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Despite releasing three albums, Common found himself struggling to sustain his music career. The rapper’s career took off in Chicago, IL, in the ’90s. He released three albums during this decade: “Can I Borrow a Dollar?” (1992); “Resurrection” (1994); and “One Day It’ll All Make Sense” (1997). Common explains that his first album received limited attention and credits his second album with putting him on the radar of some of the industry’s greats. “I remember Biggie doing one of those promos for me, being like ‘Yo this I wish this kid was from Brooklyn.’ I remember seeing Nas, and he was like ‘Keep doing your thing,” Common recalled on the “Earn Your Leisure” podcast hosted by Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings. The rapper also opened up about the challenges he faced in the music industry early in his career, which caused him to question whether it was a sustainable path. “It was hard being in Chicago and trying to get even signed or get heard… I still wasn’t planted in the industry. I...
Despite earning millions, Lil Baby did not pay taxes for his first two years in the music industry. The Atlanta, GA-born rapper, known for chart-topping hits like “Drip Too Hard” and “We Paid,” appeared on the “A Safe Place Podcast,” hosted by Yachty, and discussed the financial learning curve. While he acknowledged having some understanding of investing and saving, he was unaware of the importance of taxes when he first entered the industry. His debut album, released in 2018 under Quality Control Music, marked the beginning of his rise to stardom. “I done got over $100 million from labels and deals. Not one time nobody still haven’t told me how to pay my taxes. Nobody even never told me pay my taxes,” Lil Baby explained on the podcast. “I always knew from growing up, like from being around, I heard people have tax problems, people don’t pay their taxes. I was doing it so wrong, my first tax bills was so high ’cause I was on some hustling sh-t like saving all my money. The more...
GloRilla has paid it forward to her former high school. The Memphis, TN, rapper, born Gloria Hallelujah Woods, made an appearance at Melrose High School on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. She graduated from the school in 2017 and has returned as a Grammy-nominated artist with hit songs such as “Yeah Glo!” and “Tomorrow 2.” During her visit, she donated $25,000 to the school, which will be used to build a media center, Commercial Appeal reports. “The fact that I have the ability to do it now warms my heart,” she expressed, according to the outlet. The center will “offer students the chance to engage with technology that enhances their learning, provide a comfortable, safe space to study with flexible seating, and promote literacy for both Melrose High School and the surrounding Orange Mound community.” The outlet also shared that the space will be named the Gloria H. Woods Media Center in her honor, pointing to “GloRilla’s representation as a Golden Wildcat alumna and her continued...
Jay-Z is reportedly no longer affiliated with The Parent Company, which suffered significant revenue losses starting in 2022. In 2020, the rap mogul, born Shawn Carter, launched his luxury cannabis brand Monogram under The Parent Company, where he served as chief visionary officer, mentions Lawyer Monthly. Its flagship product, the OG Handrolls, was priced at $50, with the full lineup of strains primarily available at eight California-based dispensaries, including Caliva, Coastal, and Zen Garden, as well as an Arizona dispensary called Ponderosa. However, since then there appears to be trouble in paradise for both Monogram and The Parent Company. S FGATE mentions Monogram’s pricing did not fair well for cannabis consumers, especially since its products were marketed as high-end and premium. “Like many other things we’ve seen in cannabis surrounding rappers, the hype hasn’t met the reality. Monogram was supposed to be an ultra-premium product, and I don’t know anyone who tried it and...
Shaboozey is hopeful about artificial intelligence (AI). The country artist has had quite the year. He was first featured on Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album, collaborating on the songs “Spaghettii” and “Sweet Honey Buckiin.” “It’s just so surreal and humbling for me for them to choose me to be a part of the album,” he expressed to Forbes in an interview. Shortly after the launch of “Cowboy Carter,” Shaboozey teased “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which officially launched April 12, 2024. It became a Grammy-nominated single and earned the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 consecutive weeks, according to Forbes. What’s more, it garnered 2 billion streams and earned over $10 million. “I feel great. Dream come true. I can’t complain,” he told the outlet. Catch Shaboozey on Dec. 4 during Art Basel in Miami, FL, as well. He’ll be among the performers for an exclusive event hosted by Capital One and The Cultivist to amplify artist Hassan Hajjaj and his installation DAR MIAMI 1446. As part of...
