T.I., Killer Mike, bankhead, seafood, business

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 29, 2023

T.I. And Killer Mike Team Up To Reopen Atlanta’s Bankhead Seafood In 2024

T.I. and Killer Mike are moving forward in their plans to revive a staple eatery in Atlanta's Bankhead area.

T.I. and Killer Mike are moving forward with their plans to revive a staple eatery in Atlanta’s Bankhead area.

Three years after announcing plans to reopen Bakhead Seafood, the two rappers and Atlanta natives have secured a $1.2 million loan from Greenwood Bank, Fox 5 Atlanta reports. The loan T.I. and Mike received from the Black and Latino-focused banking platform is aimed at supporting the restaurant’s growth and investing in the surrounding community.

Now with financial backing, the rappers expect to reopen Bankhead Seafood by the second quarter of 2024 and return to serving its signature dishes to locals and visitors.

“Today’s investment serves as a profound testament to the broader vision we’ve cultivated at Bankhead Seafood,” Clifford “T.I.” Harris said.

“It’s exciting to join forces with leaders like Greenwood—whose commitment to uplifting the community echoes our same ethos. This is an exciting moment in our community’s work to foster a legacy of mutual prosperity and support.”

Greenwood’s loan is backed by the Georgia Banking Company, and is described as marking a “pivotal moment in the growth of Bankhead Seafood, a restaurant deeply rooted in the local community.”

“This is a transformational milestone for our business, and the broader Southwest Atlanta community,” Michael “Killer Mike” Render said in a statement.

“I extend my deepest appreciation to Greenwood and GBC, whose partnership today provided us with the resources we need to kickstart Bankhead’s future and re-build a community gem.

Bankhead Seafood closed down in 2018 after more than 50 years in operation. The eatery was renowned among Atlanta locals with T.I. and Killer Mike saying the restaurant held a special place in their hearts.

One year after it shut its doors, T.I. and Killer Mike teamed up to purchase the business in 2019, along with its name, trademark and recipes, WSB-TV reports. The pair released renderings showing what the new Bankhead Seafood would look like and in 2021, they filed building permits to revive the historic restaurant.

Joe Budden Admits ‘I Didn’t Handle Myself Well’ When Jay-Z Became President Of Def Jam,

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 29, 2023

Joe Budden Admits ‘I Didn’t Handle Myself Well’ When Jay-Z Became President Of Def Jam,

Joe Budden recalls how upset he was when he learned Jay-Z became his boss at Def Jam Records back in 2004.

Joe Budden recalls how upset he was when Jay-Z became his boss at Def Jam Records back in 2004.

The rapper-turne d-podcast-host was an artist on Def Jam when L.A. Reid appointed Jay-Z as president and CEO of the company in December 2004. Looking back at the moment, Budden admits to being anything but happy about Jay’s powerful new role at the time.

“This was the first time that a rapper, our peer, was calling the shots, in charge of DMX’s release date and LL [Cool J’s] release date, and none of us took that well. And I really didn’t take it well,” Budden recalled on The Pivot Podcast. “I didn’t handle myself well at all.”

“Every interview that they booked for me, I kicked their back in,” he continued. “Every chance I got in front of a microphone, I had just disparaging things to say about people who, ultimately, were maybe trying to help me. Even if they weren’t trying to help me, if I would’ve helped myself, I would have been in a different predicament. But I didn’t. Gas on the fire.”

It was a history-making move 20 years ago when Jay-Z went from being an artist of Island Def Jam Music Group to running the company. At the time, IDJ had just bought the remaining 50% stake in Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records from the rapper and his business partners Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke, Billboard reports.

There was a bidding war for Jay-Z’s contract, which ultimately led to Reid appointing Hova as president and CEO of the famed record label.

“After 10 years of successfully running Roc-a-Fella. Shawn has proven himself to be an astute businessman, in addition to the brilliant artistic talent that the world sees and hears,” Reid said at the time. “I can think of no one more relevant and credible in the hip hop community to build upon Def Jam’s fantastic legacy and move the company into its next groundbreaking era.”

“I have inherited two of the most important brands in hip-hop, Def Jam and Roc-a-Fella,” Jay-Z said of the monumental venture. “I feel this is a giant step for me and the entire artistic community.”

