Hayti

Black Enterprise Magazine Thank you for writing the article on Hayti. We truly appreciate you highlighting the work we are doing in the #podcast space. #tech #media

Addicted. Broke. Written off. Now he makes $20M a year—and answers to no one. Joseph Budden. Born in Harlem, raised in Jersey City. A hothead, Mom sent him to boarding school. There, Joe got into hip-hop & angel dust. He came home a gifted rapper—addicted to PCP. At 17, he went to rehab, never got his diploma. He poured struggle into music—and it hit! Battled everyone in Jersey. Put verses on mixtapes. So, When his bro told a guy, who told a guy, who told Lyor Cohen— Joe had the cred, and Def Jam signed him. Soon, Joe dropped "Pump It Up": - Top 40 - In "2 Fast 2 Furious" - Grammy nom That album? 95K units in week 1! Leveraging momentum, Joe filled in at Hot 97. He loved it, but Kevin Liles said rappers can't be accessible. Joe didn't own his future—Def Jam did. So he stopped radio. Label turnover came: Cohen, Liles, Jay Z came & went. Joe’s 2nd album? Shelved. Joe took every chance to diss Def Jam, even Hov. But he had no equity, and 5 years passed: No album. He went underground—mixtapes, battles, "Mood Muzik". Direct-to-fan via MySpace, forums, YouTube. Left off the charts but flooding the streets. He realized freedom isn't given, it's negotiated. He talked his way out of Def Jam, but sales fell: “Mood Muzik 3” & “Halfway House” did poorly. In response, he grew: 👉🏿Slaughterhouse 👉🏿VH1's Love & Hip-Hop 👉🏿"I'll Name this Podcast Later" Sales climbed! ➡️ “Welcome to Our House"—52K ➡️ "No Love Lost"—30K But by album #8, sales stalled. He’d also lost himself: ➡️ Arrested (dropped) ➡️ Drug-addicted on TV He retired without: ❌Ownership ❌Money But the radio itch stayed—and he scratched. He’d host "Everyday Struggle" on YouTube. Hot takes and a Migos beef made it the hottest show in music. Yet, Complex wouldn’t give equity, so Joe: 1️⃣ Roasted them 2️⃣ Left a #1 show Joe lost his cool, but he still had the hot hand. Complex, VH1, and Revolt made him bigger. And he finally named the podcast: "The Joe Budden Podcast." Now, building for himself: 👉🏿Weekly drops 👉🏿Early to YouTube 👉🏿Spoke truth to power By 2018? The #1 music podcast— And a 2-year Spotify deal! Spotify helped him. But he helped it more. Beating projections by 900%. Undervalued, Joe blasted Spotify for: ➡️ Pillaging fans ➡️ Denied bonuses ➡️ Rolexgate Offered $40M to renew? No! Another $40M if he left YouTube? Nah. He wasn't going to give up control. “Freedom is the most important idea I’ve ever had." Joe opted for Patreon, which allowed for full control of his show. The industry laughed—assuming he'd lost out on millions. But Joe kept at it: ✅ Upgraded set ✅ More distribution ✅ Patreon exclusives Now? Joe has a $20M-a-year empire—every cent fully his. Yet he’s not here for the last laugh. He’s sharing the blueprint: 1️⃣ Build directly 2️⃣ Serve culture relentlessly 3️⃣ Own everything His story proves cultural capital can outlast any check. And if you own the culture AND the work? You don’t just secure the bag—you secure your future.

