They say family and business don’t mix. But that isn’t always the case when it comes to family matriarchs choosing to steer the ship of their children’s careers.

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, let’s look at some of Black Hollywood’s fiercest momagers who helped guide their famous children to successful careers while maintaining a strong family dynamic.

Sonja Norwood

 

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Sonja Norwood has always taken great pride in her daughter and son, Brandy and Ray J, and the role she plays as their manager. Since 1993, Norwood has served as CEO of her Norwood & Norwood Inc. management firm, where she’s been instrumental in managing and guiding her two children, as well as 702, Silk, Mase, BeBe Winans, and more.

Deb Antney

 

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Deb Antney, also known as “Aunt Deb,” is an entertainment manager and founder/CEO of her management company Mizay Entertainment. She gained acclaim while managing the careers of several high-profile artists, including Gucci Mane, French Montana, and Nicki Minaj. She had already found success as Gucci and Nicki’s manager when she started managing her son, rapper Waka Flocka Flame. With his mom by his side, Waka went on to dominate the Top 20 of the Billboard R&B/hip-hop chart in 2009 and 2010 with hits like “O Let’s Do It,” “Hard in da Paint,” and “No Hands.”

Stacia Mac

 

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Stacia Mac wasted no time taking on the manager role for her son, rapper Polo G after he decided to pursue a career in music after graduating high school via Billboard.

“There was never a day off, because I understood how much was riding on this,” Mac says.

With his mom as his manager, Polo G garnered three top 10 albums and a Hot 100 No. 1 with his catchy 2019 Lil Tjay collaboration, “Pop Out,” which landed at No. 11 on the Hot 100.

Jonetta Patton

 

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With Usher Raymond signing his first record deal at age 14, Patton took on the manager role to help guide her son’s career. According to OWN, she would call all of the shots up until the mother and son ended their business relationship for the first time in 2007 and again after she rejoined his team in 2008. Usher credited the split to his “attempting to grow as a man,” he said at the time. “I think I’ve spent so many years focusing on being an artist and being recognized as this talent; it ain’t about that no more,” he told Oprah on her podcast. “Now, it’s about who I am as a man, and I need [my mother] to be as supportive of me as a man.”

In 2016, Patton put her focus into her own entrepreneurial endeavors and opened J’s Kitchen Culinary Incubator (JKCI) in her hometown of Atlanta, Mind Money Media reports. The five shared kitchens are housed in a building Patton has owned and used for her music business for nearly three decades.

“My passion is to help others, and I can do this in any industry,” Patton said. “When I see others succeed, that’s how I measure success.”

Donda West

 

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The late Donda West played a crucial role in the success of her son, Kanye West, before her untimely death in 2007. After raising Kanye to embrace the arts and his individuality during his childhood in Chicago, Donda would serve as Kanye’s manager and mentor during the early years of his flourishing career, as well as the chair of the Kanye West Foundation, which was later renamed the Donda West Foundation; and the CEO of Super Good, the parent company of Kanye West Enterprises, via Time.

Fans finally got an inside look at the close bond Kanye shared with his mother in the 2022 Netflix documentary Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy. In one scene, Kanye jokes on his mom for describing one of his songs as “good,” a term he later used to name his G.O.O.D. Music record label.

Tina Douglas

 

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If you see Ashanti somewhere, her mother, Tina Douglas, is likely not far away. Since Ashanti’s debut on the music scene in 2001, Douglas has been right by her daughter’s side. The proud momager, who describes herself as “the original momager” on Instagram,” is the force behind her multiplatinum-selling singer/actress daughter Ashanti. CEO of her Momager company, Tina, has successfully juggled managing Ashanti’s career while remaining a present mother to her two daughters, Ashanti and Kenashia Douglas.

Holly Thomas

 

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The late Holly Thomas was the mother and manager of Grammy Award-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion. Holly was a rapper, too, and used the stage name “Holly-Wood” when her young daughter started expressing interest in following in her mother’s footsteps. Once Megan took up rapping, Holly eventually began managing her daughter’s career, according to Pop Buzz. Tragically, as Megan rose in success as a rapper, her mother passed away from a cancerous brain tumor in March 2019.

