Social media is STILL buzzing over Donell Jones‘ shaky vocals during his now-infamous ‘R&B Nights’ VERZUZ battle against Joe which inspired all sorts of hilarious shenanigans across the internet.
The night was full of velvety croons, sing-along staples, nostalgic jams, and Donell’s not-quite-right vocals that sparked hilarious videos from many of our favorite internet comedians.
Ultimately, Donell tried to “Get It Together,” but couldn’t keep up with Joe’s silky-smooth vocals as he dominated, declaring that he “didn’t wanna be a player no more” while doing “alllll the things your man won’t do.”
Aura-farming in red, Joe shined while running through smash hit collaborations with Nas, Big Pun, and Mariah Carey before bringing out 50 Cent for their classic collab “Wanna Get to Know You.”
50 also joined the suave singer for beloved Power theme “Big Rich Town” in one of the night’s buzziest moments that trended online.
Overall, ‘R&B Nights’ was a good time with Donell Jones and Joe sitting down with Complex to discuss the importance of their VERZUZ matchup after the show.
What was your favorite moment from the VERZUZ? Tell us down below and enjoy the funniest Donell Jones tweets, memes, viral videos, and more from ‘R&B Nights’ on the flip.
Reginae Carter wants everyone to know she’s a grown woman who doesn’t need permission from her father to have fun. The “Heir Time” podcast host shared a video documenting her return to pole dancing, and when fans threatened to tell her dad, Lil Wayne, about it, she wasted no time setting the record straight.
Source: Derek White / Getty
According to TheJasmineBrand, the clip showed Reginae simply enjoying a pole dancing class recreationally, but that didn’t stop a portion of her audience from suggesting Lil Wayne would disapprove. Reginae didn’t hold back in her response, writing, “Wayne can’t stop nothing!” She followed that up by reminding her followers she’s “about to be 30 years old” and pointing out that she was fully clothed throughout the video, making clear there was nothing scandalous about the moment fans were reacting to.
Reginae Carter Just Wants To Live Her Life
The idea that fans would threaten to report her activities to her father struck many as a reflection of how much scrutiny Reginae Carter still faces as Lil Wayne’s daughter, even as an adult in her late twenties. As reported by Hot 97, Carter made it a point to remind her nearly five million followers that she’s an independent adult capable of making her own decisions, regardless of any assumed parental disapproval.
She didn’t mince words telling critics to mind their own business, urging them to let her “live my grown a** life” without unnecessary interference.
As of now, Lil Wayne hasn’t publicly commented on his daughter’s video or her response to the backlash. Given how vocal Reginae was in defending her right to enjoy the hobby without judgment, it doesn’t seem like she’s expecting or particularly concerned about any reaction from her father either way.
Serayah and Joey Bada$$ have ended their engagement, which comes just over a year after they welcomed their first child together.
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
The actress and singer took to Instagram on Monday, August 24 to announce the end of her relationship with Joey Bada$$, whom she’d been publicly dating since 2023.
She announced the breakup in a lengthy statement, revealing that the rapper had been unfaithful to her multiple times throughout their relationship. The pair were engaged and welcomed a child together in 2025.
“There comes a point in a woman’s life when choosing herself is no longer an option, it becomes necessary,” Serayah began in her statement. “After much thought, I have made the difficult decision to end my engagement and relationship with the father of my child, Joey. I loved deeply, believed wholeheartedly in the life we were building, and wanted nothing more than to protect our family.”
After that, she explained her reasoning for calling it quits, accusing the artist of being unfaithful during some truly difficult moments.
“Unfortunately, I also had to face a painful truth: there had been repeated infidelity throughout our relationship, including during some of the most vulnerable and meaningful moments of my life,” she wrote. “I share this not for sympathy, retaliation, or to publicly tear anyone down. I share it because too many women are taught to question themselves before they question what is happening right in front of them. If your intuition is telling you something is wrong, listen to it.”
She went on to offer advise to others in the same position, insisting that it’s always worth it to listen to your heart and know your worth.
“Don’t make yourself smaller to keep someone else comfortable,” Serayah continued. “Don’t compromise your values because you’re afraid of losing the future you imagined. And don’t allow someone else’s choices to become a referendum on your worth. Love should not require you to abandon yourself.”
