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Latest Articles

How Carmelo Anthony Became The Jordan Brand's First Signature Athlete With His Own Shoe, Earning A Reported 6-Year Deal Worth $3.5M Annually

Basketball-player-turned-businessman Michael Jordan chose Carmelo Anthony as the first signature athlete for his well-known brand. During his high school years, Anthony was encouraged by his coach, Mike Daniel, to enhance his basketball career by transferring from his Maryland school to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, VA, right before his senior year, the New York Times previously reported. The former athlete became a top star while playing for the school, which was also sponsored by Jordan, per ESPN. Before attending Oak Hill Academy, Anthony says he was simply focused on playing the sport and had no clear interest in working with a particular shoe brand at the time. He had played wearing both Adidas and Nike. However, Anthony stayed loyal to the Jordan brand at the new school and even wore the Jordan shoe to an Adidas summer camp. “In the history of Adidas — and there wasn’t no disrespect to Adidas — I’m the only person that ever wore Jordans to an Adidas camp,” Anthony...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 18, 2024

Patrick Mahomes To Open A 'One-Of-A-Kind' Steakhouse In Kansas City, MO

Outside of the NFL, Patrick Mahomes has had his hand in the restaurant industry. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, the Texas native is part of the franchise group KMO Burger, which aims to own 30 Whataburger restaurants by the end of the decade. However, now, Mahomes is establishing a restaurant of his own in his home away from home. Mahomes and fellow Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce are opening 1587 Prime, a steakhouse in Kansas City, MO, according to Today. Named after their jersey numbers, the Super Bowl champions’ upcoming restaurant is in partnership with Noble 33, a global hospitality group. “Travis and I have become frequent visitors of Noble 33 restaurants in other cities so it only made sense to bring something special to our own community in Kansas City,” Mahomes shared, according to Today. Kelce chimed in, “We’re excited to be a part of this journey with Noble 33 to create a one-of-a-kind dining experience, and what better place to start than our very own Kansas...

Ngozi Nwanji

Mar 18, 2024

Vic Mensa Awards A Black-Woman-Owned Bookstore In Chicago With A Check To Pay Its Rent For A Year

Vic Mensa has come to the rescue of a Black-woman-owned business in his hometown of Chicago, IL. On March 13, 2024, the rapper made a stop by Da Book Joint. Self-described as “Your African American book source,” the bookstore has been in operation since 2007,” according to its website. “We are particularly interested in books targeted at the youth,” the website wrote. “We are looking to play our part in the development of the youth of the country, and we do so by providing a healthy selection of books and titles for them to select from.” To help keep Da Book Joint’s doors open, Vic Mensa presented the bookstore with a check for $7,200. “We are thankful,” Da Book Joint shared in an Instagram post. “We are honored. We are grateful. We are truly living a dream right now. Thank you so much to @vicmensa and his entire @93boyz team for blessing us today by covering our rent for an entire year.” It continued, “Thank you for seeing our mission and helping us stand in our purpose. You are...

Ngozi Nwanji

Mar 15, 2024

HBCU Graduate And NC Coffee Shop Owner Marcia Cox Donates A Portion Of Sales Toward Saint Augustine University

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University graduate Marcia Cox is paying it forward to another college campus. Cox, 23, is the co-founder of Kaldi’s Coffee House and Roastery, a Charlotte, NC, business that opened in January 2024, as reported by WTVD-11. Before going out on her own, Cox had worked as a Starbucks barista while in high school and college and excelled at her job duties while fostering customer relationships, an Instagram post mentions. She runs Kaldi’s with her father, Marcus, who has an extensive background spanning over 25 years in sectors such as banking, pet retail, and coffee. He has also served as a Starbucks regional operations coach for the Midwest region, based on the Instagram post. Kaldi’s Coffee House and Roastery sells apparel, tea, baked goods such as cookies, and specialty-roasted coffee with Cox sourcing the coffee beans from Ethiopia and handling the roasting process herself, per WTVD-11. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kaldi’s...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 15, 2024

How Jay-Z’s And 50 Cent’s Reebok Reign Led Its Footwear Sales To Jump By A Reported 11% In 2003

Jay-Z is known for breaking barriers in music. However, his secret to reaching billionaire status has been his ability to succeed in areas beyond the billboard charts. Among his various ventures, he reminds the world that the shoe brand Reebok is one of the successes documented in his portfolio. According to Finurah, Jay-Z signed a sneaker deal with Reebok in 2002. In 2003, the rapper became the first non-athlete to sign an endorsement deal with the shoe and apparel company, per ABC News. At the time, record executive Steve Stoute was working with Reebok and convinced Jay-Z to accept the deal; the rapper signed on as a 50/50 partner with the brand. “Jay-Z’s not the ambassador of anything except himself. He was a partner. He was a 50/50 partner,” Stoute said in an interview on “Club Shay Shay.” The first collaboration to result from the partnership was the “S. Carter Collection,” which had a better debut than any of its previous shoes, surpassing the sales of Allen Iverson’s shoe...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 15, 2024

