Timbaland and Swizz Beatz’s battle against short-form music video app Triller has finally come to an end. Earlier this year, the pair decided to sue Triller after alleging they refused to pay them $28 million after acquiring Verzuz, a rap-battle show they founded during the first peak of the pandemic. According to reports, the pair claimed the company had refused to pay the settlement agreement after acquiring their Verzuz platform. Despite Triller denying the claims, the platform has reached an “amicable agreement” with both partners to settle the matter. “Verzuz
According to residents and internet watchdog NetBlocks, Iran has restricted residents’ access to social media platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp following a week of protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. What happened to Mahsa Amini? The protests, which began earlier this month, have seen protests spread across Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died in custody after being arrested by morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab incorrectly. Both men and women across Iran have taken to the streets in protest. However,
Disney’s latest live-action remake, The Little Mermaid, has been engulfed in controversy ever since the casting of singer Halle Bailey was announced. The film’s trailer has been flooded with 1.5 million dislikes from angry “fans” – despite YouTube removing the dislike counter, the numbers are still available through an extension. During a recent appearance at the D23 Expo, Bailey herself reacted to the release of the clip and called the moment “surreal.” “I’m so excited about this film,” she said. “You know being here today is so surreal. I definitely
As the world has become more digitized, more accessible payment systems such as Cash App, PayPal and Venmo have become hugely popular. According to data, Cash App has generated over 40 million monthly active users and over 100 million downloads. Recent research reveals that 59% of Black Americans report using Cash App, compared to 37% of Hispanic Americans and even a smaller percentage of white and Asian Americans. Hackers and scammers The popularity of these payment systems among Black and Hispanic Americans is in spite of concerns about security and
Armed with smartphones and armies of faithful fans, social media sensations such as Khaby Lame are building fortunes by redefining the rules of entertainment, advertising, and stardom. The inaugural Forbes Top Creators list highlights the 50 social superstars leveraging a combined 1.9 billion followers across social networks to earn $570 million in 2021 alone. Their average age is just 31. Next year’s windfall is significantly richer as famous personalities shift from influencers to owners, using their massive reach to start their own ventures—clothing lines, beauty empires, TV series, and fast food chains.
Black developer, Meka Knepley, has announced the launch of her social shopping app, ReUp, described as a crossover between TikTok and Amazon. The app, expected to launch this October, will allow users to watch videos and shop simultaneously, with one click. Like apps such as Instagram and TikTok, users will have the ability to scroll through content and products endlessly. Community through shopping ReUp provides users with an innovative shopping experience that benefits businesses and shoppers alike. The video feature aims to make it easier for people to discover small, upcoming businesses
“My success as a Community Manager requires a certain level of autonomy, and that can be scary for brands,” says Mercedes in an interview with Forbes. Streaming service Tidal was founded by Jay-Z in 2014 who has managed to build an online audience and platform that profoundly resonates with its target audience. Melanie Mercedes has been one of the most significant forces behind developing TIDAL’s social strategy and building a solid worldwide online audience. Over the past two years, Mercedes has been actively growing the streaming services’ online presence. TIDAL has raised
Video-sharing platform, TikTok, has partnered up with Cyversity to connect underrepresented individuals with more opportunities in the cybersecurity world. TikTok is championing the #SeeYourselfInCyber hashtag as a part of a new HBCU program set to launch later this fall. The program, made up of an online mentoring syllabus, will host in-person events at HBCUs to aid students with the skills needed to work within the cybersecurity sector. The initiative aims to solve the issue of 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs by awarding 50 students a scholarship representing the platform’s ongoing commitment to helping the next
Since its launch in 2009, WhatsApp has intensified instant messaging and made communicating easier for families, friends, and companies. But in most recent years, particularly during the pandemic, it’s being used for much more. Teachers in Africa took advantage of the platform during the lockdowns when schools were shut. Data from a study conducted by Sabinet analyzed a WhatsApp group of 24 economics teachers and three lead teachers (heads of departments) from 15 schools in Kwazulu-Natal province, South Africa and a focus group interview was thematically analyzed to present findings.
A well-known influencer collective, Collab Crew (formerly known as Collab Crib) has had a turbulent few months with its founder Keith Dorsey stepping down to focus on his mental health, appointing Robert Dean III (@robiiiworld) to take the lead and of course the big news that it’s shifting from a collab house into a studio. What was the ‘Collab Crib? It was one of the nation’s only content houses for all-Black influencers. There – 10 young creators worked daily under the care of a manager. Most of them lived in