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This Harlem wine shop is providing greater visibility to Black winemakers. Married couple Pascal and Daneen Lewis have been co-owners of the Harlem Wine Gallery, a business that’s said to have the largest selection of Black winemakers and wine brands in New York City, NowThis News reports.
Raven B. Varona is known for capturing some of the best sides of our faves in the industry. However, this time she’s getting a bit more personal by capturing the real stars in her life, people in her home city — The Bronx. Her virtual art gallery titled “And The B is For” is Raven’s personal love letter to the city that raised her and the everyday people who have always been essential to her life, long before COVID-19 deemed what it meant to be an essential worker. And The B is For — “B” being symbolic of how we have the power to define life to whatever we want it to be — is her first-ever solo gallery and a virtual hub that takes viewers on a journey through The Bronx. AfroTech had the opportunity to sit down with Raven to further discuss the meaning behind the exhibit’s art, the love she has for her city, and how it all came to fruition despite the challenges of COVID-19. AfroTech: If your photos from the exhibit could talk, what do you think they’d say? Raven: The people in the...
LIFEWTR is making a statement on behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement in a move that merges Black art and technology together. PepsiCo brand LIFEWTR — a premium water brand with a history of amplifying social progress through art — recently announced the launch of Black Art Rising , an infinite digital gallery that documents the diverse responses to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LIFEWTR (@lifewtr) In an effort to further amplify the Black Lives Matter movement, the brand has turned its channels over to eight purpose-driven artists to preserve this moment in time and immortalize our progress as a people through a historical exhibition, a press release reports . “People get easily distracted. It’s necessary we keep the conversations going and people focused on what really matters. Art is influence. Why wouldn’t we use our platform,” burgeoning hip hop artist, Tobe Nwigwe , said in a statement. In addition to Nwigwe, the...
Swizz Beatz is one of the most influential producers and entrepreneurs in the music industry, known for crafting chart-topping hits while expanding his business empire beyond music. His career spans decades, from producing for top artists like Jay-Z and DMX to co-owning major brands and making strategic investments in art and real estate. With multiple revenue streams, Swizz Beatz has built substantial wealth, but how much is he actually worth today? Let’s explore his music career, business ventures, and financial success before revealing Swizz Beatz’s net worth in 2025. Swizz Beatz’s Rise in the Music Industry Born Kasseem Dean in The Bronx, Swizz Beatz entered the music industry as a teenager in the late 1990s. His uncles founded Ruff Ryders Entertainment, and through their connections, he started producing tracks for DMX, Eve, and The LOX. His breakout came with DMX’s 1998 hit “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem,” which became a defining moment in hip-hop. As a producer, Swizz Beatz developed a...
Allen Iverson has made history in the world of memorabilia. Iverson is recognized as a legend in the NBA. He retired from the league in 2013 and was later inaugurated into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. His name remains influential today, extending his impact beyond the court. The Virginia native currently serves as Vice President of Reebok Basketball (as of 2023), working alongside the President of Reebok Basketball, Shaquille O’Neal, to shape the next generation of the game. “We gonna do big things. We gon’ work hard. We gon’ give people what they want. We gonna take care of our youngsters,” he said in an interview uploaded to YouTube. Iverson’s involvement with Reebok also includes a lifetime deal. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, he initially signed a 10-year deal valued at $50 million when he was drafted to the league, securing a spot with the Sixers. In 2001, he earned a lifetime deal after the team made its way to the finals and earned MVP. He now receives...
The Michigan Black Business Alliance has opened a new hub to empower more entrepreneurs and drive economic equity. According to Crain’s Detroit Business, the organization — which focuses on closing the racial wealth gap through access to capital, networking opportunities, and advocacy — is expanding its reach. Since its inception in 2021, the alliance has grown its network from 250 to 1,800 members. “We’re still growing, and our members all have different needs,” Charity Dean, CEO of the Michigan Black Business Alliance, told the outlet. “We did a survey of our members in 2022, and some wanted a commercial kitchen and space for pop-ups. Imagine being able to try out products before you sign a lease to see if there’s a market for what you’re offering.” The Michigan Black Business Alliance has moved into a 5,000-square-foot space at Grand Park Centre at 28 W. Adams Ave. Entrepreneurs will benefit from co-working spaces, conference rooms, a wellness center, and classrooms. Furthermore,...
