illness, and these statistics are
(23:44):
staggering. Focusing on mental health forteens is extra important in my opinion,
because fifty percent of all lifetime mentalillness begins by age fourteen, and suicide,
as we know, is the secondleading cause of death among those kids
age ten to fourteen, which issuch a sad statistic. As a mother,
this breaks my heart. Now musicand mental health may be more connected
(24:07):
than we've ever thought. Now,your favorite song may not have the potential
to not just sound good, butbe good for you in terms of the
emotion it makes you evoke, andmusic has been linked with positive effects on
the brain, such as improved mood, decreased anxiety, a better overall emotional
wellbeing. It's science. Research showsthat music affects both dopamine and oxytocin levels,
(24:30):
and even lower levels of it lowersthe levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Now, Anna, what role doesmusic play? I know this is
a big one for you in youroverall mental wellbeing. So I think everyone
can relate to putting on a dancesong when they want to blow off steam.
That's one way. I also believethat music anchors you emotionally. Sometimes
(24:52):
if you resist emotion, it'll startto eat you alive. I think it's
really important to pay attention to yourteam's playlist. I got really deep into
my teen's playlist so that it wasin my brain and I spotted things,
and I got to have a conversationthat was real, and I didn't avoid
the hard stuff. In fact,I said, that's universal, that feeling
that you have that right on theedge. That's really important that you don't
(25:15):
try to resist that emotion that you'rebrave enough to admit to your team.
I feel the same as you.That's a conversation starter, and music is
an emotional anchor for those kinds ofhistory. My daughter has been sleep trained
and listening to baby Motter Lallabi.Yeah, he's in the womb now,
Alex. Early last year you facedsome significant challenges, but when you decided
(25:38):
to say yes to an invitation tospeak to a full auditorium of school superintendence,
the impact was incredible and you arenow also a highly sought after speaker
and your I Am a ten uhmusical presentation fills students and adults with so
much hope, tell us more aboutabout your you are a number ten campaign,
(26:00):
and how are you sending how areyou spending your time these days?
Real It really started from going backto the memory of me eating food out
of trash cans on the streets ofLondon when I was homeless. And what
I realized is that guess what,you guys do it every single day,
everyone all over the world, especiallythe kids. We eat mental trash out
of mental trash cans every day.And that's where it's coming. I think
(26:22):
I heard a quote. It wasby Oh Bruce Lee, and he says,
don't speak negatively about yourself, evenas a joke. Your body doesn't
know the difference. Words are energyand cast spells. That's why it's called
spelling. We hypnotize ourselves when wesay I'm not gonna make it today,
I'm a terrible person. Do dodo do do. Everything that comes out
(26:45):
of my mouth our mouths is selfhypnotism. You know what, I'm gonna
have a great day today. Dodo do do do do do. I'm
not gonna beat myself up. I'msomething that is worth it. I'm a
ten do do so everything that comesout of our mouths is hypnism for good
or for bad. There's an Irishthought leader. I want to read this,
(27:06):
he says Emmett Fox. He says, whether you are generally happy,
cheerful, low spirited, or fearful, it depends on the quality of mental
food upon which you diet yourself.We feed ourselves on a daily basis what
we are thinking, by what weare saying, and by what we are
watching. And so that's what Itell the kids. And it's not from
me being a professor. I didn'teven pass second grade, but I'm a
(27:30):
professor of the streets, and I'ma professor of someone that wanted to take
his life and lived because I realizedthat there was so much more to me
than I thought. And I hadto find that out to realize that I
was a tend Like you see thisten hens ten dollar bill. So if
you scrunch it up right and yougive it to a kid and he says
you want it, they'll still wantit. If you step on it,
(27:51):
travel it, even spit on it, talk bad to it. I hate
You may use something you think youbreast mess a tit tacks right, and
then you say to the kid,will you still take it? And they'll
say yeah, and you're like whybecause it's worth doesn't change very very wise
words. Thank you for sharing that. I love that analogy and I love
the spin you put on that tendollars bill. Now I see it,
(28:14):
now, I see its value isso much more worth than ten Anna,
I hear so I heard I heardyou earlier. Tell me the story of
when you first met in this incredibleperformance. So you performed together at this
Team Mental Health and Suicide Prevention summitlast year where you where you joined the
Tomorrow's Stars Choir and you accompanied Alexon the song Bend not Break. What
(28:38):
was that like? Well, ifyou watch his audition tape where America's Got
Talent, you'll know he's a forceof nature. He's got the judges and
he's got the crowd whipped up likezero to one thousand and seconds. So
he's a force of nature. It'svery surreal to be on stage with Alex.
