American capitalism would want us to believe that it is never too early to start thinking about and celebrating Christmas. If you are among the people that believe in that way, then you know there is no Christmas season without the sounds of Donny Hathaway and his version of “This Christmas.” From the syncopated beats to his soothing voice, Hathaway gave us one of the original soundtracks for the Christmas holiday season. But don’t get it twisted. Donny Hathaway’s music goes far beyond the Nativity scene, gifts, and Black Santa. Deemed by Rolling Stone as a Soul Legend, Donny Hathaway’s music and influence has touched millions worldwide. With songs like “A Song For You,” “The Ghetto,” and “Where Is The Love,” Hathaway mastered a timeless sound through music that is still relevant today. Born in Chicago, IL, Hathaway had early roots in music, which began in the church. His early affinity for music led him to earn a scholarship to study at Howard University. His continued passion for...

Elise Swopes does both Brooklyn and Chicago proud. As an artist, she enjoys landscape work — usually featuring big city skylines like New York City or Atlanta. Then, according to her website, she “uses water and light as a paintbrush; snow turns into speckles, street lamps become glowing orbs, and water droplets take on abstract forms as she edits on the go using an array of mobile apps.” Today, the 32-year-old New York-based mixed-medium artist has turned her love of (non-fungible tokens) NFTs into a side hustle of epic proportions — and it’s made her more than $200,000 richer. Elise Swopes told CNBC that after her first NFT sold for more than $17,000 in March 2021, she knew her life was going to change. “And it has ever since then. It’s definitely brought me a lot of opportunities,” she said. The good thing about Swopes’ NFT sales is that she doesn’t just make money from the actual NFT sale itself. Rather, each time one of her NFTs gets resold, she makes a royalty between 10 and...