Cam’ron And Mase Say Diddy’s Home Raids Are ‘Reparations’
The podcast co-hosts suggested that the past year had been a form of payback for Diddy, alluding to his ongoing financial disputes with Mase.
March 25 was a tumultuous day for rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, as federal agents raided his homes and detained family members as part of a sex trafficking investigation spurred by a series of sexual assault lawsuits against him, Uproxx reported. Coincidentally, it also marked the anniversary of two albums closely tied to Combs’ musical legacy: The Notorious B.I.G.’s Life After Death and The Diplomats’ Diplomatic Immunity.
On their sports podcast It Is What It Is, Cam’ron and Mase commented on the “eerie” timing of the raids, dubbing Diddy’s legal troubles as “reparations.”
The crux of their comments revolved around Mase’s long-standing financial grievances with Combs, dating back to the early 2000s. Despite his contributions to iconic albums like Life After Death and pivotal role as a Bad Boy artist following The Notorious B.I.G.’s death, Mase felt he was never adequately compensated by Diddy. In 2023, after years of dispute, Combs sold Mase the publishing rights to his music recorded under Bad Boy, alongside those of other artists.
During the podcast, Mase remarked, “Reparations is getting closer and closer,” to which Cam’ron responded, “I ain’t got nothing to do with that money, that’s all yours.” They went on to suggest that the past year had been a form of payback for Diddy, alluding to his ongoing financial disputes with Mase.
Mase, who signed with Diddy’s Bad Boy Records in 1996, announced in December 2012 that he was leaving the label. “Feel So Good” was his debut single, released in October 1997, and remains his bestselling single. He also wrote songs for various Bad Boy artists, including the hit “Mo Money Mo Problems” for The Notorious B.I.G.
In a previous episode, Mase reflected on his departure from Bad Boy, saying, “Even though I made those decisions and it cost me money, that’s why [when] I got with [Cam’ron], [God] gave me the money back. I didn’t [really] lose no money. Destiny.” Those remarks underscored his belief that his departure from Bad Boy ultimately led to financial restitution, validating his decision to leave the label.
Serial Entrepreneur Leads Flourishing Tax Services Enterprise, Inspires Black Entrepreneurs Nationwide
Danni Washington is working to teach her clients the ropes of the tax industry to help her community create generational wealth.
With billboards in 15 different states, at the helm of a flourishing tax services enterprise is Mississippi native Danni Washington, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Washington Credit & Tax Solutions, LLC.
Driven by an unwavering desire to inspire the next generation of young, Black entrepreneurs in the tax sector, the mental health advocate has built multiple successful tax businesses boasting an impressive network of 32 locations dedicated to delivering unparalleled tax preparation services for those filing self-employed, individual, and business returns.
Now, she continues her endeavors as she uses her initiative to bridge the gaps for people of color facing financial disparities.
“I was basically just hiring people that work at restaurants…just people that make the bare minimum,” the tax powerhouse told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I was giving them a chance to make more money in a little amount of time. So, I would get them certified and everything, and within two to three months, they probably made their first $100k…$200k.”
Washington has helped over 40 tax partners launch their own companies from the ground up. “From registering their business to purchasing bank products and software, I allow them to use my bank products to support their business,” she shared. “I also help them with funding.”
Making money and creating generational wealth is one of the benefits of understanding the industry, which she said is “something that will be ongoing forever.” The CEO, who is also a beauty and fashion influencer, said filing taxes is something we all should know.
“Where I’m from…we weren’t raised to understand the tax industry,” Washington said. “I just feel like the finance world should be for everyone” and understanding the changes is important because filing taxes is a priority. When we learn how to do things for ourselves, we eliminate mess-ups…that’s why I try to teach everyone that I can.”
Keeping Track Of Business
It’s not so much about expanding, but picking the right team. Tax companies should be intentional about who they put inside their offices. “The right team takes you further,” said Washington, who has expanded from having 12 contractors to 349.
“You have to lock yourself into your office,” she added.
