Unfortunately, we’ve reached a point where companies use AI to create artist identities. For example, at the 2022 VMAs, Eminem and Snoop Dogg performed with their avatars in the metaverse. And AI rappers are no different. The first AI-generated rapper was FN Meka, who burst onto the scene in April 2019.

Soon enough, he gained a huge following on Tiktok for his Hypebeast aesthetic and larger-than-life personality. In 2021, his Tiktok ballooned to 10 million followers. His popularity prompted Capital Records to sign him on August 14 this year. But, internet users began pulling up records of his questionable online behavior. Ten days later, his label booted him out.

Here’s how it happened. 

Apparently, AI rappers exist. 

FN Meka’s concept isn’t a true original. In fact, when it comes to virtual rap avatars, you’d probably think of British rap group Gorillaz first. 

Brandon Le created the AI rapper avatar to sell non-fungible tokens. However, executive Anthony Martini led the avatar to new heights. Martini signed the rapper to Factory New, a record label he made for virtual artists. 

His first single, “Florida Water,” features Gunna and Cody “Cix” Conrod, a Fortnite player. On the day FN Meka signed the deal, the single was released.

The rapper is the first artist to sign in Factory New. 

The downfall

A few days after his new record deal, Industry Blackout, an online activist group, called out FN Meka over his questionable actions. 

For one, the AI rapper had used the N-word in several of his songs, including his first single. He also mocked police brutality and posted a picture of himself being beaten up by the police. 

Plus, FN Meka was criticized for racially stereotyping Black people because of his appearance and aesthetic. Furthermore, rumors began circulating that no actual Black people were involved in his creation in the first place. 

Other news outlets also criticized the AI rapper for collaborating with Gunna, who is in jail for racketeering. 

The record company has since dropped him. In a statement, the record label offered “their deepest apologies to the Black community.” Because of FN Meka’s actions, the label has cut ties with him “effective immediately.” 

More and more problems

It doesn’t end there.

Kyle the Hooligan has come forward as the voice behind FN Meka. And the rapper has dropped new information on the issue. He alleges that the company did not pay him for the first three songs he made for the AI rapper. He also claims to have been ghosted by the creators at around 2021, when FN Meka just started gaining traction.

Of course, this comes as a surprise. Factory New claims that the AI writes the song while the humans only perform it.

Kyle doesn’t know who currently voices FN Meka, and he hasn’t probed it. What we know for sure, though, is that the rapper is based on other trendy rappers like Ice Narco, Lil Pump, and 6ix9ine. 

On August 28, Kyle the Hooligan announced that he would file a lawsuit against Brandon Le and Factory New. 

There’s a sort of irony in FN Meka. The AI rapper, voiced by a Black artist, is the product of white creators. And some activists and critics even call the AI rapper a new form of blackface. Here, critics argue that anyone can use and adopt Blackness without being Black. Today, a majority of FN Meka’s music and videos have been deleted from TikTok. Martini has also walked away from Factory New and FN Meka, leaving the rapper’s fate hanging in the air.

A household name known across the globe, the NBA (National Basketball Association) needs no introduction. Everyone is familiar with the logo, the commercials, the players, and the teams. This is all thanks to its establishment in 1946, which has grown into a lucrative and prosperous business, loved by many basketball fanatics. But how exactly did the NBA achieve this global success? Find out here.

History of the NBA: How it Started

Deemed the most significant professional sports league in the U.S. and Canada, the NBA is a favorite basketball league among most men worldwide. It’s a professional basketball league in North America, with 29 teams in the United States and one team in Canada. Overall, the NBA has 30 of the best basketball teams with the best talent in the world. 

The NBA was founded on June 6, 1946, in New York City, with Maurice Podoloff as its first president and commissioner. Its original name was the BAA, which stands for Basketball Association of America. It then merged with its competitor, which is another basketball league called the National Basketball League (NBL). And this is when the league changed its name to the National Basketball Association (NBA). 

The NBA’s basketball season runs from October to April, with the playoffs extending into June. Each of the 30 teams plays 82 regular-season games, and the league now includes a midseason tournament called the NBA Cup, held in November and December, which adds competitive flair to the early calendar.

As of 2025, NBA players remain among the highest-paid athletes in the world based on average annual salary. For example, Stephen Curry leads the league with a salary of $59.6 million, followed closely by stars such as Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokić, and Kevin Durant, all of whom earn over $50 million per season. The league’s growing media deals and global reach continue to drive player earnings upward.

