Showing 15 results for:
Black artists
Popular topics
All results
Eve is making major business moves — specifically by securing a major deal. According to Music Business Worldwide, Olivier Chastan’s acquisition firm, Iconoclast, announced on Wednesday, Sept. 25, that it acquired the publishing rights to the double platinum-selling Hip-Hop artist’s catalog. “Eve’s contributions to hip hop and popular culture are unparalleled. She’s not only a great artist but a true pioneer for women in the genre,” Chastan, founder and CEO of Iconoclast, said. “We are honored to help preserve and elevate her incredible legacy, ensuring that her influence continues to inspire future generations of artists and fans alike,” he added. Eve’s claim to fame came in the late 1990s with her debut album, “Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady,” which catapulted her to top the Billboard 200 — the third female rapper ever to do so. Iconoclast described her as a “trailblazer” and a “defining voice in hip-hop, known for her lyrical prowess, dynamic flow, and unique fusion of...
As lavish as it might seem being born into Hollywood royalty, there’s a lot of pressure on the shoulders of nepo babies . Siblings Jaden and Willow Smith know this all to well, as their parents Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have been walking red carpets and causing controversies at award shows for decades. Though they got involved in the entertainment industry as children (Willow’s acting debut was in 2007’s I Am Legend alongside her father), the brother-sister duo has made a point to carve out their own lane instead of following in their parent’s footsteps. While she’s an undeniably talented musician, there’s been talk of Willow Smith’s college plans over the years, suggesting she could take a hiatus from the studio to pursue other fields. The 23-year-old comes from an affluent family, but still, she’s made a name for herself as a singer, actress and visionary. Her first single, “Whip My Hair” blew up in 2010; in 2024, Smith continues to impress on her Empathogen LP, which Vogue...
Over the past few years, TikTok has been completely dominating the social media space. Within its takeover, musicians have been able to grow their fan base — whether it be through viral dance challenges or the song itself trending. The popularity and traction found on the app have also been translating into skyrocketing streams. Here are seven Black artists who have a high streaming record (or several) thanks to going viral via TikTok.
Instagram is back with its ongoing initiative to invest in emerging Black artists and designers. As previously reported by AfroTech, in 2021, the social media giant partnered with the Brooklyn Museum in a joint effort to launch the #BlackDesignVisionaries. This year, the grant program is back and bigger than ever.
Eric Thomas, better known as ET, is globally recognized as one of the most influential motivational speakers. Aside from inspiring the masses through his videos, which have amassed millions of views, the leader’s messages are shared in his time of also being a critically acclaimed author, world-renowned speaker, educator, and “The Hip Hop Preacher.” While being widely known for leading people to transform into their most successful selves, ET has taken a piece of his own advice by leveling up on his online outreach with his new platform, The ETVerse.
A report from Billboard has revealed the highest-paid musicians and artists of 2020, and many of Hip-Hop’s favorites are topping the list. Amid a year with very little touring due to the pandemic, some of the biggest names in the music industry still managed to come out on top of Billboard’s 2020 Money Makers list bringing in millions and millions of dollars. “For the first time in the history of Money Makers, concert revenue did not determine the No. 1 spot on the list — and because of the pandemic had little influence over the ranking in general,” Billboard reports. The list of highest-paid artists was created based on data from the 2020 U.S.-only MRC Data and Billboard Boxscore statistics. The methodology mostly accounted for artists’ streaming and publishing, leaving off revenue from merchandising, synchronization or livestream gigs. Hip-Hop acts like Drake, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Lil Baby, Lil Uzi Vert, DaBaby, Future, Roddy Ricch, Rod Wave, Kanye West and Travis Scott all...
NFTs have been the talk of the creative and entertainment industries for the last few months and now rapper Waka Flocka is getting in on the action too. In April, news circulated that the Hip-Hop superstar entered a partnership to create Satoshi Art — an all-new 100% minority-owned NFT platform that’s bringing monetary profits to creative artists worldwide. Through this new company, Flocka is aiming to empower Black artists and their work by introducing them to a new revenue stream to profit off their intellectual property. In speaking with Flocka, he shared with AfroTech that he came across NFTs through his own research and knowledge. “It comes easy when you’re a nerd,” he tells us. “You’re hip to everything people don’t believe in, and then by the time they get on it history is made. I learned in my earlier years, to be a smart person you have to know when you meet another genius.” In this instance, Flocka is referring to his business partner Stally — a certified cryptocurrency...
Streaming giant Spotify has announced an all-new initiative that intends to invest in and amplify Black voices. The new initiative “Frequency” is described as a a global hub and holistic destination that celebrates both established and emerging Black artists, all while fostering community and appreciating the culture that has made an impact across fashion, tech, business and music. “Frequency is a celebration of resilience in all forms of creativity. The genesis of this brand came out of a demand from Black employees who felt it was important to be seen and heard,” Dzifa Yador, supervising creative producer of Studio 4, said in a statement. “Those same employees created space for other Black employees to not just express themselves through the editorial voice of the brand, but give recognition to the culture shifters, artists, and creators that fuel our global brand. The brand does not exist to solve racial injustices. It’s here to celebrate resilience in the face of it.” According...
