Kobe Bryant Unveils $100 Million Venure-Captial Fund
Life after basketball is looking good for retired NBA baller Kobe Bryant. The former Laker, who turns 38 tomorrow, just unveiled his venture-capital fund, a $100 million vehicle for investing in technology, media and data companies, according to the Wall Street Journal. Yep, he's looking for companies and people to stuff $100 millie into.
Kobe has joined forces with longtime entrepreneur and investor Jeff Stibel (who began his career in brain research and later founded and developed tech companies) to start their own firm called Bryant Stibel that will be based in L.A. They’re coughing up $100 million which they expect to invest over the next few years without seeking any outside investors yet.
Since 2013, the two have invested in over 15 companies, but they decided to make their partnership official once Black Mamba left the league. So far, they’ve invested in companies like sports media website The Players Tribune, videogame designer Scopely, legal-services company LegalZoom, a telemarketing-software firm called RingDNA and a home-juicing company called Juicero.
In an interview with WSJ, Kobe said, “Sometimes you can spot it right away, other times not so much. It’s the inner belief that a person has that he will endure no matter what the obstacle may be. It’s that persistence, the entrepreneur doing what he or she truly believes in and truly loves to do.”
They’re not looking to invest in companies that will use Kobe as an endorser; they’re looking to add value to the companies they’re investing in. Jeff told the publication,
“We don’t want to be in the business of investing in companies so someone can use Kobe as an endorser. That’s not interesting. The point is to add real value.”
Kobe said his main focus right now is to help others become successful:
“Age tends to give you perspective. The most important thing I enjoy now is helping others be successful. I enjoy doing that much much more, that’s something that lasts forever, and hope they do that for the next generation.”
Nice!
Real Housewives Of Atlanta Stars Will Unite To Support Phaedra Parks’s Foundation
It is typically so difficult to get the cast members in any Real Housewives franchise to come together for any reason, especially the strong willed women on Real Housewives of Atlanta. So I’m honestly pretty surprised to hear that all of the women from Real Housewives of Atlanta are uniting, well except for NeNe Leakes and the one season wonder Kim Fields, but that’s pretty much expected.
Be the fan you were meant to be
So what is bringing the ladies together? Phaedra Parks is having a pop up shop event to support her charity the Phaedra Foundation.
All of the RHOA ladies are on board to help Phaedra out with her latest charitable endeavor. Not only will Porsha Williams, Kandi Burruss, Sheree Whitfield, and Kenya Moore, all be attending the shopping event, but they are also helping Phaedra out by posting the event flyer on Instagram.
It really is nice to see these women not only supporting each other, but also coming together to help others in need. If you’re in the Atlanta area, definitely stop by the event. You can meet the RHOA ladies, shop with them, and give back.
My favorite part about the event flyer is that Phaedra’s amazing son Ayden is featured just as prominently as her RHOA costars. Too on point though. Ayden is hilarious and insightful beyond his years.
Tell Us- What Do You Think About The Rhoa Ladies Coming Together For Charity? Will It Be Filmed? And How Much Drama Will Go Down?
'Empire' season 3 spoilers: Cookie threatened by her brother-in-law
Lucious' (Terrence Howard) half-brother, Tariq (Morocco Omari), will be putting the pressure on Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) in his quest to take down the Lyon patriarch in the upcoming season of "Empire."
Introduced as a dangerous FBI agent last installment, Tariq will return to continue his investigation of his sibling's shady business.
In the promo released for the new season, Tariq can be seen telling Cookie to reveal what she knows before the FBI goes after her and her sons. Lucious' better half looks like she will not be bullied though, as she invites Tariq over for a family dinner. There, she tells everyone that family is the most important thing in the world and that its members should not fight with each other.
Executive producer Ilene Chaiken told Deadline in May that Tariq would be a foe who would be hard to brush off. Lucious' half brother has only one goal – to put his target behind bars. It was also suggested that he has a personal grudge to settle with Lucious.
According to the EP, Tariq and Shyne Johnson (Xzibit) would be two of Lucious biggest enemies in season 3. The music mogul will have to be very careful, as one wrong step could lead to his downfall.
"...Shyne is going to be a big character in our third season, as is Lucious' half-brother Tariq who happens to be a fed with a very, very personal agenda to finally be the one to make this case against Lucious Lyon and Empire," Chaiken teased.
