Jeezy has reportedly missed out on his own earnings due to his internal team. In the past, Jeezy admitted to having trust issues with those around him. However, navigating the music industry and forming partnerships required the rapper to lower his guard and trust others to uphold their end of the deal. “I never really had people around that I trusted,” Jeezy said on the “Springhill” podcast in 2023 . “ And when it went on to the music, I started to understand quickly like this is worse because where I come from, it’s death or the penitentiary. But with these people in the music industry, they’re cutthroat anyway. It’s just the nature of the game.” He added, “But then what I started to understand about having business partners is you gotta trust that they’re gonna at least do what they’re supposed to do. Like if you’re telling me that you’re gonna be able to market this on a scale that I can’t, I’m gonna believe that you can do that. Now if you show me you can’t, now I gotta make...

Before the business accolades, Jeezy had always had the mindset of a hustler. Throughout his rise to the top as one of Atlanta, GA’s most prolific emcees, the Hip-Hop mogul has fulfilled a lifelong dream of transitioning from the streets to the boardroom.

All it takes is one friend to encourage you to step into your greatness — even when others don’t fully see the vision. For Jeezy, that friend happened to be fellow emcee Tip “T.I.” Harris.

Jeezy has been making a lot of headlines as of late. And that’s partially because of his high-profile relationship with “The Real” host Jeannie Mai. According to The Sun, Jeezy has definitely found the woman he loves. When Mai was on “Dancing with the Stars,” he rented out a billboard to promote his wife’s appearance on the show and encourage people to vote for her. Now, he’s expecting a child with her later this year. In an interview with WWD, Mai said that she particularly enjoys his sense of fashion. She also said that the trap music pioneer is “an amazing dad,” (he has three children from a previous relationship) and that she can’t wait to build a family with him. The couple previously suffered a miscarriage, but overcame that tragedy, as well. Not bad for the man born Jay Wayne Jenkins from Columbia, SC. Though he admitted he grew up in poverty, Jeezy worked hard and stayed focused on the prize, ultimately earning a $10 million net worth on the strength of his talent and hard...

Fawn Weaver established a scholarship to carry the torch of excellence surrounding Nearest Green. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Weaver is the CEO and co-founder of Uncle Nearest, a whiskey brand valued at over a billion dollars. The brand was born after she came across a 2016 New York Times article while traveling in Singapore. The article featured an image of Jack Daniel alongside a group of men, with Nathan “Nearest” Green—known as Uncle Nearest—positioned in a way that ensured he wouldn’t be overlooked. In 1864, Green, who was enslaved, began teaching Daniel how to make whiskey in Tennessee. Daniel went on to sell whiskey throughout Lynchburg, TN, and the business formed into the popular brand Jack Daniel’s. Green’s role had been lost over time despite him being the master distiller at the Jack Daniel Distillery and the first African-American master distiller on record in U.S. history. As a whiskey maker, research shows he became the wealthiest African American in Lynchburg,...

Technology has undeniably transformed the world as we know it. However, rapper-turned-entrepreneur, filmmaker, comedian, and more, Clifford “Tip” Harris, emphasizes that no matter how far innovation advances, it can never replace the human emotions that ignite creativity. During the 2024 AFROTECH™ Conference, Harris took the Innovation Stage to discuss technological advancements and how he has remained authentic to himself and the community he has served for over two decades. When he first arrived on the scene in 1996, he befriended fellow Atlanta rapper Big Kuntry King, selling mixtapes out of the trunk of their cars in hopes of making it big. Initially, he was known to the world as Tip before changing his stage name to T.I. Today, aside from music, his portfolio includes filmmaking, restaurateur, and more. As one of the trailblazers of trap music, he is also the founder of Atlanta’s Trap Music Museum, an interactive cultural space that celebrates the history, evolution, and impact...

The next chapter in the legacy of Verzuz is here. On June 19 — Juneteenth — Swizz Beatz and Timbaland announced that their Verzuz music battle platform has a new home at X, Blavity reports. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone!” Swizz Beatz, producer and co-founder of Verzuz, wrote in a post shared on Instagram. “Verzuz is back and 100% Black owned again. Let’s give the people what’s been missing.” In a separate statement, he called X, formerly Twitter, “the best partner for Verzuz.” “Not only are we excited to have Verzuz on X, we’re excited to help X build the biggest entertainment company in the world,” Swizz Beatz said. “I would like to thank Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Brett Weitz, Mitchell Smith, and the entire X team for believing in the Verzuz vision. We can’t wait to get to work.”   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Swizz Beatz (@therealswizzz) Launched during the height of the pandemic in 2020, Verzuz gave music lovers battles between favorites like...

Zachary Wallace is intertwining his passion for both food and music to grow in the business realm. Andscape reports Wallace was a contributing songwriter for some of the culture’s classic hits, which include songs such as “Goodies” and “Get It Shawty.” His pen has also led to him working with artists Nelly, CeeLo Green, and Jeezy. Nowadays, Wallace’s musical preferences are linked to the enjoyment of a delicious meals at his Atlanta, GA, restaurant. As the founder of Local Green, Wallace offers menu items such as 3 Stack Cauliflower Tacos commemorating André 3000, and even sandwiches in honor of albums released by T.I. and Hip-Hop group Goodie Mob. His transition into the food industry can best be explained as a personal awakening to prioritize his health. While he was living big in Atlanta, racking up publishing checks and platinum plaques, Wallace was also neglecting his health and putting on weight. He would spend many late nights at the club or studio and enjoyed whatever foods...