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It’s a difficult task to go into most lounges and clubs without seeing a smoke cloud, particularly from hookah. Hookah is a tobacco product that has people in a proverbial chokehold. And while it may be one of the most popular forms of tobacco usage, others are putting their spin on tobacco products to offer a diverse experience. Take Atlanta-based rapper Tip “T.I.” Harris, who has entered the chat with Superstar Brands, to launch CIGNATURE.
This Black entrepreneur is on to something. After he says he made over $1 million in under nine hours, music artist and entrepreneur Blakk Tatted knew he had something special with his company Blakk Smoke. Courtesy of Blakk Smoke Unlike other competitors in the market, the brand offers products with real fruit, no-nicotine, and no-tobacco substances. Tatted conjured the idea because he wanted to introduce a product to Hookah lovers that didn’t include a harmful substance. “Hookah is my passion, but anybody that’s an avid hookah smoker knows the feeling that it gives you afterward. It’s just not worth it,” Tatted told AfroTech exclusively. “Being an advocate for hookah and telling people you should try, you would love it, I felt guilty because I know it’s not the best thing to introduce to people. Many people are influenced by me, so if I’m going to do something, I will hope I’m setting the best example possible. That’s when I wanted to create a healthier alternative for people.”
There were great sacrifices that Fawn and Keith Weaver made to ensure that the Uncle Nearest whiskey brand would not fail. Today, Uncle Nearest is recognized as a force within the spirits industry, reflecting the resilience of Fawn, whose story is one of overcoming adversity with triumph. She dropped out of school in 10th grade, bounced between homeless shelters, and attempted to take her life twice. She viewed her struggles as affirmation of a higher calling — one that has materialized into an award-winning whiskey brand that has topped a billion-dollar valuation and is the fastest-growing American whiskey in history, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. The inception of Uncle Nearest resulted from relentless research Fawn conducted in Lynchburg, TN, to uncover the story of Nathan “Nearest” Green. Enslaved at the time, Green was responsible for teaching Jasper Newton “Jack” Daniel how to make whiskey using the technique known as “sugar maple charcoal filtering.” Some call this the...
Farmer, Patrick Brown, has reclaimed the land once owned by his great-great-grandfather, who was also enslaved there. Currently, Patrick serves as the director of farmer inclusion for the social justice nonprofit Nature for Justice, reports Bitter Southerner. He is responsible for ensuring that $1.7 million in funding is allocated to farmers of color in North Carolina by 2029. Brown also serves on the board of the Eva Clayton Rural Food Institute, an organization established to combat food inequities. Patrick’s passion for farming is rooted in his upbringing. At the age of 9, he was already working on his family’s farm in North Carolina, helping to load tobacco. “It would take us about nine hours to fill up two barns,” he told the outlet. His father, Arthur, played a key role in igniting his interest in farming. He passed down stories of their family’s four-generation legacy in agriculture. “He was educating me,” Patrick explained, according to Bitter Southerner. “He would say,...
Direct payouts from the Biden administration will be allocated to Black farmers who have faced discrimination. ABC News reports Black farmers acknowledge that they have been discriminated against by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) when it comes to loans. The outlet notes many had been denied loans or received loans that were less than their white counterparts. Some that did receive loans had even reported having their property foreclosed on sooner than was typical when they experienced issues paying. Denial was the case for Wardell Carter, whose family has owned 85 acres of land in Mississippi since 1939. Yet despite their longevity, they have never been able to access a loan application. Instead, they were greeted by USDA loan officers with a slammed door, and if they persisted they were faced with the reality of having a cop called to their home, he says. Due to these challenges, it prevented the family from purchasing a tractor for years. So, they had to rely on a horse...
85-year-old Shirley Smith has fulfilled her academic dreams. Raised on a tobacco farm in Wilmington, NC, Smith eventually had to move to Somerville, NJ, because her father needed to earn more money to support the family of six children after tobacco rates fell, Fox News Digital reports. By this time, Smith had left her academics behind, leading her to fill her time with jobs, including at a dry cleaner and a pocketbook factory. “I was going to the 10th grade, and I told him, the biggest mistake that I made, I think, was telling him that I didn’t want to go to school,” Smith told the outlet. “And he said, ‘Go to work.’” Smith eventually had a family of her own and moved to Georgia. Although she considered vocational school, she never completed her studies as her days were spent caring for her growing family. Still, Smith instilled the importance of education in her home and required her children to finish school if they were to live under her roof. “Matter of fact, they cried to go...
There are certain songs that, when you hear them, it automatically gets you hyped. From school pep rallies to cheer competitions and every other big gathering in between — “Bring Em Out” by T.I. is one of those songs. While the 2004 hit song has longevity and cross-over appeal, the song’s success is only a snapshot of the trap rapper’s career. Born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., T.I. released his debut album “I’m Serious” in 2001. Although the work didn’t receive major commercial appeal, it didn’t stop his musical pursuits. T.I. partnered with business partner Jason Geter to launch Grand Hustle Records in 2003. From its initial launch, the rapper began putting out a series of mixtapes, leading him to release his second album, “Trap Muzik,” boasting singles such as “Rubberband Man” and “Let’s Get Away.” Harris’ success story would continue to blossom from this point, as he produced several more successful albums, appeared in movies, and tapped into his business acumen. Diversifying his...