RELATED CONTENT: HIP-HOP TURNS 50: Here Are 8 Rap Songs That Celebrate Mothers’ Hard Work

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by Sharelle B. McNair

May 8, 2023

Ben Crump Files Lawsuit Against Morgan Stanley On Behalf of Recruiter Claiming Racial Bias and Retaliation

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When you see a lawsuit from civil rights attorney Ben Crump, know he means business. Morgan Stanley is now on the attorney’s radar after racial discrimination and retaliation claims.

Crump’s law firm, Ben Crump Law, PLLC, announced via Twitter that the firm had filed a lawsuit against one of the world’s largest financial service firms, Morgan Stanley & Co., on behalf of a client who claims to have experienced systematic racial discrimination and retaliation.

MEDIA ALERT: @AttorneyCrump, in partnership with Stowell & Friedman, this week filed a lawsuit on behalf of Anthony Fletcher against Morgan Stanley & Co., one of the world’s largest financial service firms, alleging a long-standing pattern of systematic racial discrimination. pic.twitter.com/I8XDtceKQt

— Ben Crump Law, PLLC (@BenCrumpLaw) May 4, 2023

Advisor Hub reports Anthony Fletcher, a former contracted recruit for the firm, was hired to seek out “Black talent,” primarily for management roles, but only hired 16 of over 200 “highly qualified diverse candidates.” The lawsuit claims the owner of My Future Consulting presented Morgan Stanley with candidates of all races, Morgan Stanley limited Fletcher to ‘diverse’ hires and paid less and essentially was hired for lower roles.”

The complaint claims Fletcher earned less than his fellow recruiting colleagues and was denied access to a  candidate-tracking system offered to other candidates. The firm also allegedly hired some of his candidates “behind his back,” denying him commissions, and cut his rate below the industry standard—20% compared to 33.33%. He feels this happened “all because of his race.”

Crump says this pattern has to be stopped. “The pattern is clear that Morgan Stanley has deep and wide institutional bias against Black people,” his statement read. “We have assumed compelling evidence that Morgan Stanley is reluctant to hire Black employees; it doesn’t believe people want Black advisors, and it doesn’t think Black people have money to invest.”

Fletcher took things up a notch by highlighting the company’s history of race bias allegations, including a lawsuit settled with Marilyn Booker, its former chief diversity officer. Before Booker, Morgan Stanley never employed a Black woman as a complex manager, and fewer than 1% of their 16,000 brokers were Black as of 2021.

The firm denies these allegations, with a spokesperson saying this is all due to a “fee dispute” with Fletcher. “We categorically reject the allegations of this complaint which is based on a fee dispute with an external recruiter whose contract was terminated,” the spokesperson wrote. “Morgan Stanley remains steadfast in our commitment to build a workforce that is inclusive and diverse.”

Shaq Diesel is back!

Shaquille O’Neal, the man of many hustles, has returned to his rapping persona and released a new hip-hop song titled “King Talk.” The single features a Ghanaian American rapper named Blackway.

For those old enough to remember, the former NBA player released a platinum album, Shaq Diesel, 30 years ago in 1993. In his desire to get back on stage to utilize the microphone in a different way, he spoke to The Hollywood Reporter several months ago and teased his return to hip-hop.

“It’s like being in a basketball game and having people come and cheer you on and support you,” he told the media outlet in February ahead of his performance at Shaq’s Fun House. “I just want everybody to have a good time.”

The song was produced by Koko and released specifically for the NBA playoffs, which are taking place now. According to People, Shaq Fu incorporated afrobeat and hip-hop artist, Blackway, who captured O’Neal’s ear before working together on this song. In a written statement to People, O’Neal said that he and Koko had been “sending beats back and forth for a minute now,” and after hearing “King Talk” initially, “I knew I had to jump on it,” he stated.

Blackway had a song placed in the movie, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse in 2018, “What’s Up Danger,” featured Black Caviar. Blackway is working on his own EP and recently released his latest solo single, “Lion,” on March 10.

“I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment for a collab with Blackway, and this was it. This is the type of record that gets me hyped like I’m walking out for Game 7 of the finals,” said O’Neal.