Meanwhile, a trip down memory lane will remind Lucious and Cookie about how far they have come together. As per Entertainment Weekly, the FOX series has finally decided who will play the young Lyons couple. Jeremy Carver and Ajiona Alexus have been tapped to tell the story of how Lucious and Cookie met and fell in love.
Although Lucious is now married to Anika (Grace Gealey), it looks like he has no intention of letting go of his former wife. In the clip, he tells Cookie they have always weathered the storm together and they will stay that way until the end.
"Empire premieres" season 3 will air on Sept. 21 at 9 p.m. EDT on Fox.
New Music: Kirk Franklin feat. Pharrell – 123 Victory (Remix)
Gospel legend Kirk Franklin is bringing a positive turn-up on the brand new remix to “123 Victory” featuring Pharrell Williams.
Starting with a “good people” chant over a rafter rattling beat, the duo and a background female vocalist command courage and strength to prosperity. Franklin adds encouraging ad-libs before Williams drops his own version of a gospel message.
“Now when will we see we are one? / We’re all descendants from the son / Waiting for the master to come,” sings Pharrell.
Hear the uplifting remix HERE, and pick it up on iTunes now!
New Hip Hop: Papoose – ‘Holy Key (Remix)’
Papoose has the “Holy Key.” After watching his wife deliver a potent freestyle this week, Pap is back with his own barrage of bars over DJ Khaled’s “Holy Key.”
Swapping out Kendrick Lamar and Big Sean’s vocals, the New York spitter keeps Betty Wright’s soulful chorus intact while addressing issues with the prison system.
“Kids of all different ages slippin’ and catching cases,” he raps. “So they try them as adults / Lock ’em up in them cages / Now they battling with razors / Cuts in each other’s faces.”
Elsewhere, Remy Ma’s husband also raps about Kanye West, the Illuminati, and his marriage. “Family over everything,” he rhymes. “Black stones in my wedding ring / It signifies black love / And love is stronger than lust.”
Listen to Pap’s take on “Holy Key” HERE
Ryan Lochte DITCHED by four major sponsors
Speedo, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Gentle Hair Removal and mattress maker Airweave all said they would be cutting ties with Lochte after the swimmer admitted to lying about being robbed at gunpoint while in Rio.
"While we have enjoyed a winning relationship with Ryan for over a decade and he has been an important member of the Speedo team, we cannot condone behavior that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for," Speedo said in its statement. "We appreciate his many achievements and hope he moves forward and learns from this experience."
Ralph Lauren said it had signed Lochte to an endorsement deal specifically for the 2016 Games and the company will not be renewing the contract. The company, which early Monday still had a photo of Lochte wearing an Olympic medal on its Twitter home page, has since taken that image down.
Likewise, Airweave -- which provided mattresses for Team USA in Rio -- said its agreement with Lochte was "in support of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games" and the company has decided to end the partnership.
But Lochte's photos were still all over the website of Gentle Hair Removal, which made Lochte a figurehead of their advertising campaigns since signing the athlete in April. Lochte appeared in a promotional video for Gentle Hair Removal, in which he said the service "was the best thing that's ever happened. I don't have to worry about shaving anymore."
But Gentle Hair Removal's parent company, Syneron-Candela (ELOS), announced Monday that it's parting ways with Lochte.
"We hold our employees to high standards, and we expect the same of our business partners. We wish Ryan well on his future endeavors and thank him for the time he spent supporting our brand," the company said in a statement.
Lochte's problems began when he and three teammates said they had been robbed at gunpoint after attending a party at the Olympics, but it was soon discovered the four athletes allegedly vandalized a gas station and urinated on the building. Authorities in Brazil denied any robbery took place.
On Friday, he apologized in a statement, saying he should have been "more careful and candid" from the get-go. In an interview on NBC on Saturday, Lochte said "I over-exaggerated that story and if I had never done that we wouldn't be in this mess."
On Monday he said he respects Speedo's decision to end his sponsorship.
"I am grateful for the opportunities that our partnership has afforded me over the years," he said. "I am proud of the accomplishments that we have achieved together."
Speedo initially said it was following the situation and that it has a policy not to comment on ongoing legal investigations. Monday it said it will donate a $50,000 portion of Lochte's fee to Save the Children for children in Brazil.