Meanwhile, Joe Budden and other Def Jam artists were left feeling salty about Hov’s big business move.

snoop Dogg, financial success, better businessman, deal, bankruptcy

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 29, 2023

Snoop Dogg Credits Financial Success To ‘Doing Bad Business’ That Almost Left Him Bankrupt

Snoop Dogg has a $160 million net worth that he credits to the early losses he had to take to learn how to become a "better businessman."

Snoop Dogg credits an estimated $160 million net worth to the early losses he had to take to learn how to become a “better businessman.”

The rapper, actor, and entrepreneur recently appeared on the “Business Untitled” podcast, where he explained how his business success came from the mistakes he made early in his career.

“I never try to do things that everybody else has done,” Snoop Dogg said. “I always do things that I do…It’s a certain gift that I have and a skill that I acquired from doing bad business. For many years of taking the wrong deal or, not looking over a contract or, just jumping into a situation, or using my name and likeness for the wrong reasons. Just becoming a better businessman and people around me that are smarter than me.”

There was even a point when Snoop was given financial counsel by an accountant who tried encouraging him to file for bankruptcy.

“It was times in my career where it got so bad where my accountant was like, ‘We should just do bankruptcy,’” he recalled. “And my pride got involved, like f—k that. If I say bankruptcy, then I look like I f—ked off everything.”

He continued, “They started telling me about, ‘Well this artist did it, and this person did it.’ I said, ‘None of them motherf—kers [are] Black. You ain’t name nobody that look like me.’ They can do that s—t and get back in the game, and it won’t look crazy.”

As a result, Snoop has become an advocate for teaching financial literacy in school, especially for Black youth.

You got these athletes, you teaching them how to run routes, how to dunk and slam, do interviews and convert into analysts after they’ve finished their career,” he said. “How about teaching them how to be businessmen at the end of their career?”

Gervonta Davis, Muslim, Islam, Abdul, Wahid, boxer, convert, Baltimore

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 29, 2023

Gervonta Davis Chooses Muslim Name Abdul Wahid After Converting To Islam

The Maryland-bred boxer has taken the name, Abdul Wahid, which means 'The Slave of The One'

Days after boxer Gervonta Davis purchased buildings in his old neighborhood in Baltimore—before they caught on fire—WBC cruiserweight champion Badou Jack revealed a video clip of Davis converting to Islam. According to Sportskeeda, Davis has chosen his Muslim name in a ceremony that was posted to social media.

The Maryland-bred boxer has taken the name Abdul Wahid, which means “The Slave of The One.”

Breaking News: Gervonta Davis @gervontaa chose the Muslim name Abdul Wahid (the slave of The One) today at Masjid Hidayah with Imam Hassan Somali and Raha Batts. May Allah preserve them all pic.twitter.com/VUmpUwRO6g

— Mutah Beale مطاع بيل (@MutahNapoleon) December 28, 2023

Wahid follows in the footsteps of other athletes who converted to Islam. The most famous boxing athlete who converted to Islam may be Cassius Clay, who was given the name Muhammad Ali after converting. Brooklyn’s most powerful heavyweight, Mike Tyson, also converted to Islam, and it was rumored that his name is now Malik Abdul Aziz. However, he never publicly changed his name after the conversion. Middleweight and light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins is another who reportedly left Christianity to practice the teachings of Islam. Legendary basketball center Lew Alcindor Jr. may be the biggest NBA player to convert to Islam when he took the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after winning an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Earlier this year, Davis had to serve a 90-day prison sentence after an incident in 2020 in which he ran a red light and slammed into another vehicle with a pregnant woman inside. Prosecutors said the woman accused Davis of fleeing the scene without helping her, and he was sentenced to 90 days of house arrest and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service. After violating the conditions of a home confinement agreement, Davis was ordered to complete the remainder of his 90-day sentence in jail.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 29, 2023

During Funeral, Fat Joe Apologized To Friend He Erroneously Accused Of Stealing

Fat Joe: 'Yo, I'm sorry, brother. I accused you of something that you didn't do. I'm sorry.'

Recently, during a discussion in Miami with podcast veterans Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings of Earn Your Leisure during the Art Basel festival, Fat Joe talked about a friend stealing money from him, and the friend was removed from his crew. Sadly, during the funeral of a longtime friend, Terror Squad member Raul Conde, earlier this month, Joe stated that while speaking at the occasion, he spotted the friend he wrongly accused of stealing from him and quickly, in front of everyone, apologized to him.

