He made his mark in rap, now Xzibit is looking to do the same in a new industry. The “Get Your Walk On” artist, born Alvin Nathaniel Joiner, will be scaling his interest in the cannabis industry. In 2023, he launched the “Lasagna Ganja” podcast in collaboration with co-host Tammy “The Cannabis Cutie” Pettigrew, CNN reports. The purpose of the podcast was to remove the stigma associated with cannabis use and to educate listeners. When speaking on the overarching goal of stewarding these conversations, he said in an interview on “Beyond the Red Carpet with Ny MaGee,” “I’ve seen the music industry go from millions to a billion-dollar industry. And I’ve also seen cannabis, you know, take on the same journey that maybe alcohol did after prohibition. And the misinformation that can lead us to continue to be left out of things is something that I want to combat. So when I say us, I mean people of color, people who have been incarcerated for cannabis, and now as it turns into this...
For years, Xzibit transformed whips for lucky fans across the nation. However, this time, he is honoring one die-hard football fan with the ultimate fan cave and even tapped artificial intelligence to do so. The musician, who served as the face of MTV’s “Pimp My Ride,” is a fan of the way technology has evolved, allowing entertainers to have a personal experience with fans across the globe.
Watching Xzibit host MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” back in the day is a piece of nostalgia that many of us share. As the face of the successful show, one would expect the rapper to have reaped the benefits. But recently, he’s called out ViacomCBS for failing to pay up for using his image and likeness, according to Complex.
A Black-owned cannabis dispensary has opened in New Jersey. A news release mentions Simply Pure is set to open its doors on July 27, 2024. The company was founded by Wanda James and her husband, Scott Durrah, pioneers in the space since 2004. Veriheal reported that the two launched Apothecary of Colorado and became the “first Black-owned and veteran-owned dispensary in the United States.” The dispensary, edible company, and growing facility inspired their next venture, Simply Pure in 2010. According to the company website, the cannabis company disrupted the market by specializing in healthy alternative edibles. Its products were also driven by Durrah, who worked as an executive chef, as he created the high-quality edibles, Veriheal reported. The company served locals in the Denver, CO, area through its storefront and delivery service. Now, the company is expanding to Ewing, NJ, with the launch of Simply Pure Trenton. The 6,000-square-foot dispensary will be led by Tahir Johnson,...
Ariane Kirkpatrick was undeterred by the limited presence of Black entrepreneurs in the cannabis sector. In 2017, she made her official foray into the space, according to WKCY-3. “We made the decision that we, despite the barriers, despite the obstacles, despite being Black and female, we were going to make this work and we did,” Kirkpatrick told the outlet. Per Kirkpatrick’s LinkedIn page, she served as the CEO of several large-scale medical, cannabis cultivation, and dispensary companies, such as Harvest Grows, Harvest of Ohio, and Harvest Processing, which had operations in the Ohio cities of Ironton, Beavercreek, Columbus, and Athens. She mentioned that her aim was to transform lives and strengthen economies by providing jobs and economic development opportunities through marijuana. However, Kirkpatrick would hit a major roadblock after falling out with her business partner, multi-state operator Harvest Health and Recreation, when it was acquired by national cannabis and...
Trina gave her first check from Atlantic Records to her mother. The rapper, born Katrina Laverne Taylor, signed to the label in the late ‘ 9 0s after making her first appearance on Trick Daddy’s song “Nann N–ga” in 1998. Trina was able to launch her music career as her presence on the track caught the attention of Ted Lucas, the founder of Slip-N-Slide Records to which Trick Daddy had been signed. “This is what they want to do. This is the deal. They going to merge with Slip-N-Slide. This is the deal coming through this Trick and Trina record… and it was a great deal, and we just I did it and immediately this was in ’98,” Trina said during an interview on the “R&B Money Podcast” hosted by Tank and J Valentine. Despite receiving her first check, Trina was more focused on finishing her debut album than making a major purchase. So, she gave it to her mother who used the check to invest in real estate. “I gave the check to my mom actually and… I had introduced my mom into like buying...
