Earl 'E-40' Stevens on growing a 'spirits empire' in a pandemic, investing early in Clubhouse, and how a Verzuz appearance propelled his business

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6553667" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="stacey-abrams">Stacey Abrams</keyword> kicked off the latest "Verzuz" music battle between the <keyword id="658091" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="rappers">rappers</keyword> <keyword id="10303351" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jeezy">Jeezy</keyword> and <keyword id="1636138" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gucci-Mane">Gucci Mane</keyword> in <keyword id="85701" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Atlanta">Atlanta</keyword>, encouraging Georgia-based viewers to support <keyword id="307904" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Raphael-Warnock">Raphael Warnock</keyword> and Jon Ossoff in the January US Senate runoff elections.</li><li>Abrams, a former Democratic minority leader in the <keyword id="6385073" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="georgia">Georgia</keyword> House of Representatives, narrowly lost the state's 2018 gubernatorial election.</li><li>"I just wanted to say thank you to both of you, especially for the work you've done to encourage returning citizens [from prison] to know that they have the right to vote," Abrams said to the two rappers.</li></ul><p>As the rappers Jeezy and Gucci Mane were set to begin <a href="https://twitter.com/verzuzonline/status/1329591676067835906">their long-awaited "Verzuz" music battle</a> at the famed Magic City strip club in Atlanta on Thursday, a surprise guest was scheduled to kick off the event.</p><p>Suddenly, Stacey Abrams, the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Georgia, popped onscreen at the event, beaming at the two rappers, who welcomed her with open arms.</p><p>"Thank you guys for letting me crash before what I know is the battle to end all battles," she said. "Thanks for giving me some street cred[ibility] with my nieces and nephews."</p><p>Verzuz, the popular webcast created by the producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, began during the coronavirus pandemic as a response to people being quarantined in their homes and away from music venues and clubs. It can be streamed on Instagram and Apple Music, and has become a must-watch event over the past few months.</p><p>Abrams, a lawyer and former Democratic minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives, was making a video appearance to advocate for voting rights and the election of both Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to the US Senate <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-senate-runoff-elections-jon-ossoff-david-perdue-warnock-loeffler-2020-11">in the January runoff elections</a> in Georgia.</p><p>Gucci Mane immediately asked if Abrams could help him with his previous legal issues.</p><p>"Can you wipe my record clean?" he said with a laugh.</p><p>"That's a job that the governor could do, but we'll have to think about that later," Abrams said. "Right now, we could at least make sure that everyone shows up to vote so we have two senators [Warnock and Ossoff] to make sure we have COVID response and we've got stimulus money coming back to Georgia."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Verzuz  (@verzuzonline) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1329603972475342851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2020</a></blockquote><p>"That's right, we got you baby," Jeezy responded. "Let's get it. GA [Georgia], you know we're going to stand up for you."</p><p>Abrams expressed gratitude to the men for working with ex-offenders and mobilizing them to vote.</p><p>"I just wanted to say thank you to both of you, especially for the work you've done to encourage returning citizens [from prison] to know that they have the right to vote," she said. "I've got a younger brother who's been in and out of the system, and I know redemption is real, and I know that the voices that these men and women can bring to our state matter. Thank you for the work that you've done."</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stacey-abrams-bio-georgia-joe-biden-democrats-voter-registration-election-2020-11">Through Abrams' longtime voter mobilization efforts</a>, along with the spirited 2018 gubernatorial campaign that she narrowly lost to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, she has been widely credited as a huge force behind <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-wins-georgia-democratic-party-south-presidential-election-2020-11">President-elect Joe Biden winning Georgia</a> in the 2020 election. </p><p>Verzuz, which routinely features hundreds of thousands to over a million viewers per performance, has hosted competitions between the singers Brandy and Monica, Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle, and Alicia Keys and John Legend, as well as lyrical battles between rap icons like DJ Premier and RZA, among others.</p><p>After Abrams' appearance, <a href="https://twitter.com/staceyabrams/status/1329605954963443712">she took to Twitter</a>, writing "Let's get it done" and linking to Georgia's official website for requesting absentee ballots.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Stacey Abrams  (@staceyabrams) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1329605954963443712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2020</a></blockquote>

Stacey Abrams kicked off the Verzuz rap battle between Jeezy and Gucci Mane by discussing voting rights and the Georgia US Senate race

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Snoop Dogg told Insider that one of the most memorable meals he's ever cooked was for DMX. </li><li>Snoop cooked for DMX and Swizz Beatz for three days in a row while they were recording an album. </li></ul><p>From <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/gordon-ramsay-taught-snoop-dogg-how-to-cook-2021-10"><u>Gordon Ramsay</u></a> to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/martha-stewart-snoop-dogg-best-dish-2023-7"><u>Martha Stewart</u></a>, Snoop Dogg has cooked with many famous chefs.</p><p>But Snoop Dogg told Insider that the most memorable meal he's ever cooked was for DMX.</p><p>Snoop Dogg, who recorded a number of tracks with the late rapper, said he cooked for DMX after they faced off in a "Verzuz" battle in July 2020. The Instagram Live broadcast, which invited two musicians to show off their discographies on each episode, was launched by Timbaland and Swizz Beatz at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that March.</p><p>"I had an amazing time cooking for the late, great DMX," Snoop Dogg told Insider. "After we did our 'Verzuz' battle at my studio, he ended up staying here and continuing to work on his album."</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CC9bt5CDjSa/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CC9bt5CDjSa/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewbox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631" /></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CC9bt5CDjSa/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by VERZUZ (@verzuztv)</a></p></div></blockquote> <p>While DMX was recording, Snoop said he whipped up a huge feast for him and Swizz Beatz.</p><p>"I put together some short ribs, some rice, some gravy, some corn, and corn bread," the rapper recalled. "And DMX and Swizz Beatz damn near ate the tray, they couldn't believe how good it was."</p><p>But that wasn't the end of Snoop Dogg's cooking marathon.</p><p>"I had to cook for them for like three days in a row, and I was honored to do it and I was happy to do it," Snoop Dogg added. "It made me feel good to know I was giving them nourishment and food to go and create a record. That was one of my highlights, to be able to cook for them and for them to enjoy it."</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/dmx-dead-at-50-heart-attack-2021-4">DMX died</a> on April 9, 2021. Snoop Dogg paid tribute to his friend during an interview on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.today.com/popculture/snoop-dogg-remembers-dmx-today-exclusive-his-soul-will-live-t214631"><u>"Today"</u></a> at the time, saying he was "always trying to help other people."</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNNkM_AsNoK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNNkM_AsNoK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewbox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631" /></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNNkM_AsNoK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg)</a></p></div></blockquote> <p>"And that leads me to believe that's why God chose this angel to come back home with him," Snoop Dogg said. "He did what he was supposed to do. He influenced, he inspired, and he represented. So, DMX, his soul will live on and his music will live on as well."</p><p>As for his dream celebrity dinner guest, Snoop Dogg told Insider that he hopes to whip something up for Sade.</p><p>"I would love to cook for Sade while we're in a studio working on a record," he said. "Some cuisine shit, like filet mignon with Lobster Thermidor."</p><p>Snoop Dogg has some skills when it comes to lobster. Martha Stewart previously told Insider that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/best-lobster-dish-that-snoop-dogg-taught-martha-stewart-2020-7"><u>Lobster Newburg is the best dish he's ever made for her</u></a>.</p><p>"He won't touch a lobster, but he will cook Lobster Newburg," she said. "I thought that was really funny."</p><p>Meanwhile, Snoop Dogg told Insider he can't get enough of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marthastewart.com/956343/buttermilk-fried-chicken"><u>Stewart's buttermilk fried chicken</u></a> — which he said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/snoop-dogg-martha-stewart-favorite-dishes-2023-10"><u>she learned how to perfect while in prison</u></a>.</p><p>"She told me that one of the homegirls gave her some sort of recipe that when she got out she used, and it was effective and it was dope," the rapper said. "That shit was amazing. It was good, it was soft, it was crispy."</p>