Rick Ross is the definition of a businessman, and his partnership with fellow entrepreneur James Lindsay, CEO of Rap Snacks, further cements his position in the business world. According to a press release, Rick Ross, Lindsay and Green Globe’s Hempacco will develop and manufacture Hemp Hop Smokables — a line of hemp smokables, rolling paper and functional hemp cannabinoid cigarettes. “I truly believe in the health benefits of Hemp derived products,” said Ross. “Having had my own health scares, and through my healing process, I decided I would develop a line of smokables to help others with the benefits of Hemp cannabinoids. Working with James Lindsay and Hempacco’s team, including Lue, Jorge, and Sandro, has been fantastic. We’ve already started developing the flavors as well as the look and feel of all the products.” Hempacco’s mission is to disrupt tobacco and the line aims to help push it further. “This is not my first consumer product. I launched Rap Snacks 27 years ago with the...
When it comes to investments, Nas has always been ahead of the curve — from investing in Bitcoin (before it became a massive trend) to consistently being outspoken about his interest in digital currency . But, what’s next for the self-proclaimed “ Cryptocurrency Scarface?” He’s entering into the business of cigars. According to a press release , Nas is becoming a co-owner and equity partner of Escobar Cigars — a Nicaraguan premium hand-crafted cigar company by Puros Privados, Inc. “When the team at Escobar Cigars initially approached me, I was immediately drawn to the brand by the exceptional quality of their product,” said Nas in the press release . “This partnership with Escobar has been almost two years in the making and I am honored to be an equity partner with them. I am looking forward to growing this brand and to giving back to the local communities in Nicaragua where our tobacco is grown, aged, and hand-rolled into a premium cigar.” According to Fortune, Nas will be...
Duncan Channon — an award-winning independent creative agency has appointed its first director of collaboration and equity. According to Business Wire, Kumi Croom is now the agency’s first director of collaboration and equity. Her new position will build on the formation of Duncan Channon’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) group. She was responsible for creating the group in 2019. In a role specifically created for Croom, she will be responsible for embedding the inclusive, culturally-sensitive mindset and collaborative process that she established for the company’s largest client, the California Department of Health Tobacco Control Program, across the agency. Croom will also lead Duncan Channon’s DEI group focusing on ongoing anti-racism education for the agency and equitable talent recruitment and retention. She will report to CEO Andy Berkenfield. “At Duncan Channon, we take to heart the responsibility that we have as marketers and citizens to help shape cultural and social...
Labstat — a cannabis testing lab — has announced the appointment of Dr. Willie J. McKinney Jr. to its Scientific and Strategic Advisory Board (SSAB). In a press release, the company said that Dr. McKinney will help with strategy development, internal program conceptualization, and internal scientific research. “Bringing onboard someone of Dr. McKinney’s caliber underscores [our] commitment to excellence in testing services,” said Michael Bond, President of Labstat International, in the press release statement. “We are excited to welcome Dr. McKinney to the Labstat team and look forward to leveraging his deep expertise, experience and network in toxicology.” Dr. McKinney is a board-certified toxicologist by the American Board of Toxicology. Prior to joining the team, he served on the FDA’s Tobacco Product Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) as a non-voting member. He also previously served as Vice President, Global Regulatory Affairs for JUUL Labs, San Francisco CA, and as Vice...
Kentucky’s first and only Black-owned distillery recently opened its door for business in Louisville, KY. Brough Brothers Distillery — founded by three brothers, Bryson, Christian, and Victor Yarbrough all born and raised in Louisville — is on a mission to produce quality bourbon whiskey in an industry that’s remained inaccessible to minority entrepreneurs. According to PR Newswire, the brothers have long been committed to revitalizing the West End neighborhood where Brough Brothers is based as well as supporting other local businesses. The distillery will provide both economic growths for the community of Park Hill, a historically underserved area of Louisville’s West End along with providing job opportunities for its residents. “Brough Brothers has an opportunity to not only provide employment opportunities for our local community but also design an experience for locals and tourists in the heart of one of Kentucky’s cultural hubs,” Brough Brothers CEO Victor Yarbrough said in a...
Fawn Weaver is committed. As the first Black woman to lead the world’s first major spirits brand on record to commemorate an African-American, she has dedicated resources to bringing more people of color into the industry. In June, the Jack Daniel’s Distillery and the Nearest Green Distillery announced the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative, an accelerated apprenticeship program designed to promote diversity and Black leadership in the American whiskey industry . Weaver is also working with the two Tennessee distilleries to create the Nearest Green School of Distilling, whose STEM-based curriculum is being developed in partnership with Motlow State Community College. Weaver says the diversity problem results from many things, including representation, qualifications, and cultural beliefs. But while other spirits brands tap celebrity ambassadors to generate in-house brand interest, Weaver doesn’t believe that’s the answer to increasing diversity. “That’s not what we need. What we...
Teri Johnson spent years running a travel blog on Instagram before setting off to launch her own luxury candle company. After graduating from Florida A&M University with an MBA, the Houston native set her sights on New York City. Johnson released her first candle in 2014 and now has nearly a dozen scents that pay homage to figures and significant locations of the Harlem Renaissance. Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, and Duke Ellington each have candles dedicated to them. Her most recent release pays tribute to James Baldwin’s novel “If Beale Street Could Talk.” One of Johnson’s missions is to connect her products with the community. The Langston Hughes candle was even launched in the home of the late poet. Photo: Harlem Candle AfroTech caught up with Johnson to talk about how she brought her creation and vision to life: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. How did you get into the candle industry? I really love beautiful fragrances. I’ve been a consumer of luxury...