Washington has several accountants to help new business owners keep up with things like bookkeeping and expenses. Washington gives her clients opportunities beyond taxes as she also acts as a financial coach. Other investments that have worked for her entrepreneurial success, she extends to her clients. “Even though I teach them how to make the money, I make sure they grow the money as well.”
Aspiring Tax Professionals
Washington holds trainings every 90 days, four times a year. She offers her clients bookkeeping services, accounting, personal and business taxes. Washington also offers coaching for those who may not be interested in establishing a tax company, but still desire to learn about taxes in general. Training for partners includes marketing materials, forming websites, jot forms, radio ads, flyers, setting fees, and training on how to coach your own team.
The businesswoman, who initially attended college to become a behavioral therapist, is currently converting over to the Association of Rich Tax Professionals (ARTP), a tax service bureau company with a mission to provide education, support, and innovative solutions for entrepreneurs in the tax industry. As the owner, she has built a team ready and willing to help provide the necessary tools for entrepreneurs to succeed in tax preparation and business development as they accomplish their own financial goals and build their communities.
ARTP provides tax preparation training, tax software and bank products, virtual one-on-one tax training, business development support, and individual and business filing.
Still Owe From Previous Years?
Washington also does back taxes for those who haven’t filed taxes in previous years. “I always start mid-March to April,” she said. “For the ones that owe, the first thing I look at is the tax return to make sure it was done properly.” If there was a mistake with how they reported any information, she helps them complete the amendment process with a goal to try to keep her clients from owing anything.
Prior to filing taxes, Washington worked with thousands of clients on building their credit. “Credit can get you more things than your social security number can get you,” she said. She also has partners who offer credit services.
Meet the tax mogul in Atlanta this weekend from March 29-30, for the Women Making History ATL Social.
Georgia State University To End Prison Education Program After Budget Cuts
The university will shutter its prison education program this summer.
Georgia State University officials believe that a change in how Pell Grants are allocated plus a major budget decrease played a role in the university’s decision to shutter its prison education program this summer.
As Georgia State University Provost Nicolle Parsons-Pollard told WABE, “While the decision was not made lightly, it reflects the university’s commitment to responsible financial management and ensuring existing educational initiatives receive the necessary support and resources. These financial challenges make it difficult to allocate resources to new initiatives, including the PEP program.”
As Georgia Recorder reported, difficulties in securing federal financial aid and a $24 million budget decrease by the Georgia General Assembly were cited as reasons the program is coming to an end. The university indicated that students currently enrolled in the program will be allowed to finish their courses.
Some faculty members are disappointed by the university’s decision. Katherine Perry, an English professor at Perimeter College, which is affiliated with GSU, told the outlet that the end of the program represented another disappointment for the incarcerated people it served.
“These students have been disappointed in their lives over and over and over again,” said Perry, one of three founders of the program since 2016.
Perry continued, “For me, it’s so important that they not put education in that bucket of things that let them down because that’s why most of them didn’t get their education before.”
Experts like Stacy Bell, an English professor at Emory University and a board member of the Georgia Coalition for Higher Education in Prison, are concerned about what this could mean for similar programs.
“We have the fourth largest prison system in the country and we have a really underserved population here,” Bell told the Recorder. “And without Georgia State, it raises really big questions about what’s happening to the higher education-in-prison movement here in Georgia.”
Pell Grants for the incarcerated had been banned since 1994, but that changed in 2020, when access to the federal financial aid program was restored. It kicked off a wave of new prison education programs at universities, like the one at Georgia State.
Kayla James, senior program associate with the Unlocking Potential initiative at the Vera Institute of Justice, a research and policy organization focused on matters relating to criminal justice, told Inside Higher Ed that these programs need greater racial equity. “We’re not going to see the true potential of what this really big opportunity is if we’re not thinking about everyone who’s interested in pursuing a degree having the opportunity to earn one,” James said. “We need to think about using a racial equity lens to improve the quality of these programs.”
Sultana Shabazz, dean of corrections education at Tacoma Community College’s Washington Corrections Center for Women campus, told the outlet that the Pell Grant for incarcerated students had to be used in a more judicious manner than their free-world counterparts.