Apple Leak Reveals Massive iPhone 7 Cancellation
(via Forbes) We know a lot about the iPhone 7. But just weeks from its release date, it appears Apple AAPL -0.79% has decided to cancel the most powerful, potentially largest and (inevitably) most expensive iPhone the company has ever created…
How so? Because according to the usually reliable Mac Otakara: the ‘iPhone 7 Pro’ is no more.
In a new report the Japanese site explains that Apple decided there is no need to add a new top of the range model above the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. While it will use the ‘iPhone 7’ moniker for the range to avoid customer confusion, after toying with new branding given the range still uses the core iPhone 6 design launched in 2014.
So why is there no flagship iPhone 7 Pro model?
So why is there no flagship iPhone 7 Pro model?
MacRumors fills in the details explaining that the iPhone 7 Pro was a backup model when Apple was unsure it would be able to produce its new dual lens camera in sufficient quantities for the iPhone 7 Plus. This would have seen the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus share the same single lens camera while the iPhone 7 Pro sat above them in limited quantities with the upgraded optics.
Now Apple believes manufacturing constraints around the dual lens camera have been resolved so it can be fitted into every iPhone 7 Plus and there is no need to expand the range. Such a scenario would also explain why we have repeatedly seen photos of three iPhone 7 models.
Interestingly it also demonstrates how keen Apple is to get its dual lens camera onto the market in 2016. This is understandable given rivals including LG and Huawei have already released smartphones with this technology, while it is widely accepted Samsung has stolen the coveted best smartphone camera status away from Apple in recent years with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7.
So is one less iPhone 7 model a good thing? I’d argue both yes and no.
On the positive side, having just two iPhone models does keep the range simple and using the ‘iPhone 7’ brand rather than a new iPhone 6 derivative (iPhone 6SE was rumoured) is likely to sound more exciting to potential buyers.
But there are negatives too. For starters the iPhone 7 Pro appeared to be a true no compromise model which also packed a Smart Connector (something seemingly missing from the iPhone 7 Plus) and leaks had suggested a huge 5.8-inch display and OLED panel. All significant differentiators.
So ultimately Apple’s move seems both logical yet a little disappointing to anyone hoping the company would shake things up a bit more. As it stands, the real iPhone revolution starts in 2017.
Beyoncé shared behind-the-scenes Lemonade photos
Cute!
Tyra Banks to Teach M.B.A. Class at Stanford University
Tyra Banks is adding ‘professor’ to her résumé next spring as she’ll be co-teaching a class on the art of personal branding for Stanford University’s M.B.A. program.
via Teen Vogue: Tyra is working with Allison Kluger on the course, which begins with a video project titled, “Project You: Building and Extending your Personal Brand.” She’s also noted that while the course will be fun, she’s not messing around, people.
“If I see somebody not paying attention, I’m gonna call on them,”she told the Wall Street Journal. She wants to keep people off their phones, with the exception of allowing them to “tweet something I’ve said.”
We are extremely on board with the celebrity college trend, now included such teachers as Oprah, L.L. Cool J, and Angelina Jolie, who recently announced her upcoming role at Georgetown University. We can only hope after a successful first semester at Stanford that Tyra will expand her course offerings to include such class titles as the Philosophy of Smizing and / or the Politics of Rooting For You.
We bet everyone’s going to show up to class looking their best!
Keshia Knight Pulliam Names Baby After Divorce Drama
Keshia Knight Pulliam and Ed Hartwell have been doing the most since announcing their engagement, marriage, pregnancy and now divorce. There have also been cheating accusations that plagued the short-lived relationship, as well as questions regarding paternity of the unborn child. Keshia gave spectators more to talk about when she revealed the name of her baby girl and what inspired the naming process.
Keshia says that she went back and forth on whether she should share the name of her baby, but during her Friday podcast, she confessed that it wasn’t easy to keep the news to herself. "I'm so excited about her. Her name is ... Ella Grace," said Pulliam.
Pulliam revealed to the world in July via her Instagram that she was expecting a baby with her now soon to be ex husband former NFL player Ed Hartwell. Since the announcement the two have gone through a very public falling out, which Keisha says is the inspiration for her daughter's name.
