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Norland James and Dr. Amina Gilyard James are taking the words “power couple” to the next level! According to Black Enterprise, the pair have become owners of a newly acquired Quality Inn in Memphis, TN. The 70-room property was purchased by the couple for $3.85 million, and it’s reportedly thanks to a cohort of first-time Black hotel investors.
“Every day the sun won’t shine, but that’s why I love tomorrow.” The popular lyric from GloRilla has been making its rounds after “Tomorrow 2” featuring Cardi B first took off. Recently, the Memphis rapper opened up about her life before the fame, which is living proof of the song’s message.
When in talks about summer song contenders for 2022, GloRilla and Hitkidd’s “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” enters into the conversation. Since the hit’s release in April, life has truly been on go-mode for 22-year-old rapper GloRilla. The way the record took off — going from social media to around the world — led to GloRilla becoming signed to fellow Memphis native Yo Gotti’s CMG imprint only about three months after her single dropped, which has over 33 million views on YouTube (as of this writing). “It’s one of the quickest rises that I’ve seen in my career, because she only dropped in late April and now she has the hottest cultural records in music,” he declared, according to Billboard. “She has a different sound and approach that’s needed in hip-hop right now.” In such a short span of time, she is playing her own role in putting her city — especially its aspiring female rappers — on the map. “It’s sometimes still unreal because this is what I always dreamed about and hoped would be...
Memphis is widely considered to be the birthplace of the music we love today. It’s also the hometown of George Monger, the founder and CEO of Connect Music — a Black-owned music startup launched in 2020. More specifically, the Memphis-based company is a music monetization platform that provides distribution and publishing administration services. As Black creators are disproportionately affected by the downfalls of the industry, Monger has been dedicated to proving that music is an asset class by helping the group own their music and become profitable during today’s streaming era. The founder has gone on to have over 200 label clients and developed editorial partnerships with streaming giants Pandora, Spotify, and Apple. Addiontally, Monger has also gotten Boosie Badazz on board as part-owner of Connect Music.
NLE Choppa is enacting change in his hometown of Memphis, TN with his latest venture. In a Twitter post on Sept. 25, the budding rapper announced the launch of his vegan food truck — This Can’t Be Vegan. NLE’s This Can’t Be Vegan Food Truck Is Official Up And Running. First Pop Up Will Be At The Eat To Live Vegan Fest At 645 E Georgia Ave, Memphis, TN 38126 FOLLOW @nlethiscantbevegan On Instagram For More Updates On Locations In The Future 💜 pic.twitter.com/y1rjvFg3rg — NLE Choppa (@Nlechoppa1) September 25, 2021 NLE Choppa envisions his vegan food truck as a means to help decrease Memphis’ crime rate, as well as to improve education. “Memphis, I feel like, is a place where vegan food is needed the most ’cause I know, just by getting our hands on better food will change the thought process,” he said in a video on Twitter. “Possibly the crime rate will go down, scholars will go up, anything. Bro, I have a vegan food truck that will be mobile across the city, from hood to hood, suburb...
Memphis is overflowing with rich history. One of the most important elements of the city’s identity is its reputation for being home to a sound that was part of America’s musical revolution in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Today you can take a tour of the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, The Memphis Music Hall of Fame, The Orpheum Theatre or even Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Last year, Hall of Fame songwriter David Porter announced Made In Memphis Entertainment (MIME) , a new music business venture with the goal of bringing back some of the city’s former musical glory. And this time around, the integration of tech will take things to the next level. Made In Memphis Entertainment (MIME) has a $5 million studio complex east of Downtown Memphis and serves as a home to a 8-room recording studio, a label, a production unit and a publishing division. But it’s also so much more than that. MIME was founded with an indie spirit in mind, and in that same vein, they have made strategic investments in...
Memphis is transforming. The city with a rich history spanning music, civil rights and so much more is also home to a group of young leaders who are determined to move the city forward through the cultivation of a tech community. A major landmark in that change is Clayborn Temple , a historic site with plans to expand the footprint of the location. Clayborn Temple started as a white congregation in 1892 as Second Presbyterian before being sold to an African-American congregation in 1949, where it was given its current name in honor of a local African Methodist Episcopal (AME) bishop. It saw many years of activity, including playing an important role in the civil rights movement. During the Sanitation Workers’ Strike in 1968, the famous “I Am a Man” signs were distributed at the church – the same signs that many now see as a classic symbol of the fight for racial equality in American History – and encouraged by Union Organizer T.O. Jones lead to a historic vote which ended the...