Realizing that he had only been exploring one facet of his career, Thomas involved himself with VH1’s Save the Music Foundation and his childhood church. But just when he expected music to remain the focus of his career, the Chicago native discovered the ice cream business.

This summer Thomas is set to release Sexscene Ice Cream, a frozen dessert brand for adult and mature audiences only. Breaking down the transition from making music to ice cream, the “so emotional” singer opens up to BlackEnterprise.com about the hardships of the entertainment business, his latest album, Conquer and path to life’s creamy pleasure.

You were introduced to the entertainment world in 2000 with your debut album, Emotional. How have you managed to stay relevant to your fans for more than a decade?

People have seen so little of me, it’s hard to get sick of me. I haven’t really worn the audience out. [And], I don’t take it so serious. Music is something that is very serious to me, but the act of doing it has to entail a lot of fun for me. I always promised myself that when I stop having fun that’s it. As long as I’m enjoying myself while I’m giving myself to people musically, then I’ll always feel I have a future in this—there [will always be] another level for me to take my musical passion to.

Not including your most recent album, Conquer, there was a four-year gap from your last album until now. What kept you away and what’s brought you back now?

Some things happen for no rhyme and no reason. There’re a lot of things that go into why someone isn’t here anymore. There are a lot of details and a lot of circumstance, and although I’ve been the victim of many circumstances, none of those circumstances were strong enough to keep me away from the fans. I think that once you decide amongst yourself as an artist that who you’re here for and why you’re here… you can pretty much fight through anything.

There was a point when I was literally recording a song a day, and then it got to a point [where] I was recording one song a week, and then it got to a point where I was recording one song a month. Now, I’m back to the pace of recording a new song every two days. It just kind of organically happened that way so I can sort of feel the music taking precedence.

Despite having dealt with “situations,” you seem to still have maintained a level head. What’s kept you grounded?

You have to see light at the end of the tunnel if you’re really built for this [industry] and you really want to keep doing it. And might I add, you definitely could stand having the grace of God on your side because at the end of the day it’s nothing more than God’s grace that continues to allow me to relate to people. Grace represents such a thin line between where you are and where you could have been. And a lot of people, not just artists, don’t recognize that.

Here’s one of the smartest concepts that was ever taught to me: E + R = O. Now the “E” stands for the event factor, life’s events that come at us on a daily basis; on an hourly basis; on a minute-to-minute basis. Life’s events that we cannot control are the “E” factor. The “R” factor stands for the response factor. That is the part of the equation that you can control. And the “R” factor determines the “O” factor. The “O” factor stands for the outcome factor. One thing that exceptional people have in common is the “R” factor… how they respond in control to what they cannot control; how resourceful they are when something has been taken away. It follows on any level of life.

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While music is still a part of your repertoire, you’ve broken out into a new and unexpected field as an ice cream maker. How did you make that transition?

It’s called Sexscene Ice Cream—something that is definitely marketed towards adults and mature audiences. It’s just a multibillion-dollar industry that I wanted to tap into. Music has been able to create a lot of wonderful opportunities for me that I’ve been able to take advantage of, and it’s just a testament that if you stay faithful to what you love then it will draw your other dreams. One dream attracts the others.

How long has Sexscene Ice Cream been in the works?

About a year in actuality, but there’s a lot more business involved in the distribution of something like that. It was just as much about a learning experience as it was the passion, so I’m really thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to learn as much as I have during the development stages of this project. So right now I’m about to lean myself on public opinion.

Where are you looking to distribute the brand since it’s an adult product?

We have our own distributor and we’re going to start small, at 7-Elevens, and things of that nature. We’re going [to] put out small orders [then] get into some of the larger chains.

So from a business perspective, what else are you looking to get into over the next few years?

