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Bobby Brown’s mother had a hand in his publishing deal that is still sending him checks today. Brown is an R&B crooner whose music career began with the boy group New Edition. The group was formed in the Orchard Park Projects of Roxbury, Boston, MA, and originally included Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Brown. Ralph Tresvant and Ronnie DeVoe joined later, notes The Grio. Their claim to fame was participating in a talent show in 1983 where they finished in second place, catching the attention of musician and producer Maurice Starr. The group signed to Starr under a deal with a $500 bonus . “Our royalty check was like $168 but we got $500 to sign and a VCR… We didn’t know anything about it,” Brown acknowledged on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast with Shannon Sharpe . “All we wanted was to perform. All we wanted to do was make enough money to go to the movies, buy candy, date girls. That’s all we thought about. We wasn’t thinking about the longevity.” New Edition then released their debut...
Kevin Hart wants entrepreneurs to be equipped in artificial intelligence (AI). AI is sweeping across various industries. While some remain skeptical, adopting it will be essential to avoid being left behind in a rapidly changing landscape. “The train is coming and coming fast,” Hart told Fortune. “Either you’re on it, or if not, get out of the way.” As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Hart partnered with the Fifteen Percent Pledge and A16z’s Cultural Leadership Fund for the AI Illumination Grant that will disperse $35,000 in funding to Black founders, with the winner receiving $20,000. Considerations for recipients include: High potential for growth Sustainable competitive advantage Strong management team Strong use case for AI tools Grant dollars to manage growth challenges and expansion Prioritizes inclusivity and centers community impact Coramino Fund Hart is taking further action through his Coramino Fund — the investment arm for his tequila company Gran Coramino that is in its...
Remaining a student has led Carmelo Anthony into various industries. The former NBA player, who retired in 2023 and is a first-ballot Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, reflects on his evolution from the 19-year-old drafted in 2003 to a businessman who is now a serial investor and founder in the wine and cannabis sectors. One of Anthony’s biggest takeaways: He is no longer operating in fear. “A top lesson that I’ve learned was ‘stop being afraid,'” he recalled in an interview with AFROTECH™. “ A lot of times when you’re younger and you in these powerful roles and there’s people who are making decisions and there are people writing checks, it’s like ‘You too young to understand it,’ until you grow and until you get older, you go through it and you understand what you truly want to do.” He continued, “At 19, 20, 21, I didn’t have any type of sense of business. I knew street business, I knew street knowledge. I have foundational ethics and morals that could carry over from the streets...
The Global Gaming League (GGL), a professional gaming entertainment organization featuring celebrity team owners, has successfully raised $10 million in its SAFE round, led by the private equity group Solyco Capital, according to a news release. Founded by multi-platinum music producer and entrepreneur Clinton Sparks, in collaboration with Grammy Award-winning artist T-Pain and tech visionary Jeff Hoffman, GGL is building the first entertainment system that monetizes the world’s largest and most engaged audience: the more than 3 billion people who play video games. “There are over 3 billion gamers around the world,” Sparks said. “But there’s still no centralized platform that gives everyday players the spotlight—while authentically connecting brands, celebrities, and competition in a way that’s truly entertaining. That’s where GGL comes in.” Each GGL team has four players — including high-profile influencers , actors, athletes, artists, and casual and professional gamers — competing...
Beyoncé haircare line is shattering projections at Ulta Beauty. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, in early 2024 the “Cowboy Carter” artist launched Cécred, a science-backed and self-funded haircare brand that was six years in the making, with inspiration from her mother Tina Knowles’ salon. Its products cater to all hair types and include a clarifying shampoo, scalp scrub, moisturizing deep conditioner, and r estoring hair and edge drops, which reached its first-year projections in just one month, WWD reports. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CÉCRED (@cecred) Cécred secured a retail deal with Ulta Beauty, bringing its products to 1,400 Ulta Beauty stores starting April 6, 2025. A party was held at Ulta Beauty’s Westwood location in Los Angeles, CA, to celebrate its launch with Beyoncé sharing kind words. “I grew up in a hair salon, as most of you guys know, with my mother, and this was [our] dream,” Beyoncé said at the event, according to Glossy. “Our team worked so...
