ProHipHop

January 31, 2005

Funkmaster Flex Endorses Castrol Oil

Castrol Oil has gained the endorsement of New York Hot 97 DJ and Spike TV host Funkmaster Flex. Flex already hosts Ride with Funkmaster Flex and will also host a new Spike TV show Funkmaster Flex Super Series.

Although AdPulp criticized Castrol’s use of a “tired press release” to announce the signing in what the Cluetrain Manifesto calls a “hollow, flat, literally inhuman voice,” I have to wonder how many humans consciously read press releases, other than journalists, bloggers and ProHipHop’s readers. Of course, many humans read press releases disguised as news articles on a regular basis without realizing it. In any case, if one reads the press release cited above, s/he will recognize that the wide range of exposure that Funkmaster Flex will offer Castrol more than makes up for the lack of a ceremony involving the popping of corks.

Posted by Clyde Smith on January 31, 2005 in Automotive, Marketing | Permalink

January 31, 2005

The NY Times Discovers Ringtones

If you’ve followed ProHipHop’s coverage of ringtones, this NY Times article will be old news. However, I hadn’t heard the closing line before:
“A few skeptics within the industry have asked whether ring tones are a fad, a bubble that will soon burst. But they are in the minority. Most other people say that ring tones, like text messaging by cellphone, are a lasting part of the culture. It is this assumption that is spurring companies like Consect to forecast an $8 billion global ring tone industry within a few years.”

ProHipHop concurs that ringtones are a “lasting part of the culture” but finds a prediction of $8 billion highly unlikely for a variety of reasons including Xingtone and other make your own ringtone software, MP3 phones, which will heighten consumer awareness of the fact that digital downloads of whole songs are priced cheaper than ringtones while also cutting into mobile download charges, and the possiblity that, as more mobile content becomes available, people will want to start buying such content and probably won’t appreciate attempts to escalate ringtone pricing.

Posted by Clyde Smith on January 31, 2005 in Mobile | Permalink

January 31, 2005

Fashion: Marc Ecko, NBA Shirts

As labels such as FUBU struggle to adapt to changing tastes, Marc Ecko is about to present his new Cut and Sew line that’s a bit more formal and “mature” than Ecko Unlimited. Ecko says, “It’s really about growing up and letting the line grow up with the client.”

The NBA is putting out a line of men’s dress shirts in response to emerging consumer interests.

Posted by Clyde Smith on January 31, 2005 in Fashion | Permalink

January 31, 2005

Grammy Awards Nominations State the Obvious

Opinon is divided over whether or not the extensive Grammy Awards nominations of hip hop and RnB acts indicate the arrival of so-called urban music or an attempt by the Grammys to become relevant to current interests. Actually, it seems like a combination of both, since the Recording Academy has actively searched for new voting members who better represent the diversity of current music.

Posted by Clyde Smith on January 31, 2005 in Awards | Permalink

January 31, 2005

Children’s Fashion on the Runway

New York’s Olympus Fashion Week, produced by 7th on 6th, will include a Child magazine children’s fashion runway show.  The show will present a variety of labels including hip hop-related lines from Marc Ecko, Roc-A-Wear, Phat Farm Boys and Baby Phat Girlz by Kimora Lee Simmons.  Child Editor-in-Chief Miriam Arond states,
"Children’s fashion has never been recognized in the same way that the adult lines have, and yet, if you look at the clothing that comes out season after season, the designs often rival or even surpasses men’s and women’s wear lines in terms of creativity, use of color and experimentation."

Models will include Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons’ daughter Ming Lee and Damon Dash’s kids Boogie and Ava.  Olympus Fashion Week schedule.

Posted by Clyde Smith on January 31, 2005 in Kids | Permalink

January 31, 2005

Epitaph Builds Hip Hop With Sage Francis

Epitaph, a label associated with punk rock, got into hip hop by signing rapper Sage Francis in the first of multiple hip hop signings. In February they’re releasing A Healthy Distrