Kendrick Lamar Reportedly Purchases $9M Penthouse In New York City
New York City is a big draw for the culture alone, and that may be why lyrical genius Kendrick Lamar has reportedly bought a penthouse there.
According to The New York Post, the former TDE artist is purchasing a penthouse at The Pierhouse at Brooklyn Bridge Park. He was seen making various trips to several luxury condos in Brooklyn recently, including the Quay Tower in Brooklyn Heights and the Olympia in Dumbo. The condos have all been in the $10 million range.
The penthouse he reportedly bought is located on Furman St. Yhe asking price for what a source told the Post was pied-à-terre was $8.99 million.
The tri-level condo has four bedrooms, a den, and nearly 2,000 square feet of outdoor space over two levels, including a private rooftop that overlooks the East River and Brooklyn Bridge Park.
The building includes several luxuries: a concierge, gyms, a residents’ lounge, bike storage, and on-site parking. Residents also have access to 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge’s outdoor space, which features a rooftop pool and a bar.
Architectural Digest reports that several notable celebrities already live at The Pierhouse. Actors Matt Damon and Amy Schumer already own condos while British recording artist Ed Sheeran reportedly rents a unit there for $36,000 a month.
The rapper should be able to afford it. Earlier this year, it was reported that Lamar’s 2022 tour, “The Big Steppers,” became the highest-grossing tour by a hip-hop recording artist, surpassing Drake’s “Aubrey & the Three Migos” tour.
Touring Data reported that “The Big Steppers” tour, produced by Live Nation, had 73 shows in United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The total revenue came in at $110,886,026 after selling 929,056 tickets.
Although Lamar has reportedly made this purchase, he still has his residence in California, where he lives with fiancée Whitney Alford and their young son and daughter.
Are you a solopreneur by choice or by necessity? In a survey done in collaboration with Carbookr, 70% of respondents think traveling for business is necessary, compared to 30% who find business travel is not crucial.
Here are five advantages of business travel for the boss who wants to expand beyond what they already know.
Maximize your travel spending dollars
This year you traveled to Senegal for a conference—and you were trapped inside a luxury hotel for 10 hours a day—but an auditor is requesting more than just the receipts.
Archive email threads related to your trip. An auditor wants proof of intent, so we recommend placing the archive in a separate file. Aside from transportation, lodging, and meals, you can write off tips, laundry, telephone, and Internet service, but only if you keep relevant documents.
Maximize your budget via business travel. If you do a lot of international business travel, use a digital wallet or a credit card with a worthwhile rewards points program.
Flex stagnant parts of your brain and skill-set
We don’t believe in growth at any cost. Or the cost of freedom.
Adaptability: Don’t travel in your comfort zone if you are seeking to push your boundaries and adapt to your surroundings. A new city or country can be a shock but immersing yourself in different cultures and with like-minded people is a whole new vibe.
Problem-solving: Exploring unfamiliar territory does wonders for our entrepreneurial mindset. It forces us to sharpen our problem-solving skills as we experience a more heightened sense of awareness. From commuting around a city where you don’t speak the language to adjusting to cultural norms, being in a new place ignites us to get uncomfortable, flexes stagnant parts of our brain, and lets us get a little more creative than we’re used to.
Communication skills: Due to language barriers during international travel, you will face specific difficulties and learn to communicate with people through gestures and facial expressions. Mastering non-verbal communication and becoming more observant will benefit you in rooms everywhere down the line.
Cast away burnout with a routine reset
Without employing a full team, solopreneurs often handle all of the operations themselves or enlist contractual services. If this doesn’t cause burnout, a routine can definitely do the job. Frequent business travel is not the ideal leisure trip or self-care getaway so it can also lead to burnout. How do we avoid this?
Prioritize your health by minimizing stress. That is the most important of it all. Our minds should be clear and open to be inspired. From advance preparation and avoiding heavy foods to drinking lots of water, do your best to maintain your usual health routines and/or recreational pursuits. This will help you continuously focus your mind and keep a positive outlook while you’re doing business. Then you can return home with that same energy.
