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Method Man has hesitations around the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). During an interview on Hot97, the rap artist had several reasons for his heart posture toward the technology. One of his reasons include Drake’s single “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which was a shot at Compton’s Kendrick Lamar. It also featured AI-generated audio using the lyrics of the late Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. “Kendrick we need ya, the West Coast savior/Engraving your name in some Hip-Hop history/If you deal with this viciously … Call him a b-tch for me/Talk about him liking young girls as a gift for me,” a AI-generated Tupac Shakur lyric read at the song’s intro, per Rolling Stone. The song was later removed by Drake after Shakur’s estate stated they were willing to move forward with legal action, per NBC News. Method Man expresses the song is one of the reasons he is raising an eyebrow toward AI. He also mentions challenges around intellectual property (IP) and streaming, which he says complicate...
Jayson Tatum won’t be spending his historic contract money. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the Boston Celtics player is fresh off a NBA National Championship win and agreed to a five-year $315 million supermax contract extension, which marks the richest in the league’s history, according to Bleacher Report and Chris Haynes of TNT Sports. However, Tatum will not be touching the money earned from his contract, as AFROTECH™ already told you. He made a deal with his mother, Brandy Cole — who he describes as an “overseer” because she handles his finances — that he would rely on endorsements and sponsors rather than his contract earnings. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Small Wins (@enjoysmallwins) “We had a deal before I got drafted that I couldn’t spend the money I make from the Celtics, that we have to live off endorsements,” Tatum said during an interview with “In Depth with Graham Bensinger.” “Her and my accountant agreed. They didn’t know that I would make as much as...
Chris Paul has entered into a partnership that considers the financial futures of the youth. Goalsetter, a fintech company founded by Tanya Van Court, has shared results from a study it conducted with Ivy League university students revealing a significant lack of understanding when it comes to personal finances. When surveying 1,065 undergraduate students from Harvard University, Stanford University, and the University of Pennsylvania, t he study revealed that the students answered on average only 51% of its financial education questions correctly. The questions were at the high school standard, and the percentage of acuity decreased even further when looking at only underclassmen, with scores of 48%. Furthermore, only 13% of students who took the quiz scored above a C-. To create better outcomes, Goalsetter is committed to targeting financial initiatives towards the youth, and the company is strengthening its efforts through a partnership with NBA player Chris Paul, Oakland Fund...
J. Cole has garnered a reputation for being one of the most humble rappers of the modern era. This is due in large part to Cole’s insistence on wearing plain clothing and shying away from expensive cars and flashy jewelry. Given his down-to-earth style , it may surprise some J. Cole fans to learn that the 39-year-old rapper has amassed an impressive net worth of over $60 million, according to The Street. J. Cole’s net worth was mostly established from his career on the mic, as well as his penchant for producing beats, and on-stage performances across the globe. Unlike many other artists, Cole hasn’t invested heavily into material possessions, instead focusing his time and energy on his family and his craft. Let’s explore the many avenues in which J. Cole has ameliorated his net worth, and examine the state of his career and financial future. Early Life And Humble Beginnings One major contributing factor to J. Cole’s humility is his ongoing desire to avoid ever being broke again....
In 2015, Bryson Tiller released his debut studio album, “Trapsoul.” In a Complex interview, the singer and rapper described the album as “a super slow burn.” “Trapsoul” introduced the music industry to a new genre, a combination of Trap and Soul, a nd it is still appreciated by fans today. Its trajectory ultimately took Tiller from first releasing his music on SoundCloud to his debut album reaching triple-platinum status with over 5.8 billion streams in the United States, per RCA Records. What’s more, the singer-songwriter earned a Grammy nomination for “Best R&B Song” for “Exchange,” one of his hit singles, along with “Don’t” and “Sorry Not Sorry.” Tiller shared that his success in the music industry reminds creatives that it’s important not to listen to outsiders for validation. “People are going to love your sh-t, and they’re going to hate it,” Tiller told Complex during the promo run for his eponymous album released in April 2024. “Now, when I create music, I don’t really care...
AfroTech has announced yet another big musical talent is heading to the 2022 AfroTech Conference! As previously reported by AfroTech, music heavyweights such as Bia, Zaytoven, Bas, and more will be headlining the conference’s inaugural music experience. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AfroTech (@afro.tech) “We are thrilled to bring such incredible musical talent to the AfroTech stage, and expand the AfroTech Franchise to include a music festival. This is especially fitting since our annual conference is being held in the live music capital of the world,” said Morgan DeBaun, CEO of Blavity, Inc., owner of AfroTech in a statement. “We are also excited to host our conference live and in-person after hosting it in a metaverse the last two years. The addition of our live music festival truly rounds out the entire AfroTech experience as we celebrate Black and multicultural innovators, and these rising creative artists.” In addition to the music stage’s lineup, on Nov. 17, the...