Erika Allen is on a mission to create sustainable communities. Heart Posture For Serving Others Growing up, she had an epiphany that ignited her desire to serve the broader community. And it was her interest in the creative arts that eventually guided her toward a multi-faceted passion project in Chicago, IL. Between 1987 and 1992, Allen transitioned from her family farm to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During this time, she encountered structural racism and social demarcation that shaped her perspective and mission. “Was literally told during my orientation to not go south of Van Buren, which of course triggered a lot of questions as to why, and that was just sort of something that was shared with me and was indoctrinating me as a new student,” she told AFROTECH™. “And to come to find that south of Van Buren was the south side, primarily black community that I’m part of. That really fired me up, my heart posture around wanting to extend what was a privilege to...
Jeannine A. Cook has found a permanent home for a bookstore backed by the Philadelphia, PA, community. Cook owns Harriett’s Bookshop, named in honor of abolitionist and emancipator Harriet Tubman, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Cook initially envisioned pursuing a consulting business but later pivoted to selling books and ultimately opened the storefront in 2020. She decided to try to buy the bookshop in 2022 and raised $75,000 in one weekend through a GoFundMe campaign, which later rose to $200,000 to support a down payment, the outlet notes. Cook was hoping to secure ownership of the building after witnessing nearby business owners closing their doors due to the cost of rent. However, the building’s owner, Sang Casenta, did not have an interest in making the sale at the time. “I couldn’t get this idea that I felt like a sharecropper out of my head,” Cook told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I had a vision for something different, but I had no idea about how I was going to pull...
Since 1908, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and its members have made their marks across several industries and impacted communities and spaces. Some influential members include Phylicia Rashad, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Vice President Kamala Harris, according to ESSENCE. Harris was officially sworn in as vice president of the United States on Jan. 20, 2021, making her the first woman, Black person, and South Asian American to be elected to the office. While this historical marker is noteworthy, it was not the beginning of her story. Kamala Harris’ Road To Howard University A native of Oakland, CA, Harris’ roots in education and public service start with the influence of her mother, Shyamala Gopalan. According to a profile from the White House, Gopalan earned her doctorate in 1964, the same year Harris was born, and worked as a breast cancer scientist. Harris’ father, Donald J. Harris, came to the United States from Jamaica to study...
Bob Marley’s legacy continues to stand the test of times. According to a news release shared with AFROTECH™, the Bob Marley family is collaborating with premiere cannabis brand Jeeter to launch a limited edition Jeeter x Bob Marley “One Love” Unity Joint. The venture is in alignment with the late singer who often smoked weed for its spiritual and medicinal properties as a Rastafarian, GQ reports. To bring the product to the public, Jeeter and the Marley family took a trip to Nine Mile, Bob’s birthplace located in Jamaica, where the team immersed themselves in the culture and music. Additionally, the Marley family worked closely with Jeeter to assist with the strain and packaging to ensure the final product was authentic to Bob’s legacy. “Jeeter’s work in the cannabis space has been incredible,” expressed Cedella Marley, Bob’s daughter and CEO of Bob Marley Group of Companies. “Cannabis culture and the Marley movement go hand in hand. Jeeter’s deep dive into Jamaican culture has been...
