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5-Year-Old Social Media Sensation Semaj Xane Signs with Burke Entertainment Partners for Management and Formation Talent Agency for Representation

5-Year-Old Social Media Sensation Semaj Xane Signs with Burke Entertainment Partners for Management and Formation Talent Agency for Representation

Yahoo21 hours ago

LOS ANGELES, June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Rising social media star Semaj Xane, known for his magnetic personality, viral videos, and rapidly growing fan base, has officially signed with Burke Entertainment Partners for management and Formation Talent Agency for full-service representation across the board.
At just five years old, Semaj has captured the hearts of millions with his natural charisma, comedic timing, and authentic charm that shines through on every platform. With a rapidly growing presence on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, Semaj is already proving to be a standout voice in a new generation of digital creators.
"We are beyond thrilled to welcome Semaj to the Burke Entertainment Partners family," said Vanzil Burke CEO at Burke Entertainment Partners. "His unique energy and incredible talent at such a young age are undeniable. We're excited to help him navigate the next steps of his already remarkable journey."
Formation Talent Agency will represent Semaj across television, film, and brand partnerships. "Semaj is one of those rare talents who lights up any screen he's on," said Rick Estimond, President at Formation Talent. "We see tremendous opportunity for him not only in digital content but also in traditional media."
With these new partnerships, Semaj Xane is poised to expand his reach even further, bringing his joyful spirit and infectious energy to new audiences around the world.
About Formation Talent AgencyEstablished in 1983, FORMATION Talent Agency (formerly known as People Store) has earned its reputation as the leading boutique talent agency in the Southeast. From our roots in Atlanta, we've grown and evolved into a forward-thinking agency that serves a diverse roster of actors, writers, filmmakers, and other creatives.
Historically known for developing novice actors into successful professionals, FORMATION has restructured to better serve a broader range of clients. Our ability to not only nurture emerging talent but also manage and elevate the careers of established artists sets us apart in the industry. In recent years, we've expanded our services and embraced a global perspective, adapting to the ever-changing landscape of entertainment. Yet, through all the growth and innovation, our commitment to tailored strategy and personalized representation remains at the core of everything we do.
About Burke Entertainment Partners Founded in 2007, Burke Entertainment Partners is a premier talent management firm and multimedia production company dedicated to cultivating and guiding the careers of exceptional artists, entertainers, and creatives across the entertainment landscape. With a deep understanding of the industry's evolving dynamics, we are committed to providing our clients with personalized representation, strategic career development, and opportunities that align with their unique vision and goals.
Founded and led by brothers Vanzil Burke and Victor Burke, Burke Entertainment Partners brings decades of combined experience, insight, and influence to every partnership. Together, the Burke Brothers have built a reputation for integrity, innovation, and unshakeable backing for the talent they represent. Their leadership reflects a shared passion for excellence and a hands-on approach that ensures each client receives the attention and guidance needed to thrive.
At Burke Entertainment Partners, we believe in more than just managing careers—we empower our talent to build lasting legacies.
Follow Semaj Xane on social media:@semajxane
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/5-year-old-social-media-sensation-semaj-xane-signs-with-burke-entertainment-partners-for-management-and-formation-talent-agency-for-representation-302478812.html
SOURCE BURKE ENTERTAINMENT

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How ICE Raids Have Impacted Texas Rapper HOODLUM's Hometown
How ICE Raids Have Impacted Texas Rapper HOODLUM's Hometown

