Michele Stueven
Nigerian record label Chocolate City kicked off its 20th anniversary over the BET Awards weekend with a celebration of African and Caribbean culture in the Hollywood Hills at the AfriCa Haus brunch in honor of Black Music Month.
The event connected a cross-section of creatives and business types to foster opportunities for economic prosperity in Black communities worldwide. Sponsored by D’usse, Armand de Brignac Champagne and Chocolate City Music, guests included Yellowstone actor Denim Richards, comedian Michael Blackson, Grammy VP Marcus Lomax, singer Eric Bellinger, and Queen of all Social Media, The Shade Room CEO Angelica Nwandu.
From left: Audu Maikori, Angelica Nwandu and Michael Blackson (Yuki Tomita)
“People everywhere are getting more of an appetite for Africa,” Richards, who was on a break from filming in Montana and lives in Africa full-time between Botswana and South Africa, told L.A. Weekly. “I have a television and film company there and we develop film projects. I’m the director of arts and culture for the African Union with the hope that I can be more of a lynchpin to bring these projects to light.”
Denim Richards (Michele Stueven)
Culinary appetites were satisfied with West African cuisine from L.A.’s favorite animated billionaire chef Tolu Eros. The salad was inspired by the streets of Tubu and Benin, with ground honey beans, a variety of chopped vegetables in a dressing of palm and olive oils, chiles, balsamic vinegar and lime, and fried flatbread croutons. Eros also put his spin on suya spiced chicken, a classic grilled Nigerian street food, and served up pineapple habanero jerk shrimp tacos in a mango compote.
The longest-running record label in Nigeria, Chocolate City has launched the careers of artists like M.I Abaga and female rappers Pryse and Victoria Kimani.
“It all started with a weekly rave back in Nigeria 20 years ago,” founder and attorney Audu Maikori told L.A. Weekly, over a Wahala Lemonade. “Chocolate City was a place for people to integrate with one another. In my third year of practicing law, I came in contact with so many talented young people. In the ‘80s, all the major record labels like Sony and Decca left Nigeria and the industry was bereft of local music. It was mostly American and UK music, and local artists didn’t have a platform or representation, so as an attorney, I helped with building the right contracts and providing a structure for these artists. Today we’re launching an initial $250,000 Founders Fund designed to help female entrepreneurs start their own businesses. In most parts of Africa, the movie industry is run by women, but the music industry isn’t. The future means collaboration and that’s why we’re here.”
AfriCa Haus (Michele Stueven)
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