“Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris has partnered with Offscript Worldwide, the employee-run parent company of the Revolt brand, to launch a new company, Revolt Labs, focused on working with creators. Barris and Offscript will operate Revolt Labs as a joint venture, with Barris serving as vice chairman of the new company.
The news was revealed Thursday morning by Barris and Revolt/Offscript Worldwide CEO Detavio Samuels, who explained the structure exclusively to Variety. “What excites me about this business is that we can tap into superpowers,” Samuels said. “On the Revolt side, we have proven ourselves from a business perspective as the fastest growing black-owned media company. We have a track record of identifying the next generation of creators, and we can bring those creators to Kenya. Kenya has the most vile content. We can create and take anything from a raw idea to an actual concept to a global franchise. And the third element is our ability to market it, whether it’s to Netflix, Disney or wherever they buy it.”
Barris and Samuels said they are looking to the talent of creators in the vein of Druski and Kai Senat, with the goal of producing television, film, digital and live experiential content. The goal is to promise creators ownership and a larger footprint than what they could do on their own.
“Creators have huge audiences and huge influence,” Samuels said. “But what they lack is the infrastructure to turn some of their biggest ideas into premium IP. We know they have an edge in areas like social, but when you talk to them, many of them have dreams that go far beyond that: bigger budgets, wider distribution, a different economic model than what they’re seeing in social.”
He cited MrBeast as a source of inspiration, noting that despite the creator’s dominance on YouTube and social, he still partnered with Amazon to bring “Beast Games” to life. “Our hope and dream is that we can help creators take their genius ideas, ideas outside of TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and bring them to the world in any format, in any category, in any ambition,” Samuels said. “That’s why Kenya is so important to this, because Kenya has been exposed to unscripted, real and scripted documentaries. So the idea is that no matter what special project a creator has, we have the infrastructure and creative partners that can help bring that idea to market.”
Welcoming Barris as a partner was a coup for Revolt, which has overcome rough times in recent years. Sean “Diddy Combs”, who co-founded the brand with Andy Schoon as a cable channel in 2013, sold his stake in the company completely in 2024 due to serious legal issues. (Mr. Combs remains in prison after being convicted in July 2025.) At that point, Revolt employees became the company’s largest shareholders. Last year, music entrepreneur Damon Dash claimed he would buy the company and become its chairman, but that turned out to be unfounded.
Burris praised Samuels for leading the rebellion through it all. “The idea that a company could go through a major transformation that would turn most companies upside down and then come back the next year and not lose any advertisers is unthinkable,” Burris said. “Especially with what he had to go through.”
Barris helped create “America’s Next Top Model” and then focused on writing for shows like “Girlfriends,” “Soul Food” and “The Game,” leading to the hit ABC comedy “Black-ish” and its spinoffs “Grown-ish” and “Mixed-ish.” He signed a mega-deal with Netflix, producing films including “BlackAF,” before terminating his contract early. He later helped launch BET Studios with series such as “Dear Me From Detroit.”
Barris said he’s still producing and pitching ideas for BET Studios, including a second season of “Diala.” But he’s focused on getting Revolt Labs off the ground.
“There will continue to be no restrictions regarding my activities,” he said. “But this is my horse. I feel like where we are right now is Bezos selling used books in his garage at this very moment. I’m really excited to be working with new creators, people with interesting ideas.”
“I feel like we’re creating a new shift in media,” he added. “You’re starting to see young creators like Kai and Drusky and the power they have. They have ideas, you see language changing, fashion changing. Revolt has always been at the forefront of culture. So when the idea of Revolt Labs came up, I thought this was the right time…I just want to make shit. And if I don’t make shit, I want to help other people make shit.”
Samuels said he believes the timing is right for Revolt Labs given the consolidation happening across media. “When everything comes together and is predictable and the way it should be, only the big, traditional players win,” he said. “When things get chaotic, anyone can win, big, little, or the guy in the garage. No one knows better about their audience, where their cult following is, and their own genius ideas about the type of content that can feed that audience than the creators.”
