The VSB Files – Episode 001: And So It Begins…

beginningCheck out our inaugural VSB podcast as The Champ and Panama Jackson wax philosophical on just who the hell Liz is and what she does, Beyonce and what she is to mankind and potentially beyond, the greatness of T-Boz, and how some women JUST can’t get this break up sh*t right.

Welcome to the next level.

Maybe nobody’s going to see Otis, but The Champ and Panama Jackson?

We the voices.

Right Click/Save As: And So It Begins…

Alternate download link here.

106 thoughts on “The VSB Files – Episode 001: And So It Begins…

  1. Pingback: 5 Good Songs From Artists You’d Least Expect

  2. YAYYYY!!!! Our first podcast finally made it to the world!!!!

    And yes, I will be in full effect next round, cuz clearly I can’t leave you two to your own devices. Sheesh!

    P.S. Champ, I am pretty much a late bloomer for most things.

  3. LMFAO!! this was the greatness…. a plate of deez? iLove Y’all and sh*t.

    It’s weird hearing y’all speak tho. Yikes. I guess I had my own ideas of how you sounded in my head lol

      • @Panama Jackson,

        ha.ha.ha.

        really tho… In my head I thought your voice was all high, and Champ would be the dude with the deep voice. — but you have the deep voice and Champ… well… has an accent of some type.

        Boggles the mind! LOL

  4. Lol @ “VSB.com, b*tches”

    I feel like I “know” you guys now after hearing your voices.
    This was great! Keep up the good work :-)

  5. I enjoyed this very much…congrats gentlemen. I look forward to the greatness that I’m sure is to come :)

  6. I liked it brothas…it’s like…The View, but good and interesting. Next stop, television…I can see it now, G. Garvin teaching VSB the 101 ways to make your soup better.

  7. It took a while for you guys to warm up but it got good toward the end. Keep at it. Your relationship advice is classic.

  8. I will now refer to several people sounding like a “paper bag”.

    The silence in waiting for the punchline was better than anything that could’ve been used as a punchline. LOL

  9. Good job, fellas. You two talking reminds me of me and my best friend when we were in college. We had a similar analytical conversation like the one you had about Beyonce’, except it was about Jennifer Lopez’s butt.

  10. This podcast is a great addition!!

    By the way my opinion of why people are hating on Beyonce is jealousy! Just plain old fashioned jealousy. She’s a success, beautiful, extremely sexy and she’s married to Jay-Z. I think women subconsiously compare themselves to other women and Beyonce can make someone with a lack of self confidence feel very bad. Therefor they hate!

  11. I think it’s surprising you don’t understand why women don’t like Beyonce. It feels like a “men like hot women” blind spot with her.

    She’s a modern-day Jezebel and for a lot of black women, she is the embodiment of the dominant culture’s hatred of black femininity. Period. That some women can’t articulate it that way doesn’t mean its not true.

    I don’t think most women “hate on” her. I think they resent how easily and almost gleefully she parrots a racist/sexist ideal.

    • @Tyler,
      Yea, men do like hot women, which is why they like Bey. But men don’t buy her CDs, concert tix, etc. Women (and gay men) do that.

      And yes…be has a very sexual image, but I think you may be looking a little too deeply into it. If Bey is a Jezebel so is Ciara, so was Madonna, so is Britney, so is Gaga, Xtina Augilera, Rihanna, JLo and a HOST of female performers who haven’t reached their level super stardom.

      Bey is a popstar. She isn’t a traditional r&b singer, soul singer, or artist who offers any substance. None of that. She is a pop star. She competes against the popular White artists for the same title. Britney was a “Slave 4 U” and Xtina was “Dirrty” before Bey started to get raunchy; Mariah has/had powerhouse vocals but still runs around in skimpy clothes and stilettos…it is simply the state of the industry.

      I’m not making excuses for Bey- all I’m saying is she decided to go in the same vein as the pop stars before her who were getting more fame and more attention as their images became sexier. Bey didn’t change anything about the game, she didn’t do anything different or worse than these other women (besides keeping her name clean behind the scenes). She simply took the formula, applied it to her career- and BOOM.