But I want to just say,as you hear him speak, I
mean, performing is that special.There's something really in the message and it
(29:00):
doesn't matter if six people are listeningor an arena is listening. Alex as
the vibrancy. I don't pay youenough. Do you need that? Wow,
it's very true, and so Imean that's what you look for in
a performer, but that that's rareto me, That's really rare. I
love it now, Alex, veryquickly. We have about a minute left,
(29:21):
and I know that you have someincredible YouTube videos up there. You
have a billion views on YouTube.You have a wide array of work posted,
both covers and original songs, withyour most popular video being an Africanized
tribal cover of let It Go fromFrozen featuring the One Voice Children's Choir.
It's clear you're always on it andcontinuously working with you know, to perfect
(29:45):
your craft. Not everybody stays ascommitted as you do. What keeps you
in the game with producing your musicvideos, I think because I'm realizing now
that it's affecting people, and themore I'm seeing the comments, it's like,
oh, I've got to do moreof this because as it's working for
me and you know, in mylane, and so I'm just enjoying just
the experience of just having kids,especially the youth. That's how Anna and
(30:08):
I connect. We just we literallyhave this vision of just youth all over
the world just being hurted through words, through music, through entertainment, and
that's what we want to do.That's beautiful. Anna, what's your discovery
your potential takeaway from this amazing artist? So Alex is my hero because he
dreams bigger than most people and hekeeps, he keeps building. You're never
(30:33):
too old to dream big and that'sinfectious and it's really important. So that's
the message today. You know,you're never you're you're never too big to
get down on the ground level.You're never too old to dream. And
Alex, thank you for being suchan accessible and wail artist. Thank you,
Thank you both for coming on.This was an incredible segment, very
feel good. Alex. I wishyou nothing but the best. You are
(30:56):
so inspirational and definitely where went wherethere is no path and left the great
big journey. And Anna, thankyou so much for being on such a
great guest. Thank you, Zen, Thank you for opening your heart and
giving us a stage to be ableto share our message. You doing incredible
things to thank you the Pleasures Online. That was our Discover Your Potential segment
(31:18):
brought to you by Bodyligne. Besure to check out Alex Boyer on his
YouTube channel at Alexboyer Real and ofcourse seemre Vanna by heading to Discover your
Potential show dot com. You're listeningto a moment of Zen right here on
seven to ten wo R the Voiceof New York iHeartRadio. We'll be right
back after this. A moment ofZen is brought to you by your Home
TV with Kathy Ireland and their channelpartners. Head to your home TV dot
(31:41):
com for free family friendly programming streamingtwenty four to seven, Join Jimmy Jimbo
Temple on Cowboys, Trailers and Ranchesand get ready for a crazy ride from
up and coming country Western performers toranchers with purpose, Jimmy takes you behind
the scenes with a front row seatto all the action. Cowboys Trailers and
Ranches is dedicated to celebrating and preservingall things Western. Check them out on
(32:07):
your home TV dot com. Tuneinto a moment of Zen Saturday nights from
nine to ten pm on seven toten WOR the Voice of New York.
Welcome back, beautiful Tri State Area. You're listening to a moment of Zen
right here on seven ten war theVoice of New york iHeartRadio. I'm your
host, Zenzam's up in just afew minutes in our Scandals segment brought to
(32:30):
you by your Home TV and KathyIreland Worldwide. Today we're featuring our regular
contributor imron On Sari partner at IdalaBertuna Cammons, otherwise known as ABK Law
right here in the heart of NewYork City. He's also a legal contributor
and analyst on law and crime andCourt TV. Today we're chatting Young Thug's
reco case and the use of raplyrics in criminal cases. Now. Young
(32:52):
Thug was initially indicted for conspiring toviolate the Rico Statute and participating in criminal
street gang activity, and in areindictment filed in August of last year,
prosecutors charged him with additional counts relatedto gang activity, as well as drug
and firearms violations. Now, ina pre recorded address screened at Hot ninety
(33:15):
seven's Summer Jam back in June oftwenty twenty two, he urged his fans
to sign the Protect Black Art petitionand keep praying for him. Now.
