In a recent interview, T-Pain shared he could have made more money from his hit song, “Buy U A Drank.” The rapper from Tallahassee, FL, first experienced commercial success with the release of “I’m Sprung” in 2005, which was the lead single from his debut album “Rappa Ternt Sanga.” The song peaked at No. 8 and remained on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart for 26 weeks, Revolt reports. In 2007, “Buy U A Drank” was released and was even more successful. The song reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart and went triple Platinum, according to Genius. T-Pain reflected on the success of the single and how it impacted his wealth on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast. He made revenue, but suggested he could have earned more if the masters and publishing rights  agreement had been different. His song paid respect to rappers Lil Scrappy and Lil Jon, prompting the artists to claim publishing rights. “When I did ‘I’mma Buy U A Drank, then I’mma take you home with me. I got money in the bank.’ As soon as I...

HarbourView Equity Partners and Grammy-winning artist and producer Hit-Boy have announced an exclusive partnership. According to Billboard, the deal follows the conclusion of Hit-Boy’s 18-year publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Sherrese Clarke, founder and CEO of HarbourView Equity Partners, said the firm is committed to investing in creators who shape culture.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by HarbourView Equity (@harbourviewep) “Hit-Boy’s work has defined a generation of music, blending innovation with impact in a way few others have,” Clarke said when announcing the news. “We’re honored to partner with him and proud to help preserve, celebrate, and continue his extraordinary legacy.” Hit-Boy said the partnership represents a new chapter in his career focused on ownership, innovation, and creative freedom. “HarbourView will be a forward-thinking partner and that is exactly what I want when making...

As the 2026 Grammys approach, singer, songwriter, and producer Leon Thomas is among the nominees for Album of the Year for “MUTT,” his 14-track project that incorporates Jazz, Neo-Soul, and Rock influences. According to the Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammys, “MUTT” is the singer’s sophomore album, released in 2024 as a follow-up to his debut album, “Electric Dusk.” The album draws inspiration from artists ranging from Art Blakey and Miles Davis to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, and its layered instrumentation and vocals highlight Thomas’ meticulous approach to production and artistic direction. At the time of its release, Thomas — a former child star on Broadway and Nickelodeon — told Essence in an interview, “This album is me stepping into my confidence. It was a tough journey getting into music out of Nickelodeon during my twenties, but now, in my thirties, I’m showing people that I know what I’m doing—and I’m having a good time doing it.” According to the...

The late Michael Jackson is still at the top of his game. Jackson’s influence on music began in his childhood as a member of the iconic sibling group The Jackson 5, formed in Gary, Indiana. The group produced classics such as “I Want You Back,” which sold over six million copies worldwide and was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, according to Jackson Dynasty, along with hits like “ABC,” “I’ll Be There,” “Blame It on the Boogie,” and more. Jackson’s track record as a solo artist cemented his status as a legend, with albums that have stood the test of time and changed the trajectory of the music industry. His albums include “Thriller,” which followed the success of “Off the Wall” and was the brainchild of both Jackson and Producer Quincy Jones. “Thriller” sold over 70 million copies worldwide, The Root reports. It is regarded as one of the best-selling albums of all time and led Jackson to earn eight Grammys in one night. View this post on Instagram The King of Pop...

Artificial intelligence is increasingly entering the music world, with AI-generated artists gaining attention on charts and in media coverage. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Telisha “Nikki” Jones, a poet and entrepreneur from Mississippi, has made headlines for her AI creation, Xania Monet. The artist’s debut single, “How Was I Supposed to Know?,” has already secured Jones a multi-million-dollar recording contract with Hallwood Media following a competitive bidding process that reached $3 million. In an interview with “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King, Jones discussed her approach to creating Xania Monet.   The 31-year-old emphasized that she writes all of the lyrics herself, often drawing from poems she has been composing since she was 24. “There’s real emotions and soul put into those lyrics,” Jones said. She added that “How Was I Supposed to Know?” was inspired by the death of her father when she was 8 years old. After writing the lyrics, Jones uses the AI platform Suno to...

