News — #BlackOwnedMedia

Why I Built My Own Platform Instead of Relying on YouTube (The Story Behind Kayatick Styles)

· By Anderson B. Cox

Why I Built My Own Platform Instead of Relying on YouTube (The Story Behind Kayatick Styles)

For years, I treated YouTube like it was the promised land. I uploaded consistently, stayed up late editing after grueling 12-hour shifts, and poured everything into my craft. I told myself if I just kept going—if I stayed disciplined long enough—the algorithm would notice me. But it didn’t. I put out my best work: short films with powerful stories, cyphers that carried the raw energy of hip-hop, music videos that felt industry-ready. And still… 10 views. 20 views. A few pity comments from friends trying to keep me encouraged. It wasn’t just about numbers—it was about feeling invisible. Watching something...

From the Block to the Broadcast: Why Telling Our Own Stories Matters More Than Ever

· By Anderson B. Cox

From the Block to the Broadcast: Why Telling Our Own Stories Matters More Than Ever

Early Morning Soundtracks & Story Roots Early Saturday mornings, music would blare out from the living room. That was the first alert—a full day of bleach, baskets, and the laundromat was ahead. Smokey Robinson serenaded my mom while she glided across the kitchen floor, pouring bleach into tubs and sinks like she was baptizing the house. Our LA apartment—romantically named the hood—wasn't much, but the music turned it into something sacred. That was our first cinema. That was storytelling, long before we had cameras or computers. See, for people like us, storytelling didn’t come from school or studios. It came...

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