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Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine are opening a school in Inglewood, CA. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the duo partnered to open a South Central Los Angeles public school in 2022 to provide opportunities for students from underserved communities. “This is for kids who want to go out and start their own company or go work at a place… like Marvel, or Apple or companies like that,” Iovine expressed at the time. Now, they have scaled their commitment to education, announcing the Iovine and Young Center, a high school that will be coming to the community in partnership with the Inglewood Unified School District, the Los Angeles Times reports. “We wanted to start in the inner city because Dre and especially me, I owe a lot to the inner city of Los Angeles, and we intend to pay it back,” Iovine said, per the outlet. The school is projected to open in the summer of 2025, beginning with a ninth-grade class and adding a class each year until it serves freshmen through seniors. It will take the...
YouTube is broadening the horizon for creators. According to The Los Angeles Times, the social media platform has announced plans to open its very own theater in the Hollywood Park complex located in Inglewood, CA. The YouTube Theater is a 6,000-seat arena located next to the SoFi Stadium in Hollywood Park set to open in August 2021. The new installment solidifies its place in the live event space. Just outside of the theater, people can get a glimpse of exclusive content created by YouTube influencers thanks to a 13-foot-tall digital screen. Set to serve as its own attraction, the digital sign will not only include upcoming concert dates of talent that will perform at the theater along with videos directly from YouTube creators, but it was also designed to allow pedestrians to see their movement and images reflected as sort of a giant fun-house mirror. Despite the fact that the theater can accommodate 3,400 to 6,000 seats, its design was built around making it feel more intimate...
GloRilla once admitted that she plans to become a billionaire and continues to progress towards this milestone. The Memphis-born rapper has remained the talk of the town, lighting up the charts through hit singles that include “TGIF” and “WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME” and what started it all, “F.N.F.” released in 2022. “It mean a lot to be able to be a a voice for my city,” she said during an interview with AFROTECH™. Before the artist’s journey kicked into gear, she worked overtime to make her dreams a reality. Working at jobs such as Nike and FedEx with little to no energy, she remained optimistic the grind would pay off, and it has. “I was doing 12 hours at Nike and maybe seven to eight hours at FedEx. And I was just doing all that to sponsor my rapid career so I could be able to pay for videos and studio time,” she explained. In 2022, GloRilla signed to Yo Gotti’s label Collective Music Group. He has remained a constant supporter in her journey as an artist and in business. As AFROTECH™...
50 Cent claims he received a six-figure payout from the late Steve Jobs. During an interview shared by “Tha Row TV” on YouTube, the rapper -turned-business-mogul took a trip down memory lane to recall being paid handsomely for a product placement in one of his music videos. This became possible thanks to a conversation with Jobs, who had a meeting with Beats By Dre co-founder Jimmy Iovine at his office. In the interview, he claimed that within the first 10 minutes of meeting, he was able to get his hands on an iPod, which had just been released in 2001. He then convinced Jobs that he could help market the iPod, leading to a $150,000 payday. “I told him ‘Let me see that.’ They gave it to me I said ‘What’s it called. It’s called an iPod? How many songs you said?’ ‘You think you could sell an iPod? I can sell an iPod.’ H e looked at Jimmy, Jimmy said ‘Believe it or not, the kid is gold. I don’t care whatever he says right now it’s gonna go’ and h e just went with it and gave me...
Issa Rae transformed her online presence from an “awkward Black girl” to a media mogul with several hit series. Now, she’s channeling her success into empowering the next generation of creators, helping them forge their own paths in the industry. As shared in a press release, the award-winning actress, writer, and producer’s management firm, ColorCreative, which promotes women and minority talent, has partnered with Tubi to launch Stubios. The program will help five creative teams develop debut projects that will premiere on the streaming platform. ColorCreative will provide mentorship, while Tubi will fund the productions, according to TubeFilter. “I am deeply passionate about creating pathways to sustainable careers into Hollywood for creatives of diverse backgrounds,” Issa Rae previously said in a statement. “We at ColorCreative are thrilled to see Tubi taking this important and bold step, and we’re excited to support and guide Stubios creatives on their first long-form...