At 21 years old, Brooklyn Frost brings her creativity to her streams, social media, and music, engaging millions of fans across Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube with her voice, energy, and perspective. Streaming Success Brooklyn Frost has built an audience that spans 1.3 million Instagram followers, 2.2 million TikTok followers, over 600,000 Twitch followers, and more than 1 million YouTube subscribers. Per Essence Girls United, watching her brother create content first, she said she was drawn to the energy, creativity, and connection that streaming offered. Stepping in front of the camera herself, she realized she could tell her own story. “Streaming gave me a space to be myself in real time, to laugh, to talk, and to build a genuine community that grew with me,” Frost told AFROTECH™. Her first Twitch subathon in December 2024 was a milestone, earning her 10,000 new subscribers and averaging 13,000 views per stream, according to Complex. Frost celebrated the achievement with...

Def Jam is forever indebted to Warren G. Signing To Def Jam During an interview on “ Drink Champs, ” co-hosted by N.O.R.E., also known as Noreaga, he mentioned that a few individuals are referenced when new artists are signed to Def Jam. These include LL Cool J, its first signee, and Warren G, the rapper who “ singlehandedly ” saved the label. Warren G, a California-born rapper, signed to Def Jam when it was led by then-president Lyor Cohen, According to HipHopDX, he was discovered by A&R executive and manager Paul Stewart. “We were really excited about being down with Def Jam,” Stewart told Rolling Stone. “Def Jam had missed out on all the West Coast stuff. Death Row was killing it. So they were smart, and saw an opportunity,” he continued. One day, when Warren G was leaving Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘N Waffles, he saw a man selling a crate of records. Warren G purchased all of them for $500, and one of those records was from Michael McDonald. It inspired his 1994 rap single...

AI-generated and AI-assisted music has appeared on Billboard charts across various genres, including gospel, rock, and country. In recent months, according to Billboard, at least six AI or AI-assisted artists have debuted on these rankings, though the total number of songs or artists using AI is not yet clear. Some artists disclose their involvement with AI on streaming platforms, while Billboard reports using detection tools, such as Deezer’s identification system, to verify AI-generated or AI-assisted content. Billboard Entries And Commercial Performance Xania Monet, an AI-powered artist created by Mississippi-based songwriter Telisha “Nikki” Jones, has charted on multiple Billboard listings. Jones produces Xania Monet’s music by blending her own lyrics with live recordings and the AI platform Suno, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. According to Billboard, Xania Monet’s “Let Go, Let Go” reached No. 3 on Hot Gospel Songs, and “How Was I Supposed to Know?” peaked at No. 20 on Hot...

50 Cent is joining a growing number of musicians experimenting with artificial intelligence to reimagine their music. According to Complex, the rap veteran recently transformed two of his hits, “21 Questions” and “God Gave Me Style,” into old-school R&B tracks. He explained that AI allows his older songs to reach listeners who may have missed the original releases. “Look, if it will reach someone that I missed, someone who couldn’t hear what I was trying to say to them in the writing, they can hear it now in that format,” he told Jordan Rose for Complex in an interview. By converting his classics into new styles, 50 Cent is exploring how technology can broaden his audience while keeping the original songwriting intact. The rapper also highlighted the quality of AI-generated voices, noting that they rival the singers of the original era. “I don’t know where the AI got these voices from, but these are some good voices,” he said. “Like, if these guys came out in that time period, they...

Long live D’Angelo. The “king of neo-soul,” born Michael Eugene Archer in Virginia, was one of a kind, and this was clear in his upbringing in his father’s church. At age 16, he even had his own choir and formed a singing group with his cousins, according to his interview with Wax Poetics in 2020. He continued to nurture his craft and looked to the blueprint of pioneers such as Stevie Wonder. “When it comes to songwriting, I modeled myself after Stevie Wonder. Sometimes you put poetry to beautiful music, and other times you got to come direct,” D’Angelo said, according to Wax Poetics. D’Angelo knew he had talent, and others around him did, too. This recognition likely explains why he dropped out of school as a teenager to break into the music business, CBS News reports. The risk paid off. After being signed to EMI Records, he co-produced Black Men United’s 1994 single “U Will Know,” Variety reports. In 1995, he changed the industry with his debut album “Brown Sugar,” which is...