The Petition to Protect Black Art isa document co written by three hundred entertainment
COEO Kevin Lyles, he first signedThug and helped get his label YSL off
(33:36):
the ground as a subsidiary company,and Atlanta Record COO Julie Greenwald also wrote
this Act. Now the document asksboth federal and state legislators to adopt bills
that limit the use of rap lyricsas evidence in a court of law.
Thugs Plea arrived on the heels ofa sprawling fifty six count reco case against
(33:57):
him, Gunna and twenty six membersof his Young Stoner Life collective. Now,
after five hundred and sixty seven daysin jail for Young Thug, the
trial against him finally began at theend of November of last year. Now
we're going to tie it all together. Interestingly enough, running parallel to all
of this, the man accused ofkilling run DMC's jam Master j can't have
(34:21):
his rap lyrics used against him ata trial, is what a Brooklyn judge
decided in a ruling not long ago. Now, there's a correlation here in
Imran and I are going to breakit down for you. But the use
of rap lyrics in criminal prosecutions hasbeen a contentious subject in several high profile
cases, including the ongoing racketeering trialof Young Thug, and in that case,
(34:43):
the judge allowed the lyrics to bepresented at trial, a decision that
defense attorneys say amounts to racist characterassassination, meant to poison a jury already
skeptical of rap music. Now,in the context of Young Thug's case,
Imran, how common is it forrap lyrics to be used as evidence in
criminal prosecutions and what challenges does thispresent for artists going forward? Yes,
(35:07):
Zen, I mean this is alike you said, it's a hot button
topic. In fact right now it'sthe subject of what's called the Rap Act,
which was introduced to Congress, whichwould ban the use of rap lyrics
to by a prosecutor in order toprove a crime in the court of law.
And it's going to have resounding effectsif that is the case, including
(35:30):
on a case like this. Butthis case is well underway. They are
using the lyrics by Young Thug againsthim to show or prove or help prove
that he is an alleged gang memberand part of a criminal enterprise. And
that's the crux of that rico charge. Zen, that the DA's office there
(35:51):
led by Fannie Willine Fannie Willis,So you know, Fannie Willis is,
of course the district attorney bringing theRico case against former President Trum and others.
But this is a RICO case underthe same Georgia Rico statute that she
and her office are bringing against YoungThug. They are looking to use those
lyrics. They are using those lyrics, and of course the defense for Young
(36:15):
Thug are saying, listen, thisisn't evidence of any sort of criminal enterprise.
These are rap lyrics. We knowthat rap sometimes glorifies street life,
gang culture, but it can't betaken as true. It's artistic expression from
the streets. But it is notevidence that Young Thug and his co defendants
(36:37):
were engaged in some sort of criminalenterprise or gang and you know, perpetuating
crime under that enterprise, which wouldbe the crux of that Rico charge.
Send It's interesting to me that thisruling came in response to an attempt by
federal prosecutors to introduce lyrics penned byCarl Jordan Junior as if evident of his
(37:00):
role in gunning down jam Master jwho was a pioneering artist whose birth name
was really Jason Mazelle, but hedied in two thousand and two, and
his death remains one of rap's mostinfamous slayings. Right, so, prosecutors
had sought to introduce several lines writtenby Jordan that described first person accounts of
(37:20):
violence and drug dealing, including therewas one specific line, we aim for
the head, no body shots,and we stick around just to see the
body drop. Now similar lines writtenby rappers nas Ice Cube and Vince Staples,
along with interviews with artists like FatJoe in Future who have publicly discussed
the distance between their art and reallives. So this is you know,
(37:43):
you can't you can't use it foryou know, in the context of one
court and one jury in one caseand then dismiss it for another. It's
either an act or it's not.So with the recent ruling in the case
of jam Master j how does itimpact the use of rap lyrics as evidence
in criminal trials? Because that wasthe complete opposite, And that's why I
think there needs to be some clarityunder the law of when, uh these
(38:07):
sort of lyrics can be used againsta criminal defendant. And zen I do
believe that rappers and hip hop artistsoften rap about street life that are experiences
uh in the inner city, thethings that they have witnessed, as you
know, individuals living many times inthe inner city uh and experiencing things like
(38:28):
gang life, you know, andand crime hands on, and they rap
about that sometimes there you know,there's some rappers who glorify that and whatever
you think about that, whether rightor wrong is another debate, But they
do that, but it doesn't necessarilymean that they have done those crimes or
committed those crimes. In fact,there are often rappers who get called out
(38:49):
by other rappers saying that they're youknow, just sort of you know,
poser their opposer and they don't reallyhave that street cred and things like that.
