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Common, born Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr., is a multi-talented artist who has made a significant impact not only in the music and film industries but also in business and philanthropy. With a career spanning over three decades, Common has transcended the typical rapper persona to become an influential figure in Hollywood and the entrepreneurial world. In 2025, his net worth continues to grow due to his diverse ventures and his commitment to social change. So, how much is Common worth in 2025? Let’s explore the trajectory of his career, his business ventures, and his philanthropic efforts, which are integral to his financial success. The Early Years And Breakthrough In Hip-Hop Born and raised in Chicago , Common began his music career in the early ’90s, initially releasing Can I Borrow a Dollar? in 1992. However, it was his critically acclaimed album Resurrection (1994) that introduced his poetic and socially conscious style to the world. Tracks like “I Used to Love H.E.R.” cemented his...
Six years after opening, a Philadelphia, PA, pizza shop continues its mission of providing a fresh start and making life easier for former inmates . According to NBC News, the seven-member staff at Down North Pizza consists entirely of formerly incarcerated individuals, including executive chef Michael Carter. Carter was searching for a new beginning after losing his job during the COVID-19 pandemic and selling barbecue meals off his porch. “When I add up the guys who work here, it’s about 63 years incarcerated. So it’s like we understand each other, where we come from,” Carter told NBC. “We had the same barriers when we came home, like whether it be employment, housing, health care — we all had to figure it out.” Carter was one of the first hires at Down North with experience in the kitchen, AFROTECH™ previously reported. Childhood friends Kurt Evans and Muhammed Abdul-Hadi founded the North Philly staple, hoping to reduce recidivism rates in the area. The restaurant serves pizza,...
If you’re tuned in to the world of early 2000s hip hop , or the world of modern Belizean politics, you may already be familiar with the name Shyne Barrow. The former rapper and current Opposition Party leader in Belize’s House of Representatives has one of the most fascinating backstories in all of pop culture and politics. Though he may not be as well known as his contemporaries like Busta Rhymes and Jay-Z, Shyne’s story is finally being told with the recent release of the Hulu original “The Honorable Shyne,” which dropped on the streamer earlier this month. In the documentary, Shyne outlines the untold truth about his time laboring under Bad Boy Records , his lengthy incarceration and his pivot into politics within his home country. Given that the 46-year-old politician has led such a storied life, fans are justifiably wondering about other personal details, including his net worth, investment portfolio and various streams of income. Luckily, we’ve got you covered, with a quick...
Unless you were born yesterday, you surely have at least some awareness of iconic 20th century musician Elvis Presley. Even if the King of Rock and Roll has no place on your Spotify Wrapped , you’ve surely heard your fair share of hit songs, catchphrases and impersonations over the years. The singer, often known by his first name alone, was responsible for revolutionizing the landscape of music throughout the 1950s and beyond, enthralling millions of listeners around the globe with his hypnotic blend of provocative dance moves and infectious vocal inflections. Today, his musical stylings are obviously quite dated, though it can’t be overstated just how much Elvis Presley propelled the culture of rock and roll into the mainstream. Though the singer has been deceased for nearly half a century, his legacy still lives on to this day, largely in the form of music biopics like 2022’s Elvis and the recently released Netflix documentary Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis...
REFORM Alliance and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation joined forces Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, by hosting a job fair in Richmond, VA, that connected over 2,000 job seekers with more than 1,500 open positions. The free event focused on removing employment barriers for individuals impacted by the criminal justice system , particularly those on probation or parole, according to a press release. Participants had access to a diverse range of 36 employers, including major national brands like Amazon, Starbucks, and Foot Locker , alongside local businesses from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The job fair also featured numerous state and local government agencies, such as the Virginia Department of Corrections, the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia State University, and the City of Richmond. Jessica S., who was recently released from incarceration, interviewed with both Amazon and Foot Locker and received invitations for second-round interviews. “It’s been a struggle to find work...
