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Serena Williams was playing to win. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Williams was purely satisfied by the game, and money was an afterthought. So much so that she would often forget to pick up her prize money after tournaments. “When I started tennis, first of all, I’m from Compton, CA, and I remember playing on these courts, and my life was great. I never felt like I needed anything. So for me, money was never a motivation,” Williams explained on Bloomberg Originals’ “The Deal” podcast hosted by Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly. “I remember when I first started, back in the day, they used to write out checks after you won your tournament. And I would always forget to get the checks. And so at the end of the year they would always have to say, ‘Serena, we have all these checks for you.’ I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ And at the time, I had an accountant who would be like, ‘Serena, they sent me all these checks that you would forget to get from the tournaments.’” While she reveals she was...
Jay-Z intervened to help Hit-Boy out of a music deal he signed when he was a 19. During an interview on “The Shop” podcast, Hit-Boy, born Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr., reflects on an ongoing deal with Universal Music Group. When he first signed with the record label in 2007 a $50,000 check sounded like a must-have opportunity at the time, he says. He had come from a home where his father had lived in prison for most of his life and his teen mother was not financially stable. It was Hit-Boy’s upbringing that pushed him to set higher goals for himself. “I never really had the sh-t I wanted. I always had what I needed, you know what I mean? Something to eat, place to stay, but I wanted more for myself,” he explained on “The Shop.” “So, you know, just like, I took that opportunity and didn’t know, didn’t have the guidance, didn’t have those figures around me to tell me like, ‘Nah, they got you locked in this for a long time.'” The deal would be “the worst publishing contract” Hit-Boy’s...
Zendaya has been building her net worth since she was a child. However, being a child star comes with its fair share of challenges, like taking care of your family financially. In 2010, Zendaya starred in Disney Channel’s TV series “Shake It Up” as Rocky Blue. After three seasons, the breakout role led Zendaya to stay within the Disney Channel franchise in TV shows and films such as “K.C. Undercover,” “Frenemies,” and “Zapped.” Building her work resume early on resulted in Zendaya co-starring in the film “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” based on Marvel Comics, and landing the leading role in HBO nextwork’s teen drama series “Euphoria,” for which she won two Emmys and one Golden Globe for her portrayal of Rue Bennett. While Zendaya has risen in stardom since her Disney Channel days, she is now beginning to further reflect on how her time as a child star impacted her. During her May 2024 cover story interview with Vogue, the 27-year-old shared how having the most income in her household at a...
Recording Academy co-president Valeisha Butterfield Jones is moving on to a new role at her old home. Variety reports that she is set to leave The Academy to take on a new vice president role on the diversity team at Google, where she was previously its global head of inclusion. View this post on Instagram A post shared by V A L E I S H A. ™ (@valeisha) Butterfield Jones will officially step down on Sept. 9. Her re-arrival at Google will be in October. “When I came to the Recording Academy over two years ago, I had a clear mission: to make the Recording Academy the most inclusive company in music, and the world,” Butterfield Jones said, according to the outlet. “Diversity, equity and inclusion aren’t just buzzwords and as an organization, we were committed to doing the work both publicly and privately, to drive real and meaningful change. It has been one of the greatest honors of my career to serve this bold, new Recording Academy, and my service to our mission will continue in...
There’s no question that Prince is a musical legend. There’s also no question that his legend status extends above and beyond Black music and culture — and has, instead, entered the pop culture zeitgeist . But when one truly considers the numbers achieved by the musical great — and at the time he did it — it makes his accomplishments even more impressive. According to Forbes, Prince Rogers Nelson — as he was called on the day of his birth — sold more than 100 million units of his songs from the day of their first release in the 1970s until the day he died in April 2016. That number, as we will see, spiked significantly in the wake of his death. Despite his musical prowess, however, some songs — and albums — were more popular than others. It’s perhaps unsurprising that “ Purple Rain ” — perhaps his best-known album thanks to the super-smash song, “When Doves Cry” — is the best-selling album of his career. “Purple Rain had 3,107,000 buyers in the Soundscan Era, that is 1992 to date,...
NBA Youngboy has had enough of YouTubers swiping his content for their page. According to HipHopDX, the Louisiana native took to his Instagram page to demand Atlantic Records — his label — ban the use of his music in reaction videos. “Atlantic ban my music from all YouTubers – get a real job,” NBA YoungBoy wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Say Cheese TV 👄🧀 (@saycheesetv) In my opinion, for what it’s worth, the Baton Rouge-based rapper has — quite literally — millions, if not billions, of reasons to feel the way he does about people using his music without writing him a check. As one of the most successful artists on the platform, he has a vested interest in keeping things copacetic. With that said, let’s take a look at his YouTube numbers.
Lanre Gaba has climbed her way to the top. After serving in roles such as A&R Administration, Head of Urban A&R Operations, and General Manager of Urban A&R, Lanre Gaba can celebrate a new title. Variety reports Lanre Gaba has been promoted to co-president of Black music for Atlantic Records , just in time for her 20th anniversary with the company. Lanre Gaba will now work beside her colleague and co-president Mike Kyser and report directly to chairman-CEO Craig Kallman and chairman-COO Julie Greenwald. “Lanre’s growth over the past two decades has been a wonderful thing to witness,” said Kallman and Greenwald, according to Variety. “She’s evolved into one of the most admired and accomplished execs in our business, driven by a real fan’s passion, deep knowledge and relentless work ethic. Our artists and our team love her for her devotion, creativity, and experience. The combination of Lanre and Kyser will make a brilliant leadership duo for our Black Music department, as we continue...
Black music has always been the backbone of American culture. From soul to hip hop to rock-n-roll, we have paved the way for all genres of music so it’s only right that we celebrate us for Black Music Month! Crown Royal Regal Apple has partnered with singer and songwriter Lucky Daye to not only celebrate our music but to also honor Black art preservation and commemorate the Juneteenth Unityfest. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lucky Daye (@iamluckydaye) “It’s important to preserve Black art and shine a light on it because at the end of the day, the people who go through the most have the most to say and that’s not just in terms of word quantity, but quality,” shared Lucky Daye in an exclusive interview with AfroTech. Thanks to his own personal connection to the arts, the “Roll Some Mo” singer will not only perform during Unityfest but is set to also honor the works of Crown Royal’s Black Art Preservation Project — a project that was launched while the nation was at...
Ideas are our best currency. There are few things more sustainable than a great idea because a great idea can become a life force of its own. It can stimulate. It can inspire. It can motivate. It can snowball into a unicorn. And, most importantly, as Rick Fedrizzi writes , a single great idea can act as the broad shoulders upon which any number of newer, bolder and even better ideas may one day perch. Ideas are not just the fully fleshed out business plans that we implement, or the final products that we market and sell. Ideas are the thoughts that we sporadically purge onto social media during our mindless commutes. They are the conversations that we share with our internet friends, the jokes we spew after a funny pop culture moment, and they are the motivating force behind the physical manifestations of our creativity. Take, for instance, the eleven year old Walmart yodeling kid. On April 1, Mason Ramsey went viral for performing a cover of Hank Williams Sr.’s “Lovesick Blues.” On...