When you’re younger you just focus on one facet, and that’s really the only thing that you have your sites set on. When you become comfortable with that, you’re gift starts to make room for other things. I have been involved in everything from VH1’s Save the Music Foundation to getting heavily involved in the home church that I grew up in all the way to Sexscene Ice Cream. My focus now is really starting to gear towards music.

For fans of your music, what can they expect from your Conquer album?

It’s in stores right now and is one of the most interesting projects that I’ve ever been a part of because I think it’s the furthest that I’ve ever reached back into any of my influences, ever. I reach back to being a kid, watching MTV with the moon man. There are a lot of influences in this album that I’ve never tapped into before but I’ve always loved and have been very much a part of. The album is on Verve Universal Records, and the title Conquer is somewhat of a culmination of many things I’ve been through and been blessed enough to see the other side. Like you were just talking before about artists that don’t really manage to obtain longevity, a lot of them go through problems and go through obstacles and they really can’t see music on the other side.

Looking back on your career, do you feel you are where you imagined yourself being at this stage?

That’s a hard question for me to answer because I was so wild when I was younger that I didn’t really have a concept of where I wanted to be or would be. And I know that sounds funny, but my life up until the point where I turned 30 years old was, Let’s see if tomorrow comes… I’m going to close my eyes right now. Let’s see if they open in the morning.

Producer, Datari Turner

If the 1990’s were the golden age of Black Hollywood, with films like Eve’s Bayou, Boyz n The Hood and Love Jones, then the 2000’s are finally beginning to reap the benefits of that foundation. The recent domestic box office success of films like Jumping the Broom, which grossed six times its budget; Think Like a Man, which was No. 1 in the U.S. for two consecutive weeks; and virtually any Tyler Perry film demonstrate that Black films can be profitable. For producers such as former model turned independent Hollywood mogul, Datari Turner, such success only helps to further advance Black Hollywood.

Over the past several years, Turner has produced a diverse range of films including Dysfunctional Friends, Video Girl, and the all-White cast film starring Demi Moore, Another Happy Day. For Turner the doors being reopened by films like Think Like a Man, is the perfect opportunity to further diversify his portfolio with upcoming projects, including Neil LaBute’s Some Velvet Morning, starring Jeff Daniels, Kid Cannabis, starring Kellan Lutz and a tentative joint project with Sean “Diddy” Combs, Homecoming.

In between running around on set, Turner spoke with BlackEnterprise.com about why Black films fail overseas, his strategy to avoid being labeled solely a “Black” producer, why he doesn’t want a studio deal like Tyler Perry, and what Think Like a Man’s success means for Black Hollywood.

For many, Think Like a Man was a surprise success. What impact does that film’s box office draw have on the state of Black Hollywood?

I think it definitely helps Black Hollywood and Black films continue to get made. Now in Hollywood 70-80% of profits come from overseas. One thing Hollywood tells you is that Black films don’t translate well overseas. So when it can do that domestically it shows that we have an audience if the quality is there.

What challenges do you see limiting the success of Black films overseas, when Black culture is global and has a history of influencing people all over the world?

I think the reason why they haven’t started to be profitable overseas is because we don’t have anybody on the ground over there working those films to make sure they get into theaters and retail stores over there.  Black culture translates everywhere but for whatever reason they are not opening films [told from the African American perspective] in a lot of countries outside the U.S.

In regards to the international scene, oftentimes the topic of African cinema is overlooked when it comes to discussions of Black Hollywood.

Domestically, with Black films, I think we have a long way to go. Right now we need to continue to have openings like Think Like a Man and Jumping the Broom. In terms of separating African films vs. Black films, to me it’s all the same thing. I want to see more films with people of color being made period.

You just mentioned two romantic comedies with great success for Black Hollywood. Does that trend influence the type of films you support and produce since there is a proven market for it?

As an independent producer I can choose to tell the stories I am passionate about and get behind the kind of stories I want to make. I don’t want to be known as a Black producer, I want to be known as a producer that produces highbrow great movies. I’ve produced all kinds of films. I did one with an all-White cast called Another Happy Day, which won the Best Screenplay Award at Sundance and this year I produced LUV, which has Common, Danny Glover and Meagan Good. So to me I like to get behind great stories.