Snoop Dogg says he once cooked a feast for DMX and the late rapper 'couldn't believe how good it was'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>SWV have revealed that working on their new TV show, "The Queens of R&amp;B," was "a headache."</li><li>The R&amp;B legends blamed the trouble on their costars Xscape. </li></ul><p>R&amp;B legends SWV have revealed that working on their new TV show, "SWV &amp; Xscape: The Queens of R&amp;B," was "a headache."</p><p>The six-part miniseries, which is currently airing on Bravo, follows SWV and Xscape as they prepare to perform together at a special concert.</p><p>Tempers between the two groups, who faced off against each other in a "Verzuz" battle in 2021, often flared throughout the show, resulting in the concert never materializing. </p><p>Speaking with Insider, SWV's Leanne "Lelee" Lyons blamed the troubles on Xscape continually insulting SWV over <a href="https://www.instagram.com/officialswv/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anything from their number of Instagram followers</a> to their fashion sense.</p><p>"I just felt like it could have been done a lot better," Lyons told Insider. "Something that could have been so amazing and great just ended up being a show full of insults."</p><p>"One thing about SWV is that we are going to defend ourselves," she added. "We aren't out there dissing people and talking bad on people but we have a right to defend ourselves on who we are, why we belong in this business, and what we've done.</p><p>"It could have been done a lot better, they shouldn't have tried to behead us," Lyons said.</p><p>SWV's Tamara Johnson-George told Insider: "As adults, we can work with anybody under the right conditions. We don't hold anything against anybody and we don't speak down toward anybody. We're open to everything because we've grown so much in this industry. We know how to behave."</p><p>Asked what the highlight of filming the show was, Cheryl Gamble said: "Getting paid."</p><p>Johnson-George said: Going home."</p><p>Asked if they would consider filming a second series, Lyons said: "We're good," while Gamble said: "It depends on the coin, but it was a headache."</p><p>Representatives for Xscape did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqLy4p3IG5_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqLy4p3IG5_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewbox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631" /></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqLy4p3IG5_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Bravo (@bravotv)</a></p></div></blockquote> <p>As well as not wanting to do another series of "Queens of R&amp;B," SWV told Insider that they would never do another "Verzuz" battle either.</p><p>SWV beat Xscape in their 2021 battle, <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/swv-xscape-verzuz-recap-scorecard-9569541/">with Billboard scoring 13-11 in favor of the "Right Here" singers.</a></p><p>"Why would we do it again? We did it already," said Gamble. "We shouldn't have did it the first time!"</p><p>Instead, the group said they would love to see Usher and Chris Brown trade hits on the series, which was created by record producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz in 2020.</p><p>"That would be so good," said Johnson-George. "And they need to be able to perform too, not just sing the songs with the record. I wanna see them perform."</p><p>"Oh, my God, your hair would fall out watching them too. You won't be able to get enough," she added.</p><p>"I would love to see them just perform together, you know?" said Lyons. "I mean, the whole internet would fall apart."</p><p>"SWV &amp; Xscape: The Queens of R&amp;B" airs Sundays on Bravo.</p>

SWV say working on their new TV show 'The Queens of R&B' was 'a headache' and the best part of filming was 'going home'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>R&amp;B legends SWV spoke out about the diversity among modern-day R&amp;B artists.</li><li>"There's so many solo acts," Tamara Johnson-George told Insider. "They all start to sound the same."</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/swv-working-queens-of-rnb-headache-wouldnt-do-it-again-2023-4">R&amp;B legends SWV</a> aren't fans of the lack of diversity among the genre's current crop of solo artists.</p><p>"In the 1990s there was a smorgasbord of groups, male and female, and the variety was so strong," SWV's Tamara Johnson-George told Insider.</p><p>"Now that there's so many solo acts, it's almost like you can't really get into one because they all start to sound the same after a while and it's just hard to really pick one."</p><p>That being said, Johnson-George <em>is</em> a big fan of one artist in particular.</p><p>"I love listening to Teyana Taylor," she said. "I still play her album nonstop because it's incredible."</p><p>Taylor's most recent album, "The Album," was released in 2020.</p><p>Johnson-George's fellow SWV members Cheryl "Coko" Gamble and Leanne "Lelee" Lyons also told Insider who their favorite current R&amp;B stars are.</p><p>"I really like Kehlani," said Gamble, before reciting some of the lyrics from Kehlani's song "CRZY" from 2017. "She said, 'If I gotta be a [bitch], then I'ma be a bad one.' I think she's dope."</p><p> "Don't forget Tems," Lyons said, adding that when she first heard the <a href="https://www.insider.com/tems-facts-to-know-about-nigerian-singer-songwriter-2023-3">"Free Mind" singer's voice</a> she thought she was "a dude." </p><p>"But she's beautiful chocolate!" she said. "We love her."</p><div type="image" title="Tems performs on the Other stage during day four of Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 25, 2022 in Glastonbury, England. The 50th anniversary of Glastonbury’s inaugural event in 1970 was postponed twice after two cancelled events, in 2020 and 2021, due to the Covid pandemic. The festival, founded by farmer Michael Eavis, is the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world." height="1333" width="2000" msid="99276848" hostid="261"></div><p>SWV are currently starring in the Bravo reality show "SWV &amp; Xscape: The Queens of R&amp;B."</p><p>The six-part miniseries, which is currently airing on Bravo, follows SWV and Xscape as they prepare to perform together at a special concert.</p><p>Tempers between the two groups, who faced off against each other in a "Verzuz" battle in 2021, often flared throughout the show, resulting in the concert never materializing. </p><p>The group told Insider that <a href="https://www.insider.com/swv-working-queens-of-rnb-headache-wouldnt-do-it-again-2023-4">working on the show was a "headache" and that they wouldn't do another series.</a></p><p>"I just felt like it could have been done a lot better," said Lyons. "Something that could have been so amazing and great just ended up being a show full of insults."</p><p>Asked what the highlight of filming the show was, Gamble said: "Getting paid."</p><p>Johnson-George said: Going home."</p>

R&B legends SWV think too many singers today 'sound the same'