The Empire star also clarified that while she shared the reasoning for their split, she won’t be speaking further on the breakup out of respect for her child with Joey.
“I will always respect the fact that we have a beautiful son, and my priority will be protecting his peace, privacy and relationship with both of his parents,” she wrote. “For that reason, I won’t be discussing the intimate details of our relationship publicly beyond what I have shared here. This chapter did not end the way I prayed it would. But endings can also be beginnings.”
The former couple first fueled dating speculation in March 2023 after Serayah appeared in the music video for Joey’s song “Show Me,” featured on his album 2000. At the time, Joey quickly dismissed the romance rumors, telling xoNecole that he and the actress were simply friends.
“We got a pretty cool friendship, and I think she’s gorgeous. I think she’s talented,” he said at the time, while also confirming that he was single. However, he left the door open for something more, teasing that “things could happen.”
Those comments didn’t last for long, though. Just a few months later, Joey made their relationship Instagram official on Serayah’s birthday in June 2023, sharing a Reel of the pair vacationing together at the beach and captioning it, “happy birthday my love.”
The couple took another major step in February 2025 when Serayah announced that she and Joey, who is also a father to a daughter from a previous relationship, were expecting their first child together. Four months later, on June 19, Serayah appeared to confirm the arrival of their son by sharing a photo of herself holding his tiny foot on her Instagram Stories.
Just two months after welcoming their first child together, Serayah revealed that she and Joey Badass were engaged.
Source: Michael Buckner / Variety via Getty Images
The best mystery shows hold your attention through relationship drama, class tension, and moral ambiguity on top of the central crime until the group chat has more theories than anyone can keep straight. Audiences have never had more options, and the quality keeps getting better. According to the Dead Good Books’ 2026 crime TV preview, studios and streaming platforms are chasing darker stories and stranger mysteries, as well as sharper character work, since audiences have made clear they want more than procedural case-of-the-week television.
Whether your group prefers something ripped from a real case, something with a prestige cast doing devastating work, or something where every episode ends on a reveal that breaks the chat wide open, there’s a show on this list that fits. Start with whichever one matches your current energy, and let the debate begin.
What Are the Best Mystery Shows Right Now?
Yellowjackets remains one of the most talked-about mystery shows of the decade. The series follows two timelines: a girls’ soccer team stranded in the wilderness in the 1990s, and the same women decades later carrying secrets that still haven’t fully surfaced. The show earns every theory the group chat generates because the writers have seeded enough contradictions and misdirections to keep the mystery genuinely unresolved even deep into its run.
Only Murders in the Building
Only Murders in the Building went from a quirky concept to one of the sharpest must-watch TV mysteries on air. Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez as amateur true-crime podcasters investigating their own building works better than it has any right to, and the writing takes real swings with each season’s central mystery. The sixth season is on the way, picking up directly from the fifth season’s central mystery. The sixth season is on the way, picking up directly from the fifth season’s shocking final beat.
Murdaugh: Death in the Family
For true crime fans, Murdaugh: Death in the Family dramatizes the collapse of one of South Carolina’s most powerful legal families. The series follows investigative journalist Mandy Matney as she untangles a web of cover-ups with roots reaching into state government. It’s a great watch for anyone who follows real crime, and the casting gives the drama a weight that purely fictional mysteries sometimes struggle to match.
Why Are Mystery Shows So Popular Right Now?
The appetite for top mystery series keeps growing because the genre has evolved beyond its procedural roots. Modern crime dramas are using mystery structures to explore class, race, institutional power, and family dysfunction in ways that purely dramatic shows sometimes can’t access. A murder investigation creates natural pressure that forces characters into revealing positions, and the best writers use that pressure to say something real.
Streaming has also changed how these shows are consumed. Bingeing a six-episode British limited series in a single weekend is a different social experience than following a weekly broadcast mystery; it creates a communal viewing moment that drives the kind of conversation that keeps shows in the cultural conversation for months after they finish. The group chat dynamic around a great mystery series is genuinely one of the more fun collective experiences in current television viewing culture.
British Murder Mystery Shows Worth Your Queue
British mysteries operate in a different register than American crime drama. The pacing is slower, the settings more contained, and the character work more often central to the mystery than tangential to it. Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials Mystery on Netflix with Helena Bonham Carter continues a strong tradition of Christie adaptations that have consistently outperformed expectations.
