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Prakazrel “Pras” Michel claims that the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) caused him to not have a fair shot in court. In April 2023, the Fugees rapper went on trial after being accused of “conspiring to make and conceal foreign campaign contributions and witness tampering,” as previously shared by AFROTECH. Among the accusations, he allegedly accepted millions of dollars from Jho Low, a Malaysian businessman and fugitive who allegedly stole more than $4 billion in an international fraud scheme. Michel attempted to cover up his payments by reportedly using straw donors to contribute the money to former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.
Just two years after a previous incident where his home was also raided, Bill Omar Carrasquillo — commonly known as “Omi in a Hellcat” on YouTube — received an abrupt awakening from federal authorities. On the morning of Sept. 21, the YouTuber was placed in handcuffs and indicted for an ongoing internet piracy scheme in his New Jersey mansion. Carrasquillo — a YouTuber who once boasted about his 790,000 subscribers on the social platform — has flashed his lavish lifestyle over the years, which includes millions of dollars in assets, 52 properties, and 57 vehicles, according to CBSPhilly. A large portion of the YouTuber’s wealth is said to be illegal — coming from the Internet protocol television service, (IPTV) Reboot, Gears TV, Reloaded and Gears Reloaded. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Omar Carrasquillo (@omi_in_a_hellcat) “I don’t think I ever did anything wrong. I was running businesses wide open in the public. So now we just gotta see. We are going to have our...
Conspiracy videos make up their own niche section of YouTube and have long been noted as potentially promoting “harmful” misinformation. In a move to clean up the site, YouTube says it will no longer recommend conspiracy videos to users. In a Jan. 25 blog post , YouTube wrote, “We’ll begin reducing recommendations of borderline content and content that could misinform users in harmful ways—such as videos promoting a phony miracle cure for a serious illness, claiming the earth is flat, or making blatantly false claims about historic events like 9/11.” Guillaume Chaslot, a former engineer for Google, YouTube’s parent company, called the move a “historic victory” . In a thread of tweets, Chaslot said, “It’s only the beginning of a more humane technology. Technology that empowers all of us, instead of deceiving the most vulnerable.” The affected videos will be those YouTube identifies as coming close to violating its community guidelines , without actually crossing that line. According...
Soul singer and activist Sam Cooke’s murder has long been described as a “justifiable homicide,” but now his life and death are being re-examined in an upcoming episode of Netflix’s ReMastered . Cooke was shot dead in 1964 by motel manager Bertha Franklin, who said Cooke attacked her in her office. Franklin wasn’t charged, and it was considered an act of self-defense. However, Cooke’s family believe that his death was part of a conspiracy against the civil rights movement. You can watch the trailer for the episode below, which highlights Cooke’s career and activism. His actions, such as refusing to play in segregated venues and championing equality, made him a beloved member of Black America, but it also put a target on his back. According to Netflix, ReMastered “investigates high-profile events affecting some of the most legendary names in music, presenting groundbreaking discoveries and insights beyond what’s been previously reported.” The eight-part series includes episodes on...
If you’ve been keeping up with Donald Trump’s moves since the end of the 2024 election , you likely already know that the newly inaugurated president has taken numerous meetings with CEOs and industry leaders in the world of tech, including those from OpenAI, Softbank and Oracle. According to the latest White House press briefing, Trump has united the forces of the aforementioned corporations under the umbrella of “Stargate,” in an effort to create a massive push for artificial intelligence infrastructure. For now, there are still plenty of questions regarding Stargate, and even a few critiques from high-ranking Trump cabinet picks arguing that the respective parties simply don’t have the funds to pull it off. Still, the New York Stock Exchange seems to be brimming with the news, as shown by the latest returns of each of the parties involved. The Stargate venture is poised to cost more than $500 billion when it’s all said and done, so many people in the world of tech and government...
It’s been almost 12 years since the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting took the lives of 26 people (20 of them children) in Newton, Connecticut. While Alex Jones, a well-known right-wing commentator and owner of Infowars, has since taken back his comments about the incident being a hoax , he still owes the families of the victims over $1 billion in personal damages after they took legal action against him for emotional distress and defamation. Despite the controversy surrounding his name , “ Jones and other right-wing commentators once on the fringe have catapulted in popularity as many people have moved away from traditional news sources,” the Associated Press notes. Thanks to those who still support him, the 50-year-old has made millions from his radio and internet shows, plus the sale of nutritional supplements, survival gear, clothing and other merchandise, keeping him afloat in tense times. Two years after filing for bankruptcy, Jones stands to lose the company he’s...
A controversial conspiracy theory reportedly led Shaquille O’Neal to lose a $20 million deal. O’Neal has a track record of hitting gold in business. It’s why he has supposedly amassed $500 million, per Celebrity New Worth. Some of his wise moves include his Big Chicken restaurant franchise, which can be found in California, Nevada, New York, Texas, Washington, and on the seas thanks to two Carnival Cruise ships, a press release notes. Most recently, Big Chicken celebrated its grand opening in the Dallas, TX, area in Fort Worth, now marking its fifth franchise location in Texas. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Big Chicken (@bigchickenshaq) One can also look to his success in the investment world. He invested in Google and unintentionally struck gold. In fact, it was by “accident” that he even invested in the tech company. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, he spoke with a prominent investor who was talking about Google at the Four Seasons. The conversation led to a...
Master P is launching a health-focused food venture. On Juneteenth, June 19, the rapper- turned-businessman took to Instagram to announce the launch of Miller Family Foods. The company will promote healthy living by offering consumers better “alternatives in cereal, oatmeal, breakfast bars, pancakes, waffles and more, deliciously made with the highest quality, using natural ingredients and flavors from the earth it grows.” By design, its foods will be made without artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and colors, GMOs, and BHA/BHT. Furthermore, Miller Family Foods’ mission will be to diversify the products shelved in grocery stores. “We are evolving as a culture, we are no longer just consumers,” Master P said in a statement shared on Instagram. “We spend trillions of dollars annually with no real ownership, but that’s changing. African Americans want healthier food alternatives. I heard them loud and clear. And that’s why...
