Entertainment
Rihanna Emerges World’s Richest Female Musician, Beats Beyonce, Madonna
Singer, makeup entrepreneur, lingerie designer and now the first black woman to head a top luxury fashion house — Rihanna has racked up a $600 million fortune to become the world’s richest female musician, Forbes said Tuesday.
The 31-year-old — born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Barbados — has amassed wealth exceeding that of Madonna ($570 million), Celine Dion ($450 million) and Beyonce ($400 million), whose husband Jay-Z was just named the world’s first billionaire rap star.
Rihanna’s ranking puts into fresh perspective one of her signature lyrics — “work, work, work, work, work,” which opened her 2016 dancehall smash “Work.”
Since bursting onto the scene in 2003, she has spun her triumphs in music into entrepreneurial gold, launching her makeup brand Fenty Beauty — co-owned by French luxury giant LVMH — in September 2017 online and with Sephora.
The line found success not least thanks to Rihanna’s fame both on and offline, with some $570 million in revenue last year after just 15 months of business.
She makes the majority of her money from touring and musical releases, according to Forbes, but also co-owns her Savage X Fenty lingerie line.
In May, Rihanna launched a groundbreaking partnership with LVMH to launch a luxury fashion brand based in Paris that will make ready-to-wear clothes, shoes and accessories.
A new large-scale luxury label — especially one led by a black woman — is a huge development in the fashion world, with Rihanna’s line Fenty sitting alongside legacy brands like Dior, Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Givenchy at the conglomerate headed by Bernard Arnault.
“I just want to see things from my perspective. I’m a young black woman who loves and embraces all of the young people’s ideas and energies — I’m so about that,” she told AFP in Paris recently.
“It is about turning all of that into something luxurious for this fashion house.”
The singer’s explosive rise to music mega-star and global fashion icon did not come without tribulations, including her father’s bids to profit off her name and a highly publicized domestic violence case that saw her then-boyfriend Chris Brown charged in 2009 with assaulting her.
In addition to her venture into luxury fashion, Rihanna has hinted at dropping a new reggae album this year.
“I never thought I’d make this much money, so a number is not going to stop me from working,” she told The New York Times’ T Magazine in May.
“Money is happening along the way, but I’m working out of what I love to do, what I’m passionate about.”
(AFP)
Nigeria-born Afro-pop star, Joeboy, whose melodies now ripple across continents, takes centre stage this week on the Easter edition of African Voices, the Globacom-sponsored CNN magazine programme.
In a captivating session from Lagos, show anchor Larry Madowo drew out the rhythm of Joeboy’s journey, tracing the arc from a starry-eyed university dreamer to a maestro whose songs now traverse the globe like whispered secrets carried on the wind.
Born Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa-Donus in 1997, Joeboy—affectionately dubbed Afrobeats’ “lover boy”—embarked on his musical odyssey in 2017 with a viral reinterpretation of Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You.
This pivot from rap to melodious crooning caught the discerning eye of Nigerian artiste and entrepreneur Mr Eazi, who, upon discovering him on Instagram, extended an invitation to join the emPawa Africa Talent Incubation initiative—a sanctuary for budding African talents where raw potential is nurtured into brilliance.
The partnership bore fruit in 2018 with the release of Fààjí, featuring Mr Eazi, and soon after, Joeboy was signed to Warner Music Africa. From there, his ascent became a symphony of milestones: the intoxicating single Baby in 2019, followed by Beginning, which amassed over 23 million views on YouTube, and Love & Light the same year.
Collaborations with Mayorkun yielded the spirited tracks Don’t Call Me and All for You, further cementing his place in the Afrobeats constellation.
Joeboy’s debut album, Somewhere Between Beauty & Magic, unfurled in February 2021, a melodic tapestry of youth, hope, and desire. By 19 May 2023, he unveiled his sophomore studio effort, Body & Soul, preceded by the evocative singles Sip (Alcohol), Contour, Body & Soul, and Duffel Bag. In 2023, he teased the world with Only God Save Me and the extended EP Body, Soul and Spirit, offering listeners a window into the essence of his artistic spirit.
February 2024 marked another milestone as he launched his own imprint, Young Legend, soon releasing Osadebe, a track that resonated nationwide with the familiar warmth of homegrown brilliance.
Joeboy’s dedication has been richly rewarded. He clinched Best Artiste in African Pop at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards and Best Pop at the 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival. His music has earned numerous nominations, including at the City People Entertainment Awards and The Headies, affirming his status as a luminary of contemporary African sound.
The Easter edition of African Voices featuring Joeboy will air on DSTV Channel 401 at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, with repeats at 11 a.m.; Sunday at 3:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Monday at 3 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.; and Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. The schedule will be mirrored the following week, culminating in Monday at 3 a.m., giving audiences multiple opportunities to bask in the artistry of a musician whose voice carries the pulse of a continent.
Chuck Norris, the US martial artist and Hollywood action star most famous for his role in “Walker, Texas Ranger,” has died, his family said Friday. He was 86 years old.
“It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday morning,” the family said in a statement on Instagram.
“He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives,” the statement said.
Norris reportedly fell ill on Thursday on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Norris turned 86 last week, marking the event with a video of him boxing on social media and saying, “I don’t age. I level up.”
Entertainment
South African Actress, Nomzamo Mbatha, Tells Success Story on Glo-Sponsored African Voices
Delectable South African actress, Nomzamo Mbatha, will this week on Globacom-sponsored Cable News Network International’s African Voices Changemakers, reveal her trajectory from the Rainbow Nation to the global stage of make-belief.
In the 30-minute magazine programme, show anchor, Larry Madowo, will engage Mbatha on her soaring career which earned her a mention in the prestigious TIME100 Next in 2025.
The thespian who has been featured in two Hollywood productions has also gained acclaim in the beauty industry as she has signed endorsement deals with Neutrogena and Cream of Nature, both global brands in skincare and haircare, respectively.
Madowo and Mbatha sat for the exclusive interview on set of the final season of the hit television series, Shaka iLembe at the historic Cradle of Humankind outside Johannesburg where she highlighted the cultural significance of Shaka iLembe, and why giving back to her society is at the center of her aspirations as well as the legacy she desires to build beyond the glitz and glamour of the big screen.
This edition of African Voices Changemakers will be broadcast on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. with additional broadcasts at noon same day. On Sunday, further repeats hold at 4:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and on Monday at 3:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. The repeats continue on Tuesday at 5:45 p.m and Saturday, March 14 at 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m and Sunday, March15 at 3:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m as well as Monday, March 16 at 3:00 a.m.
