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Sony is betting big on Africa’s video game industry. According to a press release, Carry1st — an African game publisher and digital commerce platform established in 2018 by Cordel Robbin-Coker, Lucy Hoffman, and Tinotenda Mundangepfupfu — has scored a financial commitment from the Sony Innovation Fund, the venture capital arm of Sony Group Corporation. This follows nearly nine months of conversations between Robbin-Coker and the Sony Innovation Fund: Africa, per CNBC. Furthermore, this is the firm’s first investment in Africa and a strategic move as Sub-Saharan Africa’s gaming industry is projected to earn more than $1 billion in 2024, according to data from Newzoo and Carry1st shared in the press release. “We are excited to welcome Carry1st as our first investment in Africa,” said Antonio Avitabile, Managing Director – EMEA, Sony Ventures Corporation, in a news release. “We believe there is tremendous untapped potential for the gaming market in Africa, which we hope to experience...
The African continent is the next stop for Nas’ investment portfolio. Bloomberg reports that the rapper has joined Andreessen Horowitz in a $20 million funding round for Carry1st, an African mobile games publisher. Google, Avenir Growth Capital, Riot Games, Konvoy Ventures, Raine Ventures, and TTV Capital were also investors in the round.
This is for literary enthusiasts! According to Harpers Bazaar, June Sarpong is here to help give underrepresented authors a voice through her platform at HarperCollins Publishers. She’s teaming up with HQ, a division of the publishing company, to spearhead a new imprint that aims to promote and celebrate the work of underrepresented authors who do not have agents. The author and broadcaster is committed to giving a voice to those with disabilities, those from minority ethnic backgrounds, and those from a working-class background. “It is such an honour to be able to offer a platform for new voices from diverse backgrounds, there are so many stories that are yet to be told from worlds that have so much rich content to offer a mainstream audience, ” said Sarpong in an official statement. “I look forward to embarking on this exciting journey to discover this untapped talent.” Working with HQ is not new to Sarpong who has published three books with the company. Her work includes a new...
Marquis Who’s Who — the biographical global publisher for influential and distinguished individuals — has made a historical change to its leadership naming COO Erica Lee as its newest CEO, making this a first in its 120 years of existence. According to a press release, Lee has served as the COO and president of Marquis since 2016, and will be taking over Fred Marks’ role, who served the company for 35 years before retiring. In celebration of her new appointment, Lee has announced a series of initiatives that will usher the publishing company into a new era that will include digital branding offerings, thought-provoking lists, as well as more interview services with Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Famer, Star Jones. “We profile the most fascinating people in the world, but they rarely focus on promoting themselves and that’s where Marquis steps in,” Lee said in a statement. “We give our biographical listees the platforms to showcase their incredible body of work and make their...
There have been a lot of firsts for Black leaders in high places this year, and former New York Times journalist Dana Canedy is joining the bunch making her own history in the publishing world. Major publishing company Simon & Schuster has named the Pulitzer Prize-winning author as their new senior vice president and publisher, making her the first Black publisher at the imprint, Deadline reports . “I am confident that as our new publisher, Dana can deepen our strengths while expanding our field of vision, combining broad editorial expertise with hands-on management skill and the proven ability to effect strategic change,” said Simon & Schuster president and CEO Jonathan Karp in a statement. Canedy expressed her excitement for her new position stating: “I look forward to leading the storied Simon & Schuster flagship imprint, a publishing powerhouse that has long produced some of the most important and impactful books in our culture. We have an incredible legacy on which to build,...
The Global Gaming League (GGL), a professional gaming entertainment organization featuring celebrity team owners, has successfully raised $10 million in its SAFE round, led by the private equity group Solyco Capital, according to a news release. Founded by multi-platinum music producer and entrepreneur Clinton Sparks, in collaboration with Grammy Award-winning artist T-Pain and tech visionary Jeff Hoffman, GGL is building the first entertainment system that monetizes the world’s largest and most engaged audience: the more than 3 billion people who play video games. “There are over 3 billion gamers around the world,” Sparks said. “But there’s still no centralized platform that gives everyday players the spotlight—while authentically connecting brands, celebrities, and competition in a way that’s truly entertaining. That’s where GGL comes in.” Each GGL team has four players — including high-profile influencers , actors, athletes, artists, and casual and professional gamers — competing...
A portion of Notorious B.I.G.’s estate will now be handled by Primary Wave. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, a deal rumored to be in the “eight figures” was in the works between Notorious B.I.G.’s estate and the music publisher and involved half his publishing and master rights, including his rights to name, image, voice, and “other identifiable characteristics.” Notorious B.I.G.’s estate had been primarily run by his mother, Voletta Wallace, who was instrumental in securing stake from Bad Boy Records. Christopher Wallace, otherwise known as Biggie Smalls or Notorious B.I.G., had been one of the first artists to sign to the label owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs. Bad Boy Records had 50% stake in his songwriting catalog, Variety mentions. Voletta was able to increase the estate’s stake to 85% after arguing it was doing the heavy lifting in securing deals to license and monetize Notorious B.I.G.’s music. She then secured the remaining 15% stake in 2020. “Securing control of my son’s...