Lady London chose to pursue rap after being accepted into medical school. While speaking on Revolt’s podcast, “The Blackprint,” the rapper born Zaire Miylaun Stewart reflected on the pivotal moments that led to her transition into music. She boasts two degrees, starting with a bachelor’s from Howard University, where she double-majored in sports medicine and chemistry. Lady London holds her time at the Historically Black College and University in high regard. “I was a rambunctious teenager. I went away to school because I was always told I had to go to school..and if I was going to be a part of community it had to be the Black community. So I went to a HBCU. I wanted educational goals but I didn’t think I would come out with so much experience of life. I know there’s like this whole thing where they say like ‘PWIs are the real reality of school because 72% of the world is white. The reality is if you learn how to make it in these communities and at Howard, if you can make it at...
Playing the long game paid off for Lady London. While speaking with Revolt CEO Detavio Samuels on “The Blackprint” podcast, the Bronx, NY-born artist spoke candidly about her journey into securing revenue through brand partnerships. It all began by considering the brands she often used and researching what she needed to build relationships and land opportunities. “I started YouTubing things like how are people reaching out to brands and figuring out like who’s their key point? Who handles talent? Who handles like brand partnerships within this thing? Reaching out to them with emails, forming a deck. Get your one-sheet or your EPK (Electronic Press Kit),” she explained on the podcast. Key metrics she flagged that help individuals determine their brand value included follower count, the number of females and males interacting with content, and the top five target areas. Lady London added, “Show all the things that make you a person on one thing, and send it off to brands and say,...
Mathew Knowles has made a name for himself in the business world without the help of investors. Entrepreneurship In His DNA The businessman was seated center stage during the Building Wealth Today for Tomorrow Financial Empowerment Summit held at the UIC Forum in Chicago, IL, on Oct. 12, 2024. The event is designed to connect the community to tools, resources, and conversations that encourage the desire to create long-term wealth . “Bringing Mathew Knowles to our summit reflects our dedication to teaching real, sustainable wealth-building principles,” said Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the city’s treasurer . “His focus on generational wealth and self-funded success aligns with our goal of helping Chicagoans achieve true economic mobility. At the Treasurer’s Office, we believe everyone deserves access to the knowledge and resources to build wealth on their own terms, creating a legacy that will benefit future generations.” Photo Credit: Antwan Collins Knowles is well regarded as the...
Nothing is more significant in this life than the love of a mother. Renowned musician will.i.am took a moment to shed light on how his mother’s sacrifices led to his success today during the AFROTECH™ 2024 Conference, Nov. 13-16. The innovative producer, visionary artist, and founding member of the Grammy Award-winning music group Black Eyed Peas opened up about his humble beginnings in a session on the main stage titled “CollaborA(I)te: Empowering Creative Connections.” “I remember my mom was like, ‘Wait, put your clothes on. You go up here to get our food stamps. Sit in this line to get this cheese.’ When you’re in the projects, and that’s your reality, standing in line to get government services, and you’re there and you’ve got dreams and you’re like one day, I want to move my mama out of these projfts, and you come outside, and your best friend that you grew up with is no longer with you because he got shot and you want to dream different — that’s where I get ambition from.”...
Tierra Whack wants to normalize conversations around financial literacy. The rapper, originally known as Dizzle Dizz, has teamed up with Venmo for its financial education series, “Money Talks.” The series features a range of artists and entrepreneurs, some of whom are Whack’s peers. Kicking off its second season, Whack sat down with North Philadelphia designer and seamstress Adriana Williams, who works a 9-to-5 while scaling her lifestyle brand. “We realized, we have so much in common and we had the same struggles,” Whack, a North Philly native, told AFROTECH™. “I really was like enlightened when I was talking to my friends, when we were filming. I’m like, ‘Yo, this is crazy.’ These are friends I talk to almost like at least twice, three times a week. And then we sat in front of the camera and I’m like, ‘Yo, I never knew you were going through this. I didn’t know.’ I don’t know what it is about us, but that’s just kind of like the unspoken thing. Venmo helped us break the ice. I...
