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An affordable housing project supported by NBA great Allen Iverson in Newport News, VA, is moving forward. Iverson Landing 13 News reports that Iverson teamed up with developer Alvin Keels Jr. on the project named Iverson Landing, which is geared toward working families and part of an overall effort to increase housing options in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones has also been vocal about affordable housing options with a goal of opening 21,000 affordable housing units by 2050, and he intends to reach it by working with emerging developers “who will shape the future of our communities,” he said in a Facebook post. This puts Iverson and Keels’ project squarely in line with a broader agenda to invest in affordable housing. The Iverson Landing will be based in Newport News, Iverson’s hometown, which he credits with shaping the person he is today — an NBA legend, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, tech investor, and vice president of Reebok...
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is still on top. ‘Cowboy Carter’ Tour The artist has been having quite a year. Her most recent album, “Cowboy Carter,” was released in March 2024 and honored her southern country roots. She earned Grammy awards for “Album of the Year” and “Best Country Album” the following year and began a global tour. “This was born from my love and respect for the rich country genre,” Beyoncé told Pollstar about “Cowboy Carter.” “The overall intention for this tour was to celebrate American resiliency,” she continued. View this post on Instagram The “Cowboy Carter” tour has now become the top-earning world tour in 2025. According to IQ Magazine, the tour generated $407.6 million from 1.57 million ticket sales, across 32 shows. “The impact of the ‘Cowboy Carter’ era on the country genre will only continue to grow. It has reinvigorated a space that now has a new audience. And in ten years, the young girls and boys who saw the show will become adults who believe they can be...
The Weeknd has closed an unconventional catalog deal. AFROTECH™ has reported various master’s and publishing deals over the years, which include Nelly, Hit-Boy, Wiz Khalifa, and T-Pain, who all secured deals with Black woman-owned HarbourView Equity Partners. The Weeknd — also known as Abel Tesfaye — appears to be the next artist in line to secure a deal tied to his catalog. Variety reports the “Wake Me Up” artist has finalized a deal with Lyric Capital Group, an investment firm focused on music royalties, to invest in his master’s and publishing catalog through 2025, while he and his team maintain creative control and continue as shareholders and owners. Additionally, half of the artist’s publishing rights were owned by Chord Music Partners. The exact value of the deal was not disclosed . The deal is said to be a “first-of-its-kind,” per Variety. The Weeknd was not interested in the sale of his catalog, which opened doors to an agreement that allows him and his team to maintain...
Bun B always saw the full potential of what has become a beloved burger spot in Houston. The UGK rapper is co-founder of Trill Burgers, which offers smash burgers, lemonade, and fries, and on Tuesdays, smash tacos. Andy Nguyen (creative director) and Nick Scurfield (chief marketing officer), as well as chefs Mike Pham (chief operating officer) and Fernando Valladares (executive chef) are also co-founders in the business. Trill Burgers’ first storefront opened in the Montrose neighborhood of Houston in 2023 and had already secured the accolade of making the best burger in America by “Good Morning America” a year earlier, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. The business has been a fixture at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo since 2023 and also earned its Gold Buckle Foodie Award for Best Classic Fair Food. Additionally, Trill Burgers is a vendor at Texas Dow Employees Credit Union Stadium for University of Houston football games, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. “I’ve...
Is T-Pain taking over Twitch? The “I’m Sprung” artist currently has 1.1 million followers on the platform. While speaking on “Club Shay Shay,” he shared that he’s using Twitch to take fans behind the scenes on how he develops his music, starting with the first beat, leading up to the release of a song, which can sometimes be done in the span of a week. He says most of his studio workflow is a solo grind, with his wife and children occasionally joining him to help write a few bars. “I’m making all my music on Twitch,” he said on the podcast. “Every single that I release, everything that happens right now, you can clock it from me making the first sound to putting it out. Like all the way from me making the first sound of the beat, making the whole beat, recording the vocals, and then putting it out. I can show you the entire process on Twitch. It’s been not only a liberating thing for me, but it’s turned into an eyeopener to the viewers, for other artists,” he added. And he’s not the...