For fans who want to explore the full depth of the genre, British murder mystery shows on BritBox offer a catalog that spans classic detective fiction and contemporary crime drama, all on one platform.
Scarpetta
One of the most anticipated drama-packed mysteries of 2026, Scarpetta adapts Patricia Cornwell’s forensic pathologist series for television with a cast that commands attention. The show came about with high expectations and a premise that has sustained bestselling fiction for decades. It fits squarely into the category of series that generates genuine discussion rather than passive viewing, which is exactly what a good group watch demands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Makes a Mystery Show Worth Watching?
The most intriguing TV dramas make the mystery inseparable from character. A show where you care about the people involved in the crime, not just the solution, produces the kind of engagement that turns a viewer into an active participant. Strong writing, genuine misdirection, and a resolution that feels earned rather than arbitrary are the markers most consistently shared by the mystery series that stay in conversation the longest after they finish.
Are British Mystery Shows Different From American Ones?
The structural differences are real and worth knowing going in. British mystery series typically run shorter seasons, often six to eight episodes, which forces tighter plotting and fewer filler subplots. The pacing is generally slower and more interior.
American crime dramas tend toward faster cutting, more procedural structure, and longer season orders. Both approaches produce great television; the choice often comes down to whether you prefer a dense, contained story or a broader canvas with more room for character development over time.
Where Can You Find the Best Mystery Shows To Stream?
The genre is distributed across multiple platforms, which can make it hard to track. Netflix carries a strong mix of limited series and ongoing mysteries, including some of the best recent British adaptations. Peacock and Hulu have competitive mystery catalogs, particularly for American crime drama.
According to Collider’s 2025 mystery rankings, the standout shows of recent years have come from a wide range of networks and streamers, which means no single subscription covers the full list.
Understanding Mystery Shows
The current era of mystery shows rewards audiences willing to pay attention and debate every detail in the group chat. From Yellowjackets’ dual-timeline tension to the true-crime weight of Murdaugh: Death in the Family, the options are genuinely excellent. Start with the one that matches where your group is right now and build from there.
Keep reading content on this site for more entertainment coverage, TV recommendations, and everything worth talking about in pop culture.
A$AP Rocky performed his duties as a doting dad during a recent outing in New York City.
Source: XNY/Star Max / Getty
The rapper and his other half are back in NYC after spending some family time in Rihanna’s home country of Barbados. They were spotted leaving the Four Seasons Hotel with their three children — sons RZA and Riot and daughter Rocki Irish Mayers — on Friday, August 21.
Rocky was fully locked into his fatherly role as the Fenty founder followed behind, making for an adorable photo op of the actor and his little ones. Rocky could be seen carrying one of his sons on his shoulders while holding onto the other boy’s hand in a sweet picture. He was also photographed carrying baby Rocki, who matched her dad in an all-white outfit.
Source: XNY/Star Max / Getty
Rihanna followed nearby, but she let her partner handle the transportation of their little ones.
This sighting comes just over a week after Rihanna and Rocky enjoyed a tropical getaway with their children. The “Diamonds” artist made sure RZA, Riot, and Rocki got a taste of Bajan culture, enjoying fresh coconut water and taking them for a ride on one of the island’s local minibuses during their time on the island.
Rih also took her kids to the Bridgetown neighborhood where she grew up, visiting Rihanna Drive–formerly Westbury New Road–which was renamed in her honor in 2017.
Source: XNY/Star Max / Getty
Having three young kids would be hard for any parents to navigate, but Rocky spoke on how they juggle things during his recent appearance on The Jason Lee Show. The rapper explained to his host and friend Jason Lee that they have “a lot of help” from their nannies and mothers when it comes to raising their children, which makes a world of difference.
“It’s our mothers [and] our nannies, like it’s a lot of help,” he said at the time. “I’d be lying if I told you we don’t got help. We got a lot of help. You know, you need that.”
“Some people unfortunately don’t got that kind of help or support,” Rocky continued. “I know as a dad, as a present dad, how much I just want the best for my kids, and I want to be present. But, I’m a hardworking man, you know what I’m saying? And when I’m not at home, I just need to know that my kids are being looked after and loved.”