<p><strong></strong></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Rap heavyweight Jadakiss, along with his father Bob Phillips and son Jaewon Phillips, launched a new coffee line this year.</li><li>Dubbed Kiss Café, the company is an extension of the family's longtime business ties. </li></ul><p>Money, power and respect. Now, add coffee. </p><p>Rapper Jadakiss, whose real name is Jason Phillips, knows about rap family loyalty and the intricacies of the music industry but the Grammy-nominated artist recently joined forces with his son and father to hype a new grind — Kiss Café.</p><p>The company is a coffee business that brings together three generations of Black men to foster love, tradition and legacy, the three men told Insider. </p><p>It's made up of the rap icon, his son Jaewon Phillips and his father, Bob Phillips. The venture is an extension of all three men, respectively, who all have grown a passion for coffee throughout their lives. </p><p>Packaged in a sleek matte-black exterior Kiss Café's "Beijo" blend, available<a href="https://www.kisscafecoffee.com/collections/all"> online,</a> is sourced from South and Central America, said Bob, 69, who has been in the coffee business for more than 40 years.</p><p>And in the spirit of hip-hop bravado, Bob claims those places have the "best coffee in the world." </p><p>"We want to share the love," he told Insider. "There's a lot of love and a lot of hard work that went into developing this blend."</p><div type="image" title="The trio sources their coffee from South and Central America. The product is for &quot;everyday coffee lovers,&quot; Jason said." height="4016" width="6016" msid="96542335" hostid="261"></div><p>The 12-ounce product is listed as $14.99, an intentional price point to make it more accessible, a reflection of his son —  professionally known as one-third of the legendary rap group, The LOX — whom Bob champions as being "a man of the people."</p><p>"It is not for the coffee snobs, as my dad likes to say," said Jadakiss, 47. "It's for the everyday coffee drinkers. We could have put it in Bergdorf Goodman and Saks and Neiman's, but we wanted it to be in a price range where the average working person can afford it."</p><p>Jaewon, 26, added, "Everybody needs a cup of Joe in the morning. It's a good fat burner. It's a good price."</p><p>He continued, "It's for the family. It's for the love of coffee."</p><h2><strong>'Passing the torch' </strong></h2><p><strong></strong></p><div type="image" title="Jaewon,26, has been working alongside his grandfather, Bob, since 2018." height="4409" width="6613" msid="96542338" hostid="261"></div><p>The family's affection for coffee is not just the love of its flavor but from Bob's years in the industry.  </p><p>The patriarch's experience in the coffee business traces back four decades, he said, and has been vital in supporting his family since before Jadakiss was born. </p><p>Bob has also been chief of<a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/10/18/2536545/0/en/Jadakiss-and-Family-Announce-the-Launch-of-Kiss-Caf%C3%A9.html"> Caturra Corp</a>, an importing and trading firm specializing in green coffee, since the late 1990s. Kiss Café is the natural progression of his hard work and exemplifies him "passing the torch" to help his offspring <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/father-son-financial-advisors-habits-create-generational-wealth-2020-10">build generational wealth</a>.<q class="pullquote-quotation"></q></p><p>"We're talking about generational knowledge here. [Kiss Café] is a way of passing on the knowledge that I have and the passion that I have for the product," he said. "I think it's every parent's dream to have their kids follow them."</p><div type="image" title="Jason Phillips and his son, Jaewon." height="4480" width="6720" msid="96542341" hostid="261"></div><p>Despite Jadakiss being the face of the brand, Jaewon is taking the reign of the business and its future. An alum of Clark Atlanta University, he has worked with Bob's firm since 2018. Jaewon's familiarity with the industry, his knack for branding, and his social media expertise has helped Kiss Café shine, his grandfather noted. And when it launched earlier this year, orders were pouring in.</p><p>"The first week, we were getting hundreds daily," Jaewon recalled. "It was a lot, a little overwhelming, but once we got it under control and got a system going, it was perfectly fine."</p><blockquote class="pullquote-wrapper pullquote-breakout"><q class="pullquote-quotation">I think it's every parent's dream to have their kids follow them.</q></blockquote><p>With both his father and grandfather solidified in their respective fields, growing up Jaewon said he learned the value of listening and perseverance, which has helped him succeed in his role in the business. They taught him "to be prepared" for any opportunity that comes his way.</p><p>"He has four other siblings," Jadakiss said, adding that he instilled the importance of earning "your keep, investing and saving."</p><h2><strong>'There's no ceiling to coffee.'</strong></h2><p><strong></strong></p><div type="image" title="Jason &quot;Jadakiss&quot; Phillips." height="4480" width="6720" msid="96542346" hostid="261"></div><p>The concept of the new venture stems from the night of the<a href="https://thegrio.com/2020/06/30/jadakiss-fabolous-verzuz-battle/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> long-awaited 2020 Verzuz</a> between the Yonkers MC and Brooklyn rapper Fabolous. The hit-for-hit battle between the two produced viral meme-worthy content of the lyricist getting a little tipsy — eventually leading him to capitalize on the moment<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCKJVGJH6Bz/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> by launching "#JadaDrunk" merch</a>.</p><p>"My granddaughter had come over, and she was showing us the comments that were coming in on Instagram, and people were saying, 'Get Jada some water.' And that 'He's a little wobbly," Bob said. "His fans were having some fun, and the idea became much stronger at the point I'm saying, 'Maybe he needs a cup of coffee to help straighten him out. Now, here we are." </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—JADAKISS  (@Therealkiss) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1278083015235694592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2020</a></blockquote><p>Aside from his hip-hop roots and his family's coffee business, Jadakiss has been an entrepreneur in other areas—  including partnering with his group member Styles P, whose real name is David Styles, on a healthy juice bar called Juices For Life.</p><blockquote class="pullquote-wrapper pullquote-breakout"><q class="pullquote-quotation">It's for the love of coffee.</q></blockquote><p>Getting involved in the coffee industry at this point in his life was a no-brainer due to his family connection, the "Top 5 Dead or Alive" rapper told Insider, and has a greater marketing reach compared to music. </p><p>"There's no ceiling with coffee. Coffee is loved by young kids, the elders, you know what I mean? Everybody. Coffee is consumed by all different people," Jadakiss said. "I market my music to my core fans, my contemporaries."</p><p>The business is "going higher than top five," he continued. " We're going number one with the Kiss Café."</p><p>His father concurs. Bob is optimistic that the business will have physical storefronts as the coffee line expands.</p><p>"The long-term goal is to have brick-and-mortar Kiss Cafés. We want to see as many Kiss Cafés out there as you see Dunkin' Donuts or a Starbucks right now," he said. "Hopefully, that'll happen during my lifetime."</p>

'We're going number one': How rap icon Jadakiss is using coffee to build Black generational wealth with his son and father by his side

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I was in Phoenix for Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.</li><li>It was my first Super Bowl in person, and the big game is unlike any other football game I've ever attended.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/super-bowl-2023">Super Bowl LVII</a> will forever be the first one I saw in person.</p><p>After covering sports at Insider for six years, in 2023, I made my way to the big game to see what all the fuss was about.</p><p>In <a href="https://www.insider.com/super-bowl-lvii-media-day-eagles-chiefs-2023-2">the days leading up to the Super Bowl</a>, work was <a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-16th-hole-waste-management-phoenix-open-2023-2">good</a>, if <a href="https://www.insider.com/kansas-city-chiefs-harrison-butker-diet-steak-and-rice-2023-2">exhausting</a>. As <a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-eagles-fans-broad-street-nfc-championship-super-bowl-2023-1">a native Philadelphian</a>, by the time kickoff rolled around on Sunday, I was ready to hang up my reporter hat for a bit and take in the game as a fan.</p><p>I was still working, technically, but cleared myself to have one (1) beer, cheer for my guys, and hope for the best.</p><p>Even before kickoff, it was clear that seeing the Super Bowl in person would be unlike any other game I had ever attended.</p><h2>The pregame festivities made the moment feel bigger.</h2><p>I arrived at the stadium hours before kickoff to get some work done. Unsurprisingly, there were plenty of people who decided to do the same.</p><div type="image" title="State Farm Stadium stands on Super Bowl Sunday." height="2100" width="2800" msid="98048248" hostid="261" sizebytes="586018"></div><p>Given the price of Super Bowl tickets and the size of the moment for fans of either team, it made sense to get everything you could get out of the experience. Fans <a href="https://www.insider.com/disappointing-photos-super-bowl-2023-merchandise-2023-2">shopped for merchandise</a>, grabbed some stadium food, and generally milled about in the hours leading up to kickoff.</p><p>But at the Super Bowl, there is plenty of action on the field before the game. After both teams warmed up, there were anthems, presenting of colors, and the coin toss, all of which get far more attention at the Super Bowl than they do at regular games.</p><p>In the middle of the national anthem, the moment dawned on me that I was present at an event that millions upon millions of people were watching at home. It's a difficult feeling to describe.</p><p>Obviously I wasn't the star of the show, but during the anthem it felt as though I could feel the eyes of the country focusing through their televisions on the same field I was seeing in front of me. I felt a weight. It was definitely partially loaded by the fact that <a href="https://www.insider.com/super-bowl-2023-prediction-eagles-chiefs-2023-2">I wanted the Eagles to win with all my heart</a>, and they were on the precipice of making a lifelong dream of mine come true, but there was weight independent of my hometown colors as well.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1624913939170729984">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote><p>It was impossible to be there and not feel in the moment. I'm not sure I've ever felt more present than the seconds between the end of the anthem and the game actually kicking off.</p><h2>The crowd was difficult to figure out, but warmed up as the game went on.</h2><p>Heading into the Super Bowl, I didn't know what to expect from the crowd, other than knowing it would be different from the crowds <a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-eagles-fans-broad-street-nfc-championship-super-bowl-2023-1">I was used to seeing at an Eagles game</a>.</p><p>I have never been an Eagles season ticket holder, but I have attended my fair share of games at Lincoln Financial Field, and have partied in the lots enough to know what kind of energy a Philadelphia crowd brings.</p><p>Joe Burrow said last year that the crowd at <a href="https://www.insider.com/joe-burrow-super-bowl-atmosphere-felt-like-dinner-party-2022-9">the Super Bowl felt like "a dinner party,"</a> and that was pretty good prep for what was to come, but in person, it felt a bit more nuanced than Burrow's assessment let on.</p><div type="image" title="Chiefs fans celebrate after their win in Super Bowl LVII." height="2100" width="2800" msid="98048249" hostid="261" sizebytes="665984"></div><p>At the start of the game, it was pretty quiet relative to what I've come to expect from an NFL crowd. Part of this was definitely the fact that there are plenty of neutral parties at this game. Corporate partners with the NFL get plenty of seats at the stadium, and there are fans that are unaffiliated with either team but decided to make the trek to the Super Bowl just for the experience.</p><p>Another source of the quiet, at least in my assessment, was the tension. For those that were invested in the game, every series, every down, every second was just <em>heavy</em>. I was emotionally exhausted by the time the Eagles scored their first touchdown. It felt like I had lost my voice before I even started screaming (I would go on to actually lose my voice as the game went on).</p><p>Finally, there was the fact that Chiefs and Eagles fans didn't want to help their opponents. At an Eagles home game, the crowd will cheer and root from a low murmur when the offense is at work, and get loud as hell with the defense on the field, in an effort to disrupt the opposing offense.</p><div type="image" title="Eagles fans swarm Broad Street in the shadow of City Hall." height="2100" width="2800" msid="98048250" hostid="261" sizebytes="540926"></div><p>But at the Super Bowl, when the Eagles had the ball, I was dead quiet. There were Chiefs fans in the building making noise, and I did not want to help them in any way, shape, or form. Similarly, when the Chiefs had the ball, the Eagles fans around me would make noise, but the Chiefs fans would stay silent. At no point was the entire crowd of roughly 67,000 urging their will in the same direction.</p><p>That said, a rhythm eventually developed. I eased into cheering more reactively rather than proactively, in response to touchdowns and big plays. It still wasn't close to a game at the Linc, but there was a charge in the stadium once everyone settled in.</p><h2>The Halftime Show was also surreal to experience in person.</h2><p>Even in the moments that felt larger than life, the football was still football. Touchdowns are six points, field goals are three, you need 10 yards to pick up a first down.</p><p>But the Halftime Show <a href="https://www.insider.com/super-bowl-rihanna-halftime-show-photos-2023-2">brought another level of surreal to the proceedings</a>.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—tryler (@tylerlauletta) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1625203781301596160">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote><p>While football has to be played in person, the Halftime Show is clearly produced for the massive audience watching at home, moreso than the limited number of fans in the arena.</p><div type="image" title="rihanna super bowl 2023" height="3522" width="4696" msid="98048251" hostid="261" sizebytes="542246"></div><p>It was jaw-dropping to see in person, both as a performance and as a general feat of production. I was reminded that Rihanna has more hits than basically any other pop star alive this side of Beyonce or Taylor Swift, and probably outlasts either of them if put head-to-head in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stacey-abrams-jeezy-gucci-mane-verzuz-rap-battle-georgia-voting-2020-11">a Verzuz style battle</a>.</p><p>The sound was great, I don't care if it was lip-syncing or not, but simply seeing people — real people, <a href="https://www.insider.com/rihanna-pregnant-again-super-bowl-second-baby-exercise-safe-2023-2">at least one of them pregnant</a> — floating on platforms above the field which just minutes before was hosting the pinnacle of the sport of football was difficult to compute. How did everything happen so fast? Was Rihanna enjoying the game? Who in the locker room was bummed they were missing Rihanna?</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Rob Tornoe (@RobTornoe) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1624952763988975616">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote><p>When the show was over, the stage was torn down as quickly as it went up, and the game resumed shortly after, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred. Despite being without the commercials, casual conversation with friends, and frequent trips to the buffalo chicken dip that would make up my halftime <a href="https://www.insider.com/super-bowl-parties-rolling-stone-gronk-beach-sports-illustrated-2023-2">at a friend's Super Bowl party</a>, somehow time moved faster in the arena.</p><h2>While I don't know how much I would pay to watch a Super Bowl I had no investment in, after my experience, I will try to be back in the arena the next time the Eagles reach the big game.</h2><p>If you're reading this, I'm going to assume that you know <a href="https://www.insider.com/super-bowl-2023-chiefs-win-eagles-mahomes-2023-2">how the Super Bowl ended</a>. In case you weren't aware, things didn't break my way, with the Eagles giving up a 24-14 lead at halftime to ultimately fall to the Chiefs 38-35.</p><p>There was <a href="https://www.insider.com/chiefs-super-bowl-eagles-holding-penalty-2023-2">a frustrating holding call late</a>, and <a href="https://www.insider.com/eagles-chiefs-super-bowl-field-turf-bad-slip-water-park-2023-2">the turf conditions were far worse</a> than <a href="https://www.insider.com/super-bowl-2023-state-farm-stadium-grass-cost-months-2023-2">advertised</a>, but those are both excuses, and there's no denying that the team that played better won the day.</p><div type="image" title="Jalen Hurts walks off the field after Super Bowl LVII." height="1798" width="2397" msid="98048252" hostid="261" sizebytes="186774"></div><p>Even with the loss, it was thrilling to be there, and a moment of my sporting life that I will never forget. The degree to which I <em>felt</em> during those four hours in State Farm Stadium cannot be overlooked, and the chance at joy that would have come with victory was well worth the heartbreak that came with defeat.</p><p>That's life as a sports sicko, for better or worse.</p><p>That said, I'm not sure if I would be willing to pony up the money necessary to attend a Super Bowl that didn't include a team that had my lifelong support. As a member of the media, I'll cover the game, and if a friend was able to get me in, obviously it's worth the experience just to be there.</p><p>For the die-hard NFL fans, attending a Super Bowl makes sense as a bucket list item, but based on cost alone, I don't think I'll ever make enough money to casually attend a Super Bowl.</p><p>But after seeing my Eagles come so close to lifting the trophy, it would be hard for me to resist seeing them again the next time they emerge as NFC Champions.</p>

