Stephanie Dinkins is merging AI and art for an exhibition in Brooklyn, NY. An “artist by birth,” Dinkins began with a display of her photography from a trip to Central America — a trip prompted by her interest in learning Spanish. This exhibit, held in Staten Island, would become her first. Fast forward to 2025, and she has launched an exhibit that is merging art and AI with the goal of creating a more equitable future. Dinkins told AFROTECH™ in an interview that she’s always been drawn to technology, and in 2014 a pivotal moment pushed her to deeply explore how the future is being shaped. She witnessed a humanoid robot on YouTube, called Bina48, being interviewed by reporters. The technology was launched by Hanson Robotics four years earlier based primarily on the personality and appearance of Bina Aspen Rothblatt, a Black woman, the company website mentioned. Dinkins reached out to the company, which permitted her to talk to the robot that was being trained through conversations...

Early in life, Afrobeats artist Davido learned to think on his own, a trait that unexpectedly led him to discover his passion for music. During an interview with AFROTECH™, Davido, who was born in Atlanta and raised in Lagos, Nigeria,  reflected on the formative years that shaped his path in the music industry. The youngest of five siblings, Davido lost his mother at 5 years old and was raised by his father, Adedeji Adeleke, a Nigerian billionaire who serves as CEO of Pacific Holdings Limited and President of Adeleke University. Despite his family’s wealth, Davido credits the freedom his father gave him as a key factor that allowed him to carve out his own lane in music. “He traveled a lot for business”. “He was a busy man…I think I had a lot of time to kinda find myself and know exactly what I wanted to do in life,” Davido said. “In the beginning, I didn’t really have him in my face, like, how he was with my siblings like, ‘Oh, dude. Go to school. I want you to be this.'” Davido...

David Banner is thanking T.I. for making it possible for him to have a lucrative career as a producer . On the “Club Shay Shay,” podcast, Banner reveals how important a tag in a song is for producers to ensure they receive full recognition. He also claims he is one of the first rappers to put his name before a beat in contemporary Rap and says the decision was inspired by Jay-Z, who would shout out producers on his songs. “I noticed Jay-Z would say ‘Kanye, you a fool fool fool. Just Blaze, you did it again,’ and every time he would say their name they could charge $10,000 extra right,” Banner told host Shannon Sharpe on the podcast. “Southern rappers hid their producers. It hurts me to this day. KLC from Beats By The Pound, as big as ‘No Limit’ was, don’t nobody know who they are. They’re some of my mentors… I really think Beats By The Pound is as big as Timbaland and Pharrell, because they changed music in the same way that those people do but we don’t know who they are.” He...

Memphis Bleek’s trust in Jay-Z led him to turn down a five-figure signing bonus. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Memphis Bleek splashed onto the music scene by being featured on the “Coming of Age” track of Jay-Z’s “Reasonable Doubt” album. He later became the first artist signed to Jay-Z’s label, Roc-A-Fella Records. The pair had also grown up together in the Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, NY. “He really grew up with me, on the third floor of the same building in the same project,” Jay-Z said recently on Power 105.1 with DJ Envy. During an interview with “The Breakfast Club,” Memphis Bleek was asked by co-host Jess Hilarious, born Jessica Robin Moore, about his dynamic with Jay-Z and if he believes his fate would have been different if he had signed with another label. Memphis Bleek eventually parted ways with Roc-A-Fella Records, and while Jay-Z went on to launch Roc Nation, Memphis Bleek admits he likely wouldn’t have become a bigger artist — or reached where he is today — even if...

Travis Scott has launched a new program that will fuel the design and creativity of students. In 2020, the rapper and songwriter extended his impact in his hometown of Houston, TX, by launching the Cactus Jack Foundation in November 2020, providing the next generation with educational and creative resources, Variety notes. One year after its inception, the foundation launched the 60,000-square-foot Cact.us Design Center at TXRX Labs, serving at-risk middle and high school students. It offers training, mentorship, and exposure to career paths in graphic design, fashion, and music, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. The foundation also provides $10,000 scholarships to college students in partnership with the Fashion Scholarship Fund through the Design Ethos Program. It has awarded scholarships to two cohorts since 2024. Recipients include: Gerald Baano-Stewart II (Morehouse College, 2024) Amanda Kerr (Savannah College of Art and Design, 2024) Satchel Smith (Thomas...

Eve is making major business moves — specifically by securing a major deal. According to Music Business Worldwide, Olivier Chastan’s acquisition firm, Iconoclast, announced on Wednesday, Sept. 25, that it acquired the publishing rights to the double platinum-selling Hip-Hop artist’s catalog. “Eve’s contributions to hip hop and popular culture are unparalleled. She’s not only a great artist but a true pioneer for women in the genre,” Chastan, founder and CEO of Iconoclast, said. “We are honored to help preserve and elevate her incredible legacy, ensuring that her influence continues to inspire future generations of artists and fans alike,” he added. Eve’s claim to fame came in the late 1990s with her debut album, “Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady,” which catapulted her to top the Billboard 200 — the third female rapper ever to do so. Iconoclast described her as a “trailblazer” and a “defining voice in hip-hop, known for her lyrical prowess, dynamic flow, and unique fusion of...

Juicy J says he has consistent revenue coming in from music sampling. The artist was a part of Hip-Hop group Three 6 Mafia, which formed in the early ’90s. BlackPast reports the original group members included Paul Duane “DJ Paul” Beauregard, Jordan Michael “Juicy J” Houston III, Lola Chantrelle “Gangsta Boo” Mitchell, Darnell “Crunchy Black” Carlton, Ricky “Lord Infamous” Dunigan, and Robert Cooper “Koopsta Knicca” Phillips. The group paved their way first in Memphis, TN, before they found success across the country in the later ’90s, ultimately selling millions of albums, mentions Genius. Among their records includes “Stay Fly,” “Doe Boy Fresh,” “Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body),” “Who Run It,” and “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp,” which earned an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2006 for its feature in the film “Hustle & Flow.” Before making an imprint for innovating the Hip Hop space, it had not dawned on Juicy J to consider the business side in addition to  the art form. “I...

Wu-Tang Clan’s “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” could have an earlier release date thanks to non-fungible token (NFT) collective PleasrDAO. In 2015, the legendary Hip-Hop group auctioned off only one physical copy of their seventh studio album, and former “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli reportedly bought it for $2 million, according to The New York Times. PleasrDAO then acquired the album for $4 million in 2021 from the U.S. government after Shkreli was convicted of securities fraud. Previously, Wu-Tang Clan’s sales contract with Shkreli stated that “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” was prohibited from being publicly released until Oct. 8, 2103, which was 88 years into the future. However, the album isn’t as inaccessible now. The New York Times reports that on June 13, PleasrDAO started giving listeners access to a five-minute sampler of an encrypted digital version, an NFT, for $1 in addition to fees. The collective stated it was part of an experiment and posed the question: “Do people still...