“There’s only so much Pell. Once you use it, it’s gone,” said Shabazz, who also stressed the importance of talking to students about their career goals post-incarceration. “It’s imperative that we make strategic decisions based on what the population of a facility is looking for and [that] gives them the best set of options that doesn’t squander their Pell.”
Similar to James, Stanley Andrisse, a formerly incarcerated person who is now executive director of From Prison Cells to PhD, an organization that helps formerly incarcerated people start careers, believes that racial equity starts with who runs these incarcerated education programs.
“Formerly incarcerated and currently incarcerated people need to be part of the leadership of higher education institutions and community-based organizations moving Pell restoration forward,” Andrisse told Inside Higher Ed, noting that many prison education programs are often led by white women, despite many incarcerated people being Black and brown and also male. “If we don’t see that as a really integral part of this new era, we will not only be missing out on an opportunity but could be setting ourselves up for damaging situations.”
Donald Trump Given Grace In Appeals Court After Reducing Bond To $175M In Civil Fraud Case
How does this man keep getting off?
A New York State appeals court reduced bond in the civil fraud case against former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants to $175 million from the $464 million judgment — and they have 10 days to post it.
The ruling was handed down on March 25 by a panel of state Appellate Division judges, all appointed by Democratic governors. The four-time indicted businessman said he “greatly respects” the decision, as his attorney had said coming up with the original bond amount was a “practical impossibility.”
“I greatly respect the decision of the appellate division and I’ll post the $175 million in cash or bonds or security or whatever is necessary very quickly within the 10 days,” Trump said as he left the New York courtroom. “And I thank the appellate division for acting quickly.”
Before the ruling, Trump was responsible for paying $454 million, a majority of the fraud judgment. That amount increased by more than $111,000 a day due to additional interest. On his Truth Social site, the presumptive GOP nominee claimed he had close to $500 million in cash that he planned to use for his 2024 presidential campaign. However, he hasn’t used his own money toward his presidential campaigns since first running in 2016.
To fund his campaign, Trump has pushed the idea of mortgaging or selling off his properties, claiming he would be forced to do so at “Fire Sale prices.”
According to court filings, Trump’s legal team noted that normally, bond companies “require collateral of approximately 120% of the amount of the judgment.” In this case, it would have been about $557 million.
In one filing a week ago, Trump’s lawyers said they hadn’t been able to secure a bond and had approached 30 companies through four separate brokers in an attempt to negotiate with the world’s largest insurance companies. Other bond companies will not “accept hard assets such as real estate as collateral” but “will only accept cash or cash equivalents” like marketable securities, his lawyers said.
While the ruling is a win for the Trump team, it’s considered a loss for state Attorney General Letitia James’ office, pausing their push to begin collecting on the judgment. With this revelation, Alina Habba, Trump’s attorney, took the opportunity to mock James. “We won,” Habba said on Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime.
“You know, no — we didn’t win. You know when we’ll win? When we get this all reversed, which is what’s gonna happen.”
Habba has openly criticized James and Judge Arthur Engoron, who originally ordered Trump to pay $355 million before interest upon ruling that Trump conspired to lie about his net worth in order to receive better treatment from banks and insurers. The attorney said James had to “eat every single tweet” she’ once’d posted, and challenged the DA to post online after the court’s decision, saying she “would love to see” what James had to say.
“So, what happened today was that Letitia had to eat every single tweet she has posted since the day the twisted order from Judge Engoron came out with the ridiculous number with the disgusting injustice on the American people, not just Donald Trump,” Habba said.
She didn’t get her wish, however, as James was tweeting from Washington, D.C., defending access to Mifepristone, an FDA drug used for abortions. “Mifepristone is safe and effective, and it has been used by millions of people,” James wrote. “I’ll never stop fighting because it’s your body, and it should always be your choice.”
Jasmine Guy Hopes Bill Cosby’s Legacy With HBCUs Still Stands
The actress is hopeful that Bill Cosby's contributions to HBCUs like Spelman College won't be erased from the history of Black education.
Despite Bill Cosby’s criminal convictions, A Different World actress Jasmine Guy is acknowledging the educational contributions the actor has made to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) over the years.