“King Talk” will be released via Hive Music/Position Music on streaming platforms. O’Neal’s collaborator is no stranger to his music receiving airplay. His song “Heavyweight” was used in an NFL promotion during the season for its Songs of the Season campaign, along with other emerging recording artists who have also had their work incorporated into broadcasts throughout the football season.

When O’Neal released his platinum offering, it featured two gold-selling singles, “What’s Up Doc? (Can We Rock)” featuring Fu-Schnickens and “(I Know I Got) Skillz.” Both songs placed in the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

No word on if an album is on the way.

On May 3, veteran journalist Nicole Avery Nichols was named the editor-in-chief of the Detroit Free Press newspaper.

For the past 25 years, Nichols has reported on news in Detroit, covering topics such as culture, culinary arts, and, more recently, COVID-19. For the past two years, Nichols served as editor-in-chief of Chalkbeat, a nonprofit publication centered on education. 

“I firmly believe in centering people and their experiences within the heart of journalism, and I am thrilled to be leading one of America’s most powerful newsrooms as we tell the stories that matter most,” Nichols said in a press release.

“I look forward to engaging new audiences amid our ever-changing and diversifying media landscape.” 

Nichols worked at Detroit Free Press for 20 years. During her two-decade tenure at the publication, Nichols worked in several editorial roles: reporter, current affairs editor, senior news editor, and features editor. As an editor, she oversaw award-winning stories, including religion, public health, gender equity, race, courts and corruption, popular culture, politics, and entertainment, according to a press release. 

“Nicole’s deep knowledge of the local issues most important to Detroit-area residents, combined with a fearless and unflinching commitment to journalism that is essential in the communities we serve, makes her the perfect fit for the Free Press,” Kristin Roberts, a chief content officer at Gannett and the USA TODAY Network said. “I am confident that under Nicole’s leadership, the Free Press will deliver exclusive and solutions-focused journalism that our readers, viewers, and listeners want.” 

Nichols began her career as a news reporter at the Utica Observer-Dispatch, also holding positions at Detroit News.

Nichols, who attended Tuskegee and Syracuse universities, will replace Anjanette Delgado, who is currently serving as the interim executive editor for the Detroit Free Press.

RELATED CONTENT: Black-Owned PR Company 98Forward Celebrates 25 Years By Giving Back To Detroit

• News

by Iman Milner

May 8, 2023

Baseball Broadcaster Apologizes After Saying N-Word In Reference To The Negro Leagues Museum

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Racism always seems to find a way to make its presence known. Over the weekend, during what should have been a celebratory moment for the National Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, sports broadcaster Glen Kuiper used the N-word instead of “negro” in the organization’s name. Kuiper, who reports for the Oakland Athletics, uttered the slur during the broadcast of the team’s game against the Kansas City Royals on April 5.

Kansas City is home to the Negro Leagues Museum.

On air, a one-time athlete, Kuiper, said, “We had a phenomenal day today. N*gger league museum, and Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque.” His on-air co-host, Dallas Braden, showed no visible signs of being alarmed by the word and nodded in agreement with his statement. After going to commercial, Kuiper began the next broadcast segment with an apology. “I said something that didn’t come out quite the way I wanted it to,” he said. “I just wanted to apologize if it sounded different than I meant it to be said… I just wanted to apologize for that.”

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

May 8, 2023

Black Man Charged With Hate Crime After Shooting Two Men In The Back of the Head

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Police in Tulsa, Oklahoma, are investigating a homeless man who allegedly randomly killed two men due to their race.

The New York Post reports Carlton Gilford was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of shooting with intent to kill. On Apr. 18, Gilford murdered the men with no connection to them.

Authorities claim Gilford went into the Rudisill Library shortly before 10 a.m., walked up behind Lundin Hathcock, and shot him point blank in the back of the head. Later that day, he walked into a QuikTrip convenience store and shot James McDaniel similarly. The victim fell to the ground, and the assailant shot him again, leaving him dead at the scene.

According to KKTV, surveillance video showed Gilford firing shots at a security guard and another person outside the gas station. As police arrived, he was seen standing outside the convenience store and admitted to officers that he had shot two people.