You likely know Boosie Badazz from his string of viral interviews on outlets such as DJ Vlad, his myriad of controversial takes on the modern field of hip hop, or from his catalog of hit records that span over 20 years of releases. Through the years, he has gone by a number of different monikers, including Lil Boosie, and has faced numerous trials and tribulations . Despite all of his public and private missteps, Boosie is said to have a net worth of $2 million in 2024, per Celebrity Net Worth . This nest egg may not measure up to some of Boosie’s contemporaries, though it still displays an impressive financial acumen, as the vocalist has seen his fair share of nearly career-ending controversies . So, let’s take a look at Boosie Badazz’s net worth, and see what we can learn from his successes, his failures, and his spending and investment habits. Most of his money likely comes from record sales, feature verses, and additional ventures such as the release of his own streetwear line....
La La Anthony is creating an impact in her hometown of New York City, NY, through her foundation, La La Land Foundation and its ThreeSixty program. According to ThreeSixty’s website, the TV personality, actress, and entrepreneur’s foundation launched ThreeSixty as a program to support young men aged 18 to 21 who are incarcerated at Rikers Island, which has been described as “America’s most notorious jail.” The rehabilitation program provides legal services including connecting the men with lawyers and making court appearances on their behalf. In addition, ThreeSixty has workshops that focus on resume-building, work-training, and life skills. In an interview with People, Anthony detailed how her initiative has created life-changing opportunities. She shared with the outlet that after less than a year of being released from Rikers Island, a formerly incarcerated individual, who had been mentored by ThreeSixty, received a full scholarship to study at Columbia University. “It’s really...
There’s no question that Allen Iverson is a basketball legend. Over the course of his career, he earned the title of one of the greatest of all time, and amassed millions of dollars doing so. Iverson consistently lead his teams into the NBA playoffs, once to the NBA Finals, and was even named League MVP (Most Valuable Player) in 2001. Unfortunately, according to Celebrity Net Worth , Allen Iverson’s current nest egg sits at a paltry $1 million. While this figure may seem like retirement money to you or I, $1 million is clearly a low sum for an NBA legend of Iverson’s stature. So how did this happen? Reportedly, Allen Iverson underwent a series of life challenges and poor financial planning , leading him to blow through his entire $200 million fortune in less than two years, leaving many basketball fans to presume that Iverson is struggling for money to this day. Luckily, this is not the case, and NBA fans will be happy to learn the true story of how Iverson lost it all, and was able...
The only all-male Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Morehouse College , has its own initiative to assist current inmates in being prepared for life after incarceration. A part of the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership (AYCGL), Morehouse College faculty members take aspects of its curriculum to Georgia-based inmates. Prison reform is built on the premise that individuals deserve a second chance. The concept of reform has led to lower rates of recidivism and more significant opportunities for people to have a greater chance of positive rehabilitation. According to a write-up by Morehouse associate professor Kipton E. Jensen, the AYGLC Prison Education Initiative was designed to support staff members who teach humanities courses to imprisoned men and women across the Georgia prison system. The prison education initiative is steadily growing at a solid pace, involving more Morehouse faculty and students to assist in prison education. As of last year, the AYGLC...
When a family member becomes incarcerated, there becomes a disconnect, especially when that person’s a mother or father. Thankfully, as AfroTech previously reported, Jay’Aina “Jay Jay” Patton and her father Antoine, an ex-prisoner, developed Photo Patch, a program and mobile app that connects imprisoned parents to their children. Due to their personal experience with the unjust and oppressive prison system, Jay Jay and Antoine are now changing the way that children can communicate with their loved ones who are currently incarcerated. On a recent appearance on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show,” the founders gave more insight on the company’s mission, which is also to help more girls of color get into tech. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ellen DeGeneres (@theellenshow) “Right now, I’m on a mission to help 10,000 girls of color get into the world of tech and start their career path,” shared Jay Jay. “Just for me, there’s not much representation of people who look like me in the...
