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Actor Djimon Hounsou believes he has not been given his just dues. The actor, who has remained in the industry for at least 30 years, pursued a career in acting in the U.S. after moving from Cotonou, Benin, at 23 years old, MarketWatch reports . Prior to his time in the U.S., he had experienced financial troubles, which led to homelessness for an 18-month period, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. However, his fate would take a turn in 1992 when he appeared in the film “Unlawful Entry.” In 1997, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama for his performance in Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad,” and an even bigger break came three years later with the Oscar-winning film “Gladiator.” However, despite what seems like a solid career, Hounsou feels overlooked and underpaid. “I am still struggling trying to make a living,” Hounsou said, according to Variety. “After 30 years…Maybe the first 10 years was trying to acclimate myself to the industry, to establish myself. But I’ve...
After co-creating the beauty app Beautified, Hannah Bronfman recognized the importance of investing in startups, which are often the last to receive funding or the resources needed to scale. Today, she takes pride in her work as an angel investor, helping to advise and raise venture capital for budding businesses. As a former DJ, content creator, and now trusted angel investor, Bronfman’s desire to help companies achieve their goals by putting investments behind them began when she joined Annie Evans and Peter Hananel as a co-founder of Beautified. This app allows users to book beauty services, including haircuts, manicures, facials, massages, and more, with various salons and spas offered on the platform. Since the inception of Beautifed in 2013, Bronfman has also become an expert in marketing. She’s advised companies on building a strategic online presence well before the rise of today’s influencer-driven marketing landscape. In 2017, she became an investor. “I started actually to...
Real estate investor Cheick Sanankoua is investing in African sports. Sanankoua, former Merrill Lynch analyst and Helios Investment Partners investment adviser, is the founder and chairman of Omega Sports Holding LLC, a private investment firm that launched in 2022 alongside Jean-Luc Agboyibo (CEO) to disrupt the sports industry. According to his Bloomberg, the firm is looking to fulfill a “ $50 million investment push into African sports over the next three years.” “We are coming in at an early investment stage, with a plan to bring more institutional investment into African sports and to try and create a bigger economy around the sector,” said Sanankoua, 40, according to Bloomberg. The outlet reports Omega Sports Holding previously invested in Abidjan Basketball Club. Now, the firm has signed off on a second deal, purchasing minority stake in Racing Club d’Abidjan. The Ivory Coast-based team, founded in 1948, is a partner club of OGC Nice, which is owned by billionaire Jim...
If you hear the phrase “Another one,” there is likely one person that comes to mind: Khaled “DJ Khaled” Mohammed Khaled. via GIPHY DJ Khaled’s Early Beginnings DJ Khaled is mainly known for his musical production and DJing skills. However, his success did not begin with the massive collaborations that made him famous. The son of two Palestinian immigrants, DJ Khaled and his family had early roots in Louisiana before moving to Orlando, FL. Based on a CNBC report, his time in Orlando sparked the beginning of his musical career. At the age of 13, Khaled began his work as a DJ in his parent’s garage. Those humble beginnings would lead to Khaled acquiring small gigs as a DJ, being occasionally invited to work at nightclubs and play music at local studios. This type of work would earn him about $100 per week. Although he was making it work, CNBC further reports that the small gigs were not enough to sustain Khaled, and he had to move back in with his parents in New Orleans, LA, after they...
For nearly three decades, Djimon Hounsou has made a name for himself in Hollywood with an established acting portfolio. Hailing from Benin, the two-time Academy Award nominee first starred in Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad” in 1997, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Drama. Following his breakout role, Hounsou went on to act in “Blood Diamond,” “Gladiator,” “Shazam!,” and more. The 58-year-old star has worked with some of the best in the business. However, he still feels he hasn’t received his proper due.
Some people hit the scene and almost immediately make their imprint on culture. Whether it is a hit song, a breakout role, or sex appeal – some people just have that it factor. And with his inclusion in a previous version of People Magazine’s “Most Beautiful People” list, Boris Kodjoe has been making his impact in that way for some time now. Born in Vienna, Austria, Kodjoe is a German-Ghanaian actor and model whose career in the entertainment industry has spanned a few decades. Before he became a household name, Kodjoe earned a marketing degree from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 1996. According to ESPN, Kodjoe was a four-year letterman athlete winning 75 career singles while on the tennis team at VCU. However, he suffered a back injury that prevented him from pursuing the sport professionally. Instead, Kodjoe decided to focus on and pursue modeling and acting. The star appeared in the 1995 recording of TLC’s video for “Red Light Special.” He would go on to get his...
There would be no chopped-and-screwed mix without the legend that is DJ Screw… but did you know he was also quite the entrepreneur? Wednesday (Nov. 16) marks 22 years since the world lost the legend that is DJ Screw. Yet, his legacy lives on forever. Not only did the musician, whose real name was Robert Earl Davis Jr., come in and completely change the game by literally altering the way we listen to music, but DJ Screw was also quite the entrepreneur and it started with a few friends paying him $10 to record slowed-down versions of mixtapes, Texas Monthly reports.
You may know Derrick Jones — or DJ D-Nice — for coming up with the concept for Club Quarantine during the height of the pandemic to help people stay connected. He dedicated his time and talents to host Club Quarantine daily on Instagram Live. Now, he will be joining forces with Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) to celebrate Club Quarantine’s second anniversary, which will kick off with a three-day celebration set to begin today. “It’s not necessarily about the music. It’s a way for people to stay connected to friends and their families because we could not see each other,” D-Nice said exclusively to AfroTech. He continued: “We found ways to dance virtually which was very important because I firmly believe had it not been for these virtual spaces of dancing and listening to music, or just being able to communicate with one another using Instagram or Zoom, the depression and suicide rate would have been higher. Thank goodness for music and entertainment during this dark time.” Not...