Roc-A-Fella Co-Founder: The Kanye I Know Has a Great Heart
*By Conor White*
Kanye West has shocked people before, but his recent outbursts, including a bizarre TMZ interview in which he said slavery was a choice, have left even his closest friends wondering if he's O.K.
"A lot of it, yes, it is disturbing," said Kareem Burke, the co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, adding: "I don't know what the intent is, which is crazy for me because I know his heart, and I know he has a great heart, so I'm hopeful things will change and Kanye will be the old Kanye."
Burke takes credit for giving West his start in music more than 15 years ago, when the rapper first signed to Roc-A-Fella. "I personally launched his career," Burke said in an interview with Cheddar at the Collision Conference in New Orleans.
He is now launching a media empire, including two movies which recently had their premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival: "O.G." and "It's A Hard Truth Ain't It". Jeffrey Wright won Best Actor at Tribeca for his performance in "O.G."
Both films deal with prison life in the United States, something Burke knows about. Before he was a media entrepreneur, he served five years for marijuana trafficking. Burke said he hopes the films help raise awareness of the problems with the country's prison system.
"Hopefully if these stories keep getting out, we're hoping that the dialogue starts, and hopefully change follows that," Burke said.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/roc-a-fella-co-founder-misses-the-old-kanye).
Bitcoin had a tough last few days. In just a 24-hour period spanning early Friday morning to early Saturday morning, bitcoin's price went from about $57,000 to $47,000. Patrick McCconlogue, CEO of Overline, joins Cheddar News discuss bitcoin's plunge.
The leading gaming organization and lifestyle brand 100 Thieves just raised $60 million in new funding closing its Series C. This new round of funding has raised the valuation of the organization to about $460 million. John Robinson, president and COO of 100 Thieves, joins Cheddar News to talk about what's next for the company.
The Quorum and Cultique released a new study where moviegoers weighed in on their attitudes on going to the theater right now. Linda Ong, founder of Cultique, and David Herrin, founder and CEO of The Quorum, join Cheddar News to discuss what moviegoers need in order to head back to theaters.
Marvel's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is gearing up for a sequel following its earlier this year topping the domestic box office to date. Destin Daniel Cretton will return to write and direct while also taking on additional projects in a multi-year deal.
Online platform Assemble is looking to provide career instruction and inspiration to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) of all age groups for access to industries they might not have been privy to prior. Actor, activist, and one of Assemble's three co-founders, Jesse Williams, and CEO Cortney Woodruff joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to discuss the Assemble mission and what people can expect from the program. "There's a lot of jobs that folks don't know even exist in the first place, and what we know is that there are incredible innovators at the peak of their field that are Black and brown – in every single field," Williams noted.
Cheddar breaks down the challenges of plastic recycling and what one company is doing to help offset the negative environmental impact of single-use plastics.
Sarah Dandashy, Travel Expert, Ask a Concierge, joins Cheddar News to explain why the best gift you can give this holiday season is the gift of travel.
Developers for the video game "Call of Duty: Warzone" staged a walkout in protest of 12 quality assurance testers being laid off by parent company Activision Blizzard. This marks the latest work stoppage for the embattled game publishing giant.
The most recent school shooting in Michigan is highlighting the tragic fact that U.S. shootings on campuses are ticking up. The aftermath of these incidents leaves students, faculty, and families suffering intense trauma with lasting effects. Darby Fox, an adolescent family therapist, joins Cheddar News to discuss how school shootings impact the mental health of students and their families.