Black wealth, especially at the billionaire level, remains a statistical anomaly in global finance. But in 2025, that narrative continues to shift — if only incrementally. According to Forbes, out of 3,028 billionaires worldwide, only 23 are Black, representing less than 1% of the list. Despite this underrepresentation, these 23 individuals collectively hold an impressive $96.2 billion in wealth. The figures tell one story. The names behind them tell another story — one of legacy, innovation, cultural power, and long-game strategy. This year, two notable newcomers joined the global roster of Black billionaires: Sheila Johnson, the media and hospitality powerhouse, and Herriot Tabuteau, a biotech founder with a focus on brain health. Both represent not only financial achievement but industry-specific influence in spaces where Black leadership is often overlooked or underestimated. Who’s New To The 2025 Black Billionaires List? Sheila Johnson, widely known as the co-founder of Black...
While fans are focused on new music, Cardi B is focused on creating generational wealth. Cardi B has aligned herself with various endorsement deals over the years from Pepsi, Reebok, NYX Professional Makeup, and Fashion Nova, which she worked with earlier on in her career. As AFROTECH previously told you, Fashion Nova paid the rapper $200 for every post back in 2016, two years before the release of her successful debut album “Invasion of Privacy.” That number went as high as $20,000 per month, according to Vox. In April 2024, she revealed she was earning over $5 million from brand deals. Cardi B has proven she is able to bring in the dough for companies, and over the past couple of years she is now doing the same on her own terms. In 2021, Cardi B launched Whipshots in partnership with Starco Brands, which sold 5 million cans within three years, a press release mentions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Whipshots ™ (@whip_shots) Launching Apparel And Beauty Brands Cardi...
LeBron James paid it forward to his mother when he signed a lucrative contract with Nike. The Akron, OH , athlete was drafted to the NBA in 2003 as a No. 1 overall pick, according to Basketball Reference. In his rookie year with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he caught the attention of Nike, Adidas, and even Reebok, which would have amounted to a $10 million shoe deal. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, James ultimately rejected the Reebok deal since it came with the condition of being unable to speak with other companies. “Me and my mom were living in an apartment—section 8 housing in Akron. I’m going back. I don’t have sh-t, whatever, and my mom looked at me. She said, ‘Son, trust your gut. If they’re offering you this, then who knows what the other companies may offer you.’ She’s super composed. She’s like, ‘We ain’t got sh-t already, so it’s not like it changes our life in this moment. Maybe in the future, but I want you to trust your gut and do what you think is right,’” James said on...
Despite major record labels suing it for its AI technology, Timbaland is standing beside Suno, the music creation program. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Timbaland aligned himself with the artificial intelligence (AI) music creation tool Suno in October 2024, taking on the title of its strategic advisor. He had already been an avid user of the platform for several months. “You can put out great songs in minutes,” he said during an interview with Rolling Stone. “I always wanted to do what Quincy Jones did with Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ when he was [almost] 50. So my ‘Thriller,’ to me, is this tool. God presented this tool to me. I probably made a thousand beats in three months, and a lot of them—not all—are bangers and from every genre you can possibly think of. I just did four K-pop songs this morning!” Timbaland’s embrace of AI is not new. While speaking at the AFROTECH™ Conference in November 2023, during a panel titled “From Producer to Founder: A Conversation with...
50 Cent has secured a 30-year lease on a local venue to further his goal of revitalizing Shreveport, LA. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, through G-Unit Studios, he has the second-largest Black-owned studio, only trailing Tyler Perry. The 985,000-square-foot property in Shreveport is being used “to operate a production studio and/or activities and uses related to the promotion or development of the film, sound, light, movie, television, broadcasting, recording, and arts industries.” “Founding my own studio is the next step in my plan to expand G-Unit Film & Television’s output of premium, diverse content across all media and to provide more opportunities for artists, crew members, and the communities that support production of that content,” 50 Cent told KTAL News 6 at the time. Beyond the studio grounds, 50 Cent has been expanding his efforts across the city. In September 2024, a three-phase plan was announced that will include housing for low- to moderate-income families. Most...