Speaking to “Page Six,” Guy remembered Cosby’s pivotal role in bringing attention to these institutions established to provide higher education for Black American students. A Different World‘s main character, Denise Huxtable, attended a fictional HBCU named Hillman College, which Guy described as Cosby’s “brilliant” idea, to “put HBCUs on the map.”
As part of their HBCU College Tour kickoff in March, the cast of A Different World visited Spelman College in Atlanta, which served as the backdrop for the Hillman College campus in The Cosby Show spinoff.
The entire @SpelmanCollege community was excited and proud to welcome the cast of A Different World to campus. It was only fitting that they chose to kick off their HBCU College Tour at Spelman, which was the visual backdrop for the iconic show. pic.twitter.com/T7KznuzVtq
— Helene Gayle, M.D., MPH (@SpelmanPres) March 1, 2024
Spelman’s records reveal that the show’s producers visited in 1992 to discuss script ideas with students. Years later, the Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Academic Center and the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art were established with support from the Cosbys, who announced a donation of $20 million in 1987. By 1999, the college noted it was ranked by BLACK ENTERPRISE as the No. 1 best environment for Black collegians.
However, the all-women college severed ties with Cosby after multiple women accused him of sexual assault. BLACK ENTERPRISE covered the 2015 announcement that revealed Spelman had discontinued the professorship endowed by Cosby and returned funds to the Clara Elizabeth Jackson Carter Foundation established by his wife, Camille Cosby. This decision came shortly before Cosby’s conviction for the 2004 sexual assault accusations of Temple University executive Andrea Constand, for which he served three years in prison.
Since his release in 2021, Cosby and his wife have faced financial turmoil, forcing them to scale back from their lavish lifestyle after being hit with several lawsuits and tax liens, BE noted in 2023.
Converse Was ‘Uncomfortable’ With Tremain Emory’s Denim Tears Watermelon Sneaker
Designer Tremain Emory is revealing how "uncomfortable" Converse was with his watermelon-inspired sneaker idea for the Chuck 70 collab.
Designer Tremain Emory is revealing how “uncomfortable” Converse was with his watermelon-inspired sneaker idea for the Chuck 70 collab.
The Denim Tears founder sat down with legendary Def Jam record exec Rick Rubin as part of his Tetragrammaton podcast, where he explained why he never teamed back up with Converse following the Pan-African flag Chuck Taylor from 2020. According to Emory, his idea for a watermelon-themed sneaker was deemed too contentious for Converse to navigate in the current racial climate, and they wanted to avoid being labeled racist.
“The difference in the situation was, they called me, they told me, they weren’t down, they didn’t wanna do it,” Emory said around the 02:14:35 mark. “They were uncomfortable with the imagery.”
The watermelon sneaker would have followed the high and low Chuck 70s released in October 2020 that featured the Pan-African flag on the upper. Coming one month ahead of a controversial presidential election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the shoe served as a nod to get Black creatives to vote.
Despite Converse’s pushback on the sneakers, Emory maintained his vision and released a Denim Tears S/S 2024 “Kiss My Grits” collection earlier this month that featured food-inspired pieces. T-shirts, hoodies, and two-piece sets bear images of watermelons, yams, green beans, and other popular soul food menu items.
Denim Tears also teamed up with Japanese label Comme des Garçons earlier this month for a watermelon-themed accessories collection that includes a watermelon wallet and a print leather zip pouch.
Emory is known for amplifying Black history and culture through his fashion pieces. He stepped away from his creative director role at Supreme last year after butting heads with the brand on a collaboration with artist Arthur Jafa that would’ve included imagery from Ex-Slave Gordon, an art piece of a formerly enslaved Black man.
Charles Barkley Says NCAA Tournament Game Between Grand Canyon And Alabama Was ‘The Dumbest Game Of Basketball I’ve Ever Seen’
Barkley was speaking about the 2024 NCAA Tournament contest that Alabama won 72-61
TNT announcer and former NBA player Charles Barkley had some criticism of two of the college teams playing in the NCAA Basketball tournament over the weekend.
