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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...
DeVon Franklin began building a relationship with Babyface a decade ago, and it has blossomed with the release of his latest movie. Success Of “Ruth & Boaz” The former Sony executive has added a new project to his portfolio: “Ruth & Boaz,” a modern twist on a Biblical story that premiered on Netflix Sept. 26 and features Serayah McNeill, Tyler Lepley, Phylicia Rashad, and others. Boardroom reports that it became the platform’s most-streamed movie during its release week, garnering 434.4 million minutes of watch time. Franklin also tag-teamed with Tyler Perry as a producer on the film. Together, they “proceeded to negotiate the best film deal” he’s done in his career, he said in a Facebook post. Reflecting On Hollywood Tenure Franklin now has nearly 20 years of experience creating inspirational projects and has been in Hollywood for nearly 10 years more, he reflected on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas. This experience is part of what...
Amaya Espinal is collaborating with a billion-dollar soda brand. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Espinal rose to fame after her appearance on Season 7 of Peacock’s “Love Island USA,” where she ultimately won. The New York native is also a cardiac nurse who earned a degree from a two-year program in 2021. In a TikTok video, she sits in the same car her mother purchased for her 21st birthday, and she admits that life looked very different just a year ago. She’s right, since now she has more than 7 million followers across TikTok and Instagram alone after appearing on the show. She also gained a slew of brand deals, which include Hourglass Cosmetics, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Fenty Beauty , Garnier USA, and her latest Poppi. Pepsi acquired this prebiotic soda brand founded by Allison Ellsworth for $1.95 billion earlier this year. At the Clover x Shark Tank Summit, held in September at The Venetian in Las Vegas, Ellsworth explained that the brand follows an 80/20 rule: allocating most...
Spike Lee is applauding the “Sinners” deal. “Sinners” is a film that Ryan Coogler released in April 2025 , joined by his wife, Zinzi, as a producer, People reports. It tells the story of twin brothers, both played by Michael B. Jordan, who face a dilemma with vampires at a juke joint in 1930s Clarksdale, MS, according to USA Today. The film earned $366.7 million worldwide from a $90 million production budget, per Box Office Mojo and a previous AFROTECH™ article. “Eternal gratitude. My heart is bursting with it,” Ryan Coogler wrote in a letter to supporters, Deadline reports. “I want to thank each and every one of you who bought a ticket to see ‘Sinners.’ Who decided to drive to see the film in different formats. Who bought popcorn and a drink, booked a sitter and carpooled, and stood in the lobby afterward and talked and made a friend. Who changed their work schedules. Who saw the film in groups.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sinners Movie (@sinnersmovie) The film’s...
Teyana Taylor is crediting Beyoncé for the sound advice that she applied to her business endeavors. The Harlem, NY, native is a jack of all trades , with titles that include artist, actor, dancer, choreographer, model, creative director, and businesswoman. View this post on Instagram A post shared by i-D (@i_d) As AFROTECH™ previously reported, she attended the Harlem School of Arts to study music, acting, and choreography. Her breakthrough in the entertainment industry occurred in 2007 after signing a record deal with Pharrell Williams’ Star Trak Entertainment. Working as the choreographer at age 15 for Beyoncé’s “Ring the Alarm” music video the year prior served as a career catalyst, according to a separate AFROTECH™ article. Fast forward to 2025, Taylor acknowledged in an interview with Marie Claire that Beyoncé supported Taylor during the highs and lows of her career. Taylor retired from music in 2020, stating she felt “unappreciated” by her label, Def Jam, per People. She...
Marsai Martin has no intention of touching her Coogan Account anytime soon. According to the City National Bank, a Coogan Account is a protected savings account created by a legal parent or guardian for child performers. Martin’s parents, Joshua and Carol, were adamant about creating an account for the actress, Martin told AFROTECH™. Martin’s Career Growth Martin, now 21, had an early start in the industry. She secured her first national commercial appearance at age 5, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. She was 10 when she landed her breakout role in ABC’s “Black-ish,” produced by Kenya Barris, notes Forbes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marsai (@marsaimartin) Additionally, Martin made history as the youngest executive producer at 14 with the film “Little,” landing herself in the Guinness Book of World Records. She pitched the film at age 9 to Universal Pictures, and it made $48 million at the box office, according to Variety. She created it through her production...
Terrence J took a big bargain for his breakout role, leading to a significant payday. The journalist, who became a television host and actor, is among the cast in the Black staple film “Think Like A Man,” released in 2012 and directed by Will Packer. It was inspired by “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man,” a book released in 2009 by Steve Harvey, who was also cast in the movie alongside Taraji P. Henson, Kevin Hart, Regina Hall, Gabrielle Union, Meagan Good, and more. Terrence J received wind of the movie while he was in New York working on “106 & Park,” he explained during a sit-down interview with Cam Newton for the “Funky Friday” podcast. Director Packer had called Terrence J for a table read that was taking place in Los Angeles, to replace another individual who backed out. He admittedly called in sick to work in order to fly out for the table read four days later at a Sony lot. Newton also revealed that he did not know what a table read was at the time, so he stayed up all night...
Eddie Murphy built an empire on the big screen without ever auditioning, but even he said no to this now-iconic role. The comedian and actor from Brooklyn, NY, set a goal to become famous at 18 years old when he was 15. His humorous personality, which has made him millions today, was instilled in him as a child. He says he was always funny, despite experiencing the death of his father, who divorced his mother when he was a toddler and was killed five years later in a crime of passion. His mother then became ill, leading him to spend time in foster care for a year alongside his brother, Charles, Parade reports. Murphy credits his humor to being raised around people who were also funny. He first put his skills to the test at 8 years old while riding a bus. “Every time the bus stopped, whoever got off the bus, I would start talking, like, doing what that person was saying and where they’re going, and like a voice for that person,” he told the outlet. “I was doing it loud enough and the...