Yo Gotti did not pay his property taxes for years due to a lack of information. During an interview with podcast “Earn Your Leisure,” the rapper revealed he was unaware he had to pay back taxes to the government. He viewed taxes as a celebration as he recalled the gifts he would receive from his mother around tax season. He didn’t know these gifts were likely coming because she had received a tax refund. “I grew up thinking, when you heard of taxes, my mama and ’em got tax money. That’s when we got new Jordans. We got new outfits… It was a celebration when it was tax time,” he said. “We was waiting on tax time. It was better than Christmas. So, I didn’t know… even in my early stages of getting money, I didn’t know we had to pay. I didn’t know because of a lack of information; they didn’t teach me that in school.” Lack of financial literacy carried over into how Yo Gotti did business too. As an investor in real estate early on, he purchased 10 to 15 homes with cash. However, he...
Rick Ross is auctioning off items for a good cause. According to Billboard, the rapper is teaming up with Julien’s Auctions to host Push It to the Limit: Luxury and Lifestyle, a two-day event held June 25-26 live and online with 800 items up for grabs. People mentions items such as Ross’ exclusive collection of street and contemporary art, designer wear, rare sneakers, and music memorabilia like Michael Jackson’s sealed “ONE” by Cirque du Soleil light-up glove , and more. Specific items include the Air Jordan Retro 5 “University of Michigan Fab 5” PEs (estimated value, $2,000-$3,000); Air Maxes (est. $1,000-$2,000); DJ Khaled “Father of Asahd” Air Jordans (est. $3,000-$5,000) and Virgil Abloh Off-White collaborations (est. $500-$700); Versace silk shirts (est. $500-$700); and designer sunglasses and varsity jackets (est. $200-$500); among others, per Billboard. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Julien's Auctions (@juliens_auctions) What’s more, in partnership with The...
Major changes may be on the way for Jay-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners. The rapper’s venture capital firm, established in 2018, was created to build “innovative businesses and mass-market brands,” its company website mentions. Its areas of investment focus on sustainability, inclusivity, empowerment, accessibility, and health and wellness. As AFROTECH™ previously mentioned, its investment portfolio includes at least 24 companies such as Wheels, an electric transportation company; Hungry Marketplace, a food tech company; and Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie brand. MVC also participated in a $33 million funding round for premier beauty brand Madison Reed in 2022 and backed 24-year-old technologist Iddris Sandu to embolden his tech incubator, Spatial Labs. “Aligning with Marcy Venture Partners assists with our vision for elevating the youth as it relates to access and a means to true technological empowerment,” Sandu said at the time. “The lasting impact of this relationship is not simply...
Snoop Dogg was one of Reddit’s earliest investors. The social news website and forum was created in 2005 by Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian while they were college students at the University of Virginia. Their idea was supported through startup incubator Y Combinator, which gave them access to $12,000 in funding for their vision to build “the front page of the Internet,” The Street reports. The company would grow as users were able to create a slew of subreddits that encompass a range of topics. Six years from Reddit’s inception, it became a major player in the social media sphere, boasting 35 million visitors and 2.8 billion pageviews, Ohanian wrote in Fast Company. In 2014, the company attracted the support of Snoop Dogg, who participated in a $50 million seed round led by Sam Altman, now OpenAI co-founder and CEO. “I worked my way in. You understand me? I didn’t mean to tell everybody, but I’m a part of Reddit too,” Snoop Dogg said in a 2017 interview for “GGN News.” The...
A banger just dropped in the crypto world. Snoop Dogg has announced his next move, a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) mixtape in collaboration with Wiz Khalifa. “Dropped a mixtape w/ @wizkhalifa on tha blockchain tonite! Probably Nothing… #An8th,” Snoop Dogg wrote on Twitter. Dropped a mixtape w/ @wizkhalifa on tha blockchain tonite! Probably Nothing… #An8th ▶️ https://t.co/ogylEHmHbi pic.twitter.com/ye1Ei2uYA8 — Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) March 24, 2022 Titled Ape Drops 03 : An 8th, the mixtape features eights tracks with star-studded appearances from Daz Dillinger, Xzibit, Juicy Jay, and Mr. Cap, according to the company website. The mixtape theme is inspired by ApeCoin (APE) and Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), AllHipHop reports. Ape Drops 03 : An 8th features nearly 8,000 NFTs priced between 12 APE to 15 APE or $165 to $210 based on the current exchange rate, Coingape reports. Interested holders can listen to each track before securing it through BAYC’s APE token. The mixtape will only be...