I attended my first Super Bowl after 31 years as an NFL fan. Here's what surprised me most about seeing the big game in person.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Meet Deon Graham, the <keyword id="246012" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="CBO">CBO</keyword> of <keyword id="520467" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Diddy">Diddy</keyword>'s Combs Enterprises.</li><li>Graham spoke to Insider about "keeping the brand at the center of the <keyword id="24504" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="culture">culture</keyword>."</li><li>He also shared his 360-approach to the <keyword id="11737471" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="rolling-loud">Rolling Loud</keyword> <keyword id="6354530" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="music">music</keyword> festival and what he does in his role as CBO.</li></ul><p>Deon Graham - a powerhouse in his own right - is one of the people behind Sean "Diddy" Combs' success as a businessman. Graham - an Aquarius, soccer fan, introvert, and father of three - has been in his role as the chief brand officer of Combs Enterprises for a year, but he's been by Diddy's side for years now.</p><p>The executive's journey began at Florida International University, where he was enrolled for a semester before leaving to focus on his brand City Never Sleeps - which transitioned from being a website that connected Black people to nightlife in major cities to "a digital creative agency that gives a f--- about your brand," <a href="https://www.cityneversleeps.com/">according to its website</a>.</p><p>Graham said the decision to dive into his work with this platform changed his life and saved him from "going down the wrong path."</p><p>He quickly learned that even without the education and the accolades he still had "multi-billion dollar ideas." </p><p>"And once I realized that, it gave me confidence. So yes, that was extremely surprising in the beginning, because I didn't know how powerful my thoughts and strategies and way of looking at <keyword id="6355515" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="business">business</keyword> were," Graham continued.</p><p>Graham told Insider in a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/diddy-digital-marketing-executive-deon-graham-talks-nightlife-digital-marketing-2021-2">previous interview</a> that his advertisements for a vodka brand partnering with City Never Sleeps got Diddy's attention. Diddy's advertising agency, Blue Flame, then asked Graham if he'd be willing to work with Diddy's CÎROC Vodka in 2009.</p><p>The two have worked together since then. Graham, the now 36-year-old CBO of Combs Enterprises, started as a freelance digital consultant for Combs Enterprises in 2009. He's also served as digital director and vice president of digital before becoming Combs Enterprises' chief brand officer.</p><p><a href="https://www.combsenterprises.com/index.html">Combs Enterprises</a> is responsible for a wide array of investments and businesses for the cultural icon Sean "Diddy" Combs. It includes brands such as Bad Boy Worldwide <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment">Entertainment</keyword> Group; Sean John, the clothing line; Combs Wine &amp; Spirits, the company responsible for CÎROC Vodka and DeLeón Tequila; AQUAhydrate, the water brand; The Blue Flame Agency, an advertising and marketing business; and REVOLT Films and REVOLT MEDIA &amp; TV.</p><h2>'For the culture'</h2><p>In his role, Graham is at the heart of all of it: His work with Combs Enterprises means he's been involved with several major cultural touchstones.</p><p>"We're always showing up for the culture and have been for years," said Graham. </p><p>For example, "<a href="https://www.instagram.com/verzuztv/?hl=en">VERZUZ,</a>" a platform showcasing live battles between R&amp;B and hip-hop artists via Instagram live and Apple Music, and a "cultural phenomenon," according to the man himself, sparked Graham's interest and led to CÎROC becoming the title sponsor for VERZUZ.</p><p>He also helped organize Diddy's Dance-a-Thon via IG Live to raise money for PPE for Black and brown neighborhoods. And he helped launch <a href="https://www.instagram.com/revoltblacknews/?hl=en">REVOLT Black News</a>, hosted and executive produced by Eboni K. Williams, in June 2020: "Because of the lockdown, we were able to bring that to life and give people the <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> on REVOLT from the culture to the culture without any cut in it."</p><p>Graham says he is proud of being a part of so many cultural moments - especially the <a href="https://www.revolt.tv/revolt-summit/archives">REVOLT Summit</a>, which occurred virtually in October 2020. </p><p>"Being in a room with thousands of people that look like me, providing opportunity, seeing the network, seeing them get jobs, it always sticks out to me as the focal point. And as this world opens back up, it's coming back to top of mind," he said. </p><h2>Rolling Loud </h2><p><a href="https://www.rollingloud.com/">Rolling Loud</a>, founded by Tariq Cherif and Matthew Zingler in 2015, is "the largest hip hop festival in the world," according to their website. From Miami to Queens to Southern California, the cultural moment came back after more than a year without face-to-face festivals in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic (though there were <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/miami-com-news/article245349250.html">two free virtual performances</a> in the fall).</p><p>Rolling Loud will feature Combs Enterprises in all facets of the festival: general admission, VIP, drinks, and media coverage. </p><p>Prior to Graham becoming CBO, Combs Enterprises was involved with the festival on a smaller scale. But this year, Combs Enterprises is involved in every aspect of the festival. No matter who is attending, watching, or reading, they interacted with a Combs Enterprises brand.</p><p>"As a cultural marketer, my focus is always finding creative ways to make sure our brands show up and have a dominant presence in the biggest cultural moments," Combs, CEO of Combs Enterprises told Insider.</p><p>"Our partnership with Rolling Loud is a perfect example of bringing this vision to life and Deon has done an incredible job continuing to elevate our portfolio of companies," the mogul added.</p><h2>How he gets it done</h2><p>Graham said an integral part of his job is listening to others, no matter their position. It's his goal to "create an open forum where people aren't afraid to speak."</p><p>"And I, as the leader in the situation, provide a little bit of direction, but it's always in collaboration with anybody," he added. "'Cause I remember being at some of these meetings, or at the table, and I felt like people weren't listening to what I was saying, like based on my position or role in the company at that time."</p><p>Though he's an introvert at heart, Graham said he does this by talking to people who may not be in his immediate circle, by stepping out of his comfort zone. </p><p>"You have to touch the people. You have to go to events. You have to network with people. You have to listen. You can't just use your perspective," Graham told Insider.</p><p>Graham also said that providing platforms and opportunities is important to the Black community: "It's all we have. It's the only way that we're going to be successful - if we do this thing together, if we look out for each other, just strength in numbers, we need it."</p>

