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At one point in Hip-Hop history, fans were divided on who was the best rapper in the game. While many iconic MCs have come and are present, the mid-2000s served as a time when Lil Wayne made it clear that he believed he was the best rapper alive. The “best” status is relative to individual preferences, but it did not stop the Louisiana-born rapper from making a claim and even writing a song highlighting the sentiment. Lil Wayne officially hit the music scene in the mid-1990s as a member of the Hot Boys with fellow band members – Juvenile, B.G., and Turk. The four rappers produced hits like “I Need a Hot Girl” and “Rock Ice.” Wayne would launch a solo career in 1999 with his debut album, “The Block is Hot.” However, it wouldn’t be until 2004 that the then 22-year-old rapper would gain increased popularity with the release of “The Carter,” which turned into a series of albums, catapulting the rapper into Hip-Hop superstardom. In 2012, he would take the Billboard title as the male...
The year 2011 was a special year for Kevin Hart. This was the moment when he dropped his very first comedy special, “Laugh At My Pain.” Using his personal life as a backdrop to his jokes, Hart quickly captivated the hearts of many with his wit, comedic timing, and relatability. Since this breakout moment, Hart has had fans in a proverbial chokehold, bringing people joy through laughter with multiple television and movie roles, hosting shows, and a string of comedy specials that only doubled down on his funnyman persona. One of the ways in which Hart has been able to maintain his status in entertainment has been his keen business savvy. Understanding that comedy and acting are not the only ways to build wealth, he has leveraged his massive $450 million net worth to foster partnerships and build businesses that only pile on to the fortune he’s created. To date, some of Hart’s investments and partnerships include working with brands like Audible, HUNGRY, Tommy John, Ellis Island Tea,...
25 years after the Hot Boys first hit the scene, Juvenile, Lil Wayne, Turk, and B.G. are still making waves in the industry. As Lil Wayne explained in his “Behind the Music” episode back in 2009, the Hot Boys were first formed in the summer of 1997, and their debut album, “Get It How U Live!” sold 400,00 copies on the success of such singles as “Block Burner.” Subsequently, the Hot Boys would appear in each of the member’s solo projects, and they can notably be seen in Lil Wayne’s video “Tha Block is Hot” and B.G.’s “Bling Bling.” Even though the group is no longer together, they’re still finding ways to work together against all odds. The first time the Hot Boys worked together after they disbanded was in 2009, when Lil Wayne — arguably, the biggest breakout star of the group — brought out Juvenile and B.G. during a tour stop in New Orleans. At the time, both Wayne and B.G. confirmed to Baller Alert that a Hot Boys reunion was in the works. “We was Hot Boys then, now we Hot Men,”...
Fanatics, Michael Rubin’s online sports company, has brought together a star-studded group of investors to transport Mitchell & Ness into the present day. On Feb. 18, it was announced that the legendary sports goods brand had been acquired for $250 million, Sportico reports. The recent deal included investments from Jay-Z, Maverick Carter, Meek Mill, Lil Baby , and the D’Amelio family. The breakdown of the ownership is Fanatics takes 75 percent of Mitchell & Ness, while the other investors get 25 percent, according to The New York Times. Mitchell & Ness has previously been a staple in the clothing industry, especially for streetwear fashion. Just as brands such as Diddy’s Sean John are working to make a comeback, the investors are bringing new energy to the brand that’s been missing. “Fashion is cyclical, but classics are forever,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “Mitchell & Ness is a true classic. I was an early adopter of this brand, as well as a part of a departure from athletic wear....
HUNGRY first got a taste of the spotlight back in March 2020, at the start of what was supposed to be just a few weeks of a lockdown. At that time, the app got celebrity investors in the form of Jay-Z, several NFL players and comedian Kevin Hart in their Series B funding, which ultimately raised $20 million. But the looming threat of the pandemic weighed heavily on the founders’ minds. “Starting a business, in and of itself, is a daunting prospect,” co-CEO Shy Pahlevani told AfroTech. “But now, imagine starting a business — in the food service industry — at the start of the pandemic. We knew we were taking a gamble. But it’s a gamble we were willing to take, and it was one that paid off in the end.” The HUNGRY app works sort of the way Tinder does, in that it matches professional chefs with catering jobs. And the Series B funding wasn’t the first time that Hova’s Marcy Ventures Fund invested in the business — as AfroTech previously reported, the venture fund participated in the...
