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In less than a year, Rory Farrell and Jamil ‘MAL’ Clay have gone from being supporting acts on the popular Joe Budden Podcast to carving out their own lane in the digital space and securing a $10 million bag. If there’s ever been a better example of the saying “what’s for you is for you,” the success of the New Rory & Mal podcast would be it. On November 2, the New Rory & Mal podcast made its debut on Stitcher’s More Sauce label just months after a public, yet messy, split from their previous platform. AfroTech got the chance to speak with the duo about their new Stitcher deal, life post-JBP, and how other aspiring podcasters can get turn a hobby into a lucrative business. When Rory & Mal began their podcast journey roughly six years ago, they had no idea it could transform into a career. It wasn’t until they sat with the late Combat Jack, who is credited for spearheading the hip hop podcast industry, that they realized its potential. “[At first, podcasting] was just some fun thing...
Good things come to those who wait, and podcasters Rory Farrell and Jamil “Mal” Clay are a testament to this. After dedicating six years to “The Joe Budden Podcast,” Rory and Mal stepped into their own lane launching the “New Rory and Mal” podcast just two months following an ordeal that would lead the duo to part ways with podcaster Joe Budden. In 2020, AfroTech reported that Budden once decided to leave a multi-million dollar deal with Spotify on the table due to feeling “undermined” and “undervalued.” Now, in 2021, Rory and Mal have a deal of their own on the table. Announced in a press release, the New Rory and Mal podcast will now be streamed through Stitcher — a subsidiary of SiriusXM and Triton-ranked No. 1 podcast company. “The love we’ve received with the New Rory & Mal podcast has been incredible,” says MAL in a press release from PR Newswire. “We look forward to changing the optics of ‘media culture’ and having fun with the content we create with SiriusXM and Stitcher....
A wise investment made by Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian has greatly benefitted their daughters. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the couple has been very intentional about investing in their children’s futures. When their first child, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., was 2 years old, she made headlines as the youngest owner of a professional sports team when she was listed alongside her parents as an investor in Angel City, the National Women’s Soccer League team based in Los Angeles, CA. “As someone who spends hours kicking around a football with my two-year-old daughter, I want her to have a front-row seat to this revolution,” Alexis Ohanian said at the time. “I’m personally investing on behalf of my family because creating more opportunities in women’s sports is important to my wife and me, and we want to be a part of making a better future for our daughter.” In August 2023, the couple welcomed the birth of their second child and daughter, Adira River Ohanian, Today reported....
A new powerhouse has joined forces with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s tech-infused golf league, TGL. Shonda Rhimes revealed that she has become a part of the ownership group for the California-based Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC), TGL’s first team. “I’m beyond excited to announce my involvement as the newest owner of Los Angeles Golf Club, the inaugural team in the @tglgolf league,” Rhimes wrote in an Instagram post. “I can’t wait to bring my passion for golf to this incredible venture.” She continued, “Joining this team is an honor and, as someone who believes in the power of storytelling and community, I’m eager to see how we can elevate the game together. Let’s tee off on this new journey. We are LAGC.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shonda Rhimes (@shondarhimes) The renowned TV producer and creator is now standing alongside fellow Los Angeles Golf Club owners Serena and Venus Williams, Alexis Ohanian Sr., and Antetokounmpo brothers Giannis, Thanasis, Kostas, and...
TMRW Sports, co-founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Mike McCarley, has announced a new funding round. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, TMRW Sports has secured investors such as Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Andre Iguodala, and Jayson Tatum, as well as Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s 35V . Now, according to Bloomberg, TMRW Sports has received funding in a round led by Dynasty Equity Partners and Connect Ventures — bringing the sports, media, and entertainment company’s valuation to $500 million. “Our goal has always been to partner with world-class management teams in sports that have a big following,” K. Don Cornwell, co-founder of Dynasty Equity Partners, said per Bloomberg. “TMRW is taking intellectual property and applying it in such a way that’s going to not only get existing fans excited, but bring new fans under the tent. And, since accessibility and bringing diversity into sport is among our priorities, it’s a great fit.” According to...