Diddy's top branding executive tells us how he's working with brands to show up 'for the culture'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Grammy-nominated <keyword id="6355861" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="rapper">rapper</keyword> <keyword id="1549203" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="DMX">DMX</keyword> was <keyword id="72423" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="hospitalized">hospitalized</keyword> late Friday after a heart attack.</li><li><a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/04/03/dmx-suffers-od-overdose-hospital-grave-condition/">TMZ</a> was the first to report DMX was transported to a critical care unit in White Plains, New York. </li><li>DMX's lawyer said he was still on life support Saturday evening.</li></ul><p>Grammy-nominated rapper DMX has been hospitalized in a New York critical care unit after suffering a heart attack. </p><p>Sources told <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2021/04/03/dmx-suffers-od-overdose-hospital-grave-condition/">TMZ</a> and <a href="https://variety.com/2021/music/news/dmx-drug-overdose-1234943647/">Variety</a> that the rapper, born Earl Simmons, overdosed and had a heart attack while at his home on Friday night.</p><p>The 50-year-old rapper was transported to a hospital in White Plains, New York, according to the reports. A source told TMZ he "has some brain activity" and another told the outlet he is in a "vegetative state."</p><p>DMX's lawyer, Murray Richman, told <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dmx-hospitalized-new-york-1150828/">Rolling Stone</a> the rapper was still on life support as of Saturday evening and that he was "worried." </p><p>Richman had previously told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/dmx-hospitalized-grave-condition-after-heart-attack-attorney-says-n1262975">NBC News</a> the rapper was taken off of life support and breathing on his own, but later told Rolling Stone he had been "given wrong information."</p><p>Richman also told NBC he did not know the cause of the heart attack, but that "there is a little brain activity."</p><p>A source told TMZ the prognosis is "not looking good."</p><p>DMX, a Yonkers, New York, native, publicly spoke about his extensive battle with drugs throughout the years, which started when he was a teen, as <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/9479836/dmx-crack-addiction-origins">Billboard previously reported</a>.</p><p>The multi-platinum rapper rose to fame in the 1990s with Ruff Ryders and Def Jam record labels. One of his earliest hits was the 1999 single <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thIVtEOtlWM">"Party Up (Up In Here)."</a> In July 2020, hundreds of thousands of people tuned in to watch the hip-hop legend in a <a href="https://twitter.com/King_Yunn/status/1378376460667396100">"Verzuz" battle </a>against Snoop Dogg. </p><p><keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">News</keyword> of the rapper's hospitalization sparked an outpouring of tributes from fans and fellow celebrities.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Missy Elliott  (@MissyElliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1378376150339182599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2021</a></blockquote><p><a href="https://twitter.com/jarule/status/1378369611746455553">Ja Rule</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/violadavis/status/1378379158716358658">Viola Davis</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MissyElliott/status/1378376150339182599">Missy Elliott</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/Eminem/status/1378471570973286400?s=20">Eminem</a> were among those who posted on Twitter to send prayers to the rapper and his family. </p>