As for his relationship with each of his children, Rocky emphasized that he doesn’t have any favorites and loves how different they all are.
“I’m a present dad. I don’t favoritize any of them,” he said. “They all have such different personalities that you love each of them for what it’s worth.”
Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy convicted in the killing of Sonya Massey, whom she rebuked in the name of Jesus, has died in prison while battling Stage 4 colon cancer.
According to CBS News, Grayson was 32 and serving a 20-year sentence after being found guilty last October of second-degree murder. His sentence was supposed to keep him behind bars for two decades, followed by two years of mandatory supervised release.
Grayson’s death comes just weeks after the Illinois Prisoner Review Board rejected his request for medical release despite his advanced cancer diagnosis. The board decided he should remain incarcerated while receiving treatment. CBS News reports that Grayson had been undergoing treatment for Stage 4 colon cancer, although it remains unclear whether the disease was ultimately the cause of his death.
As BOSSIP previously reported, Massey, a 36-year-old Black mother, called 911 back in July 2024 because she believed a potential intruder might be prowling around her home. Like so many other Black men and women who thought they could rely upon law enforcement to help them in an emergency, she ended up dead inside her own house after Grayson shot her in the face.
The body camera footage from the deadly encounter became a devastating piece of evidence because it challenged the familiar police narrative that an officer had no choice but to use deadly force. Massey was interacting with the deputies willfully and cooperatively when the confrontation escalated, and Grayson wantonly chose to fire his weapon. The sheriff’s office later determined that Grayson violated six department policies, including rules concerning use of force, his conduct and language, failure to provide medical aid, and his refusal to cooperate with an internal affairs investigation.
Grayson’s conviction and 20-year sentence were a measure of accountability for Massey’s death, but his sudden passing closes a chapter without changing what happened that night. Ubiquitous civil rights attorney Ben Crump and lawyer Antonio Romanucci spoke to this in a publicly released statement.
“Grayson’s death in custody from cancer does not bring Sonya back. We wish his family prayers of peace, as we do for all who grieve a loved one. Sonya’s family knows that pain all too well and will grieve her loss the rest of their days.”
Sonya Massey called the police looking for help. She never made it out of her home alive. And no prison sentence, medical diagnosis or death can erase the body camera footage that showed the world exactly how that desperate call for help ended.
You don’t have to wonder what Yahya Abdul-Mateen II thinks about Marvel’s mounting Black-led project problem. The Wonder Man star is openly questioning the studio’s commitment to Black stories after Disney+ abruptly reversed the series’ Season 2 renewal, calling the “optics” surrounding the decision “obvious.”
Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II opened up about what he sees as a failure by Marvel to champion its projects that feature Black characters and storylines, including the show that he helmed, Wonder Man.
As previously reported, on the heels of the company’s CEO Kevin Feige expressing his regret for fumbling the highly anticipated Blade remake starring Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, Marvel rescinded the second season of Wonder Man despite its success with fans and critics.
“I think the optics are obvious,” he told Vanity Fair. “If I’m a big business, if I’m Disney, if I’m Marvel, I don’t want to be attached to these optics. So it should be a priority to change that narrative and to do what it takes to responsibly change that narrative with quality stories, with quality resources.”
He continued,
“I felt that our show did have quality story, did have quality resources, did have quality actors and people, and did produce quality results that the viewers responded to positively, that the voters responded to positively. So our show does deserve some study and some real, hard information about why a show like this did not continue forward, because it had all of the ingredients that one would want in a show.”
The cancellation of Wonder Man was made even more confusing after Mateen received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of Simon Williams on the show. How could a show so beloved by fans and, clearly, respected by the academy also be on the chopping block? The actor said he received an answer from the studio.
“I was told that it had something to do with the viewership numbers,” he said. “I wasn’t told what those numbers were, but ultimately, for whatever reason it was, I think they decided that it didn’t make sense for business, and that’s the decision that we live with and we keep on marching forward.”
