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Darren Ogden’s New Book “40 Ways To Build Leverage” Is a Must-Read for Anyone Serious About Business and Networking
#NOLAZINE - In business, sometimes the difference between staying in the same position and reaching the next level isn’t simply how much money you have—it’s who you know, what value you bring to the table, and what you do with the relationships you build. That message sits at the center of Darren Ogden Sr.’s newest book, 40 Ways To Build Leverage, Business Relationships & Gain Income, an independently released business guide that deserves a place on the bookshelf of entrepren
INTERVIEWS
Sir King Te’Igo Donte McGilmer: The Visionary Entrepreneur Building The Cartel Family Business Empire
#NOLAZINE - From luxury hotels and restaurant franchises to music, flowers, and hospitality, Sir King Te’Igo Donte McGilmer is setting his sights on building a multimillion-dollar business empire. Entrepreneur Sir King Te’Igo Donte McGilmer, founder of The Cartel Family, is pursuing an ambitious vision that stretches across several industries, including hospitality, food service, entertainment, and retail. One of his most ambitious ventures is The Cartel Family Hotel, a luxur
3 days ago
Who Is Christopher “Dudus” Coke? The Notorious Shower Posse Leader Who Reportedly Fought Diddy in Prison
#NOLAZINE - Sean “Diddy” Combs is making headlines again, but this time it involves an alleged prison fight with one of Jamaica’s most notorious former crime bosses, Christopher “Dudus” Coke, the former leader of the infamous Shower Posse. According to an October 14, 2026, TMZ report, Diddy allegedly got into a physical confrontation with Coke at FCI Fort Dix federal prison in New Jersey. The reported altercation left the Bad Boy Records founder with a head injury that requir
4 days ago
Who Is MC T. Tucker? The New Orleans Rapper Credited With Helping Create Bounce Music
#NOLAZINE - Before Big Freedia, before DJ Jubilee became one of bounce music's most recognizable pioneers, and before the sound of New Orleans bounce could be heard in mainstream records around the world, there was MC T. Tucker and DJ Irv. For anyone studying the history of New Orleans hip-hop, their names are essential. MC T. Tucker, born Kevin Ventry, is widely recognized as one of the founding figures of New Orleans bounce music. Alongside DJ Irv Phillips, Tucker created “
Oct 7
Who Is Mousa? Meet the Businessman Behind Curren$y’s Jet Life Empire
#NOLAZINE - When people think about Curren$y and Jet Life, they immediately think about independent music, classic cars, nonstop projects, touring and the unmistakable lifestyle the New Orleans rapper has built over the years. But behind one of hip-hop’s most consistent independent movements is a businessman who has played an important role in helping turn that vision into an empire. His name is Mousa Hamdan. Mousa is Curren$y’s longtime manager and business partner, and he h
Oct 7
How Tokyo Vanity Turned Internet Fame Into a Million Dollar Brand
#NOLAZINE - Before social media became the powerful music-marketing machine it is today, artists often needed radio stations, DJs, record labels and major media outlets to introduce them to the world. But a new generation of entertainers proved that the internet could create stars on its own. One of those personalities was Tokyo Vanity. The New Orleans native became an internet sensation with the infectious record “That’s My Best Friend,” turning a viral moment into national
Oct 6
The 360 Deal: Why Record Labels Started Taking Pieces of Touring, Merchandise and Other Artist Income
#NOLAZINE - For decades, the traditional relationship between a recording artist and a record label was relatively straightforward: the artist created music, the label invested money into recording and promoting it, and the label made its money primarily from record sales. But as the music industry changed, so did the contracts. That shift helped create one of the most debated agreements in modern music: the 360 deal. A 360 deal allows a record company—or a company affiliated
Oct 6
Meet Gee Willie & Herb: The Promotion Giants Behind Here We Go Entertainment
#NOLAZINE - When the conversation turns to New Orleans nightlife, celebrity parties and major event weekends, Greg Johnson, better known as Gee Willie, and Herbert Baudy, known as Herb, have spent years building a name behind the scenes. Together, the two entrepreneurs launched Here We Go Entertainment in 2006, turning their vision for high-level entertainment into a brand that would become associated with some of New Orleans' biggest party weekends and celebrity-driven event
Oct 6
Blake “Blizzy” Robinson: Rapper G-Eazy’s Touring Drummer and Founder of The Loyalty Club
#NOLAZINE - New Orleans has produced generations of musicians, creatives and entrepreneurs who have taken their talents far beyond Louisiana. Blake “Blizzy” Robinson represents all three worlds. The West Bank native is a professional self-taught drummer who built an international career as the touring drummer for G-Eazy. Away from the stage, Robinson has turned his passion for fashion and culture into entrepreneurship as the co-founder of The Loyalty Club, a New Orleans-roote
Oct 5
Meet Evan Jupiter: The Baton Rouge Entrepreneur Turning a Bad Grillz Experience Into a Growing Custom Jewelry Brand
#NOLAZINE - BATON ROUGE, LA — Sometimes the best business ideas are born from realizing that customers deserve something better. For Baton Rouge entrepreneur Evan Jupiter, one disappointing experience purchasing grillz locally became the motivation behind creating his own company, Fast Lane Grillz. Founded in late 2022, Fast Lane Grillz was created with a straightforward mission: provide customers with premium-quality custom grillz, dependable service, and strong craftsmanshi
Oct 5
Meet Raj Smoove: The Man Who Lil Wayne Called “The Greatest DJ in the World”