DMX is still on life support at a New York hospital following a heart attack

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Roc Nation rapper <keyword id="12069571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="jim-jones" source="Orion">Jim Jones</keyword> and celebrity jeweler <keyword id="12069572" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="alex-todd" source="Orion">Alex Todd</keyword> spoke to Insider about the trajectory of their <keyword id="11910359" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="cannabis" source="Orion">cannabis</keyword> brand, <keyword id="12069573" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="saucey-farms-and-extracts" source="Orion">Saucey Farms and Extracts</keyword>. </li><li>Jones and Todd discussed their recent distribution partnership with Jay-Z's <keyword id="12069574" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-parent-company" source="Orion">The Parent Company</keyword> and spoke on the personal and business prospects of marijuana legalization in New York.</li></ul><p>Last month, I spoke to Roc Nation rapper Jim Jones and celebrity jeweler and entrepreneur Alex Todd about the trajectory of <a href="https://sauceyextracts.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saucey Farms and Extracts</a>, the cannabis brand they co-founded in 2019.</p><p>The Zoom video call took place two weeks after Jones and Dipset faced The Lox in a Verzuz battle at Madison Square Garden. Our call was rescheduled in the aftermath of the event after Jones caught COVID-19, which he was on the mend from when we spoke.</p><p>Jones joined toward the end of the 30 minute call with a lit blunt in hand. Todd related that he hadn't heard from Jones in days, and Jones replied that no one had heard from him as he recovered.</p><p><strong>John Lynch: I'm</strong> <strong>glad to see you recovering though, man. I was gonna ask if you're back smoking yet, and I see that you are. </strong></p><p><strong>Alex Todd:</strong> <em>[Laughs].</em></p><p><strong>Jim Jones: </strong>Yeah, definitely back smoking. It was good, though. I got to take almost a week off of smoking. In that seven day span, I might've smoked one blunt that I had in the ashtray off and on, you know what I mean?</p><p><strong style="font-family: inherit;">Todd:</strong> You didn't even feel like smoking, huh, when you were sick?</p><p><strong>Jones:</strong> Nah, the urge to smoke was gone. And the smoke was tasting like burnt hay. You can't even taste the smoke. It was just all bad, man. Word. </p><h2>'A pretty crazy two years'</h2><p>Launched in June 2019, Saucey Farms and Extracts traversed "a pretty crazy two years, considering the pandemic," Todd said at the start of the call. "We got a good six to eight months in before all the craziness really started."</p><p>The brand's launch in 2019 coincided with a subsidiary line of cannabis products called CAPO, named after Jones' Dipset moniker. Todd said that Saucey's inaugural product, a pre-rolled blunt line from Jones called <em>CAPO Blunt (Triple F'n OG)</em>, has remained one of the brand's top-selling items among its selection of other p<u></u><u></u>re-rolls, vape cartridges, and cannabis flowers. </p><p>After starting out in California dispensaries, Saucey expanded into Oregon and has a launch imminent in Michigan. The brand has scaled its operation into two facilities, located in Oregon and California and staffed by growing teams of cultivators and experts in cannabinoid research.</p><p>Through most of the pandemic, and until recent months, Saucey had been hovering around a "hundred dispensary mark, and then hitting a little bit of a brick wall," Todd said, in reference to the count of stores that sold its products.</p><p>"We're a fairly small company compared to some of the MSOs (multi-state operators) out there and some of the people that we're competing against," he continued. "It's just so far you can go on your own before you're going to need some help on the distribution side." </p><h2>Partnering with 'the big, big homie'</h2><p>Help came in the form of a partnership with the man Jones referred to in our call as "the big, big homie" - his Roc Nation label boss, Jay-Z.</p><p>In May, Saucey entered into <a href="https://respect-mag.com/2021/05/alex-todd-jim-jones-saucey-extracts-announces-new-deal-with-shawn-jay-z-carters-the-parent-company/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a management and distribution agreement with The Parent Company</a>, Jay-Z's holding company in the cannabis space. Todd said the move helped Saucey "get over the hump" of its previous dispensary threshold, placing the brand's products in more than 200 dispensaries as of last month. </p><p>"Jay is a smart individual. I mean, whenever he steps into something, we all know its going to be at the top tier of what can be done, as far as the power of his structure," Jones said. "He's created like an Amazon inside of this marijuana business, especially for people like ourselves, who've come up under the culture, now pushing marijuana as a business. He knows where to get in when it comes to business. As opposed to him just coming in with his own marijuana brand and just getting into dispensaries and make it a big thing, he actually made it a platform for other people to come eat with him, and help other people off the platform to enter the marijuana business so that it can be lucrative."</p><p>Todd described the advantage of Saucey's impending participation in The Parent Company's "amazing direct-to-consumer outlet," Caliva, noting that the company will soon distribute the entirety of Saucey's product line through an app that delivers direct to California-based consumers.</p><p>He went on to discuss the potential impact of Jay-Z's role in the cannabis space more broadly.</p><p>"I'm happy to have him in the space. I know with that happening that a lot of good on the reform side is going to happen," Todd said. "A lot of good stuff on getting people into the space that maybe weren't able to be there involved."</p><p>As The Parent Company's chief visionary officer, Jay-Z leads a social equity ventures initiative that has given out $10 million to social equity brands in the cannabis industry. Last month, The Parent Company made history when it <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jay-z-cannabis-spac-hires-first-black-ceo-us-public-cannabis-org-2021-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hired former Clorox executive Troy Datcher as its CEO</a>, marking the first time that a Black CEO has been tapped to lead a major, public cannabis organization in the US.</p><h2>'An East Coast brand' set for East Coast expansion</h2><p>At the start of the call, Todd said of Saucey that its "moniker has always been like 'An East Coast brand that had no choice but to take its talents out to the West Coast,' because it wasn't legal here."</p><p>The New York-based cannabis brand naturally has its eye on expansion into the East Coast following the legalization of recreational marijuana in New Jersey last year and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-legislature-legalizes-recreational-marijuana-for-adults-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York in March</a>. The topic resulted in the following exchange, which has been edited and condensed for clarity.</p><p><strong>Lynch: As a New Yorker, what does legalization in New York mean for you personally, and for the brand down the road?</strong></p><p><strong>Jones:</strong> Oh man. I mean, of course there's a lot of different benefits to it being legalized. But for us, the pet peeve was us being locked up for all the years. I could probably say I've got 20 some arrests off of marijuana charges throughout my lifetime of smoking weed, running through Harlem, trying to duck and dodge police. Getting locked up for a roach this big <em>[gestures a small roach between forefinger and thumb]. </em>So now, to be able to smoke marijuana in the same place you can smoke tobacco is phenomenal. It feels good <em>[laughs]</em>.</p><p><strong>Lynch: I can attest to it, man <em>[laughs]</em>. </strong></p><p><strong>Jones:</strong> <em>[Laughs]</em>.</p><p><strong>Lynch: What about, from a business standpoint, what do you think about the East Coast expansion of the company? How do you see that?</strong></p><p><strong>Jones: </strong>I think once we get everything straight and we do start to bring Saucey to the New York and New Jersey area, it's going to be crazy. I'm looking forward to that actually, for all the things that we can do. I mean, for the most part, California is probably the largest place you could buy weed legally and things like that. But New York is one of the greatest states ever, and now we're legal here. Saucey is a New York based company that took our talents west so that we can create the buzz and make some money off of this business. Now, we can go and bring it back home.. It's New York. We might buy a whole Saucey building. It might be like a "Great Adventures of Marijuana." You never know what we gonna do, you know what I mean? Like, trust me..</p><p>And it's a blessing in disguise for all the people that have been locked up for so many years through marijuana now, convictions being overturned, which is dope. We got the social equity programs now allowing the same people that have been locked up for the same thing to come out and do business with and learn business with. So, these are the things that we're going to implement in New York also, especially from a Saucey side, just to make sure that we contribute as much as we can to helping to give back to people that have been affected by the marijuana charges throughout the years. You know what I mean? That's one of our main focuses and things like that in New York, as a big community of that going on because it was never legal here. It was never easy. It was always hard. So for us to be able to come put on for our city and also give back to those who need it, it's going to be a great feeling.</p><div type="image" title="alex todd and jim jones" height="2000" width="2666" msid="86102550" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Todd:</strong> We're like old school hustlers. We go give back to the community in general. Like, we have a backpack drive we doing. Christmas time comes around, we're giving away gifts. Thanksgiving, giving away turkeys. Just like the old school hustlers back in the days that used to hustle. At the end of the day, they used to do their thing, but they always took care of their communities. And that's why the communities always felt safe around the hustlers because the people that were hustling, they had their own hustles. That was a separate thing, but the community was always safe and the community was always taken care of by the actual people that were getting money. And the only people that were getting money were the hustlers.</p><p>So, we're just trying to create this in a legal fashion where we still giving back to the community. And we still selling drugs at the end of the day. You know what I'm saying? We're just doing it legally now. And there's literally 40,000 prisoners right now in jail for something that we're trying to make a billion dollars from. So we just try to give back and try to do as much as we can for the communities, and whatever we could, man, in terms of reform. And that's one of the most important things from us from the start.</p><div type="image" title="alex todd" height="1928" width="2571" msid="86102552" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Lynch: </strong><strong>I'm not trying to get into the Verzuz, but while I have you, I have to ask about <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSIZe-_LwBD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lox pack</a>.</strong></p><p><strong>Jones: </strong><em>[Laughs]</em>. Shouts to The Lox, man. Shouts to the whole Dipset. Was a great night for hip-hop above all. Jada definitely came to play. One of the greatest feelings of my life being on stage in that capacity. I know it's never been done before, and the only place that it could be done would be New York. And to see that type of aggressive dysfunction end in the type of love that it did, it showed that the hip-hop culture is still the greatest moving organism moving. You know what I mean? All the antics that both sides did was all marketing strategies to get people more excited about what we were doing and things like that. But one thing I can say about The Lox pack, we made sure we put very good weed in it. </p><p><strong>Lynch: I was gonna ask <em>[laughs]</em>.</strong></p><p><strong>Jones:</strong> We made sure we put the top, top weed in there, so they would never be upset at me for putting no boo-boo inside they bag. But shouts to the Lox, man. Shouts to Swizz. Shouts to Timbaland. Shouts to everybody that partook inside that Verzuz. Great night. I'm still smiling from that night. </p>

Jim Jones and Alex Todd on scaling a cannabis brand in a pandemic and partnering with Jay-Z's cannabis company

