As Kendrick Lamar Prepares To Take The Super Bowl LIX Halftime Stage With SZA, His Agency PGLang Will Lead The Show's Sound Technology And Production

President Trump is back on his trade war wave — and this time, it’s rolling straight through the auto industry. With a fresh round of 25% tariffs on cars and auto parts set to take effect on April 3, people from the auto industry, from C-suites to dealership floors, are bracing for the impact. The administration says it’s about protecting national security and strengthening the U.S. manufacturing base. But if you’re thinking about buying a car this year, or if your job has anything to do with auto production, here’s the truth: You may be paying more, waiting longer, and dealing with fewer options. And that’s just the beginning. Why The White House Is Saying This Is Necessary According to an official statement from the White House, these tariffs on cars are aimed at keeping America safe. The administration is emphasizing that too many imports are “undermining” the “domestic industrial base” and weakening the U.S. supply chain. The idea is to hit foreign-made cars and parts with a 25%...

Marvin Sapp has long been a pillar of gospel music — but his story isn’t just about hits and accolades. It’s a calling from the divine, a testament to personal resilience, and an unwavering commitment to one’s purpose. With a voice that rings with power and conviction, Sapp has built a legacy that spans faith, music, and community leadership. Marvin Sapp Is More Than A Singer According to Sapp’s church website, the 58-year-old is often quick to clarify his identity: “Not a singer that happens to preach, but a preacher called by God who is gifted to sing.” That dual calling has shaped every step of his journey. From his start singing at the age of 4 to joining the legendary gospel group Commissioned in 1990, and eventually launching his solo career in 1996, Sapp’s artistry has always been an extension of his ministry. As a solo artist, he released influential projects, including “Grace and Mercy,” “Thirsty,” and “Here I Am.” His 2007 hit, “Never Would Have Made It,” became a cultural...

Leave it to Steph Curry and Michelle Obama to remind us that health and flavor don’t have to be enemies. The NBA legend and the forever First Lady have teamed up to launch PLEZi Hydration, a new sports drink aiming to do what health gurus allege Gatorade and Powerade never quite pulled off — offer hydration without compromising on health. Born out of Obama’s public benefit company, PLEZi Nutrition, the drink is marketed as a “healthier” option for individuals who want to stay active without consuming excessive sugar and sodium. According to its website, each 16.9-ounce bottle packs only 12 grams of sugar — less than half of what you’d find in traditional sports drinks — plus 500 mg of potassium, 120 mg of sodium (vs. 210 mg), and the full daily dose of vitamin C. And this isn’t a slap-your-name-on-it celebrity endorsement. Both Curry and Obama were deeply involved in creating the drink from the ground up. Based on a CNBC report, Curry helped with everything from the packaging to the...

Michael Jordan’s sports memorabilia remains highly sought after. AFROTECH™ has covered multiple auction sales featuring memorabilia from Jordan’s legendary NBA career. This includes a jersey worn during his 45-point game during the 1996-1997 season with the Chicago Bulls, which sold for $4.7 million at Sotheby’s auction house in November 2024. “One of the finest Michael Jordan jerseys ever to come to auction, MJ wore this road-red jersey for 5 months and 17 games during the Chicago Bulls legendary 1996-1997 championship season,” Sotheby’s detailed on their Instagram. “In the 1990s, the jersey’s image landed on trading cards, magazines, newspapers, and collectable posters like these from Starline or Costacos Brothers that decorated the walls of kids’ rooms around the world.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys) In February 2024, a set of six individual sneakers sported by Jordan during his victorious championship season sold for $8 million, which was the...

A directory listing Black doctors has been sued. The Black Doctors Directory offers a comprehensive list of Black doctors in southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. Its website mentions that the directory covers specialties such as family medicine, allergy and immunology, neurology, gynecology, and hematology, and highlights doctors who provide high-quality and culturally competent care . “Racial health disparities contribute to poorer outcomes for Black residents, regardless of their education, income, or insurance. Research shows that racial congruence in healthcare—when patients are treated by doctors who share their race—improves outcomes for African American patients,” a statement on the directory’s webpage reads. The directory was launched by Pennsylvania’s only Black talk radio station, WURD Radio, and is presented through a partnership between Penn Medicine and the Consortium of DEI Health Educators. However, the directory is now facing legal scrutiny due to a...

Chipotle Mexican Grill is putting an end to rumors speculating that it has filed for bankruptcy and plans to close restaurants. On Wednesday, March 26, 2025, as speculation circulated about a potential bankruptcy filing, a Chipotle spokesperson confirmed via email to AFROTECH™ that the “false information” started with an inaccurate online article. Chipotle Bankruptcy “The claims that Chipotle is filing for bankruptcy and closing restaurants are false,” the spokesperson said. “The false information stemmed from an inaccurate online article confusing Chipotle with a venture it tested in 2023. The story has since been corrected.” Chipotle, headquartered in Newport Beach, CA, currently operates over 3,700 restaurants worldwide. The spokesperson added, “We anticipate opening between 315 to 345 new restaurants this year, with at least 80% including a Chipotlane.” The Chipotlane is a dedicated drive-thru lane at Chipotle restaurants where customers can pick up their food after placing an...

DEI has become a conservative buzzword to target anything that doesn’t appeal to straight, white, male ideals. The Trump administration has gone after every federal agency, academic institution, and corporate entity to eradicate any semblance of DEI. Whether through affirmative action, hiring laws, or ensuring equal representation of all races and genders, Trump has made DEI the hill to die on. Everything is DEI, from Kendrick’s Super Bowl halftime show to plane crashes. However, diversity has not been effectively implemented recently, nor applied in the appropriate context. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are designed to create a more balanced and fair society, particularly in the wake of the civil rights movement, by addressing systemic inequalities and ensuring equal opportunities for all. But now, conservatives have equated DEI policies with lower standards, a false narrative that President Trump has only fueled . In 2020, after George Floyd was killed, companies came out in...

Companies are increasingly blending storytelling, commerce, and technology in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape. One such company is pgLang, the multidisciplinary agency founded in 2020 by Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free. While it has often been described as a creative agency, pgLang operates across multiple industries and platforms — from music and film to brand partnerships and live events — positioning itself as a hybrid model within the broader creative economy. Based on a previous AFROTECH™ report, pgLang describes itself as a “multilingual” company, referencing its spoken language component and ability to communicate across forms: music, television, film, books, podcasts, and visual media. The company’s creative outputs reflect this flexibility, leveraging cross-platform strategies to distribute content that resists traditional industry categorization. This approach earned the company recognition from Fast Company, which named pgLang one of the World’s 50 Most Innovative...