#NOLAZINE - Long before DJs became social-media personalities and laptops replaced crates of records, Raj Smoove was building his reputation the old-fashioned way—one party, one record and one crowd at a time. The New Orleans DJ, producer, engineer and entrepreneur has spent more than three decades behind the turntables. Along the way, he became closely connected to the rise of Lil Wayne, worked around the legendary Cash Money Records movement and performed everywhere from lo
Oct 4
Jesseca “Judy” Harris-Dupart: From Teenage Mother and Major Setbacks to a Multimillion-Dollar Hair Empire
#NOLAZINE - Long before the millions of dollars in sales, national retail distribution and celebrity recognition, Jesseca “Judy” Harris-Dupart was a young New Orleans woman doing hair and trying to build a better future for herself and her children. Today, Harris-Dupart is known as the founder and CEO of Kaleidoscope Hair Products, one of the most recognizable Black-owned brands in the multicultural hair-care industry. But her road to becoming a beauty mogul was anything but
Oct 4
From New Orleans to Hollywood: Wendell Pierce Built a Career as an Actor, Entrepreneur and Advocate for His Hometown
#NOLAZINE - NEW ORLEANS — Long before Wendell Pierce became one of Hollywood's most respected character actors, his story began in New Orleans. From growing up in the city's historic Pontchartrain Park neighborhood to appearing in major television series, movies and Broadway productions, Pierce has built a career that has never taken him too far from his Louisiana roots. Pierce grew up in Pontchartrain Park, a New Orleans neighborhood developed during segregation as a place w
Oct 4
How a Black Man Bought a $240 Million Cable Company and Changed the Narrative Forever
#NOLAZINE - For decades, the narrative was clear and limiting: Black people shouldn’t own major businesses. J. Bruce Llewellyn didn’t argue with the statement—he obliterated it. When critics doubted Black ownership at the highest levels of corporate America, Llewellyn responded with action. He didn’t just buy a business—he acquired one of the largest cable television companies in the country, leading a deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars and permanently shifting what w
Oct 3
Meet Cindy Tawiah, the Black Female CEO Bringing Haircare Into Hospitals for Patients Experiencing Medical-Related Hair Loss
#NOLAZINE - For many people facing serious health challenges, the effects of an illness can extend far beyond doctor visits and medical treatments. Changes in appearance—including thinning hair, excessive shedding, dryness, breakage and hair loss—can become another difficult part of the journey. Entrepreneur and former nurse Cindy Tawiah is working to address that often-overlooked need through her haircare company, Diva by Cindy. Tawiah created Diva by Cindy with a focus on h
Oct 3
NC A&T Students Are Building Beds So Children In Need Don’t Have To Sleep On The Floor
#KRITICIZM - Two HBCU students are proving that making a difference in their community doesn’t have to wait until after graduation. At North Carolina A&T State University, students Ryan Pennington and Ahmad Blair are balancing their college education with a mission to help ensure children in Greensboro, North Carolina, have a safe and comfortable place to sleep. In 2026, Pennington and Blair launched the Greensboro chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, an organization dedicated
Oct 3
Meet the Black Texas Family Building a Luxury Brand to Compete in the $400 Billion Designer Market
#NOLAZINE - For decades, some of the biggest names in luxury fashion have built global businesses around premium materials, exclusivity, craftsmanship, and heritage. Now, one Black family in Texas is working to build a luxury legacy of its own. Lawrence Willis, a Louisiana native and longtime entrepreneur in the alligator industry, is the founder and CEO of Willis & Co. (@williswearco), a Black family-owned luxury company based in Pearland, Texas. But Willis & Co. isn’t being
Oct 3
New Orleans Native Curren$y Belongs in the Mount Rushmore Conversation for Independent Rappers
#NOLAZINE - In hip-hop, independence is often talked about as if it simply means not being signed to a major record label. But Curren$y has spent nearly two decades demonstrating that true independence is about something much bigger: ownership, consistency, understanding your audience and creating a business that can survive without chasing the traditional music-industry formula. The New Orleans rapper's journey makes him a strong candidate for any conversation about the most
Sep 23
Meet Shaddy Feel Good: One of the Funniest Stand-Up Comedians to Come From New Orleans
#NOLAZINE - New Orleans has always been a city filled with personality. From the neighborhood characters and second-line celebrations to the local expressions that outsiders may never completely understand, humor is deeply connected to the city’s culture. Shaddy Feel Good is one comedian using that culture to create his own lane. With an entertaining personality, natural comedic timing and an ability to turn everyday experiences into memorable stories, Shaddy Feel Good is bec
Sep 21
Who Messed Up First on Power: Tasha or Ghost?
#NOLAZINE - For six seasons, Power gave viewers violence, betrayal, ambition and complicated relationships. However, one debate continues to divide fans long after the original series ended: Who destroyed the marriage first—James “Ghost” St. Patrick or Tasha St. Patrick? Both characters betrayed each other and made decisions that damaged their family. But if the question is strictly about who crossed the line first, the answer depends on whether we are judging their actions,
Sep 15
KLC The Drum Major: The New Orleans Producer Who Helped Create the Sound of No Limit Records
#NOLAZINE - When the history of New Orleans hip-hop is discussed, names like Master P, Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Mystikal, Soulja Slim and B.G. naturally come up. But behind some of the biggest records to ever come out of Louisiana stands a man whose production helped shape an entire era of Southern hip-hop: Craig “KLC” Lawson, better known as KLC The Drum Major. KLC is much more than a producer from New Orleans. He is one of the architects of the city's hip-hop sound and was a ke
Sep 5
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