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Independent rapper LaRussell recently made waves by selling around 30,000 albums directly to fans without any major label support or large promotional campaigns. This achievement highlights a growing trend in the music industry: independent artists building strong communities and finding success on their own terms. Yet, when LaRussell’s sales were submitted to Billboard, they reportedly did not qualify for chart placement due to how the albums were marketed. This situation ra

Wendys CTO Contest Sometimes life has a funny way of coming full circle. When I was 18 years old, my first W-2 job was at Wendy’s. Like a lot of first jobs, it wasn’t just about the paycheck—it was about learning how to show up on time, work with a team, and understand the rhythm of a fast-paced environment. Recently, I came across a post announcing that Wendy’s is searching for a Chief Tasting Officer , a role that would involve creating content and trying menu items. Seeing

A hundred years can feel both long and short when you map it onto memory, sound, and struggle. We open by honoring the centennial of Black History Month, which began as Negro History Week in 1926 under Carter G. Woodson. That origin matters: it wasn’t a marketing plan, it was a correction to erasure. Choosing February linked the observance to the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, anchoring public memory to community ritual. By the 1970s, college campuses st

YORE on Smith Street | Black History Month 2026 Keywords:  independent creative podcast, gatekeepers in entertainment industry, creative ownership, power imbalance in media, independent artist mindset, building without a middleman What Is “The First Episode, No Middleman” About? The first episode of YORE on Smith Street  explores independence in the entertainment industry, the role of gatekeepers, creative ownership, and lessons learned from building without traditional indus