Inside The Fan Shop: One-on-One with Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson (Scoop B Radio)

Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson has literally grown up covering professional sports and entertainment for the past two decades, launched Scoop B Radio two years ago, and recently collaborated on his own apparel line with Wooter Apparel. The best part: Scoop B is just getting warmed up. 

Before we get into the story about how you came to collaborate with Wooter Apparel and roll out your own apparel line of shirts and hoodies, how is life these days after working 20-plus years in sports and entertainment, let alone putting out Scoop B Radio? Does it seem like that long?

Honestly, steady and exciting. In that 20 years, I’ve gone to school, developed relationships, traveled and grew as a man. I’ve also had stops at cool places: The Source Magazine, CBS and RESPECT Magazine. The Scoop B Radio podcast is not your typical podcast. It’s actually a time capsule. My team and I put together a collection of interviews dating from my start at 12 years old, all the way to present day. We can go Dikembe Mutombo interview in my childhood, all the way to a present-day interview with TNT’s Kenny “The Jet” Smith. Last year, the Scoop B Radio Podcast was downloaded 2 million times between the direct site at ScoopBRadio.com, Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher and the Tunein App. Interviews with newsmakers and legends in sports, law and pop-culture is the blessing. Notables like tennis legend, Pete Sampras, Michael B. Jordan of Marvel’s Black Panther, attorney Gloria Allred, hip hop legend Too $hort, NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens and NBA Hall of Famers Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley and Julius “Dr. J” Erving is truly a blessing.

Where has your work ethic and drive come from?

Watching family get up everyday and go to work, honestly. My family on my mom’s side owned and operated two shoe companies in Harlem, NY, called The Athlete’s Foot and Men’s Walkers. On my biological father’s side: my family owned and operated businesses in Jersey City, NJ: a soul food restaurant called Family Affair and a marketing company called, Marketing Consultant Services. Through that, I learned branding, ad placement and dealing direct with consumer.

Who gave you the nickname Scoop B?

A New York-based radio host by the name of Lynn Wilson. From 1997-1990, I co-hosted Nets Slammin Planet, the official kids radio program for the then-New Jersey Nets. I co-hosted it with Nets legend, Albert King on the now defunct 1660 AM AAHS World Radio and 620 AM One-on-One Sports. The show was produced by current Nets play-by-play guy Chris Carrino. I’d be in an out of the Nets locker room and visitors locker room and would interview everybody. Lynn told me I used to get ‘the scoop.’ So she said: ‘you know, I’m going to call you Scoop B.’ Nicknames surely shouldn’t be given. I ran with that nickname, too. In high school I had my own column and incorporated that into my writing. The nickname is still intact.

You went from Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey, to Eastern University near Philadelphia for your undergrad, before earning your Master's at Hofstra University. Looking at that time, did you ever think one day you'd be putting out your own gear and shaping your own "brand"?

Yes. I grew up seeing my family run successful businesses. I also grew up watching actors, actresses and musicians do it. Why can’t a journalist? I grew up in an era where I watched Damon Dash and Jay-Z form Rocawear after the success of Rocafella. Why can’t a journalist do that? I took some of the things that I learned from my environment and applied it to my field while I was in high school and college. While in college at Eastern, I was public address announcer and DJ at baseball, basketball, lacrosse and soccer games. I honed in on that visibility and created other marketing ventures on campus, right from my dorm room, as a side hustle. Back when Nextel was popular, I created ringtones for students on campus, sold mixtapes of some of your favorite musical artists. Throwback jerseys were popular back then and were expensive. I found a wholesaler and sold throwback jerseys at a reduced price. I learned the principle of multiple streams of income and the concept of supply and demand. My work ethic caught the eye of the Vice President of my college, Dr. Leonard Jamison. He hired me to recruit students and to do voiceovers for the school on Philly’s Power 99.

How did the chance to team up with Wooter come about for you? 

We’ve been going strong since June. In the fall, we discussed expanding with an apparel merchandising deal. I’ve always been the type to get a kick out of seeing folks expand their brand with merchandise. I saw 50 Cent do it with G-Unit merchandise before he made it a household name. Growing up, I’d see folks selling t-shirts, socks and CDs and make a profit. Selling merchandise digitally by selling via social media is a pretty big freakin’ deal! My thought process was: ‘Why not make stuff that I like and see people wear it?’ The shirts and hoodies have my catch phrases and things that interest me. I sat down with my baby sister, Kandace Moore and we combed over ideas and the idea was born.

What does it mean to you to be able to partner on this apparel project together?

It’s an honor to have my own lane to do it and to partner with Wooter Apparel. They’ve got some other notables doing the same thing like Master P. To put out apparel with the same company that Master P is, is very cool! I know his brother, Silkk the Shocker very well and have interviewed his son, Romeo Miller. I have a great deal of respect for their family and their entrepreneurship. To have a partnership with Wooter is pretty incredible and I’m thankful.

Break down the shirts for us: how did you select which sayings to feature and who came up with the "Scoop B" logo and/or radio icon?

They’re all catchphrases that I’ve said or heard people say that I’ve incorporated into everyday life...

“The Jawn” - is a popular shirt. Jawn is Philly slang. It’s a noun and it describes everything.

“I Mean It’s Up to You” - is a phrase that I heard my buddy Maurice and Eddie use while in prep school at Don Bosco Prep.

“It’s Squilly” - is a phrase that my cousin, Flykahh, is a rising rapper created. I thought it was catchy. I used it to describe a feeling of greatness.

“You Can Make a Call” - is simply describing what you can do when you’re looking to make a power move.

One of the newest shirts that we released in the beginning of the year is: 2018 = The Butterfly - is a shirt that acknowledges that 2018 is a year of change and growth for hard workers who are leaders of the pack in their field.

This collection really is rooted in Scoop B Radio and says a lot about your work and you growing as a person and professionally, especially over the last two years.  What has the response been to you launching your own merch line and Fan Shop?

Totally! The podcast’s success has gone hand in hand with the transition to the merchandising. Scoop B Radio has received mentions in FORBES, Billboard, ESPN, Bleacher Report, COMPLEX, New York Post and more. It’s genuinely been a testament to hard work by my team and myself. The merchandising was a perfect transition. I’m thankful for people who have bought and worn my merchandise and helped show support through social media too. People that I admire wearing my Scoop B Radio and Scoop B Apparel is the ultimate pleasure. Seeing former college professors, ladies from various neighborhoods that I grew up with, seeing hoopers from my college wearing them is truly a honor.

What have you learned the most from helping design and produce a line of clothing? What was the hardest part? Most exciting?

The best part about the whole process was designing the merchandise with my baby sister. She’s in college and is a creative. This has been a paid internship for her and she’s getting a crash course in putting her creativity to the test at the grand stage. I’m glad to have collaborated with her.

Now...the real question is, will there be a "Scoop B Radio" season two collection?

Heck yes! We’ve got more merchandise coming your way. Stay tuned y'all!

Much thanks to Brandon "Sccop B" Robinson. Take time to connect with him on Twitter, Instagram, Scoop B Radio, and his Fan Shop with Wooter Apparel.