The City Girls are here to stay, whether their haters like it or not. In a recent report for Rolling Stone, it was revealed that Summer Walker was enlisting the aid of JT for her newest album, “Still Over It.” The outlet confirms that in the teaser video for the album — which is set to drop in November 2021 — Walker is featured on the phone with JT. While arguably controversial, it’s also just in the City Girls style to flip a negative into a positive (since the video was dated two years ago, it’s meant to imply that it was recorded during JT’s incarceration). Since they first burst onto the mixtape scene in 2017, JT (born Jatavia Shakara Johnson) and Yung Miami (born Caresha Romeka Brownlee) have been making waves everywhere they go. They’ve certainly come a long way from their humble beginnings — born and raised in poverty, JT and Yung Miami worked in fast-food joints and Whole Foods Market before making it big. From appearances on hit songs (Drake’s “In My Feelings) to...
For years, Black Americans have fought social injustice, and this woman is using technology to further the movement. Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, social justice advocate, and CEO at Promise joined AfroTech’s Will Lucas on the latest episode of Black Tech Green Money to further discuss how technology can be used to not only amplify social justice work but set our people up for success. Through her work at Promise, Ellis-Lamkins helps people to avoid utility shut-offs, license revocations, sky-high interest fees, and incarceration with flexible, interest-free payment plans, a range of payment options and even 24/7 client support. “Most of my preparation game is really from being broke,” she expressed. “I say that because I think your life is shaped by your own experiences and how the world sees you. So for me, [some people] I hear their amazing stories and they’re like ‘I felt triumphant,’ but unfortunately for me, I think I felt a lot of shame.” She further explains what it was like to be...
When Whitney Beatty & Ebony McGee Andersen first came up with the idea of Josephine and Billie’s cannabis speakeasy, they knew they’d be up against some challenges. As working mothers and Black women in the cannabis space, Beatty & Andersen also knew what they had to do to overcome those challenges. “Women, in general, have issues with access, but Black women in the cannabis space? Oh, the stories,” Beatty tells AfroTech. “And we knew we’d be facing the same thing — which is why we are so lucky that we got Jay-Z and The Parent Company to invest in our concept.” Josephine and Billie’s aims to create an inclusive and equitable society and a legal cannabis industry in which Black and minority entrepreneurs have the opportunity, access, and financial and logistical support to build peak levels of success and value for their communities. “In my former role as an urban planner, I can certainly attest how important investment is to the success of a business,” said Andersen. “But, more than...
Google is preparing formerly incarcerated people to re-enter the workforce with its latest initiative. In the spirit of Second Chance Month, the tech giant has launched its Grow with Google Career Readiness for Reentry program, which aims to provide free digital skills and job readiness training to 10,000 individuals who have previously been imprisoned. According to a press release reviewed by AfroTech, the new program was created in partnership with five nonprofit organizations that have all successfully developed and delivered premium job training to returning citizens — including The Last Mile, Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), Defy Ventures, Fortune Society and The Ladies of Hope Ministries. Fundamental digital skills that the training program will focus on include how to apply for jobs online, creating a resume, entrepreneurship and business budgeting. The program will also be based on the following five core learning paths: Getting Started with the Basics Job Search...
A Philadelphia-based pizza shop is out here changing lives. According to ABC News, two childhood friends are aiming to reduce the city’s recidivism rates through their pizza shop by exclusively hiring formerly incarcerated men and women. The lifelong friends and now co-founders Kurt Evans and Muhammed Abdul-Hadi have always been passionate about giving back to their community. “We’re changing the quality of life for our community by being the hand that feeds and teaching others to do the same,” Evans said during an interview with “Good Morning America.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Down North Pizza (@downnorth_pizza) After several months of planning, the pair decided to combine their passion to serve and their love for pizza by opening Down North Pizza in the heart of North Philly last month. They’ve witnessed firsthand how incarceration has impacted their loved ones who weren’t able to find employment upon their release from prison. It was a no-brainer for...