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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...
D’Angelo’s estate has launched the D’Angelo Pancreatic Cancer Fund, a global philanthropic initiative honoring the late soul musician, who passed away on Oct. 14, 2025, at age 51 after a private battle with pancreatic cancer. According to PEOPLE, the fund was created in partnership with the Black Boy Joy Foundation (BBJF) and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to support research, early detection studies, awareness campaigns, family support programs, and advocacy initiatives, with a particular focus on Black men and boys, addressing a disease with a survival rate of just 13%. In a statement, the estate said, “As a visionary artist, cultural pioneer, and devoted father, D’Angelo’s influence transcended music and defined a generation. Today with the Black Boy Joy Foundation x Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, we formally launched this initiative to honor his life and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.” PEOPLE also reports that the D’Angelo Pancreatic Cancer Fund will be led...
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...
Victoria Monét wants to see more guardrails regarding AI’s role in the music industry. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the “On My Mama” singer discussed Xania Monet, an AI artist who topped Billboard charts and secured a multi-million-dollar record deal, as previously reported by AFROTECH™. The AI artist was created by Telisha “Nikki” Jones, a Mississippi-born poet and entrepreneur who writes Xania’s music. “There’s real emotions and soul put into those lyrics,” Jones said in an interview with “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King. Victoria is among the artists criticizing Xania, suggesting it may have been created using her likeness. Victoria also added that when her friend submitted a prompt to ChatGPT asking it to create an image of “Victoria Monét making tacos,” and the image it generated resembled Xania. “It’s hard to comprehend that, within a prompt, my name was not used for this artist to capitalize on,” she told Vanity Fair. “I don’t support that. I don’t think that’s fair....
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...
K. Michelle wants to find a lawyer to fight against AI’s use of her unique skill and style. On a livestream, the singer responded to a comment about a request to write a song for her. She rejected the request while throwing shots at those leveraging her tone and voice to create music with AI. “You know what? I don’t need nobody writing me no songs right now. I got so much built-up tension. AI people using my tones, and my voice, and all of that. And now I gotta go find a lawyer. All types of stuff going on,” she said in a video shared on X. “Last thing I really need is for somebody to write me a song.” There were speculation that K. Michelle was likely referring to Xania Monet, an AI-generated artist created by entrepreneur and poet Telisha “Nikki” Jones, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Jones writes all the lyrics for Xania Monet but uses AI platform Suno to create the music and vocals. “I hope that K Michelle and Muni Long sue the creator and win,” Mary Pryor, a director and...
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...
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...
There is no better time to engage with technology than now. Chris Lyons, the president of Web3 Media at a16z crypto, has taken the stage at the AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 in Houston, which is reaching students, founders, technologists, and creators from all walks of life. He encouraged attendees to embrace today’s advancements in tech. Drawing from his roots in the music industry, where he once worked as a sound engineer, he references Soulja Boy as a prime example of embracing technology. The rapper used music production software Fruity Loops, now known as FL Studio, to release his debut hit “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” which was created using the program’s stock sounds, notes VICE. “I grew up in Atlanta, and I remember hearing Soulja Boy first coming out for this. He was recording literally in his bathroom. And when I used to work in a studio, you literally had to go to a physical recording studio,” Lyons explained. “But by having the software and having the equipment makes things 10...
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...
Decades after its release, Prince’s 1984 album and film soundtrack, “Purple Rain,” is seeing renewed momentum. According to Forbes, U.S. sales for the album more than doubled over a one-week period as it returned to multiple Billboard charts. Luminate, a leading entertainment data and analytics company providing trends, behaviors, and insights across music, film, and television, reported that “Purple Rain” sold just over 3,100 copies in the latest U.S. tracking week, up from about 1,400 the week before — a 119% increase, according to Forbes. The outlet reports that the surge helped the album return to Billboard’s Vinyl Albums chart at No. 13 and the Top Album Sales chart at No. 38. The increase suggests that many of the recent purchases came from vinyl sales. “Purple Rain” has remained a consistent favorite among fans of physical records and is often mentioned alongside albums such as “The Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd and “Legend” by Bob Marley & the Wailers as essential...
Rodarius Marcell Green, better known as Rod Wave, revealed on “The Joe Budden Podcast” how taking charge of his merchandise business transformed a six-figure side hustle into a multi-million-dollar operation. According to his podcast appearance, the platinum-selling artist said he manages all aspects of his merchandise himself. “It all started when my uncle told me, ‘You can go buy your own clothes, and pay these folks to print it up, pay these folks to transport it, and we gon’ do that,’” Rod Wave said. That approach helped him grow his merchandise revenue from $200,000 to $14 million. “If you can make it in the street, you can make it anywhere. If you can make a million dollars on the street illegally, your brain can work,” he added. Rod Wave said that taking control of his merchandise allowed him to retain more of the revenue coming from his work. He added that artists often receive only a fraction of the money they help generate for music labels. He also described the business...