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Do you feel like Think Like a Man’s success will open the door for more independent producers outside of mainstays, Tyler Perry and Spike Lee?

I think two of the biggest production companies now in the business are Tyler Perry and Rainforest Films. I am a huge fan of Tyler Perry. He has his niche and is really hard working. He receives a lot of criticism but any person that went from homeless to half a billon you have to commend. I am also a huge fan of Rainforest. I look at myself and see that we are all in different lanes and important to the business. Those guys have studio deals and produce movies that cost from $10 million to $25 million. A lot of times with studio deals they want you to recycle that one type of film but with me I want to do drama’s, romantic comedies or a foreign language movie. As an independent producer I want films in Sundance and SXSW and the Cannes Film Festival. A lot of times they try to lump everybody in the same category but I’m not in a hurry for a studio deal. I admire those guys and I think we just need to continue to push and make quality films.

On April 10^th you tweeted, “I just did a deal with Bunim/Murray Productions to start creating more reality shows again. Tuesday = I’m not leaving no money on the table!” What can we expect from this deal?

As of recently I don’t like the state of reality TV. There were no girls puling each other’s hair out on the shows I’ve produced like The Ultimate Hustler and I Married a Baller. With reality TV it has to be positive and now I’m working on something really big. It’s about one of the wealthiest Black families in the country that owns the majority of a small town. Everybody in the family has PhD’s. The father has schools named after him. You would never think a Black family owned this much in one town. The father is a doctor and was the first Black accepted into Emory or one of these top schools in the 1940’s. It’s a story that more African-Americans have to see.

You had another interested tweet on April 16^th when you wrote, “Why is it that the person complaining about not enough quality Black films being made is the same person who would go buy a bootleg DVD #SMFH” Do you feel like audiences in the Black community don’t support Black films enough?

If you look at the 1990’s that is the heyday of Black films. Everything from Friday to Set it Off, and they didn’t all make a lot of money at the box office but home video sales were. New Jack City made $60 million on home video. If you look at a White film like The Tourist, it is considered a flop in the States with only $60 million at the box office and it cost $100 million to make, but internationally it did $275 million outside of the U.S. [Editor’s Note: The Tourist grossed an estimated $67 million domestically and $210 million in the foreign market.] With Black movies we don’t’ have the luxury to get released all over the world. So if they can’t make money off the film in the other 50 territories it has to make a lot of money on DVDs. Then when they bootleg DVDs it really does directly affect how many Black movies get made because it affects profits. I think people don’t realize that and you’re not saving money buying a bootleg for $5; you’re hurting your community.

By setting up multiple streams of income, Penny continues to build a diverse portfolio that will benefit him for years to come, and that others may learn from. BlackEnterprise.com had the opportunity to catch up with the avid golfer after he returned from Michael Jordan’s Annual Celebrity Golf Invitational and he spoke about his post-retirement success and why it’s never too late to go back to school.

The Foamposites are one of Nike’s top-selling shoes. What is your current involvement with the Foamposites and which pair is your personal favorite?

As I am still under contract with Nike, I am involved in the process through speaking to the guys that are building the shoes about what’s coming out next. They’ll show me some colors that have already been made and they’ll ask me what I like, what would I change, and what I would like to be added.

My favorite pair has to be the blue originals. When they first came out in the ’90s it was a shocker because that was before they even started making blue shoes. I also think the solid black and solid white colorways are pretty dope.

Some may be surprised at your post-NBA business portfolio. Which entrepreneurs, if any, do you look up to as business role models?

I have two people that I mainly look up to: Magic Johnson is one of them. He just blew everything out of the water. He didn’t make much money in basketball but since basketball has been over, he’s investing in the community and making a lot of money at the same time.