Since J.Cole founded his label Dreamville Records in 2007, he’s proven that he has a skilled ear for discovering new talent. From Ari Lennox to JID, the lyricist has built an impressive roster. One of the artists who flew on Cole’s radar early on is Bas, who signed to Dreamville in 2014. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AfroTech (@afro.tech) Grab your tickets to AfroTech Conference. Although the Sudanese rapper is one of the label’s entrusted signees, he has previously been transparent about coming from humble beginnings.
Beauty platform Fyyne just hit the market. The ideation of Fyyne was created by Jeffrey Fasegha alongside Al-Ameen Ogundiran and Olu Olubanjo. Fasegha reveals while playing semi-pro hockey at his university, finding a reputable hairstylist for his hair type was increasingly difficult. He soon recognized fewer technologies in the beauty space were a perpetuating factor leading to less visibility for Black hair artists. Fasegha confirms many artists were using text or direct messages as their primary mode of contact for customers. “As a former semi-pro hockey player, it was impossible for me to find a barber who could cut my hair when I was moving from one town to another every other week. I had to grow my hair out and wait to go back home before I could get a cut,” said Jeffrey Fasegha, Co-founder and CEO of Fyyne, according to a press release. “When I moved to Toronto for university, I was literally stopping people on the street to ask them where they got their hair done. It took me...
Born Jermaine Cole in Frankfurt, West Germany, J. Cole has gone on to become one of the most successful rappers in the industry today. He first rose to prominence with the release of “The Come Up” in 2007, which brought him to the attention of none other than Jay-Z. But it was only after he went on tour with Drake that his popularity really exploded. J. Cole has been celebrated for his storytelling and lyrical abilities since the release of his debut mixtape “The Come Up” in 2007. The project featured a song called “Dollar & A Dream” and he sold it on college campuses for $1, according to Trapital. Drawn to the hustle, he caught the attention of rap legend Jay-Z. He became the first artist signed to Roc Nation in 2009, prior to releasing two more critically acclaimed mixtapes “The Warm Up” and “Friday Night Lights.” It’s estimated that he earned $3 million for his “Dollar & A Dream” tour. In 2011, after the release of his first album, Cole opened for Drake on his sold-out “Club...
Triller continues to pledge its support for Black creators. In a press release, the company announced its Assembly for Black Creators, an initiative that will bring together more than 250 Black content creators and major brands — including Popeyes and Hallmark — with an overall goal of helping the parties form relationships to create branded content. “We started this effort with a deep appreciation of the huge impact Black Creators have had on culture and content around the world. With this series, we are catalyzing the need for brands, agencies, and media properties to invest in Black creators and media owners,” said Mahi de Silva , CEO of TrillerNet, parent company to Triller, Verzuz, Amplify.ai, and other media brands in an official statement. “Events like the Assembly for Black Creators are essential for pushing important industry-wide change, as it is scalable and repeatable, deploys spend directly to individuals and brands, and helps create a thriving ecosystem of media,...
Triller is on a mission to add more sports content to its video network platform — starting with rapper Ice Cube and his Big3 basketball league. According to CNBC, Cube inked an agreement for a joint venture with the social media company in which Triller will host his league’s first all-star game, its draft, and also feature 30 hours of live games from its 2021 season. Though specifics around the deal have not been made available, the outlet reports that both Big3 and Triller will share advertising revenue earned from the upcoming events, arena signage, and cross-promote their brands together. “There’s nothing as fun and fast in sports as Big3 basketball, and once you watch one game, you’ll be hooked,” Triller co-owner Ryan Kavanaugh shared in a statement. “We are excited to partner with Ice Cube and the Big3 organization to bring this exciting and growing sport to Triller audiences around the world.” Ice Cube basked in the announcement of his Triller deal tweeting, “Big3 signs deal...
J. Cole’s Dreamville label is making major expansion moves with its newly launched multi-disciplinary media division. Today, Dreamville Records announced the launch of Dreamville Ventures — a new multi-disciplinary media division — and Dreamville Studios — a content studio slated to produce original and co-produced content — to broaden the label’s operations, Variety reports . View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dreamville (@dreamville) Joining the company’s ventures to lead the new division is Damien Scott — who will serve as president of Dreamville — and Candace Rodney — who will serve as Dreamville’s executive vice president and president of Dreamville Studios. Prior to his new position, Scott worked as Editor-in-Chief and VP of Content and Development at Complex Media where he helped launch the ComplexCon. In addition to that, Rodney previously worked as Senior VP of Development at Wilmore Films and other big-name companies such as Sony Pictures Television, Lionsgate...