Yahoo

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  • Yahoo

How ICE Raids Have Impacted Texas Rapper HOODLUM's Hometown

HOODLUM in 'Just Left Walgreens,' directed by DGreenFilmz. Graphic by Chris Panicker. One of the best Texas rap songs of the year isn't as easy to find as it should be. There are two ways to listen to HOODLUM's 'Better Dayz (Freestyle)': directly on his Instagram page or hidden on the second half of another video called 'Just Left Walgreens.' 'As soon as I posted the song, YouTube banned it right away,' claims HOODLUM, on FaceTime from the front porch of his crib in Houston, where he's moved from his hometown of San Antonio. 'They said I was interfering with votes or some shit, and it was the second time, so they took it down.' 'Better Dayz (Freestyle)' rolls in at the 1:50 mark of 'Just Left Walgreens' with a news clip from earlier this year: 'The president, in his first week in office, is already enforcing an immigration crackdown that has instilled fear in some major cities.' (The video also features him flexing a Cybertruck.) 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On his standout tapes, such as 2023's Southside Story and last year's Brown in America, with the simmering, sample-heavy Texas funk of his go-to producer, bigtexjohnny, as the backbone, HOODLUM uses his flow—which, on occasion, is nearly inaudible—to dig into nostalgic, hardened scenes of hustling, getting high, and hanging with friends and family amid fears of death and going broke. And 'Better Dayz (Freestyle),' isn't the first or last time HOODLUM has tackled political turmoil head on. A few years ago, after the end of the the first Trump administration, he wrote 'B.I.A (Brown in Amerikka),' where, in a groove that recalls the heyday of G-funk, he sang, 'And it was all good 'til ICE started rolling through the hood,' alongside stories of drug deals and crooked cops. The song's video apparently got him his first YouTube strike. Then, this week, following the protests against ICE in Los Angeles that led to President Trump sending in the National Guard, and ICE's ongoing sweeps at court hearings and on college campuses in San Antonio, he dropped a snippet of new song 'Burn It Down' on his Instagram account. 'Say they coming for us, they can't take us all,' he says, fired up, over a gloomy piano riff. It's not a protest anthem, just a moment of rage and confusion that comes from watching your hometown get torn apart. One evening, earlier this week, I had a FaceTime conversation with HOODLUM. He smoked and spoke candidly while kids played in the background. We chatted about Texas rap, the effect ICE has had on San Antonio, and his role as a marquee rapper from a city that doesn't have too many, especially in a social media climate where information is buried by algorithms looking to push and normalize the ultra-conservative political agendas of Silicon Valley and the Trump administration. HOODLUM: Houston is more mixed. In my neighborhood, there's only, like, one other Mexican family. Everyone else is white, Black, Arab, or Asian. Where I'm from on the southwest side of San Antonio, it was either Black or Mexican. It's small and big at the same time, and everyone is really together. Not really, but there was some. There was this guy named There was King Kyle Lee and Liveola. Sometimes Chamillionaire would come down from Houston and go to the flea markets on the southside, sign people, and throw them on CDs. But it was never a big scene; it was always on the backs of Houston. Some, but my first CDs were probably OutKast's Southernplayalistic and that one AZ album [Doe or Die]. I always wanted to go to New York. I liked 2Pac. Wayne. Bankroll Fresh. A lot of Latin music, too. I liked stuff with a lot of samples. I always wanted to sample stuff like Curtis Mayfield, the Isley Brothers, and Sunny Ozuna. Probably Frank Sinatra, 'Jesus Is a Rock.' There's this one part that I feel like me and John [aka producer bigtexjohnny] could make really dark, turn it into some 'I Feel Like Dying' type shit. Z-Ro, because of the melodies and beat choices. He would rap on fuckin' Sade or whatever. Devin the Dude, I'd always listen to his Greatest Hits (Screwed). He's the one person I really want on my next album. At first, it kind of just happened and I started just pushing it even further. But I was really into Wayne and I just started trying to drag my voice out as long as possible over all these Curtis Mayfield samples or whatever. One of my favorite Waynes is when he rapped on 'Dear Summer,' or the era when he was really into New York. That's part of why I liked New York so much. It's just all I knew. I didn't know anything outside of San Antonio until my music started blowing up and, all of a sudden, I was in, like, Europe and shit, Norwegian kids rapping my lyrics, tripping me the fuck out. I'm just documenting my life, and people don't always pick everything up because I'm rapping so slow, but, if you catch it, I'll be saying some shit. Like 'Brown in Amerikka,' I wrote that years ago just because they [ICE] would just be in the neighborhood everyday from the morning 'til 4 o'clock. We would know not to answer the door. At first, not really, because it was never something I did intentionally. I would just be writing what's going on in my head. Like, I remember we couldn't even have holidays—Thanksgiving, Christmas, July 4th—because those are the days they would come gather up your whole family. It was just fucked up. I liked how Wayne did it when Katrina hit. Like 'Georgia… Bush' isn't just rapping your ear off about it the whole time. It's still a Wayne song. So now whenever I do get into politics, I make sure that it still sounds like my songs. It's always felt like everyone has looked at us Chicanos as less than, and we never cared, but it's weird now. You feel it now. It could be a white person, a Chinese person, a Black person, even though in San Antonio the Black people and Mexicans have always been together. It's the internet and this Trump shit. Everyone is feeling bolder about it. Like, bro, what are we doing? They're hunting kids. Yeah, they're getting money to capture kids. It's kinda been this way since the beginning, though. My dad is 73; I heard the stories of when it was cool for the Navy men to come and take girls and cut their hair and rape your girlfriend. In high school, I would get paid to help bring kids to their families, and they would be so grateful to make it. All of this gets swept under the rug, like when I rapped, 'Kids askin' mom, like, 'Is Trump gon' take you?'' that shit is really happening. Yeah, they're taking good people, bro. Like, the part at the beginning of 'Brown in Amerikka,' that happened in San Antonio. A bunch of people in a 18-wheeler just tryna come here for a better life and the cartel left them there and they all suffocated and died. And they're going harder at certain people. It's fucked up, man. And they're really tryin' to divide us. Online, they're accounts telling Black people to not stand with us, but this is about all of us. Like, when those protests happened a few years ago, the Mexicans that knew it was the right thing to do were there. I think it's good. I don't know if the government would try all that military shit in San Antonio; we're really the majority. They would have to take everybody. But you never fucking know; they're close to the majority in L.A., too. Right now, they still try to keep it under the radar; they're real sneaky about it. It could 'cause people are finally tired of it. I'll see an old Mexican man and he'll never ever tell you everything he's done in his life. But I just know he's worked his ass off. All these families worked their ass off. No one ever told them thank you for helping keep this country alive. They never asked for any credit and this is what they get. Speaking out more is good. I don't know; I would share it even if I wasn't a rapper. I don't even know if people really even want to hear that shit from us. Nobody wants to hear disturbing shit all the time. Life's really hard, bro. But sometimes you need it to fuel the fire. Honestly, what they're doing in L.A. Every person actually standing up and saying something. There's no other way. Because no one is going to see you if you don't make yourself seen. Originally Appeared on Pitchfork