The show did well enough to be renewed two months after its premiere but was then cancelled months later, causing many to believe that it was actually Wonder Man‘s success, with a Black lead, that led to it being shelved. Following the show’s cancellation, Mateen took to IG to deliver the news to fans, saying,
“Word just dropped that Wonder Man won’t be coming back for Season 2. That’s life, right? Everything will shake out. I wanted to say thank you to everybody who WATCHED the show, ENJOYED the show, and SHARED that they enjoyed the show in some way or other. The show worked. And that’s my favorite thing about it. I could see it on the faces of the Youtube Reactors (because I watched along with y’all this time. Shoutout to y’all) and I can see in the messages I get saying how the show reminded some of you not to give up, and I feel it in the genuine love shared when I bump into some of you all during the day. So, thinking of you all today. I’m glad we got to be a part of something cool. Thank you for watching… And uhh… See you at the EMMYS.”
Nonetheless, Mateen has bounced back just fine with several projects in line to drop before the year’s end. He’ll star alongside Brad Pitt in The Adventures of Cliff Booth and will take his swing at the Labor Day weekend box office with By Any Means, starring him and Mark Wahlberg.
Brandy gave millennials a little something to smile about when she paid a visit to the iconic Leimert Park water fountain where she filmed the Moesha theme song.
While supporting her daughter Sy’Rai’s impending album release, our Vocal Bible made a stop by the nostalgic location to help us all heal a little bit. She even dusted off the choreography every 90s kid committed to memory after waiting all day to watch our favorite girl navigate the ups and downs of being a teenager.
Brandy has been busy helping us all recapture the magic of a time we all hold dear as of late. From teaming up with Monica on The Boy Is Mine Tour to lending her one-of-a-kind voice to the A Different World remake, the R&B icon is having the career resurgence she’s always deserved.
She also took the time to return to her Disney roots as she took part in the Disney Princess special alongside Anika Noni Rose and Halle Bailey as the played tribute to the characters that helped redefine who could be a princess. Her turn in the 1997 made for TV movie, Rodgers & Hammerstein present Cinderella, as the titular role was a history-making moment with she and the late, great Whitney Houston inspiring an entire generation.
The Grammy-winning singer acknowledged the gravity of the moment in a post saying,
“To have been the first Black Cinderella, and to know that the door we walked through helped make the kingdom wider for the beautiful Black princesses who would come after me, is one of the greatest honors of my life. What Whitney Houston and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella gave us was bigger than a movie. We showed a generation of little Black girls that the glass slipper could fit them, too. That they could be soft and powerful. Regal and magical. Seen, celebrated, chosen, and centered in the fairytale.”
And though Brandy has teased new music lately, while fans are still bumping her old hits, her daughter Sy’Rai is gearing up to drop her first offering, Cold War, a project that has the industry whispering of a new a vocal blueprint. Clips of her tracks feature a voice reminiscent of her mother’s. We cannot wait!
The mother and daughter duo will also team up for a part two to their popular holiday film, Lifetime’s Christmas Everyday, the network announced on Aug. 10. Our Christmas sweaters are being washed in preparation already.
No matter the time of year, it’s always Brandy season.
Jamie Foxx is preparing to become a father for the third time, and he’s being honest about how mixed his emotions were when he first found out. As previously reported, the Oscar winner, who is 58, is expecting his first child with girlfriend Alyce Huckstepp, 31, and admitted he wasn’t immediately sold on the idea of starting over with diapers and sleepless nights at his age.
Source: John Shearer / Getty
“Being my age, I was a little on the fence, being 58,” Jamie Foxx said in an interview with E!. It’s an understandable reaction, but according to Foxx, an unexpected run-in with a fellow Hollywood veteran helped shift his perspective entirely.
Foxx explained that he ran into his Any Given Sunday co-star Al Pacino, who greeted him with a knowing comment. “Ah, Jamie, good to see ya. I was worried about you!” Pacino reportedly told him. According to Entertainment Weekly, when Foxx asked what he meant, Pacino revealed he was expecting a baby of his own, prompting Foxx to jokingly ask if Pacino, now 86, was headed “back in the drop-off line.” Pacino’s response, simply confirming that he was in fact heading back into that world, gave Foxx some much-needed reassurance.
You may recall that Pacino welcomed his fourth child, Roman, back in June 2023 at 83 years old with then-girlfriend Noor Alfallah, who was 29 at the time. Hearing that someone nearly three decades older than him was navigating new fatherhood helped put things in perspective for Foxx, who summed up his reaction simply: “I said, ‘Oh man, shoot, I’m good.'”