But I do think it's important thatunder the law you do allow the
ability to use lyrics when there isa connection, a very clear connection to
a crime and other evidence that wouldcorroborate, uh, the individual's commission of
(39:15):
the crime. So let's say,uh, someone you know with the glasses,
red hair and their name is Marywas shot by rapper X, right,
Uh, and then he goes intoand now there's some other evidence that
may connect that individual, rapper X, to that crime. And then he
lyrics. There are some lyrics ina rap song by rapper X where he
(39:36):
says, I shot the lady withthe red hair and the glasses. You
know that's going to be so specificand corroborated by other evidence that that would
be a situation where prosecutors shouldn't behandcuffed from not being able to use that
lyricsence. Okay, So to yourpoint, According to its website, y
sl stands for Young Stoner Life.It's the record label that includes artists Young
(40:00):
Thug, Gunna Yakgatti, and Unfunk. Okay, they're all defendants in this
trial. The prosecution is arguing thatWHYASEL also stands for Young Slime Life,
which is a criminal street gang,right, the prosecution is going to have
to prove that. And it's beena very long trials end this for quite
(40:22):
some time. They had one individualwho used to be a co defendant with
Young Thug and these other co defendantswho ended up testifying for the state after
reaching a plea deal. And thereare some moments during that testimonies end where
it may have backfired on the prosecutionwhere this individual actually testified in a way
that would be more helpful or helpfulto young Thug and his co defendants than
(40:45):
the prosecution. There was, ofcourse some testimony from this individual that would
help the prosecution. But it's goingto be ultimately a very difficult case,
not only because of the nature ofthe case, the defenseance, and the
evidence and trying the prosecution has toestablish certain things, but because it's a
(41:06):
reco case, and a recocase ingeneral are very difficult cases to prove.
You have to prove that there's acriminal enterprise. They're all acting in furtherance
of that criminal enterprise and committing individualcrimes. Those have to then individually be
proved beyond a reasonable doubt to thisjury. And you have multiple defendants here,
(41:27):
Zen It's say a trial that's beentaking weeks, and it's a trial
that has multiple defendants, multiple witnesses, and the prosecution are going to really
have to link those rap lyrics alongwith other evidence in order to prove that
reco case. They have a verytough job ahead of them. Not to
say that they won't be able tobe successful at the end. This is
going to be up to the jury, but it's a really complicated case.
(41:49):
And now you see very interestingly theintersection between real life and possibly what is
just art and hip hop life,right, and it's going to be something
that's going to resonate not just inthis case, sen but as the lawmakers
deal with the RAP Act, asindividual states deal with this call to prevent
(42:10):
prosecutors from using rap lyrics. California, for example, is a state that
already prohibits the use of rap lyricsand criminal prosecutions as evidence of crime.
And you know you're going to haveyou're going to see after this case around
the country how individual states deal withthis. And of course the federal government
would that RAP Act to consider beforeCongress. So much to consider and so
(42:35):
much at risk for a lot ofthese artists. But then again, it
could be the smoking gun, andit could be right there written by their
very own by by the by themselves, and it's an admission of guilt in
many respects. So considering the contentiousnature of using rap lyrics in trials,
because it is very contentious right now, this particular ruling, how do you
think it's going to affect Young Thugscase? Given the judges deci in his
(43:00):
ongoing racketeering trial, then if there'ssome sort of shift in the law,
including in Georgia. You know,and there's this issue. I'm sure this
issue has been preserved by his defenseteam and the other defendants and their attorneys
for an issue on appeal. Andif there is an ability, if there
is a conviction, of course,we have to this hypothetical here is if
(43:22):
there is a conviction, if thenyou are sure that the defense teams will
bring this issue up on appeal,especially if there's a shift in the law
and that this evidence should not havebeen admitted before that jury is proof of
a crime, and that would bean appelate issue and it could lead to
a reversal of a conviction if theprosecution are able to get a conviction against
(43:45):
Young Thug and or any of theseother co defendants. So it's gonna be
interesting to see and it's gonna youknow, if this law is not put
into effect, if states are ableto keep using this evidence without other co
op corroboration, etc. You haveto expect or wonder if it's going to
have a chilling effect on artistic expressionand hip hop. And you know,
(44:09):
someone may be a little hesitant torap or say something in their song because
they don't know if it's going tobe used against them when they didn't mean
it that way. So there's thatbalance. You want to have this evidence,
