Juice WRLD’s mom gives powerful statement about son’s battle with drugs

The heartbroken family of Juice WRLD tells his fans that the honesty and vulnerability he shared in his music was because of his own real-life struggles with addiction.

In a statement to TMZ, Carmella Wallace said her son rapped about drugs not to glorify them but because he wanted to help others who were fighting addiction like he was. The “Lucid Dreams” rapper, whose real name was Jarad Higgins, died Sunday after suffering seizures that may have been caused by popping pills in flight to Chicago’s Midway Airport. When the plane landed, Juice, who had just turned 21 a few days prior, went into cardiac arrest and died.

READ MORE: Rapper Juice WRLD reportedly ‘popped pills’ before he had seizure and went into cardiac arrest

“We loved Jarad with all of our hearts and cannot believe our time with him has been cut short,” Carmella wrote in a statement for TMZ. “As he often addressed in his music and to his fans, Jarad battled with prescription drug dependency.”

Carmella added that “addiction knows no boundaries and its impact goes way beyond the person fighting it. Jarad was a son, brother, grandson, friend and so much more to so many people who wanted more than anything to see him defeat addiction. We hope the conversations he started in his music and his legacy will help others win their battles as that is what he wanted more than anything.”

When Juice WRLD’s private jet landed in Chicago, police were tipped off by the pilot that some people in the rapper’s entourage had weapons. Police recovered three guns – two 9 mms and a 40-caliber, along with a high capacity magazine and metal-piercing bullets, and arrested two security guards, Chris Long, 36 of California and Henry Dean, 27, of Chicago on misdemeanor gun possession charges.

The police search also found 41 “vacuum-sealed” bags of marijuana and six bottles of prescription codeine cough syrup, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Juice’s girlfriend told police that he had taken the painkiller, Percocet, and was battling a drug problem.

Juice himself was open in sharing his struggles with addiction, both in his music and in interviews. Last year, he told Atlanta’s HOT 107.9 radio station that Lil Peep’s 2017 drug overdose death had made him face just how tough of a battle addiction is.

“It’ll make you think, like … ‘I don’t want that to happen to me.’ But at the same time, you’re already addicted. Your body is screaming for that. … I found that when people do drugs it separates their head from their body even more. It separates their soul from their body even more. ’Cause your mind could be telling you … ‘hell no,’ but your body is dependent,” Juice WRLD said in that interview, before adding “it can tear you apart.”

Lil Peep, just like Juice WRLD, also died shortly after turning 21.

Carmella’s statement finished with her thanking Juice’s fans and friends and vowing that “Jarad’s legacy of love, joy, and emotional honesty will live on.”

The post Juice WRLD’s mom gives powerful statement about son’s battle with drugs appeared first on theGrio.

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Meet the Real Estate Investor Who Owns 18 Properties at 26-Years-Old

Homeownership is a secure way to build wealth. For many Americans, homeownership is an instrumental way of creating generational wealth for their families. For Jamisa McIvor-Bennett, founder and CEO of Rosebud’s Investments, her introduction to ownership began with a conversation with her grandmother, which ultimately led her to become a real estate investor at the age of 19.

After a conversation with her guardian about being next in kin to own and manage the family home, Mclvor-Bennett was added to the deed. Months later, her grandmother passed away unexpectedly.

“I took what she said to heart…to be responsible and to help my family because this [family home] is all we had. That kept replaying in my mind over and over again,” says Mclvor-Bennett.

At that time, she worked as a cashier and could not afford home renovations on her own, so she had to make an executive decision.

Related: This Investor Has Raised $165 Million to House Black and Hispanics In Opportunity Zones

“In the back of my mind, I kept hearing my grandmother say, ‘this is all we have’, and one day I asked my myself, ‘why is this all we have?’” and that question led to her selling the house for $152,000. After doing research of her own and speaking with financial advisers, Mclvor-Bennett decided that investing her earnings into real estate would be the best way to never have to work for someone else again.

Building wealth requires a millionaire mindset 

Mclvor-Bennett’s humble beginnings taught her how to be conservative with money and wise in her dealings.

“During that journey, I ran into a guy who was a real estate investor. That was my first time making the differentiation between an investor and a little estate agent,” says Mclvor-Bennett.

Under the tutelage of her mentor’s guidance, she went on to purchase her first home for $6,500 in cash. And she didn’t stop there.

Now 26, McIvor-Bennett is the owner of 18 properties throughout Pennsylvania—and she only has one mortgage. In addition to owning and investing in properties, she also teaches others looking to generate more income and learn the ins and outs about real estate and real estate investing.

Her company, Rosebud’s Investments, caters to people interested in real estate investment but unsure of where and how to get started. The company offers individualized services in investor processes, for both new and seasoned investors who are looking to enhance their knowledge and expertise. Beginning with their individualized investment call, new clients work with a member of the Rosebud’s Investments team to create a blueprint for purchasing property without using credit.