Jamie Foxx’s Daughters Are Thrilled About The News
Foxx is already a dad to 32-year-old Corinne and 17-year-old Anelise. According to Complex, Corinne has been vocal about her excitement over becoming a big sister for the third time, telling Extra TV, “Yes, I’m gonna be a sibling times three now. I’m very excited for him. He’s the best dad in the world, and so he is going to thrive and excel.”
Corinne has worked closely alongside her father for years as co-host of their FOX game show “Beat Shazam,” and Jamie has been openly proud of how her role has grown over time. “She runs my whole company,” he said. “She runs the whole production company. Break the glass ceiling! Next stop: president!”
Foxx’s excitement about expanding his family comes after a genuinely frightening chapter for the family. As BOSSIP reported, back in April 2023, Foxx suffered a brain bleed that led to a stroke while working on “Back in Action,” leaving him unconscious for 20 days. He’s credited his daughters with helping pull him through that recovery, saying, “My daughter made sure I got back. And so now, seeing that I have a new life, and I have my daughters embrace it — that’s all that matters.”
Foxx may have also accidentally revealed a detail about the baby’s gender during a separate interview, referring to the child as “he” while discussing the possibility of teaching his newest child tennis someday.
We wish Jamie and Alyce the best in this new chapter!
The recipe for Cloudy Donut Co. calls for a cup of Black love, a heaping helping of ownership, a pinch of perseverance, and plenty of plant-based sweetness. For Zewiditu Jewel and Derrick Faulcon, those ingredients have helped turn the country’s first 100% Black-owned vegan donut shop into a nationally recognized brand.
Source: Cloudy Donut / Cloudy Donut
Founded by Faulcon in Baltimore in 2019 and officially launched in 2020, Cloudy Donut has grown from a neighborhood shop into a nationally recognized, 100% vegan brand with a presence in New York City and sold-out pop-ups across the country. Along the way, Faulcon and his partner, Zewiditu Jewel, have built the business around more than sweet treats, centering community, culture, and Black ownership with as much flavor as the donuts they sell.
Source: Cloudy Donut / Cloudy Donut
The company brought its national tour to Atlanta with a Heavy Market pop-up during Invest Fest weekend. Ahead of the festivities, Jewel spoke exclusively with BOSSIP’s Lauryn Bass about building America’s first 100% Black-owned vegan donut shop and why bringing the brand directly to its longtime Atlanta supporters was important.
“We wanted to bring our Cloudy Donut pop-up to Atlanta, coinciding with Invest Fest weekend, talking about the Seven Streams brand, Cloudy Donut being one of them,” she said. “We really wanted to touch the people that have been supporting us online for many years by connecting directly with the city.”
Jewel attended the inaugural Invest Fest and said she still remembers looking out at “a sea of black people” carrying notebooks, pens, and pencils and ready to learn.
“This is really a festival that is for the betterment, the knowledge, the education, and the advancement of our people. Isn’t that what we want?”
That mission closely mirrors what Jewel and Faulcon have built with Cloudy Donut, although entrepreneurship wasn’t originally in her plans.
Zoditu Jewel Says Cloudy Donut Became A Black Love Story
Behind the bakery is also a Black love story, one that has taught Jewel lessons about business, finances, partnership, and maintaining her own identity while helping build a growing brand.
Jewel spent 14 years working in education before meeting Faulcon, who already had experience in the food and beverage industry.
Source: Cloudy Donut / Cloudy Donut
“I had no ambitions of one being an entrepreneur, let alone working in food and beverage. I don’t bake. I didn’t know anything about making donuts,” Jewel said.
About six months into Cloudy Donut’s 2020 launch, Jewel left education and began finding her place within the company.
“I established my role in basically anything and everything that needed to be done. Like, okay, I do marketing now. Okay, I do PR now. Okay, I manage the front of the house and just taking on these different roles.”
As Cloudy Donut grew, so did their partnership.
“In my opinion, a true version of a love story of black entrepreneurship of two people that created something and using that as a vehicle to live the life of their dreams.”
That dream came with sacrifices that weren’t always visible from the outside.
“Even though we’re in the business together and we literally live together, now a lot of our time is consumed solely talking about the brand. If we’re not talking about a brand, what are we talking about?”