The next one I look up to is Sean Combs, who has always been a hustler. He never sleeps. He is always on the grind and I respect him for that. Let’s not take anything away from Russell Simmons or anybody like that but Puff just took those guys as his mentors and went harder.

You have several business projects, but you say that working with the Bottom Line Sports Show has really brought you back into the public eye. How did you start getting involved with the show?

It initially happened with them calling me and asking me for an interview. When I did the interview, it went so great; we could tell there was something that had to be built on. They called me back and asked if I wanted to be involved with the show. I accepted because it was the best interview I had ever had so I thought, “Man, this would be fun.” Later on, Gerald Brown, the show’s founder, asked me if I wanted to be an Executive Producer and I said sure. The show is growing, it’s a great show and it doesn’t degrade people, which I’m really proud of.

What do you see as the future of the show?

We are trying to do some big things with the Bottom Line Sports Show. It’s a matter of a few things happening the right way, getting the right look, the timing being perfect and once someone takes a chance on this show, I really believe it’s going blow up. We have all aspects that make a great show: the humor, the serious facts, knowledge, and more.

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How did your decision to open Caesar’s Palace Salon and Barber Shop come about?

It came about because one of my friends who had always been cutting our hair and he told me, “Man, I want to expand. I think I’m ready now that I understand the business side of [operating a shop].” The timing and his skill set matched with me wanting to help him grow as a barber was how it all happened. It took us a year to find the building because we wanted to be precise in choosing the right location. We finally found one downtown that we liked and then we moved in.

You recently donated $1 million to your alma mater, the University of Memphis. You also decided to go back to school. What made you go back to get your degree 10 years after you left to play in the NBA?

I wanted to go back to school because I made my grandmother a promise that I was going. I believe that education is important. Getting a college degree is something that a lot of people don’t do, especially athletes. When I graduated, it was definitely the happiest day of my life because it was like I really accomplished going back to school after I left and I really did not have to. It makes me proud every time I say it to a kid or to anyone.

Do you have any advice for players on how they can set themselves up for life after basketball?

I do, though, I must say a lot of guys really don’t listen because they believe what the retired players come and tell them will never happen to them. Too often you will have the guy making $16 million on a team and a guy that is making the minimum is hanging out with him, spending all his money. Don’t try to go out here and buy jewelry, a lot of clothes, and the most expensive car. Take care of yourself but don’t be so “come up” that you spend all your money trying to “keep up.”

My advice is to always pay attention to your business. Always take the time on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis to check on your bank account and pay your own bills. That’s one thing I started doing because at first, I was allowing the bank to pay my bills then I found out people were putting their cell phones on my account. Also, after you cover your mom and maybe buy you and her a house, put yourself on a legitimate budget.

How close are you to completing the Penny Hardaway Fast Break Courts 100,000 square foot facility in Memphis?

Since the facility will benefit the Memphis community, we met with and presented to the State Representatives in Nashville, to secure state funding. Once we get the money, it will be about 18 months before it is all said and done. We plan to host all kinds of tournaments there. It’s going to be filled with a lot of different sports, not only basketball, mentoring programs, ACT tutoring and all kind of things that will help keep these teens off the streets and help them achieve their dreams. I cannot wait.

What other projects are you looking forward to the most?

Right now I have an AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) program called Team Penny for children ages 12-17. I coach the 14 and under team and my friends coach the other teams and we’re trying to compete and win the national championship this summer. I also would like to be back on the big screen. I had a great experience filming Blue Chips and am certainly open to similar projects in the future.

Arthur Wylie, a self-made millionaire, shares his 'crazy and fearless' secrets to success in his latest book. (Photo: Arthur Wylie Enterprises)

Arthur Wylie made his first million by the age of 26—not by playing it safe and following all rules, but by using a “crazy and fearless” plan of attack.