"I knew Ella was going to be my first baby girl's first name. Then in the midst of all of this is when she's earned her middle name, Grace," she told her listeners. "When I tell you through all of this the grace of God has so been with us and has covered us and protected us, she's been my saving grace to get through it."
Grace is a beautiful name and I hope that Keisha's little girl isn’t affected by all this drama.
Birdman Gives Toni Braxton A Bentley SUV
Toni Braxton, 48, got a brand new car and it’s from her low-key boo.
Apparently, Birdman, 47, is smitten with the “Un-Break My Heart” songstress because he recently gifted her a 2017 Bentley Bentayga SUV— a car that’s not available to retailers.
News of the four-door present came from Tamar Braxton who SnapChatted the vehicle’s exterior and interior.
“You know, I get some nice gifts Toni Braxton… but I don’t get stuff that aint out yet,” Tamar says. “Come on, Jesus!”
While Toni has been mum on her relationship with the rap mogul —stepping out with him for the BET Awards last June— her family has acknowledged the relationship.
“I think he is a nice man,” momma Evelyn said during a June 23 appearance on The Rickey Smiley Morning Show. “I don’t care what others say about him. He is a nice man. He is full of respect.”
As reported by US Weekly, Toni and Birdman first became friends 14 years ago when they collaborated on the 1992 track “Baby You Can Do It.”
Evelyn told the radio program that she knew the Cash Money Records co-founder was a winner from the start. “Ever since I’ve been knowing that man, he’s been phenomenal.”
Cops Called After Diddy & Cassie Have A Heated Argument; Sources Say They’re Still Together
Diddy and Cassie are known for their on-again-off-again relationship, but this time, things got serious.
According to reports, the couple got in such an explosive argument that the cops ended up at her home. A source revealed that the drama started on Wednesday after they had a heated argument in the car when Cassie told Diddy she wanted to break up. Diddy got upset and grabbed her phone to start scrolling through.
The incident ended with Diddy getting out of the car with the phone as Cassie took off with the driver. Before he came back home to return it, Cassie’s mom had called the cops on him after her daughter told her what happened.
The police showed up and left swiftly, but not before writing up a domestic incident report. The news of the quarrel comes just months after rumors swirled that Cassie had dumped her Bad Boy boyfriend for another guy.
UPDATE: US Weekly is reporting that Diddy and Cassie are still together despite reports that say otherwise. According the magazine, it was simply an argument and the couple is moving past it.
Are Yeezy Fans Disappointed By Stripped Down so called Pop-Up Shops?
Last week there were rumors that Kim Kardashian drastically cut the amount of money husband Kanye West is allowed to spend on his various art projects [click here if you missed that].
This week fans voiced their disappointment in Yeezy's stripped down new look...
Last Wednesday Kanye West announced the opening of 21 Pablo pop-up shops around the world and fans began queuing up almost immediately.
However, some in New York were left disappointed.
From Page Six
“Today was a disaster,” said Carl Fanty, a 36-year-old MTA worker from East Harlem. “ I spent $200 on one shirt and a couple of hats. Honestly I like his first pop-up store better.”
“The store was plain,” said Xavier Brun, 17, of Brooklyn. “I got lucky and cut the line and waited six hours. I feel bad for the people in back of the line.”
Jack Van Volkenburg, a student visiting from Washington D.C., had waited a whopping 11 hours to get inside the store — a decision he now deeply regrets.
“The quality of [the] clothes is crap and it is pretty expensive,” he seethed. “Not worth it.”
Also NYPD threatened to shut down the NY location because Kanye DIDNT hire any security.
Flight Attendant Is Cleared For Takeoff With “Born This Way” Lip Sync
While they wait for Lady Gaga to drop her much anticipated fifth album, Little Monsters can tide themselves over with the extraordinary lip sync skills of American Airlines flight attendant Danny Lee Cabrera.
WATCH
Earlier this year, Cabrera shared a video of himself doing a sickening lip sync to “Born This Way” on an empty plane, with two fellow cabin cruisers serving as backup dancers.
EGGPLANT NATION: Meet Chocolate Thunder
Ladies and others meet Chocolate Thunder! So you know what to do to see more. Just GO HERE TO SEE THE PICS and remember they’re NSFW!
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN NOR ALTER any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
You’re Welcome!
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘50/50’
Guess he could only afford the 50 Cent Shave Club.
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!
EFREM
No comments:
Post a Comment