Beyoncé has another blooming partnership under her belt. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the Houston-born singer inked a partnership with Levi’s following the release of her single featuring Post Malone titled “Levii’s Jeans.” The partnership has led to $65 million in media value for the company and a 12% increase in its women’s denim business. “What I can tell you is our partnership has exceeded expectations, both in terms of what it has done to be part of the equation to drive our top-line sales, you know, year to date — our sales are up in the high single digits. And our profit margins are expanding,” Levi Strauss CEO Michelle Gass shared with CBS News. What’s more, Beyoncé has also been making waves with her partnership with Ulta Beauty, which carries her award-winning, science-backed haircare brand Cécred. This brought the self-funded venture to customers across 1,400 Ulta Beauty locations beginning in April 2025, according to a press release. “Launching Cécred exclusively at...
Michael Jordan and other team owners have officially reached a settlement with NASCAR in a federal antitrust case. Jordan made history in 2020 when he joined Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin to launch a NASCAR team with Bubba Wallace as the driver. He became the first Black owner of a full-time team in the league’s premier series since Hall of Famer Wendell Scott, according to a press release. Jordan is no stranger to team ownership, having previously served as the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets from 2010 to 2023, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. His interest in NASCAR was planted during his childhood in North Carolina. “Growing up in North Carolina, my parents would take my brothers, sisters, and me to races, and I’ve been a NASCAR fan my whole life,” Jordan said in the news release. “The opportunity to own my own racing team in partnership with my friend, Denny Hamlin, and to have Bubba Wallace driving for us, is very exciting for me. Historically, NASCAR has struggled...
Elaine Welteroth, journalist and founder of nonprofit birthFUND, wants people to help Black women and women of color access supportive birth care. In a viral TikTok video reportedly captured in the triage area of Dallas Regional Medical Center in Mesquite, TX, patient Karrie Jones is asked a series of questions, such as her due date, by a white nurse while Jones is sitting in a wheelchair in pain, minutes away from giving birth, per NBC News. Jones supposedly had to wait more than half an hour before being admitted to the hospital. Less than a week later, a separate viral video showed an incident of reported negligence in Franciscan Hospital in Crown Point, IL, with patient Mercedes Wells, notes NBC News. She was experiencing contractions, which she told the outlet meant she wouldn’t be far from delivering. However, she spent six hours at the hospital and was reportedly never seen by a doctor, just a nurse, and was sent home. Within eight minutes of leaving the hospital, her...
A new cohort of small businesses has received a financial boost to power their business with AI. The C oramino Fund Through The Coramino Fund, the investment arm of Kevin Hart and Juan Domingo Beckmann’s tequila company Gran Coramino, $10,000 grants have been allocated to small business owners over the past three years so they can utilize AI training provided by 1st Street Partnerships to improve their operations. The program was launched in partnership with Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC) and is part of a $1.5 million commitment to support more than 150 under-resourced entrepreneurs across the U.S. and Mexico as they compete with larger companies, according to information provided to AFROTECH™. “According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 20% of new businesses fail within their first year, and nearly 50% fail by their fifth year. The most successful entrepreneurs — locally and nationally — are the ones that have support, whether from their networks, communities,...
Beyoncé’s partnership with Levi’s is delivering strong returns. “Cowboy Carter,” the eighth studio album from the Houston-born singer, was released on March 29, 2024. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 , and Beyoncé won Best Country Album and Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammy Awards, according to The New York Times. Among the tracks listed on the album is “Levii’s Jeans” featuring Post Malone. Six months after the single’s release, a global partnership between iconic denim brand Levi’s and Beyoncé was announced and has been faring well. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the company’s stock rose by 20% one week after “Levii’s Jeans” was released, leading to a surge in sales of its denim skirts and pants. “One of the things that really is significant about the Levi’s brand, and we place a lot of emphasis and investment, is making sure that Levi’s brand remains in the center of culture,” Levi Strauss CEO Michelle Gass previously shared with CBS News. “And I don’t think there’s...