As a college student, he started his own wealth management company, taking on clients from his dorm room.  “At the time, the job market was shrinking, and I knew the best way to get a job was to create one,” Wylie says. “I wanted to look at a way to earn money, be good by myself and contribute to my family.”

With a father in the financial services industry and several mentors, Wylie was able to expand his brand into film and real estate.

Today, the founder and CEO of Arthur Wylie Enterprises shares his secrets to success in his latest book, Only the Crazy and Fearless Win BIG! The Surprising Secrets to Success in Business and in Life (BenBella Books; $24.95), exploring the inspiring stories and enterprising success models of innovators and entrepreneurs who took risks and reaped the benefits of thinking beyond limits.

BlackEnterprise.com caught up with Wylie to find out how being crazy and fearless can lead to career fulfillment and lucrative prosperity.

BlackEnterprise.com: What are some of the skills that “crazy and fearless” leaders use every day?

Arthur Wylie: In the book, I looked at common traits of successful businesspeople — Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, Mark Zuckerberg, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Sara Blakely. They all had a crazy vision and created things even when they did not already exist. For whatever they wanted to do, they thought big. It wasn’t just about that, they put together a fearless plan of attack. They had a vision and a power plan, knew how to execute, how to market themselves and how to deal with the unknown. They were comfy with understanding that if they continued on their path, they wouldn’t have to worry about what would happen next because they did the right thing to prepare. They knew how to network with the right people and they were okay with dealing with that fear factor.

Speaking of the fear factor, many young people are taught to play it safe when it comes to life and their careers. How can young people tap into being crazy and fearless to achieve success?

Sometimes it’s a bigger risk not doing anything that goes above and beyond the norm. To say, ‘One day I’m just going to walk off my job’ is not what I’m talking about. You have to have a plan of attack—that crazy and fearless plan. You have to think beyond boundaries and execute.

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You’ve had mentors to help guide you in your path. How do mentors play into the “crazy and fearless” pursuit of success?

From Ray Kennedy [founder, president and CEO at American Product Distributors] to [businessman] Richard Griffin, who gave me the first office I could work out of for my business, to my father, who was in the insurance and investment game for over 30 years—their efforts were very instrumental. With mentors, you must look at what they do, understand how they do it, and move forward. It’s  essential to have them. Some you may know personally and some you may model after by example. You have to have these mentors to look at the steps they took toward their success and also learning from their failures.

When does crazy and fearless go too far in business?

When you go after a crazy idea with no plan of attack. It’s no good when you’re not looking at your vision and fleshing it out or you neglect to make sure you understand the process and create a business or life plan accordingly. You need to analyze and look at things, from short-term to mid-term to long-term goals. If you’re not doing those things, I think it’s stupid. It doesn’t make any sense. It’s okay to say, “Hey I want to get to the moon.” Many people would say that’s ‘crazy,’ but if you have a game plan for getting there, that’s success.

How does one go about thinking outside of the box to achieve the “crazy and fearless” success?

First understand, I didn’t even know there WAS a box. There is no box, and you can’t think out of something that is not there. Don’t limit yourself. You must create and innovate, as many of the successful people mentioned in my book have done.

Check us out tomorrow Wylie’s six “crazy and fearless” steps to career success, and a chance to win Arthur Wylie’s book Only the Crazy and Fearless Win BIG! The Surprising Secrets to Success in Business and in Life.

Celebrity stylist June Ambrose stars in VH1’s ‘Styled by June’ (Image: Source)

In the fashion world, you can be in one day and out the next. But longtime stylist June Ambrose is proof that with raw talent and amazing drive, you can be a sought-after industry mainstay.

Just peruse through the A-list celebrities the Mode Squad, Inc. owner has styled, from Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige to Mariah Carey and Will Smith, to see how her style transformations changed their careers. Most notably, Ambrose gave Jay-Z’s wardrobe an executive flair by placing the Brooklyn-born rapper in an Armani suit; Missy Elliott a futuristic, superhero-esq ensemble in her debut video “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” and suited both hip-hop mogul Diddy and rapper Mase in shiny red getups in Notorious B.I.G’s “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems” video.