He had harsh words for the contest between Grand Canyon University and the University of Alabama on Sunday, March 24, even going as far as saying that the game was “the dumbest college basketball I’ve ever seen.”
According to Awful Announcing, Barkley was commenting on the game the Alabama Crimson Tide won against the Grand Canyon Antelopes during the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Barkley was disgusted by the play between the teams, and had no issue displaying it on the postgame show.
“Grand Canyon, that was the dumbest game of basketball I may have ever seen,” Barkley expressed to his co-hosts. “Everybody went one-on-one. They missed…how many free throws?”
He also said that the Antelopes didn’t know what they were doing while on the hardwood.
“I’m not sure what they were doing offensively. I don’t think they ran a play the entire second half.”
“That was some of the dumbest basketball I’ve ever seen grown college men [play]. [Mark] Sears was the only guy who played with complete composure the entire game. Congratulations to Alabama University. It’s a great school. Nate Oats does a great job.”
Barkley’s disgust returned when he unequivocally stated, “There were some of the worst basketball decisions that you’re ever gonna see a college team make out there.”
“Grand Canyon, that was the dumbest game of basketball I think I may have ever seen… I don’t think they ran a play the entire 2nd half…. They just went 1-on-1 every single time… 5 whole assists? We’ve got a crack staff if they found 5 passes.” – Charles Barkley pic.twitter.com/G35tPIaxeD
According to Sporting News, the Grand Canyon team started the game by only hitting three baskets after taking 17 shots from the field. Meanwhile, the Antelopes made just 32.1 percent of their shots for the game while missing 18 of 20 three-point shots. Their woes continued at the free-throw line, where they only made 23 shots out of 37 attempts.
In the end, the Crimson Tide won 72-61 to advance to the next round of games.
Strategies For Managing Your Bank Accounts Amid High Interest Rates
As interest rates soar to a more than 20-year high, many individuals are reconsidering best practices for their bank accounts.
As interest rates soar to a more than 20-year high, many individuals are reconsidering their saving and spending habits, according to Fortune. With banks offering modest returns on deposits, the question arises: How much money should you keep in your bank accounts? While there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, financial experts offer valuable insights into optimizing your accounts.
For checking accounts, which typically offer low annual percentage yields (APYs), it’s advisable to maintain a buffer for monthly expenses. Barbara Ginty, a certified financial planner (CFP), suggests keeping one to two months’ worth of expenses in your checking account. “Often, your checking account isn’t going to pay you very much. I’d only keep a little bit of a buffer for your monthly bills,” says Ginty. “If your monthly bills are $3,000, I’d recommend keeping an extra $1,500 or $2,000.”
However, checking accounts aren’t ideal for long-term savings due to their low APYs. Instead, prioritize building an emergency fund in a high-yield savings or money market account. Ginty recommends aiming for at least two to four months’ worth of expenses in your savings account, where you can earn higher interest rates—up to 4% to 5%.
Ken Tumin, founder of DepositAccounts.com, advises exploring online banks for higher rates. Despite potential fluctuations in interest rates, savings accounts remain a secure option for storing emergency funds.
“Generally, it’s considered [interest rates] might fall by a relatively small amount [in 2024]. At the end of the year, interest rates on savings accounts should still be at a very high level compared to previous years,” Tumin states.
To maximize savings, automate contributions to high-yield bank accounts from each paycheck. This strategy prevents impulsive spending and gradually builds your savings over time. Several banks currently offer competitive rates above 5% on their high-yield savings accounts.
While it’s crucial to maintain sufficient liquidity in checking and savings accounts, avoid hoarding excessive cash. Consider diversifying your investments beyond savings accounts to capitalize on potential market gains. Balancing risk and reward is essential for long-term financial growth.
When building an emergency fund, aim for three to six months’ worth of living expenses. However, individuals with dependents or fluctuating incomes may need to save more. Even small contributions to savings can provide invaluable financial security in times of need.
Ultimately, the amount you save in your bank accounts depends on various factors, including living expenses, dependents, and risk tolerance. By prioritizing liquidity in checking and savings accounts while strategically investing for the future, you can achieve financial stability and peace of mind in uncertain times.