Explore, learn, and co-create with business in mind
A new stamp on your passport is exciting, yes. But with different lifestyles come different needs. Pay close attention to the behaviors and attitudes of the consumers in the city you’re visiting. Whether you’re traveling for leisure or for business, you may find out various things about economies and markets that can help you better strategize for the future.
Shift your perspectives and gain new ideas. This breaks down the division we see between people, enhancing our ability to identify and overcomemicroaggressions and stereotypical thinking.
Co-create or take your business mindset to higher levels. We recommend you observe how other local businesses operate and adopt best practices that can help you improve your own operations.
Grow a longer portfolio of profitable and valuable connections
Let’s be real. Online or remote interactions are not always the spark that ignites a network opportunity. In-person connections with profitable and useful acquaintances cannot be replicated.
Build personal relationships beyond the role and title. Whether you’re stateside or abroad, establish a stronger sense of trust and credibility with vendors, suppliers, and potential partners who can potentially expand your business’ reach. For example, attending conferences, workshops, trade shows, and industry events are exemplary spaces to be in if you really want to take advantage of your business travels. While there’s certainly no guarantee every person you meet will be a game-changer for your business, it never hurts to mingle and form a new connection.
Don’t forget to follow up with new contacts. We suggest sending a personalized email or message to extend your gratitude for sharing their time. Reiterate your interest in working with them. This will help keep the lines of communication open and demonstrate your commitment to cultivating a new business alliance.
White Gunman In Florida Kills 3 Black Victims In Hate Crime
The Black community of Jacksonville, Florida, is dealing with the fallout of a fatal hate crime after a white gunman racially targeted Black patrons inside a Dollar General in a primarily Black area of the city on Aug. 27.
Three people were killed.
The motivations behind the fatal attack became clear after one weapon used to commit the murders was found to be painted with a swastika. According to the Associated Press, officials also confirmed that the shooter had posted racist messages on social media sites.
Authorities didn’t immediately release the names of the victims or the shooter, who killed himself at the scene.
The man, who was confirmed to be in his 20s, used a Glock handgun and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle to commit the killings, starting the shootout a little before 2 p.m. ET. The Dollar General is within walking distance from Edward Waters University, an HBCU, where a security officer also confirmed sightings of the gunman on campus. The gunman left the grounds shortly after being asked to identify himself, but put on a vest and mask before leaving.
Before committing the shooting, the gunman, a Clay County resident, sent his father, with whom he resides, a text message to check his computer. When his father found his racist language and called authorities, the shooting was already underway.
Based on the evidence retrieved from the gunman’s computer, it is believed that he committed the hate crime to pay a twisted homage to a prior Jacksonville shooting. It was the fifth anniversary of a shooter fatally killing attendees of a video game tournament in the city. The shooter of that 2018 incident killed himself following the attack as well, the AP reported.
The sheriff over the more recent shooting called it a “dark day” for the city and its history. Florida leaders condemned the hate crime as well, including Governor Ron DeSantis, whose conservative beliefs regarding Black history not being taught in school has offended many Black Floridians.
“This guy killed himself rather than face the music and accept responsibility for his actions,” shared DeSantis, who did not go to the city immediately. “He took the coward’s way out.”
Metropolitan Museum of Art Announces Harlem Renaissance Exhibition
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as the Met, will pay homage to Black artists of the early 20th century. A Harlem Renaissance exhibition is set to open in 2024.
The exhibition, “The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism,” will run from Feb. 25 to July 28. According to the New York Times, the paintings will be on loan from HBCUs nationwide—including Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, Fisk University Galleries, Hampton University Art Museum, and Howard University Gallery of Art—providing the most in-depth survey for the artwork in New York City in decades.
“We want to show the full breadth of thinking,” shared Denise Murrell, the Met’s curator. “In terms of historical context, this is the first time in art history where we have a cohort of African American artists depicting modern Black life in a modern way. These artists decided to commit their artistic careers to representing modern Black life in the absence of institutional or market support.”