if it's very strong and corrobative ofa crime, to be able to
use as a prosecutor. But thenalso you don't want to have a chilling
effect on the First Amendment and alsoartistic expression. And that's where the courts
(44:32):
and the law have to balance thoseconsiderations, including in a case like Young
Thug. You said it, myfriend, Well, thank you so much
for coming on. I love thatyou broke it down for us as clearly
as you did. You definitely haveyour work cut out for you. You
analyze it so fluidly and make allof us understand these cases from both a
legal perspective, both defense and prosecution. So you're really really amazing at breaking
(44:55):
down these cases. We love havingyou on. Thanks for having these inn
That was the the Scandals segment broughtto you by your Home TV and their
channel partners Kathy Ireland Worldwide. Thatwas the awesome imrand On Sari of Idella
Burtuna Cammons otherwise known as ABK Lawright here in the heart of New York
City. He's also a regular contributorand legal analyst on Lawn, Crime and
Court TV. You're listening to aMoment of Zen right here on seven to
(45:17):
ten WR The Voice of New YorkiHeartRadio. We'll be right back after this.
A Moment of Zen is brought toyou by your Home TV with Kathy
Ireland and their channel partners. Headto your Home TV dot com for free
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iHeartRadio hosts seven ten wr the voicein her Dieheart Radio. We're here at
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are with a very special guest today. We're with doctor Michael Nastadt, who
(46:45):
is an anesthesiologist and a celebrity andtheologist. But that tell us a little
bit more about your practice. Sure, So we have a very interesting cloud
racktice where we focus on our generation. So we regenerate everything from the mind
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So we've come across a product calledcarbon dioxid therapy for the skin.
It's been around since the nineteen thirties, although the method of delivery has dramatically
(47:50):
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So carboxy therapy trends very well rightnow. Lots of people aren't using it
as a skin rejuvenator, tightening boostingelasogen. You've heard of this product on
a surface level. What's your takeon carbon dibxide therapy in general. Well,
I think it's a great idea.Carbon dioxide in theory, what it
(48:14):
does is it causes vasoidilation. Whatthat means is that it increases the blood
vessel, so you have increased flowto the base. That's very important because
then we're actually delivering a lot ofpro inflammatory agents in the blood that will
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(48:35):
the treatments that we do in myoffice that are very regenerative, when we're
actually placing stem cells and growth vaptorsunder the skin and we're increasing your collogen
formation, whether our high dose vitaminsees, it's pivotal to have blood flow.
Blood flow is very very important becausethat will actually increase the regeneration at
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may apply seat. I don't likethat as much because that will really cause
a lot of bleeding. This isnot what that does. We're just causing
the nutrients to kind of enter thebase and reduce any kind of bleeding or
trauma. Yes, it's all aboutnutrient blood rich flow to the skin,
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and as a commo therapy. Andthat's what I have lot specifically about this.
Practitioners like yourself, surgeons from allover the world. We have doctor
Warrias all the way in Colombia usingthis, comparing it to a hyperbaric chamber
because the effects that you get,the amount of zeo of the gas released
into the skin does exactly that.It's comparable. So it's interesting to see
the use cases where you think atherapy like this can be most beneficial figure
(49:43):
practice. Use many. I meanI already mentioned the base, the neck,
but it's anywhere. I mean evenlike small deposits that that are possible
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but you may just have that stubbornfat. It's why because you have four
blood flows to those areas. Sothis can be useful anywhere m my targeted
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your area where you can have anulcer. So for sure you want to
increase blood flow to this areas toregenerate so many different applications. I'll definitely
be visiting you doctor Michael. Thankyou so much. Slus how we could
mind you five Thawn dot com.So that's fifth that while Inness Medicine dot
com. All right, thank youso much for droiding us today. So
(50:27):
as you're listening to seven ten wrthe voice of your Guyheart Radio, we're
here at BTS Beauty through Sides atthe Healthy Littown Manhattan for COO two lives
dot com. We're back after this. A Moment of Zen is brought to
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A Moment of Zen is sponsored byFintech TV. Fintech TV, the
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(51:34):
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(52:15):
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