For Jewel, one of the biggest lessons was learning not to lose herself inside everything that required her attention.
“I think it happens for a lot of women, we take on the identities of the things that need us, and sometimes we sacrifice the needs for ourselves.”
Building Cloudy Donut Without A Co-sign During the Pandemic
Cloudy Donut expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, growing to two Baltimore locations while the founders owned the properties where the businesses operated.
“We scaled during COVID because we really took the initiative to own ourselves, to be responsible for our business and the way in which, like I said, we had ownership of those properties.”
The couple later expanded into New York City without major industry connections.
“When we moved to New York, I mean, I knew I had a few friends, but we had literally no connections. Like everything and how we’ve been able to grow is all organic. There’s no cosign or anything like that.”
For Jewel, ownership also comes with a responsibility to understand money, something she candidly admitted she had to learn herself.
“I know that I had a credit card when I shouldn’t have had a credit card, and I put myself in debt, like $20,000 in my early 20s–not understanding ‘how did we get here?'”
Jewel said Faulcon later helped her better understand credit and financial planning.
“I was not aware of the way in which I was handling my money. I just knew, like, I’m making money. I’m able to pay my bills. I’m cool, but there was no real longevity in that.”
Her advice now is to look beyond simply being able to cover today’s expenses.
“Let’s look at our finances, but let’s also understand the trajectory of the. Not just five or 10 years, but like the next year. What are we doing?”
‘We’re Our Mom And Pop’s Wildest Dreams’
Jewel’s perspective on Black ownership is also deeply rooted in her upbringing as a fourth-generation Washingtonian.
Source: Cloudy Donut / Cloudy Donut
“I love to say we’re our mom and pop’s wildest dreams because I really understand the history of mom and pop shops,” she said. “Being from D.C. when it really was Chocolate City, you know, being a fourth generation Washingtonian, I’ve seen black businesses flourish in black communities that were owned by black people.”
That history shapes how she views Cloudy Donut’s distinction as America’s first 100% Black-owned vegan donut shop.
Cloudy Donut Gets Sweet On Atlanta
Atlanta customers got a taste-test experience of the brand through Cloudy Donut’s Heavy Market pop-up, where the menu includes orange saffron cake, sweet potato cake, pineapple upside down cake, basil olive cake, jalapeno peach cake, and Jewel’s favorite, lemon blueberry pound cake.
“I feel like it is a universal love language in a pound cake, and I love it,” she said.
For those feeling adventurous, Jewel said the jalapeno peach deserves some attention, too.
“The jalapeno kind of is throwing some people. They’re thinking it’s too spicy, but like we’re grown and we want to enjoy our food, so we’re not gonna do all that,” she said. “It’s not too much heat. We want you to enjoy it and not just go viral for the heat.”
The Atlanta menu also gives customers a preview of what’s next for Cloudy Donut. Jewel revealed that the company plans to begin shipping its cakes next year.
For Jewel, It’s Bigger Than Dessert
While the treats may bring customers through the door, Jewel hopes the feeling they get from supporting Cloudy Donut stays with them.
“There is a specific feeling when someone that looks like you is creating something that is intentionally for you, and I want people to resonate with that.”
She said the bigger message isn’t solely about what she and Faulcon have accomplished.
“It’s a reminder of what’s possible. I say all the time, possibility visibility creates possibility. It shows possibility, right?”
That message of possibility is also at the center of the couple’s Invest Fest weekend.
Derrick Faulcon Takes Cloudy Donut’s Ownership Story To Invest Fest
While Jewel connected with customers at Invest Fest’s Market, her husband took their entrepreneurial story to the Invest Fest stage.
Faulcon joined Jim Jones for a conversation centered on entrepreneurship, ownership, and his Seven Streams brand, with Cloudy Donut representing one of those streams. After Atlanta, Cloudy Donut isn’t slowing down. Jewel said the national tour will continue through the fall with stops in Delaware, Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans and Los Angeles.
Wherever the tour takes them, Jewel said maintaining the identity that helped build Cloudy Donut remains nonnegotiable.
“As we grow, I want people to see, and what will always remain is our commitment to being wholly and truly, who we are, and carrying who we are everywhere we go, and reminding you that anywhere you go, you can be yourself too.”