Unfortunately, the famed art museum’s history has been muddled regarding its inclusion of Black artists, but this latest attempt is spearheading New York City’s modern movement to highlight the paintings and sculptures by the Harlem Renaissance’s finest.
Quintessential pieces, such as “Woman in Blue” by William H. Johnson, and sculptures by Augusta Savage, will be in the exhibition. Murrell also described the thoughts that inspired the artists’ pieces, calling it a “radical modernity” to focus on the everyday lives of those marginalized,
“Becoming painters of modern life within their own communities was key to what the Harlem artists were attempting. It was an act of radical modernity, for example, to make portraits of an elder Black woman who would have been born into enslavement. And to make them in such a dignified way—those images simply did not exist in previous periods.”
Simone Biles On Quest For Record-Breaking 8th U.S. Title
Simone Biles began her quest to win a record eighth United States title with a bang Friday night. Biles ended the first day of the U.S. Gymnastics Championships with a lead of nearly three points. As CNN reported, with a win in the championships, Biles would become the first gymnast to win eight U.S. all around titles.
On the balance beam, Biles stumbled a bit before regaining her form, and received a score of 14.50. Through the second rotation, Biles was tied with world all-around silver medalist Shilese Jones with a score of 29.25. But Biles pulled away courtesy of her signature event, the vault. Biles performed what has become her specialty, a difficult Yurchenko double pike followed by a Cheng, which is a round-off back handspring half onto the table with one and a half twists off.
To follow that up, Biles turned in a stellar performance on the uneven bars.
“Beams started off a little bit rough, but that’s kind of to be expected. You get your nerves out of the way and then after that, it was pretty smooth sailing,” Biles said. “Pretty happy with the overall meet today.”
Biles said winning an eighth title is a personal goal. If Biles wins the event, which concludes on Aug. 27, then history is hers. She is tied with Alfred Jochim, who won his seventh title 90 years ago in 1933.
Earlier this year, Biles returned to action after a two-year hiatus, handily winning the U.S. Core Hydration Classic. Right now, Biles sits in first place followed by Jones and Skye Blakely rounding out the podium.
Suni Lee, the Olympics gold medalist in 2021, has only competed in two events as she makes her way back from a kidney problem. This marks the first time that two Olympic all-around gold medalists have ever competed for a United States championship.
Family Of Former Slaver Apologizes For Role In Guyanese Slave Trade
The descendants of John Gladstone, a 19th-Century British sugar and coffee planter who owned thousands of enslaved people, traveled to Guyana to issue a formal apology for their ancestors’ actions. According to the Associated Press, Charles Gladstone and five other relatives made the trip to the University of Guyana, where the family addressed a crowd.
“It is with deep shame and regret that we acknowledge our ancestors’ involvement in this crime, and with heartfelt sincerity, we apologize to the descendants of the enslaved in Guyana,” Charles Gladstone said. “In doing so, we acknowledge slavery’s continuing impact on the daily lives of many.”
The trip follows a call earlier this month from Guyanese President Irfaan Ali for Britain and other European nations to issue reparations.
Ali also was critical of the descendants of slave traders.
“The trans-Atlantic slave trade and African enslavement were an affront to humanity itself,” Ali said. “The heinousness of this crime against humanity demands that we seek to right these wrongs. The descendants of John Gladstone must now also outline their plan of action in line with the Caricom…plan for reparatory justice for slavery and indentureship.”
John Gladstone was an absentee plantation owner, but he was in charge when a rebellion occurred in 1823 in Success Village. As a result of the efforts to end the rebellion, the rebels were decapitated with their heads mounted on poles to the capital of Georgetown as a warning.
According to Charles Gladstone, there will be a partnership created between his family and the people of Guyana. “In writing this heartfelt apology, we also acknowledge Sir John Gladstone’s role in bringing indentured laborers to Guyana, and apologize for the clear and manifold injustices of this,” he said.