These are the NBA teams of the 2024–25 Season:

• Atlanta Hawks
• Boston Celtics
• Brooklyn Nets
• Charlotte Hornets
• Chicago Bulls
• Cleveland Cavaliers
• Dallas Mavericks
• Denver Nuggets
• Detroit Pistons
• Golden State Warriors
• Houston Rockets
• Indiana Pacers
• Los Angeles Clippers
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Memphis Grizzlies
• Miami Heat
• Milwaukee Bucks
• Minnesota Timberwolves
• New Orleans Pelicans
• New York Knicks
• Oklahoma City Thunder
• Orlando Magic
• Philadelphia 76ers
• Phoenix Suns
• Portland Trail Blazers
• Sacramento Kings
• San Antonio Spurs
• Toronto Raptors
• Utah Jazz
• Washington Wizards

The Reason for the NBA’s Success

The NBA is the most successful sports league globally, amassing billions in revenue. And this is due to how innovative this professional basketball league is. For decades, it had to catch up to its competing sports leagues, such as football and baseball. 

Moreover, the NBA is also the first league to transform its all-star game into a three-day weekend packed with fun events with impressive turnouts. The NBA is also responsible for turning NBA players into global stars due to worldwide broadcasting. The NBA dominated the other top sports league in America, Major League Baseball.

Since it’s not a public company, the league doesn’t disclose detailed public financial reports. But one Forbes report that shows valuations of all 30 NBA teams, the league’s revenue in the 2018 to 2019 season reached around $8.6 billion. 

Each one of the teams is valued at $1 billion, and one team, on average, is worth $2.2 billion. This is about 14 percent higher than the 2017 to 2018 season.

It’s no surprise that NBA players are the best-paid athletes in the world. Plus, it certainly also doesn’t shock everyone why the NBA’s revenue could reach up to billions. And that’s because the league amasses its revenue from several streams.

Revenue from TV

While many would like to see the action live on a court, many people also prefer to watch games on TV. And this is why the NBA’s television revenue is a major part of its success. The league has garnered several television contracts that continue to increase over the years. 

During the 2016 to 2017 season, ESPN and TNT had to re-up their contracts to approximately $24 billion. It was a nine-year deal that earned the NBA around $2.6 billion per year. 

The NBA also had to ramp up TV advertisements, which is also one of the reasons why the league gained popularity over time. 

Revenue from merch

Another significant contributor to NBA’s revenue is merchandise, which accounts for around $1 billion annually. During the 2017 to 2018 season, the teams wore advertisements on their jerseys for the first time in the history of NBA. This is called the Jersey Patch revenue, which lets teams take home $9.3 million annually. 

Another revenue from merch is sponsorships. The NBA also gets sponsorship from major brands like Nike and Adidas, with contracts amounting to billions. 

Revenue from tickets

The ticket sales aren’t the NBA’s primary source of revenue. However, it still stacks up to incredible sales every season. For instance, tickets are sold at around $70 each. Multiply that by 15,000 to 20,000 attendees. You do the math. 

Worst draft in the history of NBA

According to experts, the worst draft in the history of the NBA was the 2000 NBA draft on June 28, 2000. It was the only draft in which a college senior was considered the top overall selection. 

The only top pic was Kenyon Martin, first-rounder Jamaal Magloire, and second-rounder Michael Redd. 

Most high-performing teams

The top NBA players have been gaining stardom globally, with fanatics giving their full support in every game. These NBA legends list continues to grow, with names in each new generation. 

Some of the greatest NBA players of all time (2025 edition)

• Michael Jordan
• LeBron James
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
• Bill Russell
• Magic Johnson
• Wilt Chamberlain
• Larry Bird
• Kobe Bryant
• Tim Duncan
• Shaquille O’Neal
• Hakeem Olajuwon
• Oscar Robertson
• Kevin Durant
• Stephen Curry
• Dirk Nowitzki
• Charles Barkley
• Karl Malone
• John Stockton
• David Robinson
• Julius Erving
• Elgin Baylor
• Steve Nash
• Allen Iverson
• Kevin Garnett
• Rick Barry
• John Havlicek

Modern legends rising into historical greatness

• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Nikola Jokic
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• Jayson Tatum
• Luka Doncic
• Victor Wembanyama

It’s still tricky to crown a single “best” team in NBA history—success can be measured by championships, consistency, or win-loss records. But here’s how things stand now:

• Boston Celtics remain the winningest franchise in NBA history, with 3,574 total wins.
• San Antonio Spurs still hold the highest all-time win percentage over the past 25 years, winning 62.5% of their games.
• Minnesota Timberwolves continue to rank among the lowest in win percentage, with a historical record of 1,088 wins to 1,581 losses, translating to a 40.8% win rate.

For current standings and team performance, you can visit the NBA’s official standings page.

Conclusion

The sports league juggernaut isn’t slowing down anytime soon. As long as basketball fans are still raving about their favorite teams and players, it’s no surprise this basketball league will enjoy revenue increases in the coming years.

For other stories, read more here at Owner’s Mag!

Taylor Swift’s journey in music has been nothing but extraordinary, phenomenal, even. From a young country music singer-songwriter to a global pop culture icon, she has consistently pushed the boundaries of what it means to be a successful artist. With a $1.6 billion real-time net worth as of this writing, her fortune is built not only on her musical talent but also from her savvy business acumen and deep connection with her fans.

Taylor Swift’s Rise to Stardom

First making a name in the world of country music, Taylor Swift began her musical journey as a teenage prodigy. She signed with Big Machine Records at the age of 14, and by 2006, she had released her self-titled album. 

This gained her much-needed attention, thanks to the incredible mix of catchy melodies, heartfelt lyrics, and a distinct country-pop sound. A few tracks (Tim McGraw and Teardrops on My Guitar) became instant hits and anthems for her young listeners. Swift’s amazing ability to capture the complexities of adolescence resonated loudly with fans and, with much authenticity, built her a loyal following.

The release of her 2014 album, 1989, showcased Swift’s exploration of a broader musical territory. Her transition from country to pop was met with critical and commercial success, paving the way for a larger global audience and expanding her reach beyond country music. This album cemented her position as a mainstream pop icon.

Since then, Swift has garnered recognition, including 12 Grammy Awards, while solidifying her status as a cultural icon.

The Business of Taylor Swift

Another significant component of Taylor Swift’s success comes from her keen business acumen. Early in her career, she made one of her most strategic moves: securing the ownership of her songwriting rights. Her deal with Big Machine Records resulted in the label owning the rights to her first six albums.

To gain control over her creative work, Swift rerecorded and rereleased her music, calling them Taylor’s Versions. This was met with immense commercial success while raising awareness about the challenges artists face in the music industry. This positioned her as a voice for change and a powerful advocate for fellow musicians.

The business savvy didn’t end with Taylor Swift’s music. Endorsements, investments, and partnerships also added to her wealth. Then there’s the merchandising empire, which is a huge part of Taylor Swift’s financial success. Swifties, as her fans call themselves, are fiercely loyal and would buy exclusive merch tied to Swift’s albums, tours, and personal branding.

The Financial Impact of “The Eras Tour”

And the buck doesn’t stop there. The Eras Tour has been a game-changer for Taylor Swift. It set new records and reshaped the live music industry. It became one of the highest-grossing in history, with some estimates at over a billion dollars in revenue. While it showcases her universal appeal, it also boosted economies in cities around the world.

Each of Swift’s performances became a celebration of her musical journey. They were replete with stunning stage designs, elaborate setlists, and personal storytelling, creating an immersive experience that gave the show a once-in-a-lifetime feel.

The influx of Swifties impacted host cities economically. Local businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and transportation benefited greatly from the tour. 

Taylor Swift: The Savvy Businesswoman

Carefully managing her brand and image led Taylor Swift to success beyond her music. She evolved with her audience but remained true to her values. Controlling her narrative, she has crafted a relatable yet aspirational persona that resonates well with millions. 

Additionally, Swift has aligned her brand with various social causes, reinforcing her image as a musician and entrepreneur who uses her success to make a positive impact. She does this by using her platform to speak out on issues such as LGBTQ+ rights, women’s empowerment, political activism, and overall encouraging change.

The Road to a Billion

Taylor Swift’s road to billionaire status is a result of her diverse income streams. We now know her wealth comes from music royalties, specifically The Eras Tour, merchandise sales, and smart investments. She further strengthened her financial portfolio by investing in real estate, tech companies, and her own production company.

When you compare her to other artists who have reached billionaire status, such as Rihanna and Jay-Z, you’ll see that her success is distinguished by her complete control over her music and brand. While others entered other industries like fashion and beauty, Swift focused on her music, tours, and merchandise, creating a self-sustaining financial empire.

The Cultural Phenomenon

There is no doubt, Taylor Swift is a cultural phenomenon, and this is thanks to her enduring connection with her fanbase, the Swifties. She has built a solid relationship with them through genuine interactions, storytelling, and a sense of community. She has shown an openness in social media that, alongside her relatable lyrics, connected her with fans on a deeper and more personal level.

Taylor Swift has indeed shaped pop culture and the entertainment industry by setting trends, challenging norms, and advocating for causes she believes in. From fashion trends to how artists navigate their careers, Swift has made her impact. Most importantly, her authenticity has set her apart.

She has displayed the ability to evolve musically while maintaining her values, earning her the loyalty of her diverse following. Her lyrics are deeply personal, touching on various subjects like love, heartbreak, and self-discovery, echoing the sentiments of her listeners on a universal level.

Final Thoughts

From a country music star to a global icon, Taylor Swift has to thank her unparalleled talent, strategic thinking, and deep connection to her fans. Her savvy business moves, groundbreaking tours, and authenticity have helped her amass a fortune while transforming her into a cultural phenomenon.