But beyond the welcome mat that reads, “Black Excellence Lives Here,” is a beehive of activity.
Laughter and music echo through the 8,500-square-foot house. A young man makes goofy faces before a phone propped on a ring light. In another corner, two girls sway to a loud beat. Redtro, a glossy brown Doberman and the house mascot, runs around playfully headbutting guests.
Welcome to the Collab Crib, one of the nation’s only content houses for all-Black influencers. Here, 10 young creators work daily under the care of a manager. Most of them live in the house as well. The youngest is 8 years old and the oldest is 30.
The popularity of social apps such as TikTok has given rise to a new entertainment industry, one that capitalizes on viral and trendsetting videos. And these young people are cashing in.
The Collab Crib members are Marcus Bolton, 8; Khamyra Sykes, 15; Noah Webster, 19; Theodore Wisseh, 20; Oneil Rowe, 21; Kaychelle Dabney, 23; Kaelyn Castle, 24; Cameron Lee, 26; Tray Bills, 26; and Robert Dean III, 30.
You might not recognize them on the street, but combined they have some 30 million followers across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube. Together they hustle to create videos, expand their fan bases and stand out in the crowded influencer market.
And they’re earning money and building careers, one video at a time.
The Crib’s members hope to leverage their growing fame to break into TV, movies and music. They want to be dancers, pop stars, comedians and rappers. Some have secured brand deals and plan to start their own product lines. Others have invested in voice coaches and acting classes.
“We have a strategy, and that strategy is to work 100 times harder than everyone else,” says Keith Dorsey, the Collab Crib’s manager.
The Crib’s members say they did not grow up around wealth and have had to adjust to living in a mansion. All say they hope to make enough money to attain financial freedom for themselves and their families.
“They eat, sleep, strategize, and come up with new ideas and content. Together, they create magic,” Dorsey says. “Our model is a video a day keeps the bill collectors away.”
Their manager handpicked the Crib’s members
Parts of the Collab Crib house look like a mansion whose residents just moved in. Some of the rooms have no furniture, and the walls are mostly empty.
Other rooms have the youthful feel of a tech startup. In one sits a Pac-Man arcade game and a vending machine for Monster Energy drinks. A green neon sign reading “Collab Crib ATL” hangs on the wall. A couch in the family room has throw pillows emblazoned with Instagram and Meta …….
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/07/business/collab-crib-atlanta-content-house-cec/index.html