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner revealed an exciting opportunity for fans to tap into the stock market on Wednesday. CNBC reported the National Football League (NFL) player has become an equity holder in Public.com, a social investing platform that allows individuals to invest in companies commission-free. In addition, Public promotes financial literacy by allowing users to follow domain authorities and familiar investors. Since the company’s inception in 2019, it has raised $310 million from investors including Accel, Greycroft, and high-profile celebrities like Will Smith and J.J Smith. While the terms of the linebacker’s agreement have not yet been disclosed, he did share the incentive for the recent venture. “I want people to understand how money works and how people invest,” Wagner stated in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday. “You can have conversations with people to get their thoughts on why they are investing in certain things.” The social investment platform —...
Jay-Z and Will Smith are betting on a rent-to-own startup company that’s making homeownership more accessible to all. According to TechCrunch, the two business moguls have joined a group of investors for a $165 million Series A equity funding round for Landis Technologies — a company that helps people transition from renting to owning — through Roc Nation and Will Smith’s Dreamers VC. “We are proud to have invested in Landis,” Smith said in a statement. “Landis is an innovative company that also has a social mission we are aligned with. We are excited to be part of a journey that helps Americans achieve homeownership through financial education.” Neil Sirni — co-founder and President of Roc Nation’s venture investment arm Arrive — echoed Smith’s statement saying, “we believe that Landis is determined to build a company that consumers can trust. Our investment demonstrates our commitment to supporting Landis on their mission to make the path to homeownership more accessible,...
Jay-Z might be the new go-to source for all things authenticated in the collectibles space. According to Business Insider, the music and business mogul’s Roc Nation company has just invested in the transaction of Blackstone’s acquisition of the Certified Collectibles Group (CCG) — a company that authenticates collectible items such as comic books, magazines, trading cards and other items — which now values the company at more than $500 million. The outlet reports that CCG estimates it has certified over 62 million of its collectibles, with a combined fair market value reaching roughly $50 billion. Blackstone — which Bloomberg describes as the world’s largest alternative investment firm — also reports that its shares were up 0.3 percent last Friday (July 2) and now hopes to “develop CCG’s digital presence, add employees, and branch CCG’s geographic reach.” In addition to Roc Nation, other investors in the acquisition include but are not limited to Fanatics founder and executive...
Cash Money continues to take over for the 2000s! Born Bryan Christopher Williams, Birdman is the co-owner and co-founder of Cash Money Records, a label that features a roster of some of this generation’s hottest names in rap like Nicki Minaj, Drake , and Lil Wayne. The label first gained notoriety through former artists like Juvenile, Cory Gunz, and Hot Boys and set the tone for current labels and hip hop acts whose music is evident of Cash Money’s influence on the culture as a whole. Birdman — formerly known as “Baby” — recently explained how putting out the hottest artists has provided a big return to this day, explaining how the label continues to capitalize off of its artists and even how clearing their samples is paying off big time. According to Complex, the hip hop heavyweight recently shed light on the cash flow for the record label during an exclusive with Wallo of “Where’s Wallo.” “If it has a value. That’s a value. If you don’t have a value, you sitting on some sh*t...
Jay-Z no longer owns TIDAL. According to Rap-Up, the hip hop great-turned-business mogul has finalized the deal to sell the streaming service to the Jack Dorsey-owned Square for a hefty $302 million. The deal turns over the majority of the shares of TIDAL to Square, thus fully releasing Hova of all financial responsibilities of the app. Dorsey first announced that Square would be acquiring TIDAL last month. So now that Jay-Z no longer owns TIDAL, what does that mean for his interest in the company? Well, for starters, even though he no longer owns the majority stake in the company (Square got 80 percent of the company in the deal), Hova (real name: Shawn Carter) will join Square’s Board of Directors, while Square executive Jesse Dorogusker will lead in the interim until a new Head of TIDAL is found. And even though Square will now own the licensing deals with the major record labels, the existing shareholders — a music industry who’s who that includes the likes of Beyoncé, Rihanna,...
Jay-Z is the second entrepreneur in the Carter household to tap into the fitness world. Following Beyoncé’s partnership with Peloton , the co-founder of Marcy Venture Partners has joined the investment team for CLMBR, a leader in connected fitness technology. As PRNewswire reports, Jay-Z will support the 2021 launch of CLMBR Connected and CLMBR Pure vertical climbing machines. Tennis player Novak Djokovic is also an investor in the company. “We are excited to work with JAY-Z and Novak to bring the best modality in fitness to consumers,” said Avrum Elmakis , founder and CEO. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CLMBR (@clmbr_official) The fitness machine is the first vertical climber to feature a large-format touch display with on-demand, instructor-led classes, the press release reads. Additionally, it features an integrated audio system that enhances the user experience and operates via a state-of-the-art companion app with workouts and health stats. “Unlike bikes,...
Movie star and comedian, Kevin Hart, is known for using his coins to invest in startups. This time he’s expanding his investment portfolio via a partnership deal with Ellis Island Tea , a Black-owned tea company headed by Nailah Ellis. According to Cision PRWeb, Ellis Island Tea’s humble beginnings resonated with Hart and inspired him to invest. At age 20, Ellis started brewing tea in her mother’s kitchen using a recipe handed down by her great grandfather, Cyril Byron, a Jamaican native who arrived in America 100 years ago by way of Ellis Island. The cat is out of the bag! Ellis Island Tea is now officially partnered with @kevinhart4real ! 🥳🎉Thank you for your belief in us, Kev! Now I need y’all to go buy some tea because I gotta pay him back 😥😂 #EllisIslandTea #KevinHart #entrepreneur #hibiscus #tea #free pic.twitter.com/s9dk7tY29s — Ellis Isle 🌺 (NEW DRIP, SAME DOPE TASTE!) (@byellisisle) July 14, 2020 “Cyril’s story is one of a true risk taker. He came here with nothing but his...
Last year Partake Foods, a Black-owned vegan cookie company, landed rap legend and business mogul, Jay-Z, as a prime investor . This year Partake has secured yet another star investor, singer H.E.R. According to Black Enterprise , the popular songstress invested an undisclosed amount in the gluten-free company’s new funding round. “We are so excited to welcome our new investors,” said Denise Woodard, Partake’s CEO and founder, in a statement according to Black Enterprise. “As a fan of H.E.R’s music, I also admire how she supports Black-owned businesses and uses her platform to fight for an end to systemic racism. We look forward to having her on board.” H.E.R’s investment is backed by her love of the company’s brand values and story. “Not only are the products delicious, but I love the story and inclusive values behind the brand. I am excited to partner with Partake, and help to grow and support their business,” H.E.R. said. Woodard admits that the growth of the Black Lives Matter...
As we settle into a new normal, one thing must still get done: grocery shopping. Toilet paper has finally been restocked, you can buy flour (in some places) and folks are settling into a masked, socially distant lifestyle. However, as Black-owned businesses are still taking a hit, it’s imperative to buy Black, from your feminine products to your spices . So whether you brave the outside, shop online, or order from Instacart, here are the five Black-owned items to add to your grocery list. Partake Foods Cookies If you’ve been snacking like crazy, partake in these vegan cookies. Founded by Denise Woodard, these crunchy or soft-baked bites are consumed with a peace of mind. Each cookie is allergy-friendly and healthy, made without the top eight allergens (wheat, tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, soy, fish, and shellfish) and gluten. With the help of a hefty investment from Jay-Z, Woodard’s delicious goods have recently expanded into over 1,600 Target stores . View this post on Instagram...
Comic greats Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock are bringing the funny for a charitable cause. Next month, Murphy and Rock will join Kevin Hart , Tiffany Haddish, and Keenan Thompson for the “Feeding America Comedy Festival.” The brainchild of media mogul Byron Allen, the three-hour special will stream on Comedy.TV and The Weather Channel and free streaming app, Local Now, reports Vibe . The aim of the festival — which is set to be packed with some of the funniest legends in Hollywood — is to help heal the world with laughter and encourage viewers to donate to Feeding America . “In partnership with Feeding America, my comedian friends and all of us at Allen Media Group are pleased to announce this global live-streaming comedy event on May 9th,” Allen said in a statement . “Laughter is often the best medicine, and we are extremely motivated to bring attention to issues of food insecurity, and to assist in providing meals to families across the country who are financially impacted by the...