Blog Standard

Money and Fame! Did you know that on the 21st of January, 2023, Beyoncé was paid $24 million for a single one-hour performance at the Atlantis The Royal hotel in Dubai, UAE. That is about $320,000 per minute for a 75-minutes performance. It is reportedly a branding strategy employed by the Hotel’s parent company, Kerzner International, to prove the company’s opulence and exclusivity.  Reports also have it that phones were banned at the concert to maintain exclusivity and that she was accompanied by her daughter, Blue Ivy, for a special duet of Brown Skin Girl, making it Blue Ivy’s first international stage appearance. Stay dreaming, Stay hungry! @Alaro_Basit

DYK? Did you know that Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” was the first music video by a Black artist to air on MTV? Backstory: When MTV (Music Television) launched in 1981, it was exclusive to rock music video by white artists. This deliberate discrimination and reluctance to post Black artists by the TV network brought them the wrath of public opinion and the music industry. Micheal Jackson’s “Billie Jean” was the Messiah. Billie Jean was a gem. Coming not only with a groundbreaking musical innovation but also with a very high quality video that bests short films, it was just impossible to downplay. Hence, breaking the race barrier set by MTV who initially refused to air the video but eventually bent the knee due to immense pressure from the popularity of the song and CBS Records’ President, Walter Yetnikoff. This ordeal aided the video to become a massive hit and pushed the album Thriller  to become the best-selling album of all time while also paving the way for other Black artists including Prince and Whitney Houston to also get aired on the network. Michael did not only break records, but he also broke barriers! Stay Creative, Stay Hungry! @Alaro Basit