      Does her imagery harm the impressionable? It surely can. But that doesn’t make her any different than the rest, and we shouldn’t attempt to hold her to a higher regard. White folks don’t see a “black jezebel” dancing across their screen. If they do, they better feel the same way about white pop stars.

      • @Lili,

        Eh, I think what Madonna did (for the most part) was more subversive. And Mariah’s sexuality is so cartoonish that only the most boorish men take it seriously.

        Point taken overall, but Beyonce trades in racist/sexist imagery in a way that we haven’t really seen quite as deeply and as disturbingly since probably Diana Ross and Tina Turner.

        Sure – the trope itself is as old and sexist/racist as the country itself and Beyonce ain’t doing nothing new, but the point I was making was less about her and more about how astutely black women can guard against a system that continues to thrust anti-black woman imagery in their faces (even in the guise of a black woman). Or more simply, a lot of black women recognize that her talent isn’t what made her a star, not by a long shot.

        Doesn’t mean you have to dislike her or even deny that she’s talented (“Speechless” alone means she can’t be totally written off). But it is what it is.

  12. omg!!!! lmao
    i am dying at the india arie&musiq conversations.
    “writing haikus on the wall and walk away”
    oh god….that was funny.

    • @collegebunni, I agree the India Arie & Musiq bit was sooo funny and I also enjoyed the accent of Champ…he enunciated Beyonce perfectly every single time…lol…loved it!

  13. “Put em on the glass”???? LMAO

    LOL @ the whole intro. Y’all are a MESS! You clearly had some fun.

  14. Okay .. I loved it.
    Yall talked way to long about Beyonce.
    I want more of the relationship talk!
    I loved it and the intro was hot
    I loved the background. “gurl he a 3″… LOL can you send me a copy I can put in my IPOD?

  15. This is killin me yall this is hilarious. I had to try to listen to it like some 8 different times cuz I kept laughing so hard @ the theme song.

    I’m feelin like this is for me, cuz a brotha don’t like to read. But I know the real reason is you all n Liz’s boobs needed a new frontier to burst through. Keep on doin the dog on thang.

    Oh yeah what about all of the rumors that the members of destinie’s child outshining bey and that was the real reason that they got ousted from the group? Still listening. Watch errbody gone get up on this here.

    KEEP BANGIN

    *waving* Hey Liz

  16. Ah! This whole podcast thing is a great idea. You need an audio supplement to this blog. Congrats guys. I’ll be listening.

    p.s. You know you love cussing on the podcast. Don’t bleep!

  17. LOL @ the Ciara comparison. You know, the love for this girl has diminished immensely! Paper bag? Man.
    __________________________
    You: “What are your likes in life?”
    Bey: “I like good things; good things are great.” LMAO
    You just clowned the he11 out of her.

    #1 A lot of ppl hate on her because she’s the biggest pop star in the world right now, so she is overexposed. Ppl hate on whoever is on top.
    #2 She’s beautiful, coochie pops, creole (i.e. “light skinned”)* AND sings well. Not to mention she has a squeaky clean image. I mean, seriously who gets to coochie pop in the “Video Phone” video AND perform for the President? Surely that will anger a good number of women (and attract even more men).

    #3- Champ, you sound dangerously similar to someone I dated a few years back. It’s almost eerie.

    GOOD Podcast guys!!!!! You’ve supplied us with laughs and quotes for days.

    *I know all Creoles aren’t light skinned.

