If you’re tapped into the streaming world, you’ve most likely heard the name Kai Cenat. As AfroTech previously told you, in February, the 21-year-old was reportedly the first Black streamer to reach 200,000 subscribers on Twitch. Additionally, he was said to be only the third person to achieve the milestone.

Kai Cenat is clearing the air on his Twitch earnings during his subscription marathon.

Twitch streamer Kai Cenat teamed up with 21 Savage to compete in NBA 2K. 21 SAVAGE X KAI CENAT TONIGHT ON STREAM AT 8PM EST🗡 pic.twitter.com/jcBOj5GzOG — AMP KAI (@KaiCenat) November 9, 2022

Cxmmunity is still on a mission to make esports accessible at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The Black-owned non–profit spearheaded by Christopher Peay and Ryan Johnson has announced its second annual HBCU Esports League Verizon Celebrity Pro-Am. Students will compete in Uno and Fortnite alongside celebrity figures including T-Pain, Brett Gray, Mike Evans, Erin Ashley Simon, Allisha Gray, Bas, Tarik Cohen, FaZe Swagg, Sonny Digital, and more. “We want to continue elevating and raising awareness around HBCU esports programs while showing these schools and these students that there are really cool people in sports, entertainment, and music supporting the gaming space,” Johnson told AfroTech exclusively. In addition to playing alongside celebrity favorites, students can also look forward to a prize pool of $10,000 with $2,000 for the Uno segment that will be donated to the school’s esports programs and $8,000 for the Fortnite tournament to support student...

Independent music licensing partner Merlin is teaming up with Twitch to give artists better opportunities. According to a press release sent to AfroTech, the partnership was created to empower Merlin members and their artists by providing additional streams of income and accessibility to Twitch’s music programming. On its own, Merlin appears to be a powerhouse. The licensing group reportedly accounts for 15 percent of global music shares. The company is also said to help thousands of artists globally and has continued to spearhead opportunities with interested partners. The newly announced partnership aims to reinforce its commitment to creating an innovative hub for its talent. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Twitch for this groundbreaking deal,” said Jeremy Sirota, Merlin CEO, in a press release. “We’ve been engaged in conversations with Twitch since the day I started at Merlin, and I’m pleased that our team found a path for Merlin members and their artists to better engage...

T-Pain has certified himself as one of the most versatile artists of our time through his career moves of nearly two decades, and the longevity of his career speaks volumes to his presence being needed for the culture. As the seasoned veteran continues to leave his mark on the industry, his new partnership with Twitch is set to take the streaming platform’s music community to the next level. In a press release provided exclusively to AfroTech, Twitch announced a collaboration with the music and Twitch legend, which aims to strengthen the Twitch music community and uplift its creators. T-Pain’s streaming presence has transformed into a space where upcoming artists are given the opportunity for him to broadcast their music. Along with providing a platform for musicians, the producer has also curated a unique stream that intertwines gaming, music and fan interaction. A mashup of this sort is unusual on Twitch, and has probably played a part in helping him become an amplified voice for...

Twitch is quickly becoming the future of live entertainment. As its popularity with creators continues to rise, it’s positioned itself to expand its team to support its growth. This week, the Amazon-owned live-streaming platform recruited former YouTube executive Constance Knight to take over the newly created role of VP, global creators at the company, according to Variety. “Creators are the heart and soul of Twitch, and as we continue to see more people finding their community on Twitch, now is the perfect time to add more support for global creators to our internal team,” said Michael Aragon — chief content officer at Twitch — in a statement of Knight’s hire. “Constance is an experienced and passionate leader who brings a wealth of knowledge from across the streaming industry. Her perspective will be invaluable in helping Twitch and its creators grow and thrive.” Knight — who did a nine-year tenure as YouTube’s head of content programs and partnerships for creator communities...