The legacy of the late Bob Marley remains prevalent. Bob’s musical influence extends globally, with Rolling Stone recognizing “Exodus,” his ninth studio album with the Wailers, as No. 48 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time” in December 2023. What’s more, his story is currently being told in a biopic across movie theaters. “Bob Marley: One Love” has earned $71.1 million domestically and $120.5 globally, according to Entertainment Weekly and Comscore (at the time of this writing). Though his life was cut short at 36, following a battle with malignant melanoma, t he Marley family continues to carry the torch of their father while also carving their own paths. At the time of his death, Bob did not have a will, and his inheritance was given to his wife, Rita, and 11 children. As AFROTECH previously told you, with that financial investment in each of his children, many have built on that foundation with net worths now reportedly set in the multi-millions. This includes...
Master P and Snoop Dogg believe Walmart And Post Foods are stifling the success of their cereal venture. In a press conference held on Feb. 6, it was revealed the rappers-turned-businessmen have filed a lawsuit as a result of their belief that the “industry giants” allegedly colluded to impact Broadus Foods’ Snoop Cereal’s visibility on store shelves, a press release mentions. Several alleged grievances were mentioned including a breach of the implied covenant of good faith dealing, breach of contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, collusion and conspiracy, and aiding and abetting an infringement, among others. During the conference, a video displayed interested customers looking to purchase Snoop Cereal in Walmart stores. While navigating the cereal aisle, one customer who visited a Walmart in Long Beach, CA, Snoop Dogg’s hometown, discovered the brand was allegedly missing from the store shelves. Other snippets displayed customers with a similar discovery. After further...
A sign-on bonus from a job is always a win. However, for one Black Houston doctor, her moment of victory was swiftly taken away due to discriminatory practices. ABC13 reports that Dr. Malika Mitchell-Stewart had recently completed her residency before securing a position at Valley Oaks Medical Group. The Black Houston doctor was subsequently awarded a $16,000 check from her newly acquired position. Dr. Malika Mitchell-Stewart then went to JPMorgan Chase Bank at First Colony Branch in Sugar Land to deposit her new earnings. Unfortunately, her celebration was cut short. According to a lawsuit, staff members at JPMorgan Chase began to ask Dr. Malika Mitchell-Stewart unwarranted questions pertaining to her check and position as a doctor, ABC13 reports. Dr. Stewart describes feeling like a criminal after showing her check. JPMorgan Chase ultimately led with a decision to refuse Dr. Stewart’s service and declared the check fraudulent. Stewart believes she was targeted due to the color of...
If “for your information” was a person, it might as well be T-Pain (at least in this case). On Dec. 29, the musical genius took to Twitter to share how many streams an artist has to rack up to profit one dollar. Just so you know…… pic.twitter.com/t8m3PerxT9 — T-Pain (@TPAIN) December 29, 2021 According to his post, Napster pays artists more money per stream with 53 plays per one dollar payout, and YouTube music ranked last with 1,250 plays per one dollar payout. The chart also claimed that collecting one dollar in royalties requires 78 streams for streaming giant TIDAL, 128 for Apple Music, 156 for Deezer , 249 for Amazon Music, 315 for Spotify, and 752 for Pandora.
Rapper IDK and Credit Karma are teaming up to encourage financial management. The partnership proves to be a full-circle moment for the American rapper who credits the personal finance company for teaching him the importance of credit and financial literacy, Forbes reports. Despite the rapper’s name standing for Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge (IDK), his contributions to the partnership embody the complete opposite. Evidently, using his influence and stature to improve the lives of others is nothing new for the musician. As AfroTech previously reported, IDK was tapped to teach a 10-day music business crash course at Harvard University for entry-level industry leaders. Under the partnership, there will be an opportunity for contestants to secure a $10,000 prize to pay off the outstanding debt by competing in a contest. Participants who tap in will need to share their stories on how they collected debt and what steps they are implementing to eliminate their debt. Following the...
Following a successful run as a presenting partner of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Google is making it official with the National Basketball Association (NBA). Through the partnership, Google presented search trends and analytics across digital and social platforms throughout the WNBA season, playoffs and finals. Now, the search engine giant will be expanding their partnership to officially work alongside the league, Boardroom reports. “Expanding our relationship with Google will enable fans to deepen their engagement with the game and their favorite teams during our landmark 75th Anniversary season and beyond,” says Kerry Tatlock, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships and Media of the NBA in a press statement. As a part of the multi-year partnership, Google Pixel will become the official fan phone and first presenting partner of the NBA Playoffs, opening doors for the incorporation into ESPN, TNT and YouTube TV. In addition, the partnership...
It looks like this Instagram influencer’s lavish lifestyle has cost him his freedom. Ray Hushpuppi, born Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, is a Nigerian National and up against a world of trouble after he pleaded guilty on April 20 to money laundering scams. Hushpuppi used his platform to allegedly take advantage of his followers by luring them into scams that involved cyber and business email compromise schemes as well as a school financing scam. According to reports, the criminal complaint against Ray Hushpuppi reveals that he was behind an elaborate scheme to steal more than $1.1 million from a businessperson who attempted to pay for the construction of a school for children in Qatar. “The defendants allegedly faked the financing of a Qatari school by playing the roles of bank officials and creating a bogus website in a scheme that also bribed a foreign official to keep the elaborate pretense going after the victim was tipped off,” said Acting United States Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison in a...