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Rick Ross was inspired to pursue business, following his mother’s entrepreneurial footsteps. The Mississippi-born rapper shot to fame with his 2006 breakout hit “Hustlin,” which led to him signing his first major record deal with JAY-Z at Def Jam, notes HipHopDX. “JAY-Z, I remember we went to eat after a game, and he was playing Rick Ross…‘Everyday I’m Hustlin,’” Former NBA player Jamal Crawford told Ross while they appeared on the “All The Smoke” podcast. “And Jay was mesmerized by the song. He was like, ‘Whip it, whip it real hard!’ He kept saying that part, he loved it.” Rick Ross became an overnight success and began prioritizing real estate as he accumulated his fortune, which is reportedly an estimated $150 million net worth today. According to Celebrity Net Worth, this encompasses $90 million earned from albums and singles, revenue from his record label Maybach Music Group (established in 2009), and other ventures. His decision to enter real estate dates back to his...
Welcome to HillmanTok University, where everyone is accepted, and TikTok is your classroom. Thousands of professors have taken their talents to TikTok, documenting their course offerings and allowing students, or users, outside the typical classroom setting to participate in the curriculum. The trend, known as “HillmanTok,” started with Dr. Barlow, an African American Studies professor, who utilized the social media platform to engage with her actual students. As her videos gained more traction, other minority professors followed suit. Now, teachers worldwide are helping students merge their love for TikTok with their desire to learn. TikToker @djneurospicy explained that the outpouring of support for Barlow’s efforts follows the decision of 92% of Black women who voted for Kamala Harris in the Nov. 4, 2025, election to not focus on Donald Trump’s second presidency. “Here’s how it goes: Trump becomes president, the 92% say they are minding their own business,” the TikToker said....
Staff members at Harvard University leading its Slavery Remembrance Program have lost their jobs. The program, supported through a $100 million Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery initiative, helps find descendants of those enslaved by Harvard University’s leadership, faculty, or staff, note the Boston Globe and the Harvard Crimson. Recently, the program, which includes HSRP Director Richard J. Cellini and research fellow Wayne W. Tucker, discovered “several hundred people” who had been enslaved between 1660 and 1815 and shared their findings with the prime minister and governor-general of Antigua and Barbuda in hopes of gaining further insight into these areas. Just one week after the outreach, the program staff were laid off on Thursday, Jan. 23. Four months earlier, Cellini had claimed Vice Provost for Special Projects Sara N. Bleich warned the program “not to find too many descendants.” The program’s findings have revealed over 300 enslaved people were enslaved by the school’s...
Lupe Fiasco is stepping into academia to share his insights on rap! The artist, born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, announced on Instagram that he will join Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute this fall as a professor for its four-year Hip Hop degree program. The program is led by Hip-Hop producer Wendel Patrick, who serves as an associate professor of music engineering and technology at the Peabody Conservatory. “Thrilled to share that I’ll be joining the faculty at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute in Fall 2025 as a Distinguished Visiting Professor,” Lupe Fiasco wrote on Instagram. The rapper behind “The Show Goes On” later added, “The @peabodyinstitute is one of the oldest music conservatories in America. World renowned for its rigorous training and for producing some of the world’s greatest musicians, and I’m honored to contribute to this legacy doing what I love most, Rap.” As for what students can expect, the course will include lessons with a...
Inspiration can come from many sources. For Yara Shahidi , the star of “Grown-ish,” one of the many influential figures in her life is her cousin — Grammy-Award-winning rapper and entrepreneur Nas. During a recent appearance on the “Sherri” show, the actress, producer, and Harvard graduate shared Nas’ role in inspiring her to attend the Ivy League institution , according to Because Of Them We Can (BOTWC). “There’s so many artists in your family. I did not know that Nas is your cousin. And that Nas, the great, inspired you to go to Harvard ,” host Sherri Shepherd told Shahidi. The actress replied, “Yes! I think the one thing people know about him just through, even his music, is just how smart he is. And he has such a deep passion for our culture and for education. And so, the first time I got to step foot on Harvard’s campus was when he was announcing a fellowship for graduate students that were studying hip-hop.” Harvard launched the Nasir Jones Hiphop Fellowship in 2013. Designed...
Hello Alice’s steadfast commitment to supporting small businesses remained strong, even amid adversity. Founded in 2017 by Elizabeth Gore and Carolyn Rodz, Hello Alice is driven by a mission to support the growth and success of small businesses. This dedication was evident from the outset, especially when the company faced a financial setback due to the cancellation of South by Southwest (SXSW) at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Instead of moving forward with a large marketing campaign as planned, Hello Alice redirected those funds to launch a grant program, offering critical support to small business owners in need during a challenging time. “It was the biggest amount of money we’d ever spent on anything at the time. And then the world shut down and there’s initially that moment of us saying, ‘Oh my gosh, like what’s gonna happen to us?’ And then we said, ‘If we’re dealing with this, and here we are that we had the luxury of having raised capital, we had investment...