 🚨 It’s officially time! We’re excited to share that the Camelback Ventures Fellowship application opens Monday, August 11! To kick things off, we’re hosting an Application 101 Webinar to support prospective Fellows in putting their best foot forward. Whether you’re just learning about Camelback or already planning to apply, this session will give you the tools to prepare your application.  💡 What to expect: - Insights into what we look for in a strong application - Tips on how to stand out in the selection process - A live Q&A with Camelback staff (Selam Kebrom and Michaela Ceja) - Insights from Sunny Williams, a 2016 Camelback Fellow, about their experience and how the Fellowship helped fuel their journey. Tag a founder or share this post so we can discover our next fellowship cohort! Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to know when the application opens ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g2R5cFC2 #CamelbackFam #CamelbackVentures #SocialImpact #funding #Entrepreneurship #FellowshipOpportunity #ApplyNow #nonprofit #tech #education

The Trump Administration has cut funding for the Digital Equity Act (DEA), which was designed to address disparities in digital access across the US. The DEA aimed to tackle digital equity gaps by supporting state and local efforts to build inclusive digital infrastructure and skills programs. Fallon Wilson, project #BlackTechFutures Research Institute, had been awarded nearly $12 million over four years to build public interest tech ecosystems in nine states. It planned to establish digital hubs offering internet access, shared workspaces, and tech training programs.

They saw a problem and built the answer. Meet 20 new #WeArePlay founders from across the U.S. making an impact with their apps & games including: 🐕 Finch Care: With over 10 million downloads, Thomas (Nino) Aquinas Nugraha Budi and Stephanie Yuan wanted to make self-care more accessible ,so they built a global community around lovable digital pets that thrive as people complete their self-care goals. Their fun and simple approach to building positive habits has resulted in over 10 million downloads. 🧑💻 Speechify: Inspired by his own challenges with dyslexia, Cliff Weitzman created Speechify which turns text into accessible audio. His app has evolved into a global platform that processes billions of words weekly for millions of users in over 60 languages and 200 voices. 🎧 Hayti: In order to amplify underrepresented Black voices on a global scale, Cary Wheelous created Hayti -showcasing the latest news curated from over 200 Black publishers and 2,000 podcasters. Read their stories and more at g.co/play/weareplay

Tanya Sam and Jeanell English are the co-founders of Elizabeth and Minnie Publishing, an independent Black-female-owned publishing house dedicated to identifying and amplifying powerful stories. The talented duo has built their community-centered brand from the ground up to diversify the entertainment industry by enhancing the supply and demand for diverse stories. UrbanGeekz had the opportunity to sit down with Sam and English to talk about disrupting the publishing industry, amplifying diverse voices, and transforming powerful stories into future blockbusters. And it turns out, their partnership was nearly destined. When Sam and English first met through a mutual friend, they didn’t realize they were on the verge of launching a publishing revolution. Read the rest of the UrbanGeekz story here https://lnkd.in/daQGRYuy

Happy Juneteenth! Today, we honor the journey to freedom and the enduring strength of Black voices. Hayti is dedicated to amplifying those voices, giving you a centralized hub for every Black story, every perspective, every podcast. Empower yourself with information. Get Hayti today! #Juneteenth2025 #BlackExcellence #MediaMatters #Hayti https://lnkd.in/dA6ZiJwV

We are heartbroken to hear of Ananda Lewis’s passing. Ananda brought light, wisdom, and love to every space she entered. She was an inspirational voice and advocate with an unwavering passion for making a difference. Sending love to her family and all who were touched by her brilliance. #RestInPower, Ananda.

Its that time of year again! 🎉 Join us at the 4th Annual BPA Summer Social at SPIN in Flatiron, NYC! 🚨 This event welcomes ALL podcast professionals, podcasters, content creators, and aspiring creators to connect and learn. You don’t want to miss our intimate fireside chat as we talk to multi-award winning podcast creator Dominic Lawson

Heads up! 🚨 The conversation around AI needs to include everyone. Rolling Out "Digital Gentrification: When AI Doesn't See Us" unpacks how biased AI models contribute to systemic exclusion. It's time to build a more inclusive digital future. Dive into the article: https://lnkd.in/eWpy6CGC #AIandSociety #DiversityInTech #TechJustice #EquitableAI #MustRead #DigitalRights