Vision Beyond The Lens by -J.J. McQueen-

In the fall of 2007 when the film "American Gangster" was released, it made an immediate impact at the box office.  Grossing $130 million dollars the films' success was publicly credited for what is typically unfamiliar--its' musical score. I was young in my career and often wondered the impacted of music in everyday life--particularly mine.  As fate would have it, a few months later the opportunity to travel to New York to sit down with Hank and Keith Shocklee presented itself.  Hank and Keith two of rap musics most decorated producers, delivered life-long lessons as it pertained to my world of insight. With both men having been credited to the success of early rap groups like Public Enemy and the famous Bomb Squad, every nugget  of information that they dropped was valuable.  Fresh off producing the hit single "Do You Feel Me", performed by Anthony Hamilton, their ideas and thoughts spoke to my senses. Within that interview I learned every music...

It’s been nearly 60-years since the bus made its’ memorable mark on American history.   For decades buses have been responsible for transcending subjects like music, race, politics, economics, civil-rights, and education.   They have been the primary catalyst for evolution, and change.   I’ve often thought that the bus could be compared to the barbershop.   I mean that with respect to the similar degrees of monumental discussions, and movements taking place in parallel. Much like the barbershop, the bus has fostered many conversations with all of its' subjects sitting in one place.   It was around the ages of 5 or 6 when this lesson began manifesting for me. In my youth, my mother and I would take frequent bus rides from High Point, North Carolina to Pittsboro, North Carolina, where grandparents lived. On those rides I can remember taking it all in.   There was something about the sign locations, the view, the smells, the sounds, and even the route...

With the opening Friday Night of the 2014 high school football season on the horizon, every barbershop in every small-town in America is probably buzzing with the conversation of who are greatest high school football players of all time.  It's a valid question considering the pool of talent that passes through most small towns.  People often wonder where these guys end up long after their playing days are over.  I've often asked the same question about many of my ex-teammates. Two in particular, Darius Brewnington and Kenny Shaw. If you were an athlete in the early 1990's they were arguably considered two of the most influential athletes in North Carolina's rich high school football history.  Unfortunately, like many other high profile athletes life happens.  However, even with the growing pains of life every man has his day of redemption.  With Darius and Kenny being former teammates of mine I wanted to see for myself who they are 20 years removed fr...