In his prime, Haitian-Puerto Rican artist Jean-Michel Basquiat was a social commentarian, a graffiti artist, and a multi-media painter who infamously dated Madonna before they both became pop culture icons. But ever since his tragic death from a heroin overdose at the age of 27, Basquiat’s work has been steadily growing in value and importance. And there’s no greater evidence of that than the recent sale of the 1982 painting, “Warrior,” which just sold for $41.9 million at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong. The New York Times broke the news about this latest Basquiat sale, which also revealed that this big-ticket price was the highest-ever paid for a Western artist in Asia. Despite this impressive accomplishment, “Warrior” isn’t even Basquiat’s most valuable piece of artwork. That honor goes to “Untitled,” which was sold to Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa for $110 million in 2017. And nine out of 10 of the artist’s most expensive paintings were done in 1982. But lest you think...
Maryland-based HBCU Bowie State University (BSU) has secured a historic partnership with stop-motion innovator LAIKA to build a first-of-its-kind animation studio for its students. According to a press release, LAIKA — the Oscar®-nominated and BAFTA and Golden Globe Award-winning feature film animation studio — has teamed up with BSU to build the nation’s first stop-motion animation studio. The aim is to enhance the school’s animation curriculum and offer students an alternative career path in the creative space. "THE GOAL IS TO SEE REPRESENTATION": @BowieState will soon get a new stop motion animation studio, thanks to a partnership w/ @LAIKAStudios . It's the first stop motion studio at an HBCU. The goal is to help students get jobs + increase diversity in animation @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/Lef17YlWDP — Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) February 3, 2021 “This is a great opportunity for students to learn valuable skills that will carry them into the professional world of animation,”...
Education at HBCUs extends far beyond the classroom, and Morehouse College is no different. This week, the historically Black college received a generous gift to the student body and faculty from Morehouse alumnus George Wells, of the Wells Group, in the form of a $1 million art collection. “I will always be grateful for my Morehouse education and the springboard it created for my career on Wall Street and in business, and I want to recognize that with this gift,” Wells said in a press statement for Black Enterprise. According to Black Enterprise, in 2018 Wells began his art collection with his husband, Manfred Ratner, which has now grown to include over 50 pieces of artwork from both rising and established artists. The purpose of building this collection was for Wells to be able to reflect on prominent paintings from Black and LGBTQ artists that speak to representation in their communities and educate his alma mater on cultural identity, social, and political critiques. “Owning...
LIFEWTR is making a statement on behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement in a move that merges Black art and technology together. PepsiCo brand LIFEWTR — a premium water brand with a history of amplifying social progress through art — recently announced the launch of Black Art Rising , an infinite digital gallery that documents the diverse responses to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LIFEWTR (@lifewtr) In an effort to further amplify the Black Lives Matter movement, the brand has turned its channels over to eight purpose-driven artists to preserve this moment in time and immortalize our progress as a people through a historical exhibition, a press release reports . “People get easily distracted. It’s necessary we keep the conversations going and people focused on what really matters. Art is influence. Why wouldn’t we use our platform,” burgeoning hip hop artist, Tobe Nwigwe , said in a statement. In addition to Nwigwe, the...
Juneteenth has historically been a day in American history that’s not celebrated enough, but major brands and companies are hoping to change that this year. In light of recent tragic events, Black people and POC’s demands for social justice and real change in this country have sparked the start of a new revolution encouraging the world to take notes and listen. Storytelling during this time has taken on a new meaning for Black voices and to amplify those voices, Instagram is continuing their #ShareBlackStories initiative by partnering with three Black artists — Andrea Pippins , Marco Cheatham , and Mina Elise — to design a series of new stickers in celebration of Juneteenth. Credit: Instagram #ShareBlackStories has become a year-round storytelling movement on Instagram that amplifies Black voices and encourages freedom of expression and unique perspectives. For this year’s Freedom Day commemoration, Pippins, Cheatham, and Elise wanted to share their art which shows who they are as...
Amid coronavirus, UTA Artist Space is pivoting their exhibition to be a first-ever online venture that will feature the work of 12 emerging Black artists now through July 3. Renaissance: Noir — curated by Myrtis Bedolla, Baltimore-based owner of Galerie Myrtis — will address “Blackness on the continuum of the historiographies of Black artists’ narratives that assert, individually and collectively, their state of mind and state of being Black,” per a statement reported by The Hollywood Reporter . This exhibit arrives on time for the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter and liberation movements following the recent police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others. On her exhibit, Bedolla stated: “Renaissance: Noir is more poignant than ever as we share these thought-provoking works which depict the social, political, and historical journey of the Black experience through intergenerational narratives. I am excited to be partnering with UTA Artist Space on such...