Serena Williams has positioned herself for a lifetime of success. However, as a mother, her children’s well-being also defines true victory. Williams and her husband, Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian, have two daughters: Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., who is now 6 years old and was born on Sept. 1, 2017, and Adira River Ohanian, born in August 2023. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) Early on, Williams and Ohanian began making moves to establish wealth for their daughters. When Olympia was 2 years old, she made history as the youngest professional sports team owner. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, she became part-owner of the women’s soccer team Angel City FC (Los Angeles, CA), along with her parents. “As someone who spends hours kicking around a football with my two-year-old daughter, I want her to have a front-row seat to this revolution,” Ohanian said in a National Women’s Soccer League news release at the time. “I’m personally investing on...
Tiger Woods’ reported payout from the PGA Tour has been revealed. As previously shared by AFROTECH™, the PGA Tour announced its $1.5 billion investment from Strategic Sports Group (SSG), which was launched to allow almost 200 PGA Tour members to become “equity holders” in PGA Tour Enterprises. The grants from the new enterprise hinge on career accomplishments, future participation and services, and PGA Tour membership status. “It was incredibly important for us to create opportunities for the players of today and in the future to be more invested in their organization, both financially and strategically,” Woods and fellow board members Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson, and Jordan Spieth shared in a joint statement. “ This not only further strengthens the Tour from a business perspective, but it also encourages the players to be fully invested in continuing to deliver–and further enhance–the best in golf to our fans.” Moreover, d uring a conference call with...
Joe Budden is getting candid about his career podcast earnings. According to Vibe, the rapper-turned-podcast-host recently shared that he has earned at least $7 million since he made the career transition, pocketing a reported $4 million from that after taxes. “Off podcasting, off of this?” Budden said during an episode of “The Joe Budden Podcast.” “All together in the whole 10 years? About $4 million… Gross is $7 million.” He also opened up about how he and his team managed to get to those numbers, noting that inking partnerships with various brands along the way has been beneficial. “Early on we were doing it for free,” Budden recalled. “Then we hit a little lick, Spotify. Then n—as left, the building crumbled a little bit, and my friends came and saved the day.” As previously reported by AFROTECH™, he shared the real reason that he walked away from Spotify’s initial offer. “In business, there are signs, for me, that show faith in a relationship,” Budden said at the time. “And me...
Tiger Woods is merging technology and sports with a new venture. AP News reports that the sports legend has joined fellow professional golfer Rory McIlroy for TMRW Sports, which aims “ to build technology-focused projects with a progressive approach to sports, entertainment and media.” Within the media venture, it will feature “TGL” — a tech-infused golf league. “As a big sports fan myself, I’m excited about blending golf with technology and team elements common in other sports,” Tiger Woods said in a statement, according to the outlet. “We all know what it’s like to be in a football stadium or a basketball arena where you can watch every play, every minute of action unfold right in front of you. It’s something that inherently isn’t possible in traditional golf.” The outlet details that the league will include 18 players, who will compete in a series of 18-hole matches. For two hours, fans can expect to watch three-man team competitions in a stadium. “Our custom-built arena,...
Non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Metaplex may be the new kid on the block, but their recent backing proves it might be here to stay. Since its inception, it has curated over 85,000 projects and over 5.7 million NFTs. According to Markets Insider, Metaplex has also maneuvered $385 million in NFT transactions spearheaded by Degen Ape Academy and Aurory. Now, the marketplace has closed a $46 million funding round, Markets Insider reports. The round was led by Multicoin Capital and Jump Crypto with participation from Solana Ventures, Alameda Research, and Animoca Brands. In addition, NBA legends Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson also participated alongside 100 additional investors.