Rocsi & AJ Explain Why They Missed the 106 & Park Reunion at the 2025 BET Awards
Rocsi & AJ Explain Why They Missed the 106 & Park Reunion at the 2025 BET Awards

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Rocsi & AJ Explain Why They Missed the 106 & Park Reunion at the 2025 BET Awards

Source: Christopher Polk The 2025 BET Awards had no shortage of iconic moments—from major wins to unforgettable performances. As the network celebrated its 25th anniversary, one of the most talked-about segments was the long-awaited reunion of 106 & Park , the classic music video countdown show that helped shape an entire era of hip hop and R&B culture. Text 'RICKEY' to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). While many former hosts and contributors showed up for the celebration, fans quickly noticed that two key figures were missing: Rocsi Diaz and AJ Calloway, one of the most memorable host duos in the show's history. The pair, who helped define the early 2000s run of the program, were missed by fans hoping for a full reunion. Shortly after the show aired, both Rocsi and AJ posted heartfelt apologies on Instagram, offering insight into why they couldn't be there and sharing just how much the show still means to them. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE. Rocsi Diaz was open about her disappointment, writing, 'I'm so sorry if I let you down. Just know I tried everything possible to be a part of the 106 & Park reunion—it really meant a lot to me.' She explained that an unexpected job opportunity conflicted with the event, preventing her from attending. Despite the scheduling clash, she expressed deep appreciation for the team behind the scenes and her fellow hosts, calling her time on 106 the best thing that ever happened in her life. AJ Calloway shared a similar sentiment, revealing that he was literally in the air on a flight when the reunion aired. 'When your phone blows up because you missed a huge night for the best and livest audience in the world!' he wrote. He also promised that this wouldn't be the last opportunity to reunite: 'I know we will do something where we all can make it.' CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR APP AND TAKE US WITH YOU ANYWHERE! Both hosts used their messages to reflect on the incredible impact 106 & Park had not only on their careers but on the culture. In a previous interview, AJ had stated, 'We had no idea that it would have the global impact that it did. To the fans of 106 , thank you for the constant love—we love you right back.' Related Article: Gallery: Black Couples We Swooned Over At The 2025 BET Awards Related Article: Deion Sanders Addresses 'Getting It On' with 'Work Boo' Rocsi Diaz The absence of Rocsi and AJ didn't go unnoticed, but their heartfelt messages showed fans just how much the show still means to them. As the 2025 BET Awards wrapped up, fans were left with nostalgia, excitement—and perhaps a little hope that the full reunion could still happen in the future. With such strong fan energy and ongoing love for 106 & Park , who knows? A reboot or full-scale reunion could still be on the horizon. HEAD BACK TO THE HOMEPAGE SEE ALSO Rocsi & AJ Explain Why They Missed the 106 & Park Reunion at the 2025 BET Awards was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE

How an insurance company is using entertainment to promote insurance education in Africa
How an insurance company is using entertainment to promote insurance education in Africa

Business Insider

timean hour ago

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How an insurance company is using entertainment to promote insurance education in Africa