    • @Lili, I do agree on your point that right now she is THE pop artist and she has been overexposed. But I’m not sure that it’s hate that a lot of people feel for her and if it is hating, not sure that it is particularly for that reason. Actually, I know of no other such artist where a person can admit their dislike/non-interest in and be labeled a hater. It seems like as far as Beyonce is concerned, you’re supposed to love her and if you don’t, you get labeled a hater. I’m completely indifferent toward her. I applaud her for being able to gain all that she has. But I am not a fan, per se. So here’s my take on the whole issue. The thing is, Panama was absolutely correct when he said she seems like a blank slate. In her interviews, she is not engaging or witty, hell she barely seems nice. Now I don’t say that to say she isn’t, but she has no personality in her interviews. She actually comes across as rather aloof and clueless most times. I don’t think that draws people in or inspire them to really want to like her. The other thing is that unlike your other top notch female pop artists like Madonna, Janet, and the like, Beyonce seems to be the only one who gets touted as being fabulous at everything! Madonna and Janet were never considered great singers because they weren’t. Now I won’t go so far as to say that Beyonce can’t sing, but let’s be real, she’s an average singer. She’s not a powerhouse vocalist and it seems that whenever she sings, folks start acting like she’s the greatest voice to ever sing. I think that’s why you have so many arguments about her not being able to sing. I think the stance is she can’t sing like “that.” Now I give her kudos because like the aforementioned stars, she is a performer. I give the girl her props cause she can shake, p-pop, and entertain like nobody’s business. But that’s where her talent lies in being able to perform and not necessarily sing. And then there’s the acting thing. Again, Madonna and Janet did receive movie roles, but they were never accused of being great actresses–unlike Beyonce. She’s not a great actress, but yet she continues to garner movie roles (which common sense should let folks know is due to her star power and the mass appeal she has), which folks go out and see and give her kudos like she’s the black Meryl Streep. I think at this point folks already know whatever she touches will turn to solid gold, but I think it’s confusing as to why. Yes she’s Beyonce and yes her dad was a marketing genius as it pertained to her. But is she really that great? I think that’s the argument that folks have as to why they’re not completely sold on her. And finally, at this point, I think the main issue is just overexposure. She’s literally everywhere you turn and I think it starts to grate on folks. It’s like a relationship. The very things you loved about a person in the initial phase become the very things that make you want to choke that joker later on. The nostalgia of her has worn off and I think folks are ready for some new young thundercat to take her title. Now if all of that is hating, then I guess she has a lot of haters. But I don’t think it’s as many haters as folks say. I think it’s just a lot of indifferent folks who get labeled as haters because they don’t love her like 2520s love Barbra Streisand.

      • @Hershey’s Kiss,
        Oh, I feel you. Don’t get me wrong- I have my gripes with her as well. I’m a fan of her stage performances- she is a performer for sure, but you aren’t a hater if you don’t like her.

        1. Yea, she can’t act. She’s horrible. FTR- I don’t know ANYone with any sense that considers her a good actress. She’s a star, and that’s why she gets roles. The folks saying she’s a good actress are stans (diehard/obsessed fans). Their opinions don’t count.
        2. She’s not a powerhouse vocalist, but she didn’t have much competition when she emerged. Bey’s competition when she came out was who- Ashanti? The young r&b artists out at that time were no competition for her. So she was queen of the r&b-crossover market by default. She took it and ran with it due to…
        3. Yes- great marketing. Daddy Knowles is Papa Joe 2.0. nuff said.
        4. She does seem like a blank slate with no personality- but it WORKS for her image. She is as dull in her interviews as she is entertaining on stage- oddly enough, I think the polar opposites “Beyonce” and “Sasha Fierce” truly cancel each other out.
        5. The reality is Beyonce some how, some way managed to capture the hearts of ppl across the globe. She is talented at what she does, and caters to what the people want…there is no denying that.

        • @Lili, you are absolutely right. I didn’t even think about it, but she really didn’t have any competition when she first emerged. I think folks forget that she was a mere kid when she began. Destiny’s Child were only 14 years old and at that time, there were no other female artists her age to compete against her. And you’re right, somehow the blank slate thing works in her favor. I actually think it would hurt her career more to show a personality beyond the stage because her fans have this image of her that they have created and want to cherish. I think the biggest issue could quite possibly be that she is a pop star and we have never had a black female pop star who is as sexy as Beyonce. Don’t get me wrong, Janet was sexy in her own right and then she turned up the sexy dial later in her career (circa 1993 with Janet and then by Velvet Rope it was over). Beyonce, on the other hand, came out the gates competing with the likes of Britney. So she has been barely dressed, p-popping, and singing with sexual lyrics for a while and that’s kind of a precedent for a black artist. I think we’re used to our artists being typical soul R & B artists and she’s not that. She’s a pop star and she does it well.

          • @Hershey’s Kiss,
            “I think we’re used to our artists being typical soul R & B artists and she’s not that. She’s a pop star and she does it well.”