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Deon Graham, 35, is the chief brand officer at Combs Enterprises. </li><li>He oversees the marketing strategy for everything associated with its namesake founder, <keyword id="520467" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Diddy">Diddy</keyword>. </li><li>He told Insider about his rise, spurred from a nightlife website he founded in the early 2000s. </li></ul><p>In the beginning, it was just <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/deongraham86/">Deon Graham</a> and his nightlife website, <a href="https://www.cityneversleeps.com">City Never Sleeps</a>.</p><p>Now, it's Deon Graham and <a href="https://www.combsenterprises.com/index.html">Combs Enterprises,</a> where he's chief brand officer, leading marketing for everything associated with the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2019/06/17/diddy-net-worth-740-million-in-2019/?sh=44195d5c4ef1">mogul Sean Combs</a> - otherwise known as the rapper Diddy. </p><p>"Year after year, I've seen him grow into a savvy, gritty and forward-thinking executive," Diddy told Insider, "for big and bold digital and brand strategy ideas that are crucial to what we do and our success." </p><p>Indeed, years before the 35-year-old Graham started working for Combs Enterprises full-time in 2015, he had caught the attention of the rapper, who, with <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2019/06/17/diddy-net-worth-740-million-in-2019/?sh=3ccdd0454ef1">a net worth topping $700 million</a>, has become one of <keyword id="6354530" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="music">music</keyword>'s most prolific businessmen. </p><p>If anything, Graham can say he has helped play a part in that. </p><p>In an interview with Insider, Graham talks about his rise to becoming the mogul's chief brand officer, what nightlife taught him about digital marketing, and the importance of creating content for and by Black people. </p><h2>A nightclubbing platform for 'people that looked like me, who went out every night'</h2><p>Graham told Insider he was a heavy nightclubber while he was a marketing student at Florida International University in Miami.</p><p>But one night in the mid-2000s, he said he began to pay attention to the world around him - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/viper-nightlife-company-founders-profile-2020-10">the bottles, the girls, the photographers</a>. Graham said he realized photogs were taking pictures of everyone except for him and his friends. When he would go to the club websites, only the white partygoers were depicted. </p><p>When he asked a bottle girl why this was happening, Graham told Insider, "she flat-out said, '<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-art-of-power-dressing-with-michelle-obamas-stylist-meredith-koop-2021">because you're Black</a>.' I realized there was an opportunity for me to create a platform that serviced people that looked like me, who went out every night." </p><p>So, in 2008, he launched City Never Sleeps, a website that helped Black people navigate the clubbing scene. He went on to make deals with club managers around the country, hiring photographers to take photos of the Black clubgoers, which he would then put on his website. It helped clubs look "less racist," he said, but it also helped Black people find which clubs would let them in. </p><p>Graham said he dropped out of FIU after a semester to focus more on City Never Sleeps. </p><p>At its height, Graham said club managers were paying as much as $20,000 and he was taking paid advertisements on his website, making as much as the low six figures.  </p><p>During this time, he had also been advertising a popular vodka brand on the site. Those advertisements caught Diddy's attention, and the mogul's advertising agency, Blue Flame, reached out to Graham, asking if it would advertise Diddy's Ciroc instead. </p><p>Soon enough, Graham signed a contract with Ciroc in 2009. From there, he began working more closely with Diddy and Combs Enterprises.  "I had the urban market that nobody else had across the country," Graham said. "We worked well together."  </p><div type="image" title="Deon Graham" height="3996" width="5328" msid="80910559" hostid="261"></div><h2>The clubbing scene moves fast - just like Twitter</h2><p>Graham came on as a freelance digital consultant for Combs Enterprises in 2009. He recalls the phone conversation that helped set it all off. He was speaking to one of the marketing leads at Blue Flame who was talking about redesigning the Ciroc website. </p><p>They were throwing around big numbers "like $120,000 to redo the site," Graham said. So he took himself off mute and chimed in, "I was like yo, I could do that site for like 20-grand," he recalled. </p><p>"I had no idea what I was getting myself into building a site at that capacity for a company that large," he continued. "But that just opened another door. Every opportunity that would come, I would try to jump on something." </p><p>By 2010, City Never Sleeps had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donahue-peebles-iii-real-estate-heir-yimby-affordable-housing-gentrification-2021-1">begun expanding globally,</a> to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, London, and Toronto. Graham said he had, at times, nearly 30 photographers around the country, but he was struggling to pay them. Club managers were late on payments, and Graham said he himself often wasn't making a dime. </p><p>By 2015, he got a call from <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/diasimms/">Dia Simms</a>, then-President of Combs Enterprises, who had a role for a full-time digital director open, and Graham in mind. Three years later, he was appointed Combs' vice president of digital, and two years after that, he became chief brand officer. </p><p>He's worked on everything from Ciroc advertisements to films with Apple Music, and music with Bad Boy <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment">Entertainment</keyword>. He focuses on building and fostering long-term relationships with consumers, even if that means having <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@diddy?lang=en">Diddy make TikToks</a>, post a few <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diddy/?hl=en">Instagrams,</a> or hop into <a href="https://www.revolt.tv/news/2020/12/15/22176068/biggie-wanted-to-be-diddy-manager-last-train-to-paris">Clubhouse</a> for a talk. </p><p>Graham said he likes to take it slow. "I'm not chasing, like, the headline. I'm not chasing that one-day growth." </p><p>It turns out, the clubbing scene moves quickly, just like Twitter. It doesn't take long to figure out if a social media campaign worked, just like it doesn't take long to figure out if it's going to be a good night for the club. </p><p>"He's relentless in his pursuit of goals, scrappy and innovative," Combs Enterprises President <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarikbrooks/">Tarik Brooks</a> told Insider. "He's a key leader on our team."</p><div type="image" title="Deon Graham" height="1365" width="1820" msid="80910563" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>Graham seeks authenticity </strong></h2><p>Perception is a big thing to Graham. "How you're perceived is what people think of you and how they approach you," he said. </p><p>Combs Enterprises likes to bring on people who can help push out authentic narratives that let customers know "It's coming to the culture, by the culture," Graham said. "If you want to reach people, you gotta reach them with people that look like them." <strong> </strong></p><p>For example, Ciroc has been sponsoring and doing placements during the <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2020/11/verzuz-instagram-live-battles-ranked.html">Verzuz battles</a> that take place on <keyword id="819905" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword> Live. The event sees artists such as Ashanti, Jeezy, and Brandy musically compete against each other to see who has the greatest hits. To help promote the events, Graham said the Combs team typically shoots trailers and makes a few fliers, but also depends on the natural interest of users on social media to help drive the conversation. </p><p>Creating moments of authenticity is one of Graham's main strategies, he said.</p><p>People liked when, in the "Can't Stop Won't Stop" documentary, Diddy jumped around his office with excitement, after presumably just closing a deal, screaming, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIeUtaqKrg0">I'm a Savage. Whatever I want I have to get</a>." That clip goes viral, even to this day, he said.</p><p>As a marketer, he said he's always focused on how projects will land with audiences. As a Black marketer is always paying attention to "<a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=culture%20vulture">culture vultures</a>" - the often non-Black people who exploit Black culture for profit and gain.</p><p>He said that some companies and executives were guilty of this during the Black Lives Matter protests last summer, when they suddenly released statements and pledges about increasing racial equity. But he said he's happy that some consumers are beginning to take a stance against those who steal ideas, appropriate cultures, and who become socially conscious for monetary reasons. </p><p>"Nobody is forcing you to support companies that don't support you, that don't hire executives that look like you," he continued. "You're making that choice." </p><p>That's one thing he learned from his years in nightlife and now, working with Diddy - people like feeling seen, and they support the places and the people who make them feel good about themselves. </p><p>"I'm lucky to be in an enterprise that's owned by a Black man," he said. "It's a good feeling to walk into a building and see people who look like you, who are making decisions that are culturally relevant. I want everyone to have a chance to feel that now."</p>

Meet Diddy's top marketing executive - a millennial who started out with a nightlife website