Don Lemon Says Elon Musk Canceled His Partnership With X, Which Was Originally A Part Of Its Commitment To Amplify 'More Diverse Voices'

A partnership between Don Lemon and Elon Musk has seemingly soured. In January 2024, TV journalist and former CNN anchor Don Lemon announced on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) that his show, “The Don Lemon Show,” would soon be available for everyone to see — starting with X. “You’ll find it first on X, the biggest space for free speech in the world,” Lemon wrote at the time. “I know now more than ever that we need a place for honest debate and discussion without the hall monitors.” pic.twitter.com/ZO9g546oYo — Don Lemon (@donlemon) January 9, 2024 However, in an Instagram post, Lemon stated that Tesla Motors CEO and X Corp. owner Elon Musk is now retracting from teaming up with him despite the platform’s goal to magnify “new and diverse voices.” “Elon Musk has canceled the partnership I had with X, which they announced as part of their public commitment to amplifying more diverse voices on their platform,” Lemon noted on Instagram. He added, “Elon publicly...

Ngozi Nwanji

Mar 15, 2024

Former US Surgeon General Billed Almost $5K For An ER Visit Due To Dehydration, Calls America ‘Home Of The Medical Bankruptcy’

The woes of the American health system have reached one of its former leaders after he received a high medical bill following a visit to the emergency room. According to Fortune, Dr. Jerome Adams, the former 20th U.S. surgeon general and Purdue University’s health equity initiatives director, took to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) to share the details of his medical trip to an out-of-town ER facility in Scottsdale, AZ, due to dehydration. The trip resulted in a hefty post-insurance bill. “Yes, folks. THIS is America. Land of the free, and home of the medical bankruptcy,” Dr. Adams told the outlet about the posted photo of the bill. The medical invoice ultimately totaled $4,896.43 after he underwent a few lab tests and three intravenous (IV) bags during his visit, though it’s unknown what was being administered to him in the IV. What’s more, he mentioned that he opted for monthly payments to tackle the large bill, but Dr. Adams knows this is not always an option...

Shanique Yates

Mar 14, 2024

Nelly Defends Selling His Catalog For $50M, Even If Others May Disagree — ‘That’s Your Equity, That’s Your Gold’

Rapper Nelly is doubling down on his decision to sell his catalog. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the artist sold 50% of his catalog to HarbourView Equity Partners in 2023. The deal reportedly included singles such as “Ride Wit Me,” “Dilemma,” and “Hot in Herre” and was worth $50 million. On a recent episode of “The Shop” podcast, Nelly discussed his decision to sell a portion of his catalog, explaining that it was a move to secure his equity and build generational wealth. “You filtered both through both of those. You can never really sell anything like that forever. Technically a lease. So in like 30 years it comes back,” Nelly said on “The Shop.” “So, if I ain’t took the little 50 mil and made nothing happen in 30 years, then I need my ass whooped anyway. You hear a lot of people say, ‘I would never do it. I would never do it.’ Why wouldn’t you do it? That’s your equity, that’s your gold.” He continued, “That’s why you would never have generational wealth because what you don’t...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 14, 2024

Fat Joe Claims Rolling With A Large Entourage Led Him To Lose $2M Early On In His Career — 'We Fall Into This Trip...When We Try To Help Everybody'

The company you keep can make or break you, and artist Fat Joe found this out the hard way. According to Forbes, Fat Joe shared that he once lost out on $2 million because of the large entourage he rolled with during an earlier part of his career. “We fall into this trap all the time when we try to help everybody, and it’s detrimental to you and your finances,” Fat Joe told the outlet. What’s more, the Bronx native revealed that on a day-to-day basis, he surrounded himself with over 30 people, all of whom he took care of financially. However, Fat Joe’s commitment to his people would take an interesting turn when the chief financial officer (CFO) of a marketing company attempted to contact the “What’s Luv” emcee with an offer to promote a beer company. This offer would quickly fall short. To close the deal, the executive planned to present Fat Joe with a $2 million check “with Fat Joe’s name on the ‘pay-to-the-order-of’ line,” Forbes mentioned. Unfortunately, the business opportunity...

Shanique Yates

Mar 14, 2024

How Wallo267’s Life Experienced A 180-Degree Transformation With Him Landing A C-Suite Role And Running A Multi-Million-Dollar Podcast

The life of Wallace Peeples, also known as Wallo267, is a testimony of defying the odds. After serving a 20-year prison sentence, the Philadelphia, PA, native has been actively transparent about his journey. Wallo267 has become known for his unshakeable honesty and for being an avid advocate for those affected by the criminal justice system. His passion for amplifying such issues brought him to his new C-suite role. In February 2024, Reform Alliance announced that Wallo267 would lead its marketing department as chief marketing officer (CMO). View this post on Instagram A post shared by REFORM Alliance (@reform) Wallo267 shares with AFROTECH™ that the appointment happened organically after Reform Alliance co-founder and billionaire Michael Rubin recognized his marketing acumen. “Rubin was interested in me, seeing I just always have been a natural, organic guerrilla marketer out here — no budget marketing. I’ve always done it,” Wallo267 told AFROTECH™ in an interview. “And, he went to...