Rick Ross has partnered with his dentist to open a clinic in Atlanta, GA. According to a news release shared with AFROTECH™, the rapper is teaming up with Dr. Mario Montoya, who launched his career path after earning a bachelor of dentistry autonomous degree from the University of Manizales in 1991. He later pursued postgraduate studies in oral rehabilitation at the Military University in 2005, his website mentions. Dr. Montoya co-founded Matizz Dental Clinic in 2008, and after a decade, he launched Smiles by Mario Montoya in Colombia. His initial clientele was Puerto Rican urban artists , but his reach expanded, adding Ross, Nicki Minaj, Tiny, Ari Fletcher, Moneybagg Yo, French Montana, and more to his roster. His treatments include root canals, dental implants, gum contouring, and porcelain veneers made using computer-aided design and manufacturing technology. With the help of Ross, Dr. Montoya plans to make his offerings more accessible to people residing in Atlanta, GA. The...
Heavyweight-champion-turned-businessman George Foreman has passed away. NBC News reports the cause of Foreman’s death has not been revealed (at the time of this writing). He was 76 years old. A post on his official Instagram confirmed his passing. “Our hearts are broken. With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr. who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025 surrounded by loved ones. A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand and great grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility, and purpose,” the post read. “A humanitarian, an Olympian, and two time heavyweight champion of the world, He was deeply respected — a force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name — for his family.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by George Foreman (@biggeorgeforeman) Family Foreman is survived by his wife, Mary Joan; six...
Jamie Foxx is not here for the anti-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) narratives circulating in Hollywood . Foxx — born Eric Marlon Bishop — is the producer of Apple TV+’s “Number One On the Call Sheet,” a documentary that explores Black achievement in the film industry and the challenges Black women face in finding success. At the Los Angeles, CA, premiere on March 13, 2025, the Academy Award-winning actor emphasized the film’s importance, stating that it is more relevant now than ever. “Look what’s going on out there. They trying to erase everything we do… They talking about the DEI , affirmative action, we don’t need Black history . Why you picking on our history?” Foxx told Extra. “So, we just do more history. The more you erase, the more we replace. So, that’s all it is. We ain’t gonna be shy about it. Leave us alone. Let us enjoy. Let us all be American.” Since 2024, several high-profile companies have scaled back or eliminated their DEI programs , citing pressure from...
Tyler Perry has provided great financial relief for 85-year-old Anniece Tisdale. According to WSMV-4, Tisdale hired an unlicensed contractor to renovate her East Nashville, TN, home to accommodate her disability and growing family. However, the project took a turn for the worse when the contractor abandoned it altogether after not meeting completion expectations. Tisdale was then left with a home unsafe to live in and thousands of dollars lost. After an interview with the local news station, Tisdale was asked by Sherri Shepherd to appear on her “Sherri” talk show, and was joined by her daughter, Yolanda, who revealed that at least $180,000 had been invested into the home renovation project. Yolanda and her husband both took out personal loans and pooled from savings and credit cards to gather the funds. Yolanda also helped to refinance her mom’s mortgage to pay for the $200,000 in renovations. “We signed the contract in January. We were supposed to be f inished March 31. It was a...
will.i.am missed out on an investment that would have made him millions today. During an interview with Fortune held at SXSW, the multi-platinum music artist, producer, and tech entrepreneur revealed he had a chance to invest in Airbnb, a vacation rental company. The opportunity was introduced to him by Airbnb’s co-founder, Brian Chesky. Founded in 2007, the company raised funds in its early stages and allowed individuals to invest up to $200,000. However, will.i.am wasn’t fully convinced by the concept at the time. “’What’s up with concierge? Y’all don’t got that?’ ‘No,’” he explained to Fortune. “What’s up with room service? Y’all got that? He’s like, ‘No.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I think I’m gonna have to pass on that one.’” Airbnb did become a success. According to its website, it has more than 5 million hosts and has attracted 2 billion guests from more than 220 countries and regions. Hosts have earned more than $250 billion. Today, Airbnb has a market cap valued at more than $78...