            Exactly. That’s virtually the only thing I ever say in defense of Beyonce- she is a pop star. She competes with Shakira, Gaga, Britney, Christina A., JLo, etc. for global sales and recognition; not Jasmine Sullivan, Keyshia Cole, etc. The pop market is completely different. If you want to be on top you have to do the same thing as the other women, just do it better and be more innovative. He11, that’s why Gaga sky rocketed to the top so quickly. She’s beating everyone at their own game.

            Popstars of today aren’t like what we had 10+ yrs ago: Mariah (not as scantily clad), Whitney, Celine Dion. It’s not about the powerhouse vocals anymore. If you’re lucky you’ll find someone like Xtina (with a booming voice)- and she still had to go raunchy at one point. Bey is in that market so…it is what it is.

  18. i love y’all like brothas. i do. i ain’t even finished done listening to this right now, but i’m cheesing like a little kid sister. like y’all MY people and sh*t. i’m stoked. i’m proud. really i am. bravo.

    btw, love the theme song.

  19. Yeah… I’m addicted to the theme song. “A 3 but the ladies still love him… gurl, he uh 3!”

    That W. Virginia point just slayed me.

    So interesting to put a voice to the words… Congratulations on the new adventure!!!

  20. Good job fellas. How you gon call the rest of destiny’s child “off brand chicks”? You just wrong for that. Had me rolling. Keep up the good work.

  21. And I failed to mention congrats and good job to you Panama and Champ. Way to put VSB on the proverbial map. Kudos!

  22. Panama, Champ,

    You two produced the smoothest, nicest, radio show I have ever heard on a blog, and I listened to all 36 minutes of it. If I didn’t know, I would have thought I was listening to a popular radio talk show.

    The intro was unique, and the beginning & ending music made the conversation intimate. Interesting topics handled in a well, thought out manner. Wonderful show and wish you two the best.

  23. When you guys said ‘You know who I can’t imagine talking….’ the first thing that came to my mind was definitely Kelis and Nas. And you can’t talk about Nas (outside of his Illmatic) and not mention Belly. Good stuff guys.

  24. Loved the podcast. LOL@Champ’s take on Indie.Arie/musiqsoulchild’s nonverbal communication skills.

  25. If Panama ever came to place where I was maintaining a swear jar, he’d have to pay a $10 cover to get in. Good job on the first podcast… a little less Beyonce-talk next time though.

  26. Oh snap, time to start bringing headphones to work. Excited! Love the “Panama has a bad mouth,” and that T.H.I.C.K. accent, ooo weee! :) Congratulations, I’m here to stay.

  27. Congrats Champ and Panama on your podcast. I just listened to it and thoroughly enjoyed… You guys sounded pretty much exactly how I expected… Champ, I can definitely hear the Pittsburgh accent, loving it!! (long as you don’t say some shit like “yinz guys’n'at” LOL)

    Keep up the good work gentleman, can’t wait to hear more of you!!

  28. First of all Congrats! I think with time the podcasts will become addicting…this first one is great so i definitely can’t wait until you all are seasoned podcasters.

    Beyonce–hmm, for the most part i love her. she is insanely talented (though i do think she should give up acting. i have doubts on her aspirations for an oscar)….Off Brands Chicks had me ctfu’ing

    T-Boz and Belly—loved t-boz, loved the movie that’s not really a movie

    Musiq and India—staring at each other to spend time, telekinesis, candles and haikus…lmbao, yep, agreed.

  29. I always come to the site and never comment…Yall comments go IN!! But I’m just here saying nice podcast…Expecting to hear more…Great stuff

  30. Panama – *sigh* OMG… this is a mess. *smh* The theme song is insane. And it’s been almost 2 years??? Wow. The Champ’s voice is NOTHING… I repeat… NOTHING… like what I imagined. LOL This is just ridiculous. I’m still listening.

  31. Don’t be bringing my organization into this. And I agree with Panama that it would be like you dating white chicks. *nodding* I agree.

  32. I just started reading your blog and based on what I read, I thought it would be cool to hear you guys live. A day later and I hear this. Good stuff.

  33. Pingback: The VSB Files — Episode 002: The Cornerstone of Pimpology

  34. Ok. I am just catching up to this!! Bwahaha!!

    “effervescence pool of luminescence”???? Panama, you slay me!!!

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