Black Boy Joy Spotlight: Larento Campbell

So Collegiate Curls has been popping lately, here at USC. So we decided to catch up with someone who has been popping for 21 years of life, Larento Campbell, otherwise known as TopFlightRento. This is a name that has been prevalent in many aspects of USC including the social scene, organizations, and with academics. Larento is a Senior Mass Communications major from Spartanburg, SC. Growing up in Spartanburg, he spent a lot of time moving around within the city, which led him to be such a social person and it also taught him the value of networking at an early age. He also loves to see people happy and he enjoys using his gifts to uplift and help others. When asked about sports, Larento replied, "I’m a sports fanatic, even though me and the NFL are beefing right now." He also loves music, specifically Hip Hop and R&B, and can one day see himself being at the top of the Music and Entertainment industry.

Larento's drive and motivation for networking and being great didn't stop when he got to college. He is currently a member of Brothers of Nubian Descent (BOND), Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Student Gamecock Television (SGTV), and the Opportunity Scholars Program (OSP). Larento says that BOND and Kappa Alpha Psi really helped him to connect with like-minded men of color that are heavily goal oriented like he is himself. Those two organizations inspired him to continue to strive towards his goals, while also creating a fun environment that every college student should experience. While participating in OSP, Larento's transition from high school to college became easy for him. It has kept him on track throughout his college career and he is extremely grateful for all the assistance that OSP has provided for him. SGTV has helped Larento to gain a vision for what he wanted to do in the future. He was heavily involved in sports and in doing sported related activities for the organization, but SGTV opened his eyes to impact that he could make in more aspects of the media. Participating in SGTV is what led Larento to making his decision of starting his own media outlet, JETLAG TV. From that point on he knew it would be a huge part of his life.

One of Larento's biggest inspirations for JETLAG TV was his participation in his friend's brand, Buzz Wars. He was a sports writer for the outlet, until the brand decided to take another direction. Being a part of SGTV and Buzz Wars helped Larento to see further into his future. The creative abilities of Larento's friends in his hometown inspired him to create this outlet. He knew that his voice had grown within Spartanburg and even other cities in South Carolina. This led him to create a platform that would help elevate those cities, as well as himself. "Spartanburg has too much talent that goes to waste or doesn’t get the correct recognition, so my love for the Burg drove me to pushing JETLAG TV to its limits."