The self-proclaimed “Curator of Style” has stepped outside of strictly styling, penning her first book Effortless Style, serving as spokesperson for well-known brands like Degree Deodorant and McDonalds’ Southwest Salad, spearheading creative ventures with Adidas and Rocawear, as well as appearing as the on-air style expert of the X Factor USA.

On the heels of the debut of Ambrose’s VH1 reality show Styled by June, premiering Monday, March 19 at 9:30pm EST, BlackEnterprise.com caught up with the style extraordinaire to chat about branding, remaining relevant in one’s industry, and what’s going on in the “June-iverse.”

Videography and editing by Samtubia Edwards

The "Y Rappers Are Better Marketers Than U" session started off with the famous Jay-Z quote, “I sell water to a well” (Image: Winston Ford)

When most people think of the world of hip-hop, they think of larger than life bravado, egregious product placement, and controversial lyrics. However, entertainers in hip-hop have consistently engaged their fans on a grassroots level, building successful business models based on forging an emotional connection with their listeners.

Presenters Bill Paul and John McHale of creative agency SapientNitro break down how rappers have built creative strategies to leverage their brand. From product integration to digital and social media, the hustler culture of hip-hop has transformed rappers into viable self-promoters. So what can Diddy, Jay-Z and Eminem teach you about business?

The “Y Rappers Are Better Than You” panel held Saturday morning did just that. The venue was packed with advertising and marketing participants in town for 2012 South By Southwest Interactive. The session started off with the famous Jay-Z quote “I sell water to a well,” harking on the consistent salesman mentality that many rappers employ.  And it’s paying off.  According to Forbes, there will be five rappers in particular that will make a billion dollars in net wealth.

There are several strategies rappers utilize to promote an effective brand image. “Stay Legit,” remaining focused on your roots and true to that brand will allow your customers to maintain a continuous connection to your brand. Even successful rappers stay connected to their roots. Artists like Jay-Z have not changed their “hustler” image even after success and fame hit. He has maintained that consistent persona over his 15-year long career.

Coca-Cola alienated consumers by changing iconic red cans for a special polar bear campaign last winter. The Gap caused an uproar last year when they tried redesigning their logo. Both companies forgot that their customers connect with their brand image and what it represents.

Rappers have also been successful in, as McHale says, “finding a bigger venue.” The aspiration of moving out of the ‘hood has led to MCs expanding their brands and leveraging it into mainstream culture. For example, Dr. Dre launching Beats By Dre headphones, or Common and Ice Cube leveraging their music success into film careers, shows what thinking outside of the box can do.

Successful rappers also understand social media’s two-way principle better than most brands. Eminem has 10 million fans on Twitter while the candy M&M has only 10,000 followers.  Fans engage with the unfiltered, sometimes controversial tweets by rappers and musicians. Brands were encouraged to learn to be more personable to their social media fans, and not focus on “design by committee” tweets that sound impersonal and don’t allow fans to connect. In this way your business is advised to behave like a regular person would, focusing on establishing an emotional connection. Most importantly, know your brand like you know yourself.

One of the more interesting topics of the presentation focused on causing controversy to create awareness. Face it: Controversy sells. Rappers know this all too well, from Kanye West’s interruption of Taylor Swift’s MTV acceptance speech to pop star MIA flipping the bird of the Super Bowl XLVI. Obviously, these tactics can’t work for your business, but a strategy to take on a bigger opponent could be worthwhile. Paul made the analogy of the Coke-Pepsi rivalry in the 80s to the West Coast versus East Coast rap beef of the 90s.  In this case, rappers realized that there is nothing wrong with bad PR.

