‘Amazing’: Chamillionaire and E-40 Receive Praise for New Contest That Awards $25,000 to Minority- or Female-Owned Startup

In February, for Black History Month, Houston rapper Chamillionaire announced that he’d donate $10,000 to a Black-owned startup. And now he’s done something similar with the help of E-40 as well as a company called Republic.

Chamillionaire said he wanted to help out because there simply aren’t enough female and minority-owned businesses around.

“During Black History Month, I did a contest where I invested $10,000 in a black founder’s company, so we’re going to keep that same energy and I’m going to do it again but this time I’m going to invest in a minority or woman’s founder startup since those companies are still so underrepresented in this space,” said Chamillionaire in an Instagram video posted on Wednesday.

Then E-40 appeared on the screen and said he wants to assist as well.

“I know you invested 10 thow-wow in a founder in your last pitch competition,” he stated. “This time I want to join you and Republic. Let’s put 25 thow-wow together and give it to the best company.”

To enter, Chamillionaire told people to download his Convoz app for iOS or Android, click on the banner on top of the homepage, then follow the listed rules.

The “Ultimate Victory” rapper also said every contestant will either get a response from him or one of the judges, and the winner will be announced on June 21.

In the comments beneath the clip, people expressed immediate interest in the contest and thanked Chamillionaire and E-40 for their altruism.

“You brothers are doing amazing work,” someone wrote. “Like dude we appreciate the love and the opportunities you brothers are offering to people trying to build something.”

And on E-40’s page someone wrote: “Thank you my brothers!! King moves!! Hard hat required!! Reconstruction of the country in progress!!!!!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxyYxrqhgPJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top