A new financial education program is making its way to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with the help of Jay-Z. According to a news release shared with AFROTECH™, the Shawn Carter Foundation, with support from Toyota Motor North America, is launching the Champions for Financial Legacy (CFFL) program in time for Spring 2025. To start, the program will benefit students at Lincoln University, Norfolk State University, and Virginia State University, offering a financial curriculum structured around real-world applications. “We are excited to see our partnership with the Shawn Carter Foundation evolve to include this innovative initiative,” said Monica Womack, general manager of diversity & inclusion and community engagement at Toyota, per the release. “One that not only provides resources to HBCU students but also reaches the heart of the community, through advocacy for financial literacy.” The curriculum, developed in collaboration with the Coalition for Equity and...
Sony Music had a successful quarter, reportedly driven by the success of popular artists like SZA. The St. Louis, MO-born artist is still basking in the success of her sophomore album “SOS,” which was released on Dec. 9, 2022. Billboard reports the album claimed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart when it debuted, selling 318,000 equivalent album units and setting a record for the best streaming week for an R&B album. Hit singles on the album included “Kill Bill” and “Snooze.” Speaking to the album’s inspiration, SZA told Rolling Stone, “I think this album was partially inspired by love lost, but mostly inspired by my departure from attempting to be a nice girl. I’ve tried to be a nice girl for so long and it’s just not who I am, inherently. And I think I’ve done nice things and I am a kind person, but I’m not a nice girl. And that’s okay. And I think coming to terms with that and really expanding upon that and exploring that is kind of like this new chapter in my life.” “SOS”...
Yale University will be teaching a course centering Beyoncé. NBC News reports the university will be offering a course titled, “Beyonce Makes History: Black Radical Tradition History, Culture, Theory & Politics Through Music.” Provided for the 2025 spring semester, it will be taught by Daphne Brooks, a professor of African American Studies and music who also leads Yale’s Black Sound & the Archive Working Group, a 320 York Humanities Initiative. An official release from the university states that students will examine the time period between 2013 and 2024 to look into the singer’s works, with the goal “to study Black history, intellectual thought, and performance.” “I’m looking forward to exploring her body of work and considering how, among other things, historical memory, Black feminist politics, Black liberation politics and philosophies course through the last decade of her performance repertoire as well as the ways that her unprecedented experimentations with the album form,...
Quincy Jones will forever be etched in history. It was announced on Nov. 3, 2024, that the famed producer, born Quincy Delight Jones Jr. in Chicago, IL, passed away at the age of 91 in his Bel Air home in Los Angeles, CA. “Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing. And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him,” Jones’ family said in a statement, according to US Weekly. Fortune And Legacy He is survived by seven children and leaves behind a legacy that led to a reported $500 million fortune, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. Jones is a decorated figure within the music and entertainment industry, with accolades that include 28 Grammy awards and a number of legendary works, including composing “The Wiz” and serving as executive producer of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which starred Will Smith. Reflecting on the loss,...
Timbaland is expanding his portfolio, stepping into the role of strategic advisor for Suno, a leading AI music creation tool. After months of actively using the platform, the four-time GRAMMY-Award-winning artist will now provide Suno with daily support for product development and strategic creative direction, as stated in a press release. The collaboration starts with an exclusive preview of Timbaland’s latest single, “Love Again.” There’s also a Remix Contest judged by Timbaland, with over $100,000 in prizes awarded to the winning remixes. Digital service providers will release the top two remixes. “When I heard what Suno was doing, I was immediately curious,” said Timbaland, who is well-known for his influence as a music producer, creator, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. “After witnessing the potential, I knew I had to be a part of it. By combining forces, we have a unique opportunity to make AI work for the artist community and not the other way around. We’re seizing that...