Tracy Morgan finds fulfillment in his charity work. The actor and comedian recently told PEOPLE that through his partnership with the Edison, NJ–based Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, he has donated more than $200,000 to provide food and support to 19,000 families. According to the foundation’s website, it raises funds for programs and services across the Hackensack Meridian Health network, helping modernize facilities, advance treatments, support research, train future physicians, and strengthen healthcare delivery in local communities. “It’s fun to get the love and support, but it’s better when you give it back,” Morgan said, according to PEOPLE. “That’s what I want to teach my children. More than a great education, I just want [Maven] and her brothers to be empathic.” Morgan, 57, told the outlet that his personal experiences, including a serious car crash in 2014, shaped his outlook on life. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, he was among several people injured in a...
In a recent interview, T-Pain shared he could have made more money from his hit song, “Buy U A Drank.” The rapper from Tallahassee, FL, first experienced commercial success with the release of “I’m Sprung” in 2005, which was the lead single from his debut album “Rappa Ternt Sanga.” The song peaked at No. 8 and remained on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart for 26 weeks, Revolt reports. In 2007, “Buy U A Drank” was released and was even more successful. The song reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart and went triple Platinum, according to Genius. T-Pain reflected on the success of the single and how it impacted his wealth on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast. He made revenue, but suggested he could have earned more if the masters and publishing rights agreement had been different. His song paid respect to rappers Lil Scrappy and Lil Jon, prompting the artists to claim publishing rights. “When I did ‘I’mma Buy U A Drank, then I’mma take you home with me. I got money in the bank.’ As soon as I...
Tabitha Brown is clearing the air about her partnership with Target. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the retailer rolled back on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments in early 2025, a move that helped fuel a consumer boycott that remains ongoing. While Target was not the only major retailer to scale back DEI efforts, many critics focused on the company because of its previous push to support Black-owned businesses and other minority groups. Brown is among those business owners whose products are sold at Target stores. She is under a licensing deal with the retailer, and her haircare brand Donna’s Recipe — launched in partnership with Gina Woods — is shelved in the store, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. Brown made a discreet Instagram post on January 24, not mentioning a single word, but the implication that she was referencing the retailer was evident. During an interview on iHeartPodcast’s “Not My Best Moment” hosted by KevOnStage, Brown shared how Black...
Victoria Monét wants to see more guardrails regarding AI’s role in the music industry. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the “On My Mama” singer discussed Xania Monet, an AI artist who topped Billboard charts and secured a multi-million-dollar record deal, as previously reported by AFROTECH™. The AI artist was created by Telisha “Nikki” Jones, a Mississippi-born poet and entrepreneur who writes Xania’s music. “There’s real emotions and soul put into those lyrics,” Jones said in an interview with “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King. Victoria is among the artists criticizing Xania, suggesting it may have been created using her likeness. Victoria also added that when her friend submitted a prompt to ChatGPT asking it to create an image of “Victoria Monét making tacos,” and the image it generated resembled Xania. “It’s hard to comprehend that, within a prompt, my name was not used for this artist to capitalize on,” she told Vanity Fair. “I don’t support that. I don’t think that’s fair....
Shaquille O’Neal has once again invested in Atlanta’s youth. In 2021, the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation opened the Shaquille O’Neal Boys & Girls Club of Henry County, which included a learning center, computer lab, arts & crafts center, music studio, game room, multipurpose room, and gym, according to its website. Prior to its opening, the foundation invested over $1 million to support renovations with the support of additional partners. According to Empower Atlanta Magazine, staff acknowledged that the club has been helpful to families by providing academic support, mentorship, and after-school programming. “The Boys & Girls Club always provided a safe space for me when I was growing up,” O’Neal said in a 2022 news release. “It shaped who I am today, and I’m proud to help create similar pathways to success for the kids of Henry County.” O’Neal has doubled down on his commitment to the youth at the 2025 Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Youth of the Year Gala, which recognizes teens...