In a video posted by The Hip Hop Wolf on Instagram, Joe talked about the moment he noticed that friend, whom he admits to not speaking to for seven years, in the audience as he spoke at the funeral. He says, “In the middle of the speech, I said, ‘Yo, I’m sorry, brother. I accused you of something that you didn’t do. I’m sorry.’ But Fat Joe goes and humbles himself, in front of everybody. I said I’m sorry, I did you wrong, I’m sorry.”

Joe says that people acknowledged what he did after the funeral as he was genuinely apologetic.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by THE HIP-HOP WOLF® (@thehiphopwolf)

During the conversation with the podcast hosts earlier this month, Joe said, “I got my heart broken so many times. I had a best friend, the man was with me every single day for 25 years. I would have died for this person. Or allegedly killed somebody for this person. If Fat Joe bought a Lamborghini, I bought him a Lamborghini. If I bought anything, he had anything.”

After getting a “forensic accountant,” the theft was discovered, and that’s when Joe found out.

“So when I go through the taxes, there’s something called a forensic accountant,” Fat Joe recalled. “We looking at everything, and my new accountant looks at me and he [bowed his head]. It says here your best friend is stealing your money and it goes back years. He’s paying his kids’ school, buying his cars with your accounts. We shared accounts where he could just go in my account and get whatever he want.”

During the most recent interview, he did not explain if this was the same person he apologized to.

Lucy McBath, congressional district, map, draw, District Judge Steve C. Jones

by Sharelle B. McNair

December 29, 2023

Rep. Lucy McBath Pushed Out Of District After Judge Upholds New Georgia Congressional Map

Democrats argued the redistricting violated the Voting Rights Act, but the judge wasn't buying it.

The new approved congressional map for Georgia is a win for the GOP but a loss for Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA).

Approved by District Judge Steve C. Jones on Dec. 28, the new map sustains the political split of Georgia’s delegation but pushes McBath out of her congressional district, Politico reported. Jones stated the original map violated the Voting Rights Act by removing the power of Black voters in the state and ordered GOP leaders to go back to the drawing board to include more districts so Black voters can elect the candidates of their choosing.

Up from the four districts on the previous map, the new map presents five congressional districts where Black voters are a majority or close to, creating a new Black majority district to the west of Atlanta. However, this eliminates McBath’s district, which was close to the city’s northeast, as a non-majority Black district. Georgia Republicans took over what they described as McBath’s “coalition district” – a Black, Latino, and Asian voter combined majority-minority district – to create the new majority Black district.

Democrats argued that the change also violated the Voting Rights Act, but Jones wasn’t buying it, ruling that the GOP did what was required of the court. “The Court finds that the General Assembly fully complied with this Court’s order requiring the creation of a majority-Black congressional district,” Jones wrote. However, the judge said if Democrats wanted to present the issue, it would need to be a separate claim.

According to Atlanta News First, plaintiffs in the case, including Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and American Civil Liberties Union, argued creating more majority Black districts made them weaker since Black voters had to be moved around to do so.

Redistricting moves have been a prominent political issue in 2023. As politicians have kept a close eye on the Peachtree State, Alabama also made the news in early parts of the year. Federal judges rejected the state’s congressional maps twice for failing to create a second district. Lawmakers weren’t able to even come close to comprising a majority. A three-judge panel wrote how “deeply troubled” they were after Alabama lawmakers went against their instructions to create another majority-Black district or something close to it.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 29, 2023

Vanessa Bryant Defended After Dr. Umar Says She Doesn’t Use Kobe Bryant’s Money To Support Black Community

Vanessa Bryant was at home minding her business when she turned into a trending topic after getting called out by Dr. Umar.

Pan-Afrikan activist Dr. Umar Johnson recently appeared on the “Joe Budden Podcast” where he shared some of his latest arguments about issues impacting the development of the Black community. Among his frequent rants is the topic of interracial dating and Black people dating outside their race.

Known for calling out Black men and women who date outside their race and the issues he feels arise from that, Dr. Umar decided to center his attention on the late Kobe Bryant and his widow Vanessa Bryant. For Umar, he feels as though Vanessa hasn’t used the money she inherited from Kobe’s $600 million estate to help amplify the Black community.

“Kobe Bryant died. Vanessa and inherited his wealth,” Johnson said. “And guess what, is Vanessa Bryant using any of that Black man’s money to do any good in the Black community? Absolutely fu*king not.”

He went on to cite Vanessa’s September announcement of the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation partnering with six college basketball programs with all six being predominantly white institutions: The University of Connecticut, the University of Southern California, the University of Oregon, Duke University, Louisiana State University, and the University of Kentucky.

“Didn’t choose a single HBCU,” Johnson quipped. “With a Black man’s money.”

Dr. Umar accuses Vanessa Bryant of not using Kobe Bryant's money to do good in the black community.

(🎥 @JoeBuddenPod ) pic.twitter.com/Rqfz8rpigQ
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) December 26, 2023

Not a stranger to backlash, Dr. Umar came under fire from viewers who felt like he was going too hard on the widow who is close to the four-year anniversary of the day she lost her husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter, Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, in a horrific helicopter crash.

“Leave the woman alone and worry about how you’re spending your money 🤡,” one person wrote.

“Actually this was unnecessary and disrespectful take,” added someone else.

Many cited the work Vanessa has done for inner-city youth in the wake of Kobe and Gigi’s passing.

“I lived across the street from a community center in North Philadelphia (predominantly black) where Vanessa Bryant had the courts fully remodeled for the kids in the area. People just be talking to talk,” one person shared.

I lived across the street from a community center in North Philadelphia (predominantly black) where Vanessa Bryant had the courts fully remodeled for the kids in the area. People just be talking to talk. https://t.co/acUBPc1mc2 pic.twitter.com/gqyt3kiZOp
— Chris Giddens (@CanPrinceLive) December 27, 2023

“There are literally black children in the mamba foundation/ academy 😅 please use your time and energy to avenge actual issues within the black community Vanessa Bryant is not one of them,” added someone else.

https://twitter.com/myi_savie/status/1739968691763077453

retirement, Nickson, wealth, welfare, savings, life insurance, money

by Lynnette Khalfani-Cox

December 29, 2023

3 Ways to Achieve Your Financial New Year’s Resolution In Just 30 Days

Money coach Lynnnette Khalfani-Cox gives you three key tips to help you reach your financial goals in 2024--in just 30 days!

Originally Published Dec. 23, 2011

Thirty days.

That’s roughly how long the average American sticks to his or her New Year’s resolution.

If we’re honest about our financial New Year’s resolutions — like saving money, organizing our finances better, or laying off the credit cards — many of us will admit that we might not even make 30 days.

But what if there was a way to jump-start your finances in 2024 so that even if your willpower waned after a month or so, you’d still be enormously ahead of the game?

Actually, there are several steps you can take to greatly improve your chances of achieving your financial goals in the coming year.

Here are three powerful ways to turbocharge your finances in 2024. These strategies can also help you make the most out of just 30 days in the New Year.

Give yourself a one-month challenge.

Behavioral experts say it takes about three or four weeks for you to do something repeatedly and have that action turn into a habit that lasts. So give yourself a one-month challenge to do or stop doing something to improve your finances.

If you want to start a good habit, try logging your expenses daily to track your spending better. Alternatively, you could carpool to work or even just put every dollar you get into a savings jar each day. Remember, you only have to do it for one month.

At the end of 30 days, you can always stop or tweak what you’re doing. But you will likely be so satisfied with the benefits of your newfound habit that you will decide to stick with it for the long haul.

To eliminate a bad habit like overspending, consider not visiting your favorite retail store for 30 days, not carrying your credit cards with you each day to avoid impulse shopping, or not eating out at all for one month.

Join a financial boot camp.

Boot camp addresses some of your most pressing financial questions and concerns and deals with your most stubborn financial challenges. For example, you’ll learn how to save money quickly on your immediate and long-term bills, including groceries, communications, housing, and more.

You’ll get the skinny on how to manage credit and debt wisely. You’ll figure out what you need to do to adequately protect yourself, your family, and your assets against unforeseen circumstances like a layoff or illness. And you’ll get a game plan to save more money for retirement and other future-oriented financial goals.

Get started now

Why wait until Jan. 1, April 15, or some other arbitrary date in the future to begin fixing your finances? Start taking charge of your money matters today just by adopting this motto: “Think-Do.”

Simply put, it means when you think of something you know you should do, or need to do, go ahead and tackle that task immediately. Think-Do.

For instance, if you’ve been too scared to check your credit report, you can order it online today from AnnualCreditReport.com. Done.

If you’ve neglected to buy much-needed life insurance, you can get life insurance quotes today from Insure.com. Done.

Or, if you’ve put off organizing your tax records, you can start gathering your receipts and financial paperwork today. Done.

Exactly what you do isn’t as important as doing something — and doing so today.

If you put the “Think-Do” strategy into practice for 30 days, you’ll be amazed at how much gets accomplished.

By taking just one small but powerful action step, you push past the inertia and inaction that cripples many people financially. Instead of procrastinating important financial goals month after month, you’ll address many of those issues in just 30 days.

So, instead of making and breaking financial New Year’s resolutions, this time, simply put these three ideas into practice for one month — and watch your finances reach another level of success in 2024 and beyond.

magic city, funny Marco, I went crazy, strip club, Atlanta, $10k

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 29, 2023

Funny Marco Blew His First $10K At Magic City, ‘I Went Crazy’

Funny Marco is opening up about the first $10,000 he made and how he blew threw the money at Atlanta's most popular strip club.

Podcaster Funny Marco is opening up about the first $10,000 he made from social media and how he blew through the money at Atlanta’s most popular strip club.

Funny Marco, real name Marco Summers, has made a living from his satirical online content that often goes viral. Between his pranks, comedic sketches, and celebrity interviews, Marco has amassed over 5.1M followers on Instagram, 2.3M on TikTok, 1.11M on YouTube, and 17.6K on Twitch.

In November, Marco appeared on 360 With Speedy at ComplexCon, where he recalled the first time he made a large sum of money from his online content and how he spent it. It came in the form of $10,000 and Marco didn’t think twice on how to allocate the funds.

“When you first made that first check, did it inspire you in a way? Or did it make you feel some sort of acknowledgment, like, ‘Okay, I am on the right path. I am doing what needs to be done,’” Speedy asked.

“I went crazy,” Marco said after admitting he spent the money at Atlanta’s Magic City.

Funny Marco on spending his first $10k at Magic City. 👀💰 👀 #360withSpeedy #FunnyMarco #ComplexCon pic.twitter.com/v8c0bZN80r
— Complex (@Complex) December 28, 2023

“Out of the ten, how crazy?” Speedy asked.

“Listen, I went so crazy, I went back to [the manager] and said — ’cause he gave me $6,000,” Marco explained. “I went so crazy, I went back to say, ‘Where the other [money] went?’ He said, ‘I took my percentage.’ I said, ‘Hold on, brother! I didn’t know about the percentage part.’ So I went that crazy where I didn’t really learn the business about the percentages and him doing the deal for me and everything. So I was learning as I go.”

Marco will likely make better choices with his money after signing with M88 management in September, according to Deadline.

“Marco is a one-of-a-kind trailblazer, forging his own unique path that undeniably shapes the future of emerging talent,” M88’s Head of Emerging and Interactive Media Stephanie Piza said. “We are thrilled to welcome Marco to our roster and support him in evolving his business into a comprehensive 360-degree enterprise.”

by Stacy Jackson

December 29, 2023

Mississippi Mother Refuses To Sign Probation Terms For 10-Year-Old Charged With Public Urination

The terms included prohibitions on weapons, discretionary drug tests, and an 8 p.m. curfew over Christmas.

Latonya Eason, mother of 10-year-old Quantavious Eason, has refused to sign a probation agreement imposed by a Mississippi judge after her son was charged for urinating in public.

The family’s attorney, Carlos Moore, announced the refusal on Dec. 26 and asked for the charge to be dismissed entirely.

Quantavious, who is Black, was sentenced on Dec. 12 by Judge Rusty Harlow to three months probation and a book report on Kobe Bryant. The harsh terms were similar to what an adult criminal would receive, including prohibitions on weapons, discretionary drug tests, and an 8 p.m. curfew over Christmas.

According to his mother, Quantavious urinated behind her car on Aug. 10 while she visited a lawyer’s office in Senatobia, Mississippi. Police saw him and arrested him, putting the 10-year-old frightened youngster in a squad car and holding him at the station, though he was not handcuffed. Days later, the police chief admitted the officers mishandled the incident and said one officer was no longer employed by the department as a result.

Prosecutors had threatened to upgrade the charge from “child in need of supervision” to disorderly conduct if the family challenged the sentence. However, after reviewing the full probation agreement, Latonya felt it treated her young son as a criminal and declined to sign.

Attorney Moore filed a motion to dismiss the case entirely or take it to trial. A hearing is scheduled for January 16, 2024. Moore believes the harsh probation terms were inappropriate for a child and has called for the charge to be dropped rather than risk further penalizing Quantavious. The 10-year-old’s family hopes the case will be thrown out and that he will face no further punishment for the minor incident.