Michigan State University (MSU) and Head Football Coach Mel Tucker are reportedly closing in on a groundbreaking deal, a deal that would not only make him the highest-paid Big Ten football coach but also cement Mel Tucker as the highest-paid Black head coach in sports. Tucker is currently in his second year of a contract signed with MSU back in February of 2020, where he is earning $5.56 million per year. Despite being in the early stages of the agreement, the new negotiations follow after Tucker’s name has been in the basket for a slew of coaching vacancies at other institutions. Most recently a position at Louisiana State University, which would become available by the end of this season as current head coach, Ed Orgeron’s contract has been terminated for undisclosed reasons. Michigan State seems to be making it clear that they want Tucker for the long term with a reported deal that will grant the Cleveland native $95 million over 10 years, according to an undisclosed source who...
Steve Harvey’s latest profile picture has folks buzzing on his stance in the non-fungible token (NFT) space. Yesterday (Sept. 8) the comedian swapped out his former profile photo for a Solana Monkey Business NFT which has been picked up quite frequently in the past few weeks. The NFT images in question include 5,000 cartoonish, pixelated monkeys that are generated randomly. As one of the most popular cryptocurrencies, Solana continues to climb to the top with a value in price that started at $37 last month and is now up to $197 as of yesterday, reports Decrypt. The surge in value is accredited to recent drops on the Solana platform which include Aurory and Degenerate Ape Academy. In the last week, NFT collectibles on Solana have raked in $94 million in trades. Solana Monkey Business is currently at a seven-day volume mark of $6.2 million which makes it the latest best thing for the platform. An NFT provides ownership of almost every type of digital item and now profile picture...
These babies are paid! Not only do celebrity kids get to inherit greatness before they’re even aware of it, but they also have the coins to prove it. According to the U.S. Sun, when it comes to the richest children in America, little Miss Blue Ivy Carter tops the list. The first-born of superstar parents, Shawn “Jay Z” Carter and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter , Blue Ivy has an estimated net worth of $500 million. Just two days after she was born, this little mogul-in-the-making was crowned “the most famous baby in the world” by Time magazine. Embed from Getty Images Blue Ivy may have a net worth that’s greater than most of us will ever make by the age of 50, but she also follows in her parents’ footsteps as quite the barrier-breaker. In 2020 the 9-year-old became the youngest winner of a BET Award at the age of eight when she won the BET Her Award for the smash single, “Brown Skin Girl.” She is also the second youngest person to win a GRAMMY award. Among the list of kids topping the list...
Joe Budden has been making moves since ending his exclusive Spotify deal last September, adding two new podcasts to The Joe Budden Network and inking a Cash App sponsorship. Now, he’s moving the network and along with his signature podcast to Patreon, and has been announced as an advisor and head of creator equity, reports The Verge. While his signature podcast — The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory & Mal — will remain available for free on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and SoundCloud, listeners will also have the option to access additional content with a subscription to the Joe Budden Network Patreon page. “Every step along the way in my career, I’ve been either underpaid, undervalued or just without the information because they don’t make it transparent to creators, especially young ones, the same young ones that they target,” Budden said, according to Billboard. “The goal since maybe my last album has been to find what true value is. The system is still all the way broken and we’re...
Rapper and podcaster Joe Budden knows his worth—and that of his chart-topping podcast, The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory & Mal . On Wednesday (Aug. 26), Budden announced his twice-a-week music podcast would no longer stream on Spotify, reports Pitchfork. He also revealed that the show turned down a multimillion-dollar deal to renew their contract. “It wasn’t a podcast deal,” Budden explained, saying Spotify wanted to own a percentage of hosts Budden, Rory, Mal, and Parks’ projects outside of the show. “September 23rd, I cannot tell you where this podcast will be, but as it stands, I can tell you where it will not be, and that is Spotify.” During Episode 375, titled “Views From The SPOT,” Budden told listeners that the streaming service pillaged their content, as well as loosely considered the team’s need for mental breaks amid the pandemic and family crisis. In addition, Budden felt the podcast—which has secured exclusive interviews with artists like Nicki Minaj, Pusha T, and Chance...