Ngozi Nwanji

Mar 14, 2024

How Encouragement From Bun B Led Derrick Turton To Pivot From The Music Industry To Take On The Restaurant Business

Encouraged by rap-artist -turned-businessman Bun B, Derrick Turton elevated his interest in cooking. Turton, who was born in Brooklyn, NY, moved to Miami, FL, in 1998 and enrolled in culinary school. Upon graduation, he secured his first job as a line cook at a Red Lobster, according to The New Tropic. However, he disdained his time at the restaurant and made his exit. “I thought I was going to be a ‘Top Chef,’ and I got my first job at Red Lobster,” Turton told the outlet. “It was either Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day, and [orders] were coming out of the register [nonstop]. I was just staring at it, and I was like ‘I’m out.’” He then pivoted, becoming a club promoter, which was his entry into the music scene. As he moved into record label promotion, this put him under the radar of rapper and record executive Luther Campbell, and he began to work for Campbell’s record label, The New Tropic reports. Turton was introduced to Armando Christian Perez, who is widely recognized as...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 13, 2024

NFL Player Jaylon Smith Is Set To Open First Jinya Ramen Bar On His Former College Campus

It was always bigger than football for Jaylon Smith. Raised in a town like Fort Wayne, IN, Smith connected with his purpose early on, describing himself as a natural-born visionary. By age 11, he developed aspirations of becoming an entrepreneur, following in the footsteps of his mother, who ran a daycare business for 13 years, he told AFROTECH™ in an interview. Yet, that was not his only early-seeded vision. He also hoped to play in the NFL when he was 7, but he knew his calling would extend beyond the field. “I never wanted to be remembered as just being a great athlete,” Smith told AFROTECH™. Sports agent Eugene Parker, who worked with football greats including Deion Sanders, guided Smith and taught him valuable lessons. The two connected through Smith’s grandmother, Parker’s aunt. “I had to take a lot of principles of what I learned from him and just from observing him,” Smith said. “He had a huge impact on a lot of Hall of Famers, a lot of the greats that played the game. So,...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 12, 2024

Former White House Advisor Ashley D. Bell And Dr. Bernice A. King Plan To Acquire Utah-Based Bank

A new Black-owned financial institution could emerge west of Texas. The Sacramento Observer reports that the Black-led investment group Redemption Holding Co. (RHC), led by former White House Policy Advisor Ashley D. Bell, wants to acquire Holladay Bank & Trust in Holladay, UT. If planning is approved, the Utah financial institution will be renamed Redemption Bank , per the outlet . What’s more, it would become Black-owned and serve as the only Minority Depository Institution, which offers financial services to underserved populations, west of Texas. As CEO of Black-owned fintech startup Ready Life , Bell helps underserved communities start on the path to homeownership. “All of us require a bank to operate, and the reality was there was no Black-owned bank that we could sit on top of to operate with the way we’re currently constructed,” he told The Sacramento Observer. He continued, “Therefore, we are dependent on other communities and banks to allow us to do that service. So the...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 12, 2024

50 Cent Files 70-Page Complaint For Alleged $6M Scheme That Nearly Cost Him His Spirits Company

50 Cent’s spirits venture was nearly at the brink of closure, according to Fox 5 in New York, NY. The outlet notes that the rapper and “Power” executive producer has been in a court battle over the loss of millions of dollars in an alleged embezzlement scheme. A 70-page New York State Supreme Court Complaint alleges his company, Sire Spirits, lost revenue due to being overcharged by distiller Beam Suntory, which then split the profits with Mitchell Green, the former director of brand management for Sire Spirits. The complaint claims the loss is estimated to be over $6 million. “Because these illicit commissions were baked into the price of the product, Sire Spirits overpaid on taxes, overpaid on customs and duties, overpaid on insurance, which are marked towards the value of the product,” Sire Spirits Attorney Craig Weiner said, according to Fox 5. Furthermore, Beam Suntory’s chief commercial officer, Julious Grant, is being accused of wearing various hats, including Beam Suntory’s...

Samantha Dorisca

Mar 12, 2024

Edelman CEO Says It's 'Nonsense' For Companies To Want To 'Drop DE&I As A Phrase'

Recent reports have shown companies pulling back from implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). A leader in global communications has spoken out against the matter. At the 2024 Women of Color Connecting Summit, hosted by the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Edelman CEO Richard Edelman led the session titled “Data Matters.” During his presentation, he shared findings from “Edelman’s Trust Barometer Special Report: Business and Racial Justice,” according to the virtual summit’s website. While relaying the findings was to inform allies, investors, and policymakers, Edelman took a moment to address the misconceptions about DE&I. “This is one of the big problems in America. We lack reliable information,” Edelman said, per a news release. He continued, “I have heard so much about ‘let’s drop DE&I as a phrase; let’s just focus on sustainability.’ Nonsense. We have to defend DE&I as an important part of the equation of ESG [environmental, social, and governance]. ESG...

Ngozi Nwanji

Mar 12, 2024