Gilford was also charged with one count of malicious intimidation or harassment, which under Oklahoma law, is a version of a hate crime charge. The state doesn’t have a specific hate crime statute, but malicious intimidation or harassment includes targeting someone based on race. “The information suggests that race played a role in it,” Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said. “I feel like that is something we can prove, and it is something that a judge or jury obviously needs to listen to. So, we will present that information along with everything else.”

Records show Gilford is being held without bond at the Tulsa County Jail and is due back in court on June 23. According to FOX News, prosecutors say it’s for the public’s safety. “Whenever you are talking about the dynamic where the safety of the public is at risk, in my mind, somebody who is killing somebody or doing harm toward somebody who they don’t know, that really amps things up.”

NBA champion and Hall of Famer Ray Allen is the latest professional basketball player to earn a college degree after leaving school early to pursue a career in the sports world.

According to CBS Sports, former Boston Celtics and Miami Heat player Ray Allen earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies from the University of Connecticut (UConn) over the weekend. He follows in the footsteps of fellow NBA champions Steph Curry and Gary Payton II, who recently returned to their respective universities to earn their college degrees.

Allen left UConn as a junior in 1996 after playing three years at the famed university. The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted him as the No. 5 overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft. Although they selected him, he was immediately traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. He played in the NBA for 18 seasons with four teams (Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, Boston Celtics, and Miami Heat).

He is the only UConn men’s basketball player whose jersey has been retired by the university.

Ray Allen, UConn Class of 2023 graduate: pic.twitter.com/8funk8cKPh

— Joe Arruda (@joearruda9) May 7, 2023

“When I was in school there was a couple of RAs that were in their 30s and I thought, Wow, they’re still in school. It’s never too late to learn,” Allen told The Hartford Courant. “This day isn’t about me, it’s about the people that helped me along the way to finish this mission, be on this journey to graduate from college. And you got to do it by yourself but it’s made up of a lot of people around you, so I didn’t want it to be about me walking in and everybody, you know. These kids are on their individual journeys, so I was so inspired to be sitting next to them and talking to them.”

Allen became a highly-sought after player while averaging 19 points per game in his three seasons at UConn. He won USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of the Year in 1995. He became a legend by becoming the NBA record holder for 3-pointers after he recorded 2,973 in his career. Steph Curry smashed that record on December 14, 2021.

Before retiring, he won NBA championships with the Boston Celtics (2008) and the Miami Heat (2013) and was also a 10-time NBA All-Star.

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by Sharelle B. McNair

May 8, 2023

TikTok Sensation ‘The Boot Girls’ Fight Back Against Booting Cars In Atlanta – But Is It Legal?

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Content creators are becoming more and more creative in going viral. The latest sensation is the Boot Girls.

Two anonymous women have gone viral on TikTok (@bootgirlsinbuckhead) by removing boots from cars for much less than established parking companies. Wearing pink and bedazzled masks to hide their identities, the Atlanta natives will save the day by removing a boot from your car for a flat fee of $50, according to WSB-TV. One said the fame and business are unexpected. “It expanded out of nowhere,” one of the women said.

@bootgirlsinbuckhead #bootgirlsinbuckhead #atlanta #fyp ♬ Beyonce x My Husband x Casa Di Remix – CasaDi

The masked duo said they got the idea after being booted themselves. After searching online for cheaper ways to get out of it, they found ATL Boot Key, a business that sells copies of keys that unlock boots. They bought the key for less than the parking company charged for the removal, and things took off from there. Christian Verrette, who owns Boot Key, says booting is a “predatory act.” “It is holding someone hostage. You are holding someone for ransom: $75, or you cannot go anywhere,” Verrette said.

“I’m just trying to outright eliminate the boot. It is not about business for me. Business has been good, but, still, at the end of the day, my heart is banning the boot.” He feels ticketing is a much better option, however, thanks to Boot Girls, he says he’s sold $50,000 worth of keys.