Kevin Burnett has transitioned from the football field to help families create wealth. Burnett, an Inglewood, CA native, was drafted in 2005 as a 42th draft pick in the second round to the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN. He was signed to a 4-year deal valued at $3.31 million with the team, which included a $1.15 million signing bonus and $1.15 million guaranteed, Spotrac notes. Burnett played for four teams throughout his career, ultimately retiring with the Oakland Raiders in 2014. He earned a total of $20.57 million. In retirement, Burnett took some time to water into his wife and four kids, per Equities.com. He became more immersed in his children’s worlds, which also included sports. This led him to coach his older kids’ football and baseball team, sparking a newfound purpose. “Hey, this is where I see my purpose,” Burnett explained. “It’s where I see my angle.” In 2020, he secured a position at McArthur High School in Hollywood, FL, as a football coach. With poverty and...
Tyrese Gibson’s life was changed for the better thanks to a Coca-Cola commercial. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Gibson garnered a lot of attention, which would spark a bidding war with 20 record labels, due to his appearance singing in a 1994 Coca-Cola commercial while a student at Locke High School in Los Angeles, CA. He learned about the commercial opportunity through his late music teacher, Reggie Andrews, who received a call that the company was hosting national auditions scouting for new talent, specifically a male between the ages of 16 and 18, Gibson explained while on the podcast “Club Shay Shay.” It would also be Andrews who took Gibson to the audition because he did not have a car and money was tight at the time. “I was broker than broke. My stomach was touching my ribs. I didn’t have a car. I didn’t have a ride,” Gibson recalled. “It was no way I was getting on the bus, especially with a transfer ’cause it was like close to downtown LA, and I was living in Watts South...
The 1990s was an epic era. In addition to the fashion and chart-topping R&B groups, the decade gave the world some of television’s best Black sitcoms. From classics like “Living Single,” “A Different World,” “Martin,” and the “Fresh Prince of Belaire” — Black representation was at an all-time high. The conclusion of these shows left Black entertainment with a small void in the sitcom space. While some shows held it down, it wasn’t like the television takeover in the ’90s. Then comes “Black-ish,” a sitcom based on the suburban life of Andre Johnson and his family. It details the joys and challenges of navigating life while Black, particularly in a specific tax bracket. The brain behind this concept is Kenya Barris. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Kenya Barris was born in Inglewood, CA, and established his love for media arts by graduating from Clark Atlanta University in 1996 with a degree in mass media arts. Upon completion of his degree, the 48-year-old went on to take up space...
Dr. Dre represented for South LA when he showcased the records that have shaped his legendary career this past Super Bowl Sunday and the proof showed in the numbers. AfroTech previously reported that the Dr.Dre and Snoop Dogg -laced track, “Still D.R.E.” hit over a billion views on YouTube after their halftime performance. The record was released in 1999 and for more than two decades it’s re-appeared on the Billboard charts. While sitting in the wins of still being a long-standing force in the industry, now, he’s helping the next generation break the mold with a new partnership. The music mogul has teamed up with adidas and PENSOLE Design Academy to launch an innovative school program “that blends fashion, technology, and entrepreneurship,” according to Rolling Stone. Joining him to teach the young entrepreneurs is his longtime business and music partner Jimmy Iovine. Students located in LA County will be offered a new curriculum spearheaded by the Iovine and Young Academy, the USC...
Following her being a temporary Airbnb host through Valentine’s Day weekend, according to our sister site Travel Noire, Issa Rae has joined the company for a new initiative to support South LA. According to a press release, the Inglewood native has partnered with Airbnb, along with Nasdaq, to announce a $100,000 donation to LeadersUp, a nonprofit organization that works to help create an inclusive, antiracist economy — per its website. The press release shares that the new donation will go toward creating an impact fund for South LA residents to be provided access to educational, mental health and wellness, and technological resources. The collaborative effort to support underrepresented communities is also financially assisting LA-based organizations Central Neighborhood Health Foundation and Brotherhood Crusade.
