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YK Osiris self-described himself as “the golden child” with his debut album in 2019. Its lead single, “Worth It,” went on to become three times platinum and his first record to hit the Billboard 200. Signed to Def Jam Recordings, the Florida native reached success at a young age. Recently, YK Osiris shared how his choices in his earlier days turned into a financial crisis.
iPhone users across the world have the convenience of using Siri. From asking for additional information about a random project to helping to identify who sings a song you may have overheard at brunch; the digital assistant is there to provide the answers. With Siri being a core feature on all Apple products, its functionality is paramount to all users. However, did anyone ever conceptualize human attributes to Siri? Is it a Black person? Does the digital assistant identify with a gender?
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....
The launch of TikTok in 2016 rewrote the entertainment industry due to its cultural impact bolstered by viral dance challenges, the rise of the new celebrity, and highly engaging micro-video content. Since its debut, the application has garnered over two billion users globally and has become an important marketing tool for music industry hopefuls and professionals who hope their music gains traction with users. Hits such as Drake’s “Toosie Slide” and record-breaking “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X, received millions of streams that can be attributed to the content created by TikTok users.
In light of Women’s History Month, it’s important we uplift and amplify women in media who are acting as today’s leaders of innovation and change. For Sirius XM radio host Sienna Garraway — better known as Swaggy Sie — she’s used her expertise as a media personality and content creator to propel herself into being a tastemaker for our culture. With the help of both technology and her skills in broadcasting, she’s been able to build a successful brand around herself. Swaggy Sie — a native of Brooklyn, NY — got her start in the media world as a college student interning at Sirius XM under entities such as Shade 45, Ed Lover, Sway Calloway and more. “Those entities really molded me into a person that could understand radio – the background of it, the programming side, and really gave me my foundation of media and broadcasting at such a young age,” she tells AfroTech. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Swaggy Sie (@swaggysie) “One of my first mentors DJ S Whit was very...
The endless downtime thanks to the pandemic has given Kofi Siriboe time to realize a new business venture, We’re Not Kids Anymore. According to Shadow & Act, the “Queen Sugar” star will soon launch the media and lifestyle platform that will illuminate and reflect on the cultural resets that helped shaped Black culture and the world. “I was sitting home like we all were and all of the ideas and all of the things that crossed my heart and mind in the last five years came to the surface and We’re Not Kids Anymore really stood out,” he said. “We’re always looking ahead and creating new things as we move, but I just think it’s important to reflect and actually appreciate and find value in the experiences that shaped us to this moment.” Siriboe describes We’re Not Kids Anymore as a “network of nostalgia.” Alongside tech partner Julian Lane, he’s creating a space to celebrate time. More specifically, the time between being a kid and an adult. View this post on Instagram A post shared...
SiriusXM’s partnership with Kevin Hart and Laugh Out Loud just got better. In a press release Tuesday (Sept. 22), the satellite radio giant announced that it will expand its long-standing collaboration with Hart, where the comedian will host new regular and live programs on his SiriusXM channel, Laugh Out Loud Radio. Also, Hart’s comedy brand and multi-platform entertainment company, Laugh Out Loud , will produce radio shows, podcasts, and on-demand video that will be distributed across SiriusXM’s digital platforms. “I’m excited to strengthen my and Laugh Out Loud’s relationship with SiriusXM as we continue to innovate and expand our relationship, with new programming rolling out this fall and more series to be announced soon,” said Hart. “ He added, “When we launched LOL three years ago, we promised it would be the future of comedy – and we believe in the power of audio as a key part of our future. SiriusXM has been an incredible partner since day one. With this new deal, we’re...
More Black women are stepping into leadership roles within the media and entertainment industries, and this week SiriusXM and Pandora Music has named Nicole Hughey as its new vice president of diversity & inclusion, Variety reports . We’re thrilled to welcome Nicole Hughey, our new Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion, to the @SIRIUSXM + @pandoramusic family! We couldn’t be more excited to have her on board. Welcome, Nicole! #sxmpandoralife pic.twitter.com/LvG7Y9bEPy — SiriusXMLife (@siriusxmlife) July 16, 2020 Hughey’s new position is based out of New York, and she’s expected to report to Dara Altman, the company’s chief administrative officer. According to the company’s memo, Hughey will have a hand in creating and executing programs as well as evaluating the company’s policies and practices to “enable us to cultivate an organization with individuals of diverse backgrounds at all levels, and where all of our people are included and have the opportunity to grow and succeed.”...