Outside the auditorium, a small group of protesters shouted and held up signs reading “The Gladstones are murderers” and “Stolen people, stolen dreams.” The leader of the protest, Cedric Castellow, claimed that Britain and other colonizing countries owe Guyana and the Caribbean billions of dollars.
“The British government and others benefited from the slave trade, their descendants and heirs. They owe us, and the legacy will affect future generations as well,” Castellow told the Associated Press.
After the speech, ex-BBC journalist Laura Trevelayan, whose family also apologized for their role in the slave trade in Guyana, told the Associated Press, “It seems that the momentum for the global reparations movement is being led by the Caribbean and its intellectuals.”
“People like us support the Caricom … plan, and I really hope that the British government will begin negotiations with the Caribbean in the near future,” Trevelayan added.
Atlanta-Based Black-Owned Bail Bonds Company Used By Trump Defendants
The Black woman CEO of an Atlanta-based bail bonding company was shocked to discover her latest clients were part of a nationally recognized case. Jennifer Greene‘s business, Free at Last Bail Bonds, was used by three people indicted in Donald Trump‘s election fraud case in Fulton County, Georgia.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution confirmed this. Former President Trump was indicted Aug.14 for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia; 18 allies were also charged.
While keeping her political beliefs (and clients) confidential, Greene told the AJC that she wants the opportunity to shed light on why businesses like hers are vital.
“The majority of our clientele, unlike Trump cohorts, they don’t have $10,000 just sitting around to get out of jail,” she said. “So going through a bonding company, you’re able to finance your bail premium.”
While Greene’s batch of Trump-affiliated clients need less financial help getting released from their cells, it is important to her that she provide the same quality of service.
The history of Free At Last, which has eight locations, goes back generations. Greene’s mother started the business, developing a relationship with the Fulton County Jail, leading to members of the Trump case to entrust their bail needs with the company. Greene’s next feat is ensuring that her high-profile clients show up to their court dates so the full payment does not have to be made.
“My counterparts may not understand why I’m doing this, ” said Greene. “I mean, the people who believe that Trump and his cohorts are guilty. But that’s not my job. Our job is to ensure that you get back home to your family and you continue with your life so that you can have a livelihood that doesn’t lead you to a life of crime.”
Whether or not Greene’s mission will be fulfilled with this set of clients remains in question.
Cardi B And Blogger Tasha K’s Legal Battle Rages On
The legal battle between gossip blogger Tasha K and rapper Cardi B has taken an interesting turn.
As Complex reports, the blogger has requested to set up a payment plan in 20 quarterly installments of $220,000 instead of paying the full amount of $3,868,753.47 that she owes the rapper. Cardi B was allowed to begin Tasha K’s assets in April 2023.
Tasha K filed an appeal and did not pay Cardi B, but her appeal was denied as Tasha K failed to present evidence proving the verdict was wrong.
“Defendant Latasha Kebe asks for a new trial, saying that there was insufficient evidence for the jury verdict against her,” reads the appeals court statement. “But as she all but admits, she didn’t make either of the required post-verdict motions in the district court.”
According to XXL, as part of her Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, Tasha K filed a Plan of Reorganizing, which describes how the blogger plans to pay off her creditors, which include Cardi B. Her bankruptcy filing also lists her assets ranging from $50,000 to $100,000, which include a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, electronics, home furniture, two Louis Vuitton purses, and clothes.
Cardi B has not responded to Tasha K’s payment plan but will have an opportunity to approve or dismiss it.
In August, Cardi B asked the judge overseeing her case not to dismiss the debt from Tasha K even though her bankruptcy filing allows her company, Kebe Studios LLC, to reorganize debts while it stays in business. Due to the Chapter 11 filing, the payments Tasha K must make to Cardi B were stopped, but they could be restarted if the debt can be proven to be connected to a willful or malicious injury.
I2I Health And Healing Weekend Is Coming To Atlanta
Invisible to Invincible (i2i) Health and Healing Weekend is coming to Atlanta, GA, this September. On September 1 and 2, hundreds of women will convene to discuss wellness, empowerment, and gender disparities in the healthcare world. Launched by the non-profit organization Community Education Group, this two-day event will be a celebration of women, complete with free health screenings.