Hit-Boy continues to embrace today’s technology. The producer, born Chauncey Hollis Jr., has been in the music industry for nearly two decades. He made his foray into music by releasing mixes on Myspace and selling burned CDs outside a mall for only $5, according to The New York Times. At age 19, he secured a $50,000 co-publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, which he later learned had no end date, The Times notes. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, he was in a vulnerable position, raised by a teenage single mother. His father spent most of his life in prison, so, at the time, Hit-Boy had little mentorship or knowledge of music contracts and how to navigate the business. Hit-Boy went on to experience great success, collaborating with industry titans such as Drake, Lil Wayne, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, and even Jay-Z, producing the song “N-ggas in Paris” in 2011. In an interview with AFROTECH™, Hit-Boy credited the song and partnership with Jay-Z with changing his earning...

Lil Jon said he will forever be indebted to Too $hort for setting him free from a lifetime contract. Lil John was first a DJ, making waves in the Atlanta music scene, he explained in a podcast interview with “Bringing Down The Band.” He had become interested in DJing while throwing house parties in his home, carrying on the tradition of one of his high school friends who went away to the Navy. Lil John’s rise in the city then caught the attention of Jermaine Dupri, who enlisted him for A&R and street promotions at his label, So So Def Recordings. Lil Jon gained momentum in the area as a producer. He admitted his claim to fame was executive producing all three compilations of the “So So Def Bass All-Stars” albums, which featured one of today’s enduring classics, Ghost Town DJs’ “My Boo.” He also formed a group called the East Side Boyz during this period, with Big Sam and Lil Bo , according to Franchise Record Pool . Escaping Lifetime Deal Lil Jon worked with the label from 1993 to...

Will.i.am turned a pitch to a beer company into a strategic business move that became beneficial in the long haul. The artist and tech entrepreneur has been ahead of his time since his early foray into the music business, dating back to when he was in eighth grade. According to Entrepreneur, he formed the rap group Atban Klann in 1987, which signed to Eazy-E’s independent label Ruthless Records. It would later morph into the Black Eyed Peas, releasing their first albumin 1998 under Jimmy Iovine’s Interscope Records. The group later rebranded with new members. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, w ill.i.am’s ties to Iovine include Beats Electronics. The company was established by Dr. Dre and Iovine and later acquired, along with Beats Music, by Apple for $3.2 billion, per CNBC. Billboard notes that even if will.i.am’s stake was 1%, he would have pocketed an estimated $30 million . He also understands the power of the Hip-Hop business. This is why Beats headphones were featured in the...

Pharrell Williams has launched a new venture that pays homage to his roots. Williams, a famed producer from Virginia, has numerous hits in his music catalog, but his impact extends beyond the entertainment industry. In 2020 he launched the Black Ambition Prize competition, which provides capital to underrepresented entrepreneurs with innovative ideas. As of 2024, it has awarded nearly $13 million to 131 entrepreneurs since the program’s inception, according to the organization’s website . As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Williams was named Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director in 2023. He was the second Black designer to hold the position, succeeding the late Virgil Abloh. “Over here, they lift us,” Williams told The New York Times about being the second Black designer in the role. “They appreciate what we do. They see the talent that we have,” he continued. Furthermore, Louis Vuitton Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Pietro Beccari weighed in on Williams’ position, according...

Meek Mill didn’t just survive the odds; he flipped them . Imagine a movie where the main character goes from the streets to multi-million-dollar hits , gets put behind bars, and then rises to become a voice for reform of the criminal justice system. That’s Meek Mill’s story . Whether you know him for battle raps or feel his impact through REFORM Alliance’s fight for systemic change . Along his journey, adversity has never stopped him. But has Meek Mill’s net worth kept up with his self-worth? Let’s explore how his financial portfolio measures up to his self-made success – and the broader influence he’s carved out. Meek Mill’s Early Life In Philadelphia Shaped His Ambition Robert Rihmeek Williams was born in May 1987 in the heart of South Philly . As Philadelphia Magazine points out, his father was murdered when Meek was just five. “My dad died in 1992 doing a robbery… That made me wanna get rich. That was the get back,” the “Going Bad” hitmaker explained on Instagram in 2024, as...