Brandy and Monica’s R&B tunes are still high in demand. The pair released “The Boy Is Mine” in 1998, which was a single featured on Brandy’s album “Never Say Never” and Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine,” both launched that same year. The song led to the first Grammy win for both artists in 1999, according to That Grape Juice, and went double platinum, notes “Good Morning America.” It has stood the test of time. In fact, the classic was also remixed by pop star Ariana Grande in 2024, introducing the hit classic to a new generation. In 2020, it became apparent that fans wanted to see more collaborations by Brandy and Monica. The pair lit up Verzuz, a one-on-one music battle platform co-founded by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, garnering 1.2 million viewers on Instagram, Billboard reported. That battle played a key role in the women’s upcoming co-headlining “The Boy Is Mine Tour,” which was announced on June 24, 2025. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 4 e v e r b r a n d y ♠️ (@brandy)...

Not long ago, Red Lobster was making headlines for all the wrong reasons—financial losses, restaurant closures, and a bankruptcy filing. But recently, the mood has shifted, and so has the menu. Thanks to its CEO, Damola Adamolekun, the iconic seafood chain is starting to feel like itself again, just a little fresher, marking a promising comeback for Red Lobster. Since taking the helm in August 2024, as AFROTECH™ previously reported, Adamolekun has been on a mission to bring Red Lobster back to life, meaning more than just shrimp deals and cheddar biscuits. It’s about creating a better dining experience, from the food on your plate to the smile that greets you at the door. A New Menu, Familiar Favorites, Real-World Value One of Adamolekun’s goals was to revitalize the menu by bringing back classic Red Lobster dishes and promotions. On Monday, the seafood chain announced the return of Crabfest, which includes items like a sirloin steak or salmon topped with crab, as well as seafood...

Cleveland, OH’s first Black-owned brewery has touched down. The origins of Black Frog Brewery traces back to 2014 when its founder Christopher Harris, who is also a husband, father, and veteran, began working on the craft from his garage, an Instagram post reveals. Two years later, he scaled the business from his garage to its first location in Holland, OH, and it has been a part of the nearby community ever since. According to its website, Black Frog Brewery offers five different core beers crafted in-house: Amphibian (Pale Ale); Flying Frog (India Pale Ales); Cream of the Frog (Cream Ale); Ebony Prince (Milk Stout); and Froglicious (Honey Brown Porter). It also offers specific brews for its summer, spring, fall, and winter seasons and has a lineup to honor legends in the Hip Hop community such as Left Eye (Kolsch Watermelon) and Aaliyah (Kolsch Raspberry). “Our Hip Hop Beer Series, where we raise a glass to hip hop legends! Each brew is crafted with inspiration from our...

Success comes with its moments, and Pinky Cole Hayes knows this firsthand. Cole Hayes is the mastermind behind Slutty Vegan restaurant, with seven locations, primarily in Georgia. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the company’s market value was estimated at nearly $100 million by 2022, which included $25 million from a Series A funding round. Over the years, the company’s triumphs included expanding to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Spelman College, although the location at the HBCU has since closed. Cole Hayes has experienced roadblocks with the venture in 2024, and those challenges led to her losing the business, she told People. “Right now, in this moment, I’ve really been in a place of peace, but I had a really rocky 2024. Our corporate overhead was about $10 million,” Cole Hayes mentioned to People. “I was chasing something that I couldn’t catch for so many reasons.” Cole Hayes also acknowledged that she had not been “the operational person,” which has led...

Fans are flocking to support the music of the late Angie Stone. The Grammy-nominated soul artist and member of The Sequence passed away on March 1, 2025, at 63 years old, according to Variety. Stone was in a car accident with an 18-wheeler while traveling from Montgomery, AL, to Atlanta, GA, causing her vehicle to overturn three times. Of the nine passengers in her van, she was the only one who did not survive. Stone, born in Columbia, SC, is survived by her children Diamond Stone and Michael Archer and her grandchildren. “Never in a million years did we ever expect to get this horrible news,” Diamond and Michael said in a statement, the outlet notes. “Our mom is and will always be our everything. We are still trying to process and are completely heartbroken.” Stone leaves behind an imprint that includes her most revered song, 2001’s “Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” 10 solo albums, and three Grammy nominations in categories including: best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals...

Google Maps has officially changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America following an order signed by President Donald Trump . On Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, Trump signed 26 executive orders on his first day in office, including one to rename the Gulf of Mexico, the body of water between Florida and Texas, according to USA Today. He then proclaimed Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, the inaugural “Gulf of America Day.” “As my Administration restores American pride in the history of American greatness, it is fitting and appropriate for our great Nation to come together and commemorate this momentous occasion and the renaming of the Gulf of America,” Trump said in the proclamation, per USA Today. The order also reversed a name change made during the Obama administration , restoring the name of the Alaskan mountain from “Denali” back to “Mount McKinley.” According to USA Today, changing a geographic name usually takes at least six months as the U.S. Board on Geographic Names consults...

Allen Media Group has decided not to proceed with its initial plan to terminate or reassign nearly 100 local meteorologists following significant public outrage. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the media company owned by Byron Allen planned to eliminate meteorologists at over 36 local television stations and replace them with pre-recorded forecasts from a hub of The Weather Channel, which was acquired for $300 million in 2018. However, on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, NewsCast Studio reported that the media company reversed the decision aimed at streamlining operations and reducing costs. “While not all staff and meteorologists are safe, a majority will remain in their roles. Earlier today, employees were informed of their termination dates, but this afternoon they were told, ‘Allen will no longer hub the weather from Atlanta, and your job is still there,'” meteorologist Emily Pike of WMTW in Westbrook, ME, wrote on Facebook. WAAY in Huntsville, AL, and WTVA in Tupelo, MS, are two...

In an unexpected twist, following President Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration, Instagram and Facebook users began noticing their accounts automatically following official profiles of the new administration, including Vice President JD Vance and First Lady Melania Trump. For many, this raised alarms about their control over their social media accounts and Meta’s evolving relationship with political power. ‘I Didn’t Sign Up for This’: The Backlash According to Yahoo News, social media lit up with frustrated users who claimed their accounts were now following President Trump, Vice President Vance, and First Lady Melania without their consent. The sentiment was clear: users were uneasy, especially as trust in social media platforms continues to be scrutinized. Meta’s Explanation: Procedural or Problematic? Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, quickly responded, attributing the issue to standard procedure. According to the company, users who had previously followed the...