Cash Money Records Founder Birdman experienced several losses by the age of 16, and he was determined to steer clear of any losses in the music business. Birdman, born Bryan Christopher Williams, started the label in 1991 alongside his brother Ronald “Slim” Williams, according to BET. They were able to gain traction and had the support of independent distributors such as Gonzales Music and SouthWest Distribution, XXL Magazine reports. Building popularity in the South, the label caught the attention of Universal Records and signed a deal with the company on May 10, 1997, per a Max Volume Media interview Birdman gave. He later discussed the deal during an interview on the “Wilde Ride!” podcast, revealing that he was looking to retain ownership of his music due to his upbringing. “I felt like I lost everything already. I lost my family,” he explained on the podcast. “Nothing can repay me for what I already lost. I lost my mama, my daddy, my brother, my sister… I lived a hell of a life...
Richualist Founder Dawn Myers has scored an investment from “Sharks” Mark Cuban and Emma Grede. On Friday April 5, the founder was featured on ABC’s “Shark Tank.” The purpose of the show is to offer opportunities to entrepreneurs who are looking to start or scale their business by securing funding from its lineup of venture capitalists, its website mentions. The episode starring Myers featured “Sharks” Cuban and Grede, along with Lori Greiner, Kevin O’Leary, and Robert Herjavec. Photo Credit: Christopher Willard Myers was seeking a $150,000 investment in exchange for 10% stake in her company. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Myers launched The Mint, a hair tool that includes six attachments to detangle and style all hair types, with a special focus on curly to coily types, classified as 3A to 4C. Its technology warms liquid hair products between 130 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit for deeper penetration into the scalp. Myers said on the show she is currently in talks...
Whether rap fans agree or not, one thing that cannot be disputed is Nicki Minaj’s commercial success. A proud native of Trinidad and Tobago, Minaj took the rap game by storm with explosive creativity, catchy lyrics, and bass-pounding beats. While the 41-year-old entered the game with mixtapes and songs that still get the people moving, many Hip-Hop enthusiasts would argue that her verse on Kanye West’s “Monster” set her apart. Like her song “Starships,” Nicki Minaj’s career has catapulted her into chart-topping levels and garnered her uncanny influence. According to Billboard, Nicki Minaj has produced three No. 1 hits and had 23 of her songs become top ten singles. Her 2022 single, “Super Freaky Girl,” made history for the rapper. Billboard reports that “The track is Minaj’s first Hot 100 No. 1 as an unaccompanied artist and her third overall.” This was also the first time a Hip-Hop song by a solo woman would chart this way since Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” in 1998. Minaj...
As technology continues to evolve, so does the culture of sneakers as we know them. No longer are eager collectors waiting in line for new releases, instead, they can be accessed by the click of a button. Now, with the metaverse playing a huge role in the day-to-day life of consumers, one popular self-taught artist is turning top-selling sneakers into digital characters. “Technology has definitely changed my life,” said Anderson Bluu, the visionary behind The Sneaker Transformation Series, a limited edition line of NFTs. “I don’t even know if I could do what I’m doing now without the way the world is built with social media technology and how everybody has a phone in their hand.” Bluu is a self-taught artist from Long Island, NY. He is also a sneaker designer who uses his creative powers to produce his own artwork, which is inspired by his love of sneakers, basketball, and pop culture. He further explained how technology has transformed his life, specifically as an artist. “I use it...
Snoop Dogg is enjoying his time in the metaverse. The rap legend is teaming up with BossLogic to drop SUPERCUZZ, a “collaborative Genesis” non-fungible token (NFT) collection on MakersPlace. According to the company’s website , Kai Henry and Snoop Dogg’s son Cordell Broadus joined as creative directors in partnership with iv gallery to bring the comic book superhero to life. SUPERCUZZ will also feature original works from acclaimed artist BossLogic that includes animated comic book covers of Snoop Dogg. “Snoop Dogg and BossLogic are two iconic forces in their respective crafts and are both pioneers in the NFT space,” CEO of MakersPlace, Craig Palmer, said in a statement. “We’re honored to host the release of the SUPERCUZZ collection on MakersPlace and give art enthusiasts accessibility in purchasing NFTs from their favorite creators.” Snoop will take on the prized role of a flying superhero from Angel City, who basks in a luxurious lifestyle because he is a self-made...