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).
As musical numbers keep springing up on TikTok Cheddar's Michelle Castillo talks to the cast and crew behind "For You, Paige," the platform's first-ever commissioned musical play.
PWR WMN's CEO and Co-Founder, Kimberly Borges, and COO and Co-Founder, Miriam McDonald, join ChedHER to discuss how they are building an apparel brand to make women feel confident and powerful, and the latest trends in workplace fashion.
Annie Ryu, Founder & CEO of Jack & Annie's, joins ChedHER to discuss the story behind her meat-alternative brand, the benefits to jackfruit, and how our meat consumption impacts the environment.
Catching you up on what you need to know on April 22, 2022, with updates on a new Ukraine aid package, a new missile test by Russia, DOJ announcement of $150 Million in COVID-related fraud, the Florida senate supports Gov. DeSantis in stripping Disney of its special tax district, and more.
As the target of racist attacks in middle school, Destiny Helligar used her experience as a catalyst to make sure these attacks wouldn't happen to other students. The young activist joins Cheddar News to discuss creating safe spaces in schools with her organization the Destiny Education Project.
Save the world this Earth Day, Elon Musk still wants to buy Twitter, and Mike Tyson's plane rage. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Friday, April 22, 2022.
A record number of children got homeschooled during the pandemic, jumping over 60 percent in the 2020-2021 schoolyear compared to pre-pandemic numbers. Andrew Bacher-Hicks, Assistant Professor of Education Policy at Boston University joins Cheddar News to explain why many parents are sticking to home education even after schools reopened their doors.