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Roc Nation rapper <keyword id="1114327" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Fat-Joe">Fat Joe</keyword> spoke to Insider in an <keyword id="28970" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="interview">interview</keyword> tied to the one-year anniversary of his nightly <keyword id="4425309" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Instagram-Live">Instagram Live</keyword> talk show, "The Fat Joe Show."</li><li>Joe discussed the trajectory of the show over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, his interviews with prominent guests, and a coming "soundtrack" project related to the show. </li></ul><p>When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March of last year, Roc Nation rapper Fat Joe started taking to <keyword id="819905" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword> Live each night as a way to entertain himself and commiserate with his millions of followers on the platform.</p><p>"I thought it was a real special time to get on the Live and start communicating with my fans and followers," Joe told Insider in a phone interview last week. "Just letting them know that we're all scared together, but we'll get through this."</p><p>Over the next few months, Joe's nightly Instagram Live appearances - which initially featured conversations with his friends in the <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment">entertainment</keyword> industry - evolved into a wide-ranging talk show with notable guests across diverse fields.</p><p>"<a href="https://www.instagram.com/fatjoe/channel/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Fat Joe Show</a>," as the show became known, has brought the rapper <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/494275-ocasio-cortez-says-she-will-vote-for-biden-in-novemberhttps://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/494275-ocasio-cortez-says-she-will-vote-for-biden-in-november" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a news-breaking interview with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a>, when the US representative from New York announced on the show in April, for the first time publicly, that she would vote for the then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for president. </p><p>Other high-profile guests on the show have included Dr. Anthony Fauci, New Jersey senator Cory Booker, Floyd Mayweather, Jamie Foxx, Mike Tyson, Snoop Dogg, and Shaquille O'Neal, among many others. Months after Joe interviewed Diddy on the show, the hip-hop icon and entrepreneur set Joe up with <a href="https://www.revolt.tv/news/2020/8/11/21364176/revolt-announces-the-fat-joe-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a syndication deal</a> on his cable network, Revolt TV, to broadcast "The Fat Joe Show" on television. </p><p>Around the one-year anniversary of his first IG Live show, Fat Joe spoke to Insider about the trajectory of "The Fat Joe Show," his work on a "soundtrack" project he's releasing to accompany the show, and his plans for the show, and life, after the coronavirus pandemic. </p><p><em>This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. </em></p><p><strong>I've really got a lot of respect for the show, and the work you've been doing.</strong> <br /><br />Thank you so much, man. It's for the people by the people. You know, when I started the show, Corona had just hit, and everybody was afraid, including myself. I thought it was a real special time to get on the Live and start communicating with my fans and followers. Just letting them know that we're all scared together, but we'll get through this. Then one day later led to the next day, and the next day. And all my friends, the biggest people on Earth, started clicking in and going on Live with me. Then we realized after like a week straight of going on every day at eight o'clock that it was an actual show. <br /><br />And so, a lot of phrases been coined after the show. You know, it's really "The Fat Joe Show," but we call it "The Big, Big Show." There's something called a "Joprah Moment," where we get artists and we get whoever we interviewed to talk about something we had never heard about before. We seen a lot of these people in hundreds of interviews, but never seen them talk about certain stories and situations. So we call that a "Joprah Moment."</p><p>We also have a moment called "You Don't Know Who I Know." Because I've been in the rap game for over 25 years, and I've walked everything from the streets, to the music industry, to so many moments, that people don't realize I got so many relationships. And when I bring somebody on, they're like, "No way on earth he knows Larenz Tate." "There's no way he knows Mike Tyson," you know? And then after we talk about personal stories we have together and history, when they leave, I hit 'em with the, "You don't know who I know." And they love it, man. The people love it. <br /><br /><strong>From the jump, why was IG Live the move for it for you, as a medium? What did you see in it?</strong> <br /><br />Well, it was just a way to directly communicate with my audience and my followers. It was also, you know, when Corona first started, everybody was stuck at home quarantined, and everybody was on IG. So it was a natural progression. It was a natural way to go, because everybody - you had D-Nice, you had Verzuz, you had a bunch of DJs - like everybody took it to IG. But certain ones lasted the time.</p><div type="image" title="fat joe AOC" height="535" width="714" msid="81638860" hostid="261"></div><strong>You know, we're all doing video meetings in this time. People stress about their angles, their lighting. I think you've shown up at every possible angle. And I respect that, just the way you present yourself on video.</strong><br /><br />Yeah, well. It's simple, but we get the job done. You know, we've tackled health issues. We talked to Dr. Fauci. Political issues. AOC, Hakeem Jeffries. Andrew Yang. People going for <em>president</em>. Symone Sanders, who was in charge of Joe Biden's campaign. Hip hop, whoever you can name. To domestic violence issues. We talk about real things that's tackling our community, and from real, real ways. From an authenticity that's... It's unmatched. And because I don't have a boss, or I don't belong to no network, I'm able to say whatever really naturally comes to my mind. <br /><br /><strong>Behind the scenes of it, how much research and preparation are you putting into it? What's going into each night?</strong> <br /><br />Uhh, not much. I pretty much know the story behind all the guests I bring on, but the research is really when it comes to the females, the ladies who I bring on the show. You know, I want to know as much about them as I can, in a respectful and a tasteful way. So I would admit that whenever I go on with Vanessa Williams, or I go on with Vivica Fox, or I go on with any female, I do my research to make sure I got it right. Guys, we'll just kick it around and we'll get to that sweet spot that everybody want to know about, and then take it from there. But the ladies I gotta prepare for. <br /><br /><strong>What about the AOCs and the Faucis, those type of figures. What do you want to bring to those kind of conversations, what do you feel you bring to them?</strong> <br /><br />Well, I just bring questions that people really want to know. You know, answers they really wanna know. I know my community. I know my community, and I know what they're facing. What type of oppressions, what type of systemic racism. You know, we've had Benjamin Crump, the Reverend Al Sharpton. Tamika Mallory. One day, Tamika Mallory and Mysonne and Trae tha Truth Facetimed us - well, they came on the Instagram - from a rally where they were running from the cops. And the thing about me that's special, it's a daily show. So I'm able to tackle whatever's going on that day. If it's big news, then we gotta talk about it. I'd say my show is equivalent to, God bless the dead, Robin Williams, when he played in that movie, and he was, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwSra5p8MDw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Goood moooorning, Vietnam</a>." You know, it's COVID. It's the deadliest year in US history. That's who I am. I'm like, "Gooood moooorning, Vietnam." That's who I am.<p><strong>And, I mean, every day. How's that been, just the work ethic of it?</strong><br /><br />Oh man. It's real. I can't do no dinners. I can't go to basketball games on weekdays. I'm like... You know, I'm stuck <em>[laughs]</em>. But it's a family show. My daughter's the executive producer. She's 14. She's excited about it, even though she don't let me know. And it gives me a sense of pride. And I like that she inspires the young girls and the young kids, 14 years old, and let them know they could be bosses. You know, it's a family show. My wife gets the drinks ready. It's the first time we ever could work together as a family.</p><iframe width="800" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3A9-jHmTuRA" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><strong>What about the Revolt partnership, what was the story behind that? How did you link up with them?</strong></p><p>Well, you know, Puff came on one time, and he's the one who called me "Joprah." And it turned to more than just a moment. He contacted me and was like, "Yo, I want to get it on Revolt. And let's take it from there." So it's great to give us more eyes on the show, as well as more reach to people. And, you know, we talk about real things, brother. Like we talk about real issues, man, that affect our community. And nobody who's done as much as me in the entertainment world - you know, people don't get political in the entertainment world. People mind their business, keep it moving. They always want to be what we call "politically right." Well with me, I really don't need much. You know what I mean? People tend to sway their views or talk to who their boss is or who their corporate people are. I don't do that. I'm for the people, and I'm blessed. And I stick with the people, whether I got a trillion dollars or I'm broke, you know, I speak for my people.</p><p><strong>On the music front, what can you tell me about the project you have in the works related to the show?<br /><br /></strong>You know, this is a pretty genius aspect of this whole show, is I decided to make a soundtrack for the show <em>[laughs]</em>. It's a show on IG, we making a soundtrack. It's called "The Big, Big Show." The first single is out now. If you heard the Luther Vandross, Rihanna, it's called "Sunshine (The Light)." Once again, we call this like "quarantine music," because this music was made to uplift the people and make them feel good. You know, a lot of people been passing away. A lot of people been losing their jobs. A lot of people been going through emotional stress, you know, mental issues. And so we try to make music, me and my brother DJ Khaled, and Dre of Cool &amp; Dre, to just uplift the people. Bring the summer in <em>fast</em>. We dropped the summer banger in the winter. To usher the summer in <em>fast</em>.</p><iframe width="800" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kuO9OC2H9Qs" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><strong>How are you looking forward to the end of this tragedy we've all been through? What are you thinking about the end of the pandemic?</strong></p><p>I mean, I'm thinking July 4th. But, you know, the good news is, one hundred years ago, this happened with the Spanish flu. Same thing. There's pictures of guys on the Navy ship with the mask on. Same thing. But they were far more unsophisticated than us in recent times with medicine and technology. And so now it's a hundred years we've lived our whole life like it was normal walking around without a mask. So I have to believe, if you know where you came from and know where you going, know your history, that sooner or later, I can't tell you when - I'm thinking deep in the summer or whatever - that we'll be able to walk around without a mask. When everybody gets vaccined, this thing they call herd immunity. So it will go back to regular life again. We just, sh-t, we just can't wait till it does, you know? <br /><br /><strong>Are you gonna keep it on IG Live or will you do any in-person type of thing?</strong> <br /><br />You know, I'm thinking about getting a bigger platform. Meaning like Amazon, Apple, Netflix. One of those. I partnered up with Diddy, and we're going to get it on there. And it'll be like a David Letterman meets Arsenio Hall. Real set, real band, real DJ. You know, something big. Something sexy.</p>

You Searched For "verzuz" and got 12 results

Earl 'E-40' Stevens on growing a 'spirits empire' in a pandemic, investing early in Clubhouse, and how a Verzuz appearance propelled his business

John Lynch

Stacey Abrams kicked off the Verzuz rap battle between Jeezy and Gucci Mane by discussing voting rights and the Georgia US Senate race

John L. Dorman

Snoop Dogg says he once cooked a feast for DMX and the late rapper 'couldn't believe how good it was'

Anneta Konstantinides

SWV say working on their new TV show 'The Queens of R&B' was 'a headache' and the best part of filming was 'going home'

Barnaby Lane

R&B legends SWV think too many singers today 'sound the same'

Barnaby Lane

'We're going number one': How rap icon Jadakiss is using coffee to build Black generational wealth with his son and father by his side

Taylor Ardrey

I attended my first Super Bowl after 31 years as an NFL fan. Here's what surprised me most about seeing the big game in person.

Tyler Lauletta

Diddy's top branding executive tells us how he's working with brands to show up 'for the culture'

Taiyler Simone Mitchell

DMX is still on life support at a New York hospital following a heart attack

Taylor Ardrey

Jim Jones and Alex Todd on scaling a cannabis brand in a pandemic and partnering with Jay-Z's cannabis company

John Lynch

Meet Diddy's top marketing executive - a millennial who started out with a nightlife website

Dominic-Madori Davis

Fat Joe on the year anniversary of hosting a nightly, news-breaking Instagram Live talk show in a pandemic

John Lynch