Back in May 2021, AfroTech sat down with MoviePass founder Stacy Spikes to discuss the concept of his new company, PreShow. At the time, Spikes dismissed any notion of ever returning to the company he helped make famous. Getting his start as a film marketing executive and producer, Spikes first made headlines when he became the co-founder and CEO of MoviePass. In theory, MoviePass’ idea was a simple, and welcoming, one: pay a monthly subscription fee, see as many movies in the theaters as you’d like. In 2012, MoviePass upped the ante by activating proprietary location-based payment technology, which allowed users to pay for their tickets in a safe and secure way — another idea that was, in fact, before its time. So it’s no surprise that PreShow, too, has the same visionary approach to entertainment. “Originally, the idea was to make it movie-based,” he said. “But the pandemic threw a wrench into those plans.” Now, though, it seems like Spikes may have pivoted yet again. According to...
Xbox continues its commitment to inclusive storytelling that supports Black gamers and culture creators like the “ICY GRL” herself, Saweetie! On Feb. 4, the gaming company announced its partnership with artist and entrepreneur, Saweetie, for the first-ever “Xbox Saweetie Bowl” gaming competition just ahead of Super Bowl Sunday. “Football is big in my family and this year’s festivities bring all of us together in support of a good cause,” said the “My Type” rapper. Last weekend, Saweetie served as the evening host and commentator at Snoop Dogg’s Inglewood gaming compound. Alongside the ICY hostess was professional gamer XSET JOKE who served as the game’s official advisor and coach. Photo Credit: Spazzz, courtesy of Team Saweetie. Snoop Dogg battled against NFL player Julian Edelman for a West Coast vs. East Coast Battle in an EA Sports Madden NFL 21 tournament on Xbox. Edelman may have walked away as the official 2021 Saweetie Bowl champion, but the real winners were the Snoop Youth...
With the help of strangers, this Black woman will be able to fulfill her dreams of creating a safe space for other book lovers in her community. As a young girl, finding books written for girls who look like her by Black women authors was not an easy feat for Asha Grant. “When I was growing up, reading was a really huge part of how I got to understand myself,” Grant told NBC Los Angeles. “There’s a huge disservice that our entire community gets when there is an entire group of people who are missing from that narrative.” Fast-forwarding to adulthood, Grant used her passion to change this narrative by helping to provide books written by Black women for those in her community through her participation with The Free Black Women’s Library in LA. Grant would haul hundreds and hundreds of books penned by Black women around in her car. The organization eventually led to her idea of creating a bookshop catered to the same cause — providing people in her home city of Inglewood with not only...
Supermodel and TV host Tyra Banks is expanding her reach in Hollywood to develop scripted and unscripted content through her newly-inked first-look deal with Disney Television Studios’ ABC Signature, Deadline reports . The UTA repped star and her production company Bankable Productions has agreed to produce new content with ABC Signature and ABC Entertainment for her upcoming projects. “Ever since I was a little girl growing up in Inglewood, California, I’ve been enamored by the magic of Disney,” said Banks in a statement . “Joining the family at ABC feels like a homecoming of sorts.” She added: “Karey Burke, Rob Mills, Jonnie Davis and their teams are visionary leaders. My Bankable team and I are pumped to create dynamic, can’t-miss programming that is loud, splashy and spans to international shores. From dramas and docu-series to comedies and cartoons, we’re coming to your screens with a mission to entertain you and your families in the most unexpected ways.” According to Variety...
Gentrification has swept many Black neighborhoods across the nation, forcing many residents out of their own neighborhoods. While many communities struggle to regain control of their neighborhoods, South L.A. is working to be a model for how to promote Black homeownership and combat gentrification. Music manager Daniel Carter started Buy Back the Block L.A. — an initiative to help educate South L.A. residents on how to fight gentrification by buying properties in their neighborhoods — in the wake of Nipsey Hussle’s death as a call to action for his community. According to Carter, Hussle’s death “left a huge scar in the community,” Curbed Los Angeles reports . “I felt like at one point his spirit kind of burst into a million pieces and everybody got a little piece. I feel like our piece of it was this real estate thing.” Carter’s effort to continue Hussle’s mission for more Black ownership sparked a campaign to rally brokers, house flippers, and loan officers together to educate...