When Suits, the globally acclaimed American television series hit the screens in 2011, no one could have predicted the cultural phenomenon it would become. Centered around the glamorous world of corporate attorneys and set against the fast-paced backdrop of New York's legal battleground, Suits took what many considered a dull profession and transformed it into prime-time magic. The success of Suits proved quite clearly that any industry, no matter how traditionally unglamorous and ambiguous it has been perceived, can be made interesting when it is presented through emotional depth and cultural relevance. My love for Suits amplified my excitement when I learned that Heirs Insurance Group was developing the first-ever insurance web series in Africa. It's objective: to promote insurance education and drive insurance penetration in Nigeria and across the continent. The reasons behind the project are stark: insurance penetration in Nigeria is less than 1% and across Africa, less than 3%, far less global averages. On a continent with a higher low-middle class, it is paradoxical that insurance is not a default for everyone. The project objective was ambitious. It was, therefore, both refreshing and inspiring to see Heirs Insurance Group take such a bold and creative step, leveraging entertainment, particularly film, to educate, inform, and spark interest in an industry that is not quite understood or readly accepted by the masses. The Underwriters: Where Insurance Meets Entertainment At first glance, pairing insurance with filmmaking feels like seeing a ballerina walk into a boxing ring; two worlds that rarely intersect. Surprisingly, Heirs Insurance Group pulled it off. Launched in the tail end of 2024, their film series tagged 'The Underwriters' took the digital space by surprise, quickly amassing hundreds of thousands of views across YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook within the first month of premiering. It told a simple love story set in an insurance company but with the lives of everyday people woven intricately to educate the audience of the importance of insurance. But more than the numbers, what truly stood out was how deeply the show resonated with its viewers. Real-life scenarios rooted in everyday realities, told the story of how truly relevant insurance could be if more people understood and embraced it. One of the major hindrances to insurance penetration in Nigeria is the widely held perception that the profession is meant for the 'experts' or highly knowledgeable people. However, Heirs Insurance Group did the unexpected: they plugged into the African love for exciting and emotionally engaging motion pictures, reimagining insurance and demystifying stereotypes, while also entertaining the audience. In the same way, Suits made corporate law thrilling by humanising its characters and placing the audience in the high-stakes decisions of legal professionals, 'The Underwriters' does the same with insurance. It does not just dramatise policy sales or claim settlements, it brings them to life, making the viewers experience the everyday life of an insurance professional. With the project, people could finally understand what insurance meant for everyone. Creativity with Intentionality What made 'The Underwriters' an instant hit is the intentionality. The web series was not a random idea thrown together in a boardroom. It was the product of a bold strategy by Heirs Insurance Group to reinvent how insurance is perceived, especially by younger, digitally native Africans. The objective was to make insurance a lifestyle and present its value in a simple and understandable manner. Dismantling the many myths around insurance, like the notion that insurers never pay claims or that insurance is only for the wealthy and educated, or for the religious, the notion of faith answering all, Heirs Insurance Group was intentional in making sure the series serves both as a brand-building tool and a platform for public enlightenment and awareness. Meeting the Market Where It Is – The Power of Digital Know-how In today's world, the audience wants to be served at the comforts of their devices. They would rather binge-watch a web series on YouTube or scroll through reels on Instagram. This is where Heirs Insurance has shown true creativity. Rather than wait for the market to come to them, they have gone to the market in its language, on its platforms, and through its cultural lenses. The series is available online, so anyone anywhere can watch. And the results speak for themselves. With nearly 200k views, the web series has sparked real conversations, prompting questions and comments around insurance. Some of the comments from viewers include: 'Breathtaking mindset, I love it trust me. First insurance movie in the federation and industry as a whole... 'This was an interesting watch. What better way to learn about insurance and be entertained while at it' From far away, Zimbabwe, one viewer said, 'I'm a Claims Examiner in Zimbabwe, and I am enjoying the series. Well done team. Heirs Insurance Group is not just trying to market products, it is overhauling mindsets. By tapping into entertainment, the Group has managed to change the tone of the industry, from cold to cool, from aloof to approachable and inclusive. And in a space where so many brands are fighting for attention, this makes all the difference. In the end, The Underwriters is not just a clever piece of communication, it is a bold declaration that insurance can be as much a part of your lifestyle as your fashion choices or streaming preferences. About the Author Timilehin Adebiyi is a seasoned marketing communications professional with a decade of experience spanning both corporate organisations and consulting firms. In 2022, Timilehin was recognised as one of Nigeria's Top 35 Under 35 marketing communications professionals, a testament to his impact and leadership in the field. Passionate about continuous learning, he actively engages with global marketing resources and stays attuned to trends and innovations shaping the industry.

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