As someone mentioned in the panel, hip-hop was one of the first musical forms to openly embrace capitalism. Hip-hoppers have always cherished and reached out to aspirational brands. Based on the packed house at this SXSW, it seems that the brands are reaching back.

Follow BlackEnterprise.com’s coverage of 2012 South by Southwest (SXSW) at blackenterprise.com/technology .

YouTube film bringing attention to Ugandan leader Joseph Kony went viral with over 56 million views (Image: File)

For the past few days social media feeds have been erupting with “Stop Kony” messages, videos, and photos. The 30-minute YouTube film on the Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony uploaded  Monday went viral and has more than 56 million views (at press time).

The nonprofit charity Invisible Children Inc. uploaded the video to bring attention to Kony and the rebel group Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), which has terrorized central Africa for several years. The viral attention garnered celebrity endorsements from Oprah, Rihanna, and Sean “Diddy” Combs, to name a few.

In October, President Obama sent 100 troops to Uganda to help regional forces battle the LRA and capture or kill Kony.

On April 20, the group is asking supporters to cover their hometowns with posters calling for the militia leader to be brought to justice, reports ABC News. Supporters can sign a petition and contribute to the cause by buying T-shirts, posters and bracelets on its website.

Watch the video below:

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Revolt is set to launch in 2013 (Image: File)

Last month we reported on music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs’ plans to launch a music-themed cable network with Comcast, but, based on today’s announcement, there’s more in store.

Comcast announced Tuesday that four-minority owned networks will be launched on its cable TV systems early next year, including channels run by Combs and Earvin “Magic” Johnson.  The leading cable company will also power two new, English-language Hispanic offerings led by Spanish language TV veteran Constantino “Said” Schwartz and film director Robert Rodriguez.

Combs’ new channel Revolt will be inspired by the instantaneous nature of social media. He is working alongside former MTV programming executive Andy Schuon on the live music-meets-music-news channel. “We’re building this platform for artists to reach an extraordinary number of people in a completely different way,” said Combs. “Revolt will be live, like all great moments in television history.”

Johnson’s channel, Aspire, is focused on delivering programming to African-Americans

Earvin “Magic” Johnson's Aspire is scheduled to launch by summer 2012 (Image: File)

families.” The enterprise created with GMC TV will broadcast movies, documentaries, short films, music, comedy, and inspirational programs.

“Aspire will be a network that encourages and challenges African-Americans to reach for

their dreams and will appeal to all generations,” said the Los Angeles Lakers legend. “Aspire will celebrate our heritage, our groundbreaking achievements and the fearless talent that has shaped American culture.”

Aspire is scheduled to launch by the summer; Revolt has entered into an agreement to launch in 2013.

(Image: File)

Brand baron Sean “Diddy” Combs is adding yet another venture onto his extensive, multi-million dollar empire. Combs is expanding his brand with the launch of a music-themed cable network, according to a report from Broadcasting & Cable.

The new channel, Revolt, will launch on Dec. 12 and be distributed via Comcast.  The entertainment mogul is reportedly working alongside former MTV programming executive Andy Schuon on the music/music news channel.

The deal comes nearly a year after the cable provider announced it would solicit proposals for “independent channels” as a promise to the Federal Communications Commission to help launch-minority-owned networks. Comcast plans to launch 10 over the next eight years, including four under African-American control, two being majority Hispanic-owned and two being operated by American Latino programmers.

Combs is no stranger to television. He launched a bevy of branded series for MTV, including three successful iterations of Making the Band, a spinoff, Making His Band, and P. Diddy’s Starmaker, as well as VH1’s I Want to Work for Diddy, a series documenting the tycoon’s search for an assistant. The entrepreneur has also made appearances on several shows, from CSI: Miami to Entourage.

With Bad Boy Records, marketing firm Blue Flame, clothing lines Sean Jean and Enyce under his belt and the Diageo vodka deal, Diddy is making a pretty penny—or more like plethora of cash—with an estimated net worth of $500 million.