But can this practice get the anonymous duo or others in trouble? The answer is yes and no. 11Alive reports purchasing a boot key isn’t illegal, but removing a boot on your own is if you’re not licensed, and it generally depends on where a person is in the state of Georgia. The community has to have an existing ordinance that allows booting. If someone wants to enforce booting on their private property, signage must be displayed, and anyone booting cars must have a permit.

The Atlanta Police Department is aware of the new practice, sending out a warning. “Recently, it has been brought to our attention that many motorists within the city are investing in Boot Keys, which is a key used to unlock the booting device.” It continued, “The Atlanta Police Department does not intervene between motorists and private business owners when vehicles are booted in violation unless a criminal matter arises.”

Da Brat showed off her pregnancy in full view at the recent Lovers and Friends Festival over the weekend in Las Vegas. During her performance, Da Brat took the stage to represent her hometown of Chicago by sporting a Chicago Bulls jersey. But that’s not all. In that representation, the jersey also showed off her growing “baby bump,” which she is having with her wife, Jesseca “Judy” Harris-Dupart.

As a proud wife, Judy posted an Instagram image of DaBrat during her performance with a caption expressing love and admiration for her spouse and their bundle of joy.

“Today in Vegas 😊😊😊 #loversandfriends ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ BEAURTIFUL and our BABY BOY performed today ❤️”

 

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The performance comes on the heels of the pair revealing that they will welcome a biracial baby boy after having selected a white sperm donor to conceive their first child.

The married couple expressed disappointment in the lack of Black sperm donors as they shared their pregnancy journey during the current season of the WeTV series Brat Loves Judy. In not finding the right donor, the rapper and her entrepreneur wife said the pool of sperm donors they had to choose from was small.

As they went through the process with their doctor, a Black woman named “Doctor A,” it was a very unfortunate experience as they addressed the issue behind the lack of Black donors.

“This is an issue. Unfortunately, there just aren’t enough Black donors,” Doctor A told the couple. “Black sperm donors. Black egg donors. Unfortunately, the pool is limited.”

Da Brat also mentioned that the only Black option left resembled a cartoon character.

“And that (dude) looked like Jiminy Cricket.”

During a gender reveal last month, the couple confirmed the sex of their baby. The countdown continues to the healthy arrival of their new baby boy.

Venus and Serena Williams’ former tennis coach may soon be coaching another tennis phenom. 

According to Sportskeeda, Rick Macci, who helped Venus and Serena perfect their craft, is interested in doing the same for tennis star Coco Gauff. In a recent podcast hosted by Patrick McEnroe, he stated that Macci is looking to help fine-tune the athlete’s game. He sees potential in the 19-year-old winning several major tournaments in the future.

On the podcast Holding Court with Patrick McEnroe, he revealed that Macci has been in contact with Gauff’s current trainer, her father, Corey Gauff. He indicated the flaw in Gauff’s game is her forehand, according to Macci. McEnroe said that he believed Macci was the right person to correct that for her.

“Nobody is better at breaking down the technical aspects of the game. And according to him, he’s been in touch with Coco’s father about possibly spending some time to obviously try to fix that forehand. Because we all know the forehand swing and the technique on the forehead is very shaky.”

Although Gauff recently lost to Paula Badosa in straight sets at the 2023 Madrid Open, she is still ranked in the World Tennis Association’s top 10. After losing the doubles final with Jessica Pegula against Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia, according to Tennis Net, Gauff expressed dismay that she couldn’t address the media after the loss.

Wasn’t given the chance to speak after the final today:( But thank you to the fans for supporting us and women’s tennis this week! Thanks @JLPegula for always keeping it fun on the court and hitting unreal clutch shots hahahaha Lastly, big congratulations Vika and Bia 🎉💗

— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) May 7, 2023

Gauff has been ranked as high as No. 4 and has already competed in a Grand Slam final before reaching her 19th birthday. At 18 years old, she was the second-youngest American player to have a Top 10 ranking and the second-youngest player in history to earn a WTA World No. 1 Doubles Ranking.

Last year, BLACK ENTERPRISE reported that Gauff became the only active woman tennis player with her own signature shoe. After a successful sneaker launch last summer, New Balance announced a long-term contract extension with the tennis star.