Tyler Perry played a hand in Ryan Coogler securing a groundbreaking deal. Award-winning director Coogler released “Sinners” in theaters on April 18. According to Forbes, the horror film, which had a $90 million production budget and featured Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, and Miles Caton, garnered $365.9 million worldwide. The film marked a reset for Coogler, who previously worked on sequels for “Black Panther” and “Creed.” Photo Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez “I’ve been in a space of making franchise films for a bit, so I wanted to get away from that,” Coogler told Ebony magazine. “I was looking forward to working on a film that felt original and personal to me and had an appetite for delivering something to audiences that was original and unique.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by IMAX (@imax) Beyond the plot and visual storytelling of “Sinners,” Coogler also made headlines for the business deal he secured for the film with Warner Bros. The New York Times reports he...
Acclaimed filmmaker Ryan Coogler, best known for writing and directing such smash hits as “ Black Panther ,” “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station,” has been making waves recently with his new movie “Sinners.” For those who don’t know, “Sinners” has already garnered over $70 million at the box office , despite having just released on Apr. 18. The film also had a very modest marketing push and very little studio support, making its success even more impressive. While “Sinners” has been drawing plenty of eyes from the general public, the behind-the-scenes story of Coogler’s Warner Bros deal has also enraptured creators, filmmakers and Hollywood film buffs alike. In fact, financial analysts have predicted that the “Sinners” deal could be worth millions for generations to come, while some studio insiders have expressed concern that the deal will destabilize the future of the industry if other filmmakers attempt to replicate it. In order to understand exactly what terms are established by Ryan...
Jamie Foxx is not here for the anti-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) narratives circulating in Hollywood . Foxx — born Eric Marlon Bishop — is the producer of Apple TV+’s “Number One On the Call Sheet,” a documentary that explores Black achievement in the film industry and the challenges Black women face in finding success. At the Los Angeles, CA, premiere on March 13, 2025, the Academy Award-winning actor emphasized the film’s importance, stating that it is more relevant now than ever. “Look what’s going on out there. They trying to erase everything we do… They talking about the DEI , affirmative action, we don’t need Black history . Why you picking on our history?” Foxx told Extra. “So, we just do more history. The more you erase, the more we replace. So, that’s all it is. We ain’t gonna be shy about it. Leave us alone. Let us enjoy. Let us all be American.” Since 2024, several high-profile companies have scaled back or eliminated their DEI programs , citing pressure from...
Ava DuVernay , Janelle Monáe, Chris Rock, and Cynthia Erivo are among over 400 Hollywood filmmakers, writers, actors, and musicians who signed an open letter urging President Trump’s administration not to roll back copyright protections at the request of AI companies. The creatives penned the letter in response to recent submissions to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), during which Google and OpenAI asserted that U.S. copyright law should permit AI companies to train their systems on copyrighted works without needing permission or compensation from the rights holders, according to Variety. “We firmly believe that America’s global AI leadership must not come at the expense of our essential creative industries,” the letter states. “America’s arts and entertainment industry supports over 2.3 million American jobs with over $229 billion in wages annually while providing the foundation for American democratic influence and soft power abroad. But AI companies are asking...
Issa Rae is applauding those who are upholding DEI efforts. During SXSW 2025 in Austin, TX, the actress, producer, and newest part-owner of San Diego FC participated in a keynote conversation where she shared her thoughts on the evolving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) landscape, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A racial awakening occurred in 2020 following the death of George Floyd due to police brutality. This led to an influx of support and a record-breaking $4.3 billion in venture capital and corporate investments towards Black-owned businesses, per ABC News, as well as a 55% increase in DEI roles created, notes NBC News. As time has gone on, many of these bold commitments around DEI have faded out. This has only worsened due to pressures from conservative groups challenging such efforts in litigation, with some success. Legal wins for the right have included the dismantling of Fearless Fund’s Strivers Grant program, which awarded Black woman-owned businesses, and the...
Shonda Rhimes is stepping down from her position on the Kennedy Center board. Deadline reports that the award-winning producer had served as treasurer of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which exposes art to 2 million annual visitors and is guided by a mission to promote a “culture of inclusiveness,” according to its website. The center has served 1.4 million students and offers education and outreach programs throughout the United States and in 29 countries. Now, the center’s leadership, which contributed to its direction and impact, will shift in response to Trump becoming more involved. He previously shared on Friday, Feb. 7, 2024, his intentions to become its chairman and stated that he would remove board members as part of his plan to pursue “a golden age in arts and culture,” the Los Angeles Times reports. This resulted in 18 board members being removed from the roster on the center’s website by Feb. 10, including chairman, David Rubenstein. Most of the...
Actor Djimon Hounsou believes he has not been given his just dues. The actor, who has remained in the industry for at least 30 years, pursued a career in acting in the U.S. after moving from Cotonou, Benin, at 23 years old, MarketWatch reports . Prior to his time in the U.S., he had experienced financial troubles, which led to homelessness for an 18-month period, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. However, his fate would take a turn in 1992 when he appeared in the film “Unlawful Entry.” In 1997, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama for his performance in Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad,” and an even bigger break came three years later with the Oscar-winning film “Gladiator.” However, despite what seems like a solid career, Hounsou feels overlooked and underpaid. “I am still struggling trying to make a living,” Hounsou said, according to Variety. “After 30 years…Maybe the first 10 years was trying to acclimate myself to the industry, to establish myself. But I’ve...