The weekend will kick off with the Women’s Health and Healing Expo, where women from several communities will get candid about health issues that disproportionately plague different demographics, particularly the LGBTQ+ community.
There is a vast information gap in healthcare, often leaving women in the dark about what they can do for their bodies and minds. This weekend will include a session offering attendees and professionals insight on how to best improve accessibility, treatment, and prevention care. Participants will also have the opportunity to receive free HIV and STI screenings. With this availability, i2i hopes to diminish the stigma surrounding the topic of sexually-transmitted diseases and also equip women with the knowledge they need to take control of their health.
This weekend’s events will culminate into a performance from Grammy-award-winning artist Jozzy, who will perform her top hits. Centered on women’s empowerment, this event will be sure to attract many. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Eventbrite.
Black Business Month Spotlight: Fresh Green Promotes Healthy Living One Salad At A Time
When Duane and Tori King started to have health challenges, the couple realized it was time to make a change in their dietary lifestyle. But they struggled to find healthy fast food options.
It didn’t take them long to figure out that if you want something done, just do it yourself. The couple started to make vibrant salads at home. The couple, who boast a combined 40 years of entrepreneurial experience, figured others deal with the same issue.
Fresh Green is a fast casual salad concept that looks to address limited access to healthier options in communities. The Kings are on a “mission to positively influence health and environmental outcomes” while “supporting the wellbeing of [their] communities through organic and responsible sourcing.”
With so many food deserts in primarily Black communities, the Fresh Green concept is looking to change that narrative.
“Fresh Green has found leverage in assisting the Black community in adapting to the ‘getting healthy’ mentality by focusing on educating the Black community on how to make informed choices and take control of their health by embracing healthy eating as a a part of their cultural identity,” the Kings tell BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“Fresh Green believes everyone deserves access to fresh and nutritional food options regardless of their background or financial situation.”
As the only Black-owned salad company headquartered in Maryland, Fresh Green is a pioneer in advocating for healthier food choices in urban settings. In July 2023, the city council in Prince George’s County passed laws to encourage restaurants to provide healthy meal optionsin exchange for zero-interest loans and other financial help, The Washington Post reported. The Kings’ support was highlighted in the article, pointing out their own health battles and having to travel outside of the county to findhealthy options.
The Fresh Green concept is unlike some of these other competing platforms . By pushing the boundaries of traditional salad offerings, the company prioritizes sourcing its products through local suppliers.
“Our food products are selected with care and attention to detail,” the Kings say. “We pride ourselves in providing fresh, never frozen, processed, or mass produced packaged food products.” Fresh Green also thrives on offering an optimal customer experience. Since starting the business, the Maryland natives have worked closely with executive chefs to create tasty, intriguing flavors while paying close attention to the details that make them popular.
Not too many salad brands have their own low-sodium dressing; Fresh Green does.
The only way for this new health giant to go is up. The couple wants to open 200 locations in the next five years and are well on their way to become what they describe as being a “prominent player” in the health food industry.
“By providing quality salads packed with nutrients there is definitely potential for nationwide expansion in the next five years,” the owners explain. “Expanding nationwide would allow Fresh Green to reach a larger customer base and establish a stronger presence in the salad industry.”
With three corporate offices open in Bowie, Laurel, and Crofton, Fresh Green has adapted a franchise model with a new storefront in Watkins Park Plaza. Another will open in Annapolis by the end of 2023.
Fresh Green is also committed to community engagement. As the latest craze in the DMV area, Fresh Green is working with a nonprofit called Mark Made to help Duane’s alma mater, Delaware State University, and other local HBCUs implement healthy eating on and off campus. Both Duane and Tori recognize the influence the HBCU lifestyle has on their current and potential students. Why not start there?
“HBCUs have the potential to to play a transformative role in uplifting and promoting healthy agendas,” the couple says. “By integrating health and wellness into their educational programs, HBCUs can empower students and communities to prioritize their health and well being.”