Ava DuVernay , Janelle Monáe, Chris Rock, and Cynthia Erivo are among over 400 Hollywood filmmakers, writers, actors, and musicians who signed an open letter urging President Trump’s administration not to roll back copyright protections at the request of AI companies. The creatives penned the letter in response to recent submissions to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), during which Google and OpenAI asserted that U.S. copyright law should permit AI companies to train their systems on copyrighted works without needing permission or compensation from the rights holders, according to Variety. “We firmly believe that America’s global AI leadership must not come at the expense of our essential creative industries,” the letter states. “America’s arts and entertainment industry supports over 2.3 million American jobs with over $229 billion in wages annually while providing the foundation for American democratic influence and soft power abroad. But AI companies are asking...
Snoop Dogg is going where the money is. Snoop Dogg, who acquired Death Row Records in 2022, shared the low payout he received from streaming. After receiving 1 billion streams on Spotify, he recalls being compensated only $45,000, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. “In the streaming world, I can show you right now. They just sent me some sh-t from Spotify, where I got a billion streams, right? My publisher hit me. I said, ‘Break that down, how much money is that?’ That sh-t wasn’t even $45,000… You see what I’m saying? So it’s like…when this sh-t came out, I could tell an artist that same song that you put out traditionally that didn’t make no money, give it to me. Every time you sell it if somebody else sells it you get 10% of it,” Snoop said on the “Business Untitled” podcast. However, in response, a Spotify spokesperson said: “We can’t speak to endorsement deals for Web3 companies but…$45,000 for a billion streams? It’s well documented that a billion streams on Spotify generates...
Some facts about Black History Month have been well-established: Carter G. Woodson was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. His frat created Negro History and Literature Week in 1924. Woodson sent out a press release to announce the first Negro History Week. He chose February to honor another historical legend, a formerly-enslaved-man-turned-activist Frederick Douglass, who had chosen February 14 as his birthday without knowing his real birthdate. Negro History Week was also chosen to honor former President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12. And on its 50th anniversary, in 1976, younger members of the Association for the Study of African American History extended Negro History Week to Black History Month. While all of these facts are inarguable, there’s one point that remains vague: What exactly are you supposed to do during Black History Month? Like Juneteenth , there were never any established rules. For employees who want to honor this month, are there tips for how to...
Publisher Seko Varner is making connecting with Black-owned businesses in the Hampton Roads area easier than ever. Varner, a multifaceted leader who serves as president and financial consultant for the entertainment and consulting company Positive Vibes Inc., has introduced The Hampton Roads Greenbook, a directory that spotlights and supports Black-owned businesses in the region. The Hampton Roads Greenbook was inspired by Victor Hugo Green’s Negro Travelers’ Green Book. Green, a postal carrier in Harlem, originally created the guide to help Black travelers navigate safely during segregation. Green’s original guide served as a crucial resource for Black travelers during the Jim Crow era, listing businesses, restaurants , gas stations, and lodging where individuals could safely stop without facing discrimination, the National Park Service reports. It remained widely used until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed “discrimination on the basis of race, color,...
It’s hard to discuss Hip-Hop’s legendary impact without mentioning certain names, and one of those is West Coast icon Snoop Dogg. From his debut song “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?)” to his commentary on the 2024 Olympic Games, Snoop Dogg has become a household name across various intersections of the entertainment industry. As the current owner of Death Row Records, he is reconnecting more intentionally with his musical roots. According to a previous AFROTECH™ report, the deal follows the release of Snoop Dogg’s latest album, “B.O.D.R.,” which dropped on Feb. 11, 2022. “I am thrilled and appreciative of the opportunity to acquire the iconic and culturally significant Death Row Records brand, which has immense untapped future value,” the 52-year-old emcee said in a statement to NPR in 2022. “It feels good to have ownership of the label I was part of at the beginning of my career and as one of the founding members. This is an extremely meaningful moment for me.” Snoop Dogg is now...
Former Morehouse College President Dr. Robert Michael Franklin Jr. once called the institution the “International Headquarters for Black Male Excellence” during a school-wide address. As the president at the time and an alum, many could argue his opinion was slightly biased. However, the institution makes a solid case for the claim when considering notable alums like Spike Lee, P.J. Morton, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Morehouse College, one of many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), develops young Black men who impact industries and make waves across various sectors. One of those individuals in this emerging vanguard is Atlanta, GA-based creative Cam Kirk. Cam Kirk’s Big Move Cameron Kirkland, a native of Prince George’s County, MD, moved to Atlanta, GA, to pursue a business degree from Morehouse College. This decision, however, eventually led him from his initial goal of becoming a music executive and into visual storytelling. “I moved to...
Colin Kaepernick is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to help storytellers. Kaepernick has been pouring into new ventures following his departure from the NFL, which came after he started kneeling in 2016 during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial injustice, TIME reports. Kaepernick last played for the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 1, 2017, and when he became a free agent he was not signed by a new team, per ABC-7. Since then he has focused his attention in areas that include venture capital. As AFROTECH™ mentioned, he joined KINLÒ, tennis star Naomi Osaka’ s skincare company, serving as an investor and board member. He also is a children’s author and released “I Color Myself Different,” in April 2022, which depicts his experience of embracing his Blackness as an individual adopted into a white family. Kaepernick’s latest endeavor focuses on supporting other storytellers, and he is utilizing AI to achieve this goal. TIME mentioned he raised $4 million...