LeBron James is trying to take all the jobs. Being a perennial NBA All-Star and four-time MVP wasn't enough, so he added a television and film producer credits to his resume. To go with that, he’s also become a flawless talk show host, conducting hip hop’s most talked about interview on his HBO show “The Shop,” when Drake dropped by to discuss his grievances with Pusha T and Kanye West.

And yet, with sports, television, movies and hosting on the resume, James seems to be pushing into his next gig: music influencer.

Anyone that follows James on social media knows his other passion is music. He enjoys showcasing himself vibing to the latest and greatest tunes, whether it be the Push T “Daytona" LP (oh, the irony) or Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter V. Last week, the LA Laker co-signed Usher’s "A," telling the world his appreciation for the song “Peace Sign” in particular.
 
“I saw LeBron and he put my name in it. Shout LeBron. He shouted me out,” Zaytoven told LiveXLive on Friday in New York, as he was in town to screen his new movie “Birds of a Feather II” at a Tracklib event, and to shoot an Axe commercial with Lil Yachty.
 
Usher and Zaytoven connected in Los Angeles for just a few days on the A. The album was  completed in just about a week. James’ favorite “Peace Sign” is one of the project’s crown jewels, serving as a muse for subsequent songs during the recording process. 
 
“’Peace Sign’ was the first song we did that made me feel like ‘we got something now,’” according to Zaytoven. “Like, ‘we got the core sound of what it needs to sound like.’ You know how you just doing songs like ‘oh that sounds good; that’s pretty hard.’ ‘Peace Sign’ was the one that made me be like ‘oh wait a minute. Now we got something.’”
 
Zay produced all eight songs on the album and true to his expeditious reputation, the beats took him an average of five to ten minutes to concoct. 
 
“Usher and the other people that were in the room that’s writers, they was kinda just piecing it together,” Zay told of the process. “As I’m making the beat, we’re coming up with ideas or they’re coming up with ideas to how to sing the song. Somebody got an idea, ‘go get in the mic booth. Say it. Ok Usher go put your piece on it.’ Once you hear Usher’s voice on the beat, you know it’s magic.”
 
You’re free to listen to “A" and decide for yourself, but influential media mogul and sometimes-music-influencer LeBron James is clearly feeling that magic.

So what artist is going to be the next to benefit from the Zaytoven sound and garner a hit? The bet says he’s working with “everyone.”

While at the screening at IMI studio in Manhattan, Zay Also divulged he’s adding some more arsenal to his repertoire by sampling for the first time ever. He recently recently joined the Creators Advisory Board for Tracklib, the world’s first and only online crate-digging and music sample clearance service. Legendary hitmakers Erick Sermon and Prince Paul are also among those working with Tracklib.

Pardi’s party with Cardi. Newburgh, NY’s own Pardison Fontaine made his stage performance last night at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in grand fashion, joining collaborator/superstar Cardi B to perform their new single “Backin’ It Up."

Fontaine collaborated heavily via his pen on Cardi’s "Invasion Of Privacy," and the two are carrying the momentum over on Pardison’s club banger.

“Sleeping in the studio, sleeping on the couch,” Pardi reminisced on the BET green carpet award show in Miami. “I’m out here. 10 million views later. On the carpet. I made it to the carpet.”

And on that carpet, Fontaine ran into fellow New Yorkers, Dream Doll and producer/ DJ/ label CEO DJ Self. Dream has aspirations of getting from the carpet to the stage to collect some awards.

“I ain’t gonna know how to act. Turn the f--k up!l" Dream said of her reaction whenever she earns her first award. “Live my best life.”

Dream isn’t nominated this year but she did just drop her project Life in Plastic 2.

Fontaine did hit that stage, though, joining a long list of fan favorite performers at this year’s BET Hip-Hop Awards, including T.I., Lil Duval, Lil Pump, Lil Baby, Gunna, Gucci Mane and Young M.A.

People are still talking about Nick Grant’s rhymes from the Bet Hip-Hop Awards last night. Grant, who’s known as a lyrical-specialist, threw verbal fire at the screen professing “I'm a mixture of good karma and bad advice.” And later he declared “I'm just realer than n****s I admire.”

On the green carpet, Grant spoke about his drive to contribute music to the culture.

“I just learn from the greats,” he offered. “I'm cut from a certain cloth where people would record 10 songs in one night. Passionate, havng the love for it.  I feel like if I didn’t make any money off this, I would still this do this. I would work my nine to five and come home and still write raps.”

Many of the MCs who inspire Grant dropped albums this year. The young poet is excited to see so many veterans such as Eminem and Lil Wayne all put out product in the same year. When asked who delivered the best word play this year, he gave us his list.

“My top Five lyricist 2018, myself, Royce Da 5’9. Nas, Jay-Z of course. J. Cole... I’m just going off of everybody who dropped albums. My top five albums of 2018, Nasir, Daytona, the Pusha T album was dope. KOD of course. I was very huge on this August Green album. I thought that was incredible and my album, 'Dreamin’ Out Loud.'"

The Award show included a slew of hot performances, including Lil Duval, Ball Greezy, T.I., Yo Gotti, Gucci Mane, Cardi B, Partison Fontaine and newcomer Flipp Dinero. Lil Wayne was honored with the “I Am Hip-Hop” award.

“This is somebody that taught me how to write raps different ways,” Grant, a South Carolina native, said about Weezy’s influence on a generation of rappers. “Somebody that inspired me infinitely. Everything we see today with all these artist, he a piece of everything. He deserves it.”