24-year-old actress Yara Shahidi felt protected when she entered the entertainment industry. At just 6 weeks old, she landed a photo shoot gig for a life insurance company, and by 6 years old, she had her first movie audition. In an interview with SoFi, led by Vivian Tu of Your Rich BFF, the actress reflected on her experience, noting that she was able to enjoy acting as a craft rather than as a means to support her family — a privilege she acknowledges isn’t always afforded to child stars. “My parents were able to set it up so that we had either family members or people that were helping us that were on set with another brother that were looking after me where they were able to dip out and do things for themselves,” she told SoFi. “So it was under that environment where I was able to have a fulfilling career at a young age and even be in my 20s, and say I’m happy I started that young. But it was so particular to being under those set of circumstances, which allowed me to enjoy...
Aoki Lee Simmons isn’t standing for how she says she has been treated at Harvard University. As previously reported by AfroTech, she is the youngest daughter of Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons. After enrolling at Harvard at only 16-years-old, Simmons has been pursuing modeling just like her mother along with a degree in computer science. However, according to Simmons’ TikTok, her professors have been disregarding her career, and the 20-year-old has spoken out. @aokileesimmons Maybe if I had a lacrosse game you’d give me the zoom link? ♬ Back End – Finesse2tymes “When professors love being accommodating for students with jobs and work opportunities they ‘respect,’ but modeling isn’t real work, in their opinion,” she wrote in the TikTok video.
Thanks to this partnership, students will receive funding to ensure they will reach the finish line at their university. According to a press release, the Anheuser-Busch Foundation has donated $200,000 to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) for the second year in a row. The investment will allocate up to $2,500 for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who need funding to fulfill their degree requirements. In 2021, 69 students were awarded financial assistance to walk across the graduation stage. “I would like to sincerely thank UNCF and Anheuser-Busch Foundation for the scholarship which enabled me to become a LeMoyne-Owen College graduate,” said Braxton Miller, a biology major at the college, in a statement. “I want to truly thank UNCF and Anheuser-Busch. You saved me when I had to pay for not one but two courses I had to take. You truly and honestly blessed me,” James Wilson, a Benedict College graduate who majored in criminal justice...
Jennifer Lopez is on a mission to ensure that the Latina community has access to more opportunities. Inc. reports that the global star has partnered with Grameen America — a nonprofit organization dedicated to low-income women entrepreneurs — for Latina entrepreneurs to have the opportunity to receive a $14 billion infusion in loan capital by 2030 .
Gina Belafonte is someone who walks the walk and talks the talk. As the executive director of Sankofa, she’s combining the arts and activism to carry on her father’s legacy. Though initially starting out as an actress, Gina Belafonte is now focusing her efforts on the organization her father started and choosing to focus her efforts on larger social justice causes. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t use entertainment to get her point across. On March 1, HB95 — a celebration of Harry Belafonte’s 95th birthday — will be a star-studded event that will take place at the Town Hall Theater in New York City. Proceeds will benefit Sankofa, whose mission “educates, motivates, and activates artists and allies in service of grassroots movements and equitable change,” per the organization’s official website. Their outreach is, of course, grassroots in nature — they work with local partners to amplify their message, but their amplification involves some of the biggest names in the entertainment...
The next generation of comic writers are defining today’s comic book industry, and a new initiative is empowering the voices of Black and diverse creators to get readers to turn the page to more Black superheroes. The Milestone Initiative Development Program was announced at DC FanDome as a new program from DC Comics, Milestone and WarnerMedia in collaboration with Ally, a digital financial services company, according to a press release provided to AfroTech. DC and @Ally are teaming up to bring Black and diverse comic book creators the first program under Next Gen DC, The Milestone Initiative! Here's how you can join the next evolution of Super Hero story telling: https://t.co/Uap1c7yCBk #DCMilestone #doitright #heroicALLY #DCFanDome pic.twitter.com/1q3NOgQbsY — DC (@DCComics) October 16, 2021 The initiative is the inaugural program from DC’s Next Generation DC, which recruits and mentors young writers, illustrators and creatives from underserved communities across the world. The...
Yara Shahidi is one of the leading voices of today’s generation, and her latest partnership is further affirmation of her influence. Today, Dell Technologies announced a multi-year partnership with the actress, entrepreneur and advocate to “inspire Gen-Z to use technology to drive their passions,” according to a press release provided to AfroTech. Shahidi will be working alongside Dell XPS to highlight how the brand’s laptops are a force for storytellers, visionaries and creatives like herself to bring their imagination to life. “ Technology has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I t’s something that touches nearly every aspect of our lives and has the power to make meaningful impact,” said Shahidi in a press release. “My work with Dell XPS is incredibly special to me because we are mobilizing my generation to use technology to make space for their unique stories and voices . ” Shahidi is the definition of a changemaker. And with her avid social activism and Dell...
Yara Shahidi has the amount of discipline that we all should aspire to have! When it comes to work-life balance, the 21-year-old actress has life totally figured out as she admits to dipping out on Sunday’s Emmys early to attend classes at Harvard University. “I do fly out tonight to make it to class in time,” shared the “Grown-ish” actress in an interview with ET. “The lovely people at The Academy really helped me out because I was like, ‘Guys, I have a hard out to make this flight.” That’s right, Shahidi put in a special request to present earlier in the ceremony in order to make her flight in time. She presented the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series to Brett Goldstein for “Ted Lasso” during the ceremony, which was hosted by Cedric The Entertainer. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yara (يارا) Shahidi (@yarashahidi) Not only did she have to adhere to her duty to present during the awards ceremony, but the young actress was happy to be on the...