In February 2024, the cost of buying a starter home was more than 60% higher than renting one in the top 50 metro areas. In addition to the staggering numbers, renting is considered a more affordable option than buying in all 50 large metros, increasing from 45 simultaneously in 2023. Growing regions such as Memphis, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; Pittsburgh; St. Louis; and Baltimore were the five cities that crossed the threshold in favor of renting over buying in the past 12 months.
According to a February rental report, rental rates have dropped for the seventh month in a row. The report revealed prices fell yearly by $7, or 0.4%, to an average of $1,708 monthly, $4 lower than in January.
Analysts liken the price drop to being enough to buy a Big Mac from McDonald’s — without fries — every month.
“In all of the major housing markets, renting is more affordable than buying a starter home,” Jiayi Xu, a Realtor.com economist, said. “It’s important for first-time buyers who are thinking, ‘Should I buy now or later?’ This will give them a clearer picture of their financial costs.”
Purchasing a starter home was 60.1% higher, costing buyers about $1,027 more every month. For the top 10 cities that prefer renting over buying, the average monthly payments for a starter home were nearly double: 95.6% higher than rents. Of those cities, Austin, Texas, topped the list. There, the monthly cost to buy a starter home began at $3,695 — an alarming 141.5% more than the monthly rent of $1,530, which saves people $2,165 monthly.
However, the significant savings are below the Mason-Dixon Line, specifically in Richmond, Virginia. In February 2023, the cost to buy a starter home was 27.5% higher than renting one in the city, but in February 2024, buying was 74.2% higher than the cost to rent. Renting a starter home in Richmond could save renters close to $700 more than buying compared to 2023. However, Los Angeles, Nashville, Phoenix, Memphis, and Raleigh, North Carolina, were the top markets that witnessed higher savings from renting than buying in February 2024 compared to 2023.
Here are a few tips to implement when your initial yes is followed by all of the no's.
Originally published May 2, 2016
You mean well. You set these perfectly intentioned goals and in those moments you feel a complete sense of conviction that if it takes everything in you, these goals will be met.
You’re focused, determined, inspired, and on fire and then…something happens.
What happens exactly? One could argue that it’s life that happens on those days, months, minutes, or even moments after we set our minds to do something but just can’t bring ourselves to do it.
The day doesn’t go as planned, given any moment, an alternative action may seem more desirable. We get tired, for goodness sake. Work gets in the way. Social distractions seep in. We simply lose motivation and the deed never gets done.
Something has got to give.
Here are a few tips to implement when your initial yes is followed by all of the no’s.
Raise the penalty
You have to make the cost of not doing something far greater than yourself. Raise the stakes. For example: If I don’t clean this room I could potentially be cluttering my mind, and a cluttered mind could lead to cluttered working and cluttered working leads to nowhere and going nowhere would mean all prior efforts would have amounted to nothing and nothingness just doesn’t work for me. Thus, I will clean this room.
Weigh cost and benefit
Decide if the time or resources you have to give up at a given moment to obtain your future goal is worth it. For example: You’re looking to start financially planning for your future. Is that new purse worth your retirement savings? Fashionable now, starving later? See, this also goes back to raising the stakes. Sometimes the penalty has to be dire in order for us to bust a move. Consciously decide what it’s worth in the end and keep your eyes on the prize.
Get an accountability partner
Find your most reliable and annoying ally and share your goal with them. Let them know that you’d like to check in with them at specified intervals to ensure that you remain on course in achieving said goal. If this ally is as annoying and reliable as they ought to be, they will stay on top of you about the goals you claimed you’d meet. Make sure this is also a person you’d hate to disappoint, more than you’d hate to disappoint yourself. Then, you guessed it, don’t disappoint them.
Realize the possibility of failure
If you don’t do what you set out to do simply because you didn’t do it, you’ve failed. Now, you sit with that and decide if that’s OK. No? Didn’t think so.
When those no’s start to kick in, consider what ultimately happens if you don’t look past them to your “yes.” Your yes is always worth the sacrifice, and your “no” gets you nowhere. There’s no doubt about it.