Tech is proving to be savvier for consumers these days, especially as it relates to any encounters with law enforcement. In light of the ongoing protests and incidents with police officers, CNN reported that a popular iPhone shortcut will now auto-record any interactions you may have with the police. Apparently iphones have a police shortcut link and it does a bunch of things when you tell Siri you're pulled over…? This is REALLY important if it's legit, all my iphone ppl need to watch this and share. pic.twitter.com/Dp7E3Uj2So — DesiBae aka Big Horchata (@sarcasticstyle) June 10, 2020 The shortcut, created by Reddit user Robert Peterson , will send a message with your location to a friend or family member and automatically start recording a video with the simple command, “Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over,” CNET reports . In 2018, Peterson told Business Insider the purpose of the app was to mimic the same functions of body cams stating, “It seemed to me that if you’re getting...
Many folks in the black community have to resort to making sure they have their receipts when it comes to interactions with police officers. There’s a reason why we even know the names Michael Brown or Philando Castile: recording devices. You can tell Siri to remind you of an event or even when you want to be awakened. Imagine being able to tell it to record your interaction with law enforcement. Thanks to a modification to the app Shortcuts, iPhone users can now do just that. The app allows one’s smartphone to perform an array of tasks through voice command. Robert Petersen invented a Shortcuts add-on called Police , which triggers recording for police encounters, WTVR reports. Siri can now record police interactions when you get pulled over pic.twitter.com/vHeSpvxh9u — NowThis (@nowthisnews) October 6, 2018 As soon as you’re pulled over, you can say, “Siri, I’m getting pulled over,” which will activate the app. It will discreetly send your location to a designated contact,...
Many folks in the black community have to resort to making sure they have their receipts when it comes to interactions with police officers. There's a reason why we even know the names Michael Brown or Philando Castile: recording devices. You can tell Siri to remind you of an event or even when you want to be awakened. Imagine being able to tell it to record your interaction with law enforcement. Thanks to a modification to the app Shortcuts, iPhone users can now do just that. The app allows one's smartphone to perform an array of tasks through voice command. Robert Petersen invented a Shortcuts add-on called Police , which triggers recording for police encounters, WTVR reports. Siri can now record police interactions when you get pulled over pic.twitter.com/vHeSpvxh9u — NowThis (@nowthisnews) October 6, 2018 As soon as you're pulled over, you can say, "Siri, I'm getting pulled over," which will activate the app. It will discreetly send your location to a designated contact, record...
SiriusXM— the satellite radio company—announced Monday that it will acquire Pandora Media for $3.5 billion, in an all-stock transaction that will create what the company claims will be the largest audio entertainment company. Pandora introduced users to streaming before Apple Music, Spotify, and TIDAL crowded the online music world. Once a leader in digital audio the company now looks to ensure its longevity in a move that will help SiriusXM transition to digital. SiriusXM already struck a deal to invest $480 million in Pandora last year, giving the company a 19 percent stake as it sought to compete in the personalized streaming music market “We have long respected Pandora and their team for their popular consumer offering that has attracted a massive audience, and have been impressed by Pandora’s strategic progress and stronger execution,” says Jim Meyer, CEO of SiriusXM said in the release . There will be no immediate changes to Pandora’s more than 70 million monthly active...
Last week, Apple announced plans to launch the latest product in their long-running line of budget-friendly phones . The device, which many consumers tentatively titled the iPhone SE 4, is expected to release later this month, with a presale kicking off on Feb. 21. The initial announcement came jam-packed with surprises and updates, leaving Apple loyalists with plenty of new specs to pour over. If you’re interested in learning more about the iPhone SE 4, we’ve got you covered, with a brief but thorough deep dive into the latest Apple announcements , and a look ahead at what we can expect from the actual smartphone hardware. What Is The iPhone SE 4? The iPhone SE series dates back to 2016, when Apple execs decided to offer a budget-friendly alternative to their standard numeric line of smart devices. Unlike its contemporaries, including the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the SE would offer the latest in iOS services crammed into the outdated body of a previous model. While the device...
Snoop Dogg is rapidly losing social media followers after his appearance at President Donald Trump’s Crypto Ball. As of Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, the “Gin and Juice” rapper — Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. — has 88.1 million Instagram followers, a drop of 571,800, and 20.7 million on X, down 17,177, according to the New York Post. Snoop Dogg’s performance at the pre-inauguration bash on Jan. 17, 2025, drew significant backlash from people who pointed out his previous anti-Trump position and speculated that financial incentives may have motivated him to take part. “For all the hate, I’m going to answer with love. I love too much,” Snoop Dogg said, addressing the criticism on Instagram Live. “Get your life right, stop worrying about mine. I’m cool. I’m together. Still a black man. Still 100% black. All out till you ball out or till you fall out.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) Per another report by the Post, in September 2018, Snoop Dogg...