Related: 5 Ways To Earn Money In Real Estate Without A License

Knowledge and mentorship are key

Like many business owners and investors, Mclvor-Bennett has been met with challenges. After purchasing nine properties, she began to hit a wall.

“I was down to $15,000 and some of my properties needed to be rehabbed. I wasn’t educated on the loan process. And keep in mind, I didn’t even have credit cards. These are all things that I had to pretty much learn as I went along. But I do remember playing monopoly as a child—so, I decided I was going to sell a house.”

After selling a few of her properties, she learned more about the business through that process. As a first-generation real estate investor and entrepreneur, Mclvor-Bennett knew that she had to seek the formal training to educate herself so that she could grow her business after buying her properties in cash.

“It was helpful to me to learn the terminology and more about contracts.”

Related: Black Woman Real Estate Developer Felt Unwelcome In the Community So She Built Her Own

Mclvor-Bennett further invested in her education by attending industry seminars and conferences across the country to learn other markets and industry trends.

“That was one of the ways that I would meet new friends and gained a lot of mentors,” says Mclvor-Bennett.

How to make a living off of real estate

With 18 properties in her portfolio, Mclvor-Bennett is currently working on number 19. And, she wants to help you get started.

Here are some tips:

• Know your numbers. Whether you’re buying to hold, flip, or if you’re doing a wholesale deal; the numbers have to add up.
• Save and invest what you can. Be conservative and strategic. Ask yourself, ‘What can I stand to lose?
• Learn your market. That will give you an entry point because then you actually have a goal to work toward.
• Make sure that all deals are done contractually.
• Don’t be afraid to take risks. If your objective is to have a property that produces some type of income on a consistent monthly basis, it’s can be worth it even if the value of the property drops. Every market has its ups and downs.

To learn more about how you can begin your real estate journey with Rosebud’s Investments, click here.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2LOsV8P

Meet the Real Estate Investor Who Owns 18 Properties at 26-Years-Old

Homeownership is a secure way to build wealth. For many Americans, homeownership is an instrumental way of creating generational wealth for their families. For Jamisa McIvor-Bennett, founder and CEO of Rosebud’s Investments, her introduction to ownership began with a conversation with her grandmother which ultimately led her to become a real estate investor at the age of 19.

After a conversation with her guardian about being next in kin to own and manage the family home, Mclvor-Bennett was added to the deed. Months later, her grandmother passed away unexpectedly.

“I took what she said to heart…to be responsible and to help my family because this [family home] is all we had. That kept replaying in my mind over and over again,” says Mclvor-Bennett.

At that time, she worked as a cashier and could not afford home renovations on her own, so she had to make an executive decision.

Related: This Investor Has Raised $165 Million to House Black and Hispanics In Opportunity Zones

“In the back of my mind, I kept hearing my grandmother say, ‘this is all we have’, and one day I asked my myself, ‘why is this all we have?’” and that question led to her selling the house for $152,000. After doing research of her own and speaking with financial advisers, Mclvor-Bennett decided that investing her earnings into real estate would be the best way to never have to work for someone else again.

Building wealth requires a millionaire mindset 

Mclvor-Bennett’s humble beginnings taught her how to be conservative with money and wise in her dealings.

“During that journey, I ran into a guy who was a real estate investor. That was my first time making the differentiation between an investor and a little estate agent,” says Mclvor-Bennett.

Under the tutelage of her mentor’s guidance, she went on to purchase her first home for $6,500 in cash. And she didn’t stop there.

Now 26, McIvor-Bennett is the owner of 18 properties throughout Pennsylvania—and she only has one mortgage. In addition to owning and investing in properties, she also teaches others looking to generate more income and learn the ins and outs about real estate and real estate investing.

Her company, Rosebud’s Investments, caters to people interested in real estate investment but unsure of where and how to get started. The company offers individualized services in investor processes, for both new and seasoned investors who are looking to enhance their knowledge and expertise. Beginning with their individualized investment call, new clients work with a member of the Rosebud’s Investments team to create a blueprint for purchasing property without using credit.

Related: 5 Ways To Earn Money In Real Estate Without A License

Knowledge and mentorship are key

Like many business owners and investors, Mclvor-Bennett has been met with challenges. After purchasing nine properties, she began to hit a wall.

“I was down to $15,000 and some of my properties needed to be rehabbed. I wasn’t educated on the loan process. And keep in mind, I didn’t even have credit cards. These are all things that I had to pretty much learn as I went along. But I do remember playing monopoly as a child—so, I decided I was going to sell a house.”

After selling a few of her properties, she learned more about the business through that process. As a first-generation real estate investor and entrepreneur, Mclvor-Bennett knew that she had to seek the formal training to educate herself so that she could grow her business after buying her properties in cash.

“It was helpful to me to learn the terminology and more about contracts.”

Related: Black Woman Real Estate Developer Felt Unwelcome In the Community So She Built Her Own

Mclvor-Bennett further invested in her education by attending industry seminars and conferences across the country to learn other markets and industry trends.

“That was one of the ways that I would meet new friends and gained a lot of mentors,” says Mclvor-Bennett.

How to make a living off of real estate

With 18 properties in her portfolio, Mclvor-Bennett is currently working on number 19. And, she wants to help you get started.

Here are some tips:

• Know your numbers. Whether you’re buying to hold, flip, or if you’re doing a wholesale deal; the numbers have to add up.
• Save and invest what you can. Be conservative and strategic. Ask yourself, ‘What can I stand to lose?
• Learn your market. That will give you an entry point because then you actually have a goal to work toward.
• Make sure that all deals are done contractually.
• Don’t be afraid to take risks. If your objective is to have a property that produces some type of income on a consistent monthly basis, it’s can be worth it even if the value of the property drops. Every market has its ups and downs.

To learn more about how you can begin your real estate journey with Rosebud’s Investments, click here.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2LOsV8P

Banking While Black: JPMorgan Chase Says It Is 'Sickened' by Racism Exposed at an Arizona Bank

JPMorgan Chase is calling for staff across the bank to come forward with experiences and concerns related to racism and discrimination in the wake of a New York Times story reporting on racial bias in the company.

Read more...

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8 Expert Steps to a Successful TEDx Talk – Plus Three Bonus Tips From Me

The year is winding down and as I take my inventory of goals achieved, abandoned, or rolled over to next year, I’m especially satisfied with one big checked box: I finally did a TEDx Talk.

As someone who does public speaking regularly, you might think the idea of TED was no biggie to me. Just another speech, right? Uh, wrong.

I was deeply intimidated by the idea (1) Because it will live online FOREVER. (2) Because it’s typically LIVE—no notes, no teleprompter. (3) Did I mention … FOREVER? Call me a commitment phobe, but that eternity piece is scary.

Despite my fear, an affiliation with TED offers a sort of seal of approval on your brand, a  bit of credibility you can leverage. If you make any part of your living as a speaker, a lack of TED in your life feels akin to a skills gap.

The good news is, the risks are relatively small and if your talk takes off, it could be the most efficient work you’ll ever do. The most successful TED Talk of all time was a lighthearted riff by a British neuroanatomist, on whether schools kill creativity. To date, it’s been viewed 63,284,949 times.

The distinction for the longest standing ovation in TED conference history goes to civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson, who delivered an 18-minute talk in 2012 about the power of identity. To date, more than 6 million viewers have watched it online and Stevenson has said his nonprofit Equal Justice Initiative received about $1 million from those who attended the live speech alone. It may not have been his goal, but almost eight years later, the video continues to serve as a powerful fundraising vehicle for Stevenson’s work.

My “The Power of Belonging” TEDx Talk goals were simple. (1) I wanted to communicate clearly (2) I wanted to move people to embrace the importance of belonging—because, as corny as it sounds, I believe that if we all thought more, cared more, and worked harder to create a world where everyone feels they belong, everything that most divides and conquers progress on a daily basis would change for the better. (3) I wanted to feel good about it when it was over, a.k.a., I didn’t want to mess up and then be able to revisit my embarrassment, forever.

There are books on how to nail a TED Talk. There are even TED Talks on how to give great TED Talks. They all say pretty much the same thing: Attempt to touch people with something unique that they won’t forget. Breaking that down, there are about eight fail-safe steps:

1.      Tap into a topic you’re truly passionate about.

2.      There are sermons, lectures, powerpoint presentations, and straight talks. Your goal is to tell a vivid story.

3.      No matter how serious the topic, be conversational, casual, chill.

4.      Teach something new.

5.      Throw in a surprise or two.

6.      Make ’em laugh.

7.      Be brief (the TED timing sweet spot is 12-18 minutes).

8.      Aim for 360-degree authenticity.

I add this trio of tips that were key to me leading up to my TEDx Talk:

1.      Over-prepare. Weeks ahead, I knew anxiety was my enemy. It was going to keep me up at night, fretting and sweating until I had my talk written out and was fully satisfied. Whatever mode of preparation works for you, be sure of exactly what you plan to say well ahead. I refined, rehearsed, and memorized every word. Did I rigidly stick to my script? No. But I had it down, and that was key.

2.      Phone a friend. TEDx usually assigns a mentor or small group of knowledgeable people—let’s call them TEDdies—who will help you. I gratefully used them and took their advice, but I also leaned on two close, discerning friends of my own. A few times. On the phone and in person. You don’t want to find out in the midst of your big moment that your big joke or reveal is a big, fat fail.

3.      What will you wear? TED is notoriously casual and they offer little advice on the matter other than standard broadcast news fashion tips like don’t wear plaid or busy patterns; don’t wear grey or blindingly bright colors. I was so focused on the speech that I honestly didn’t put much thought into my look—and it shows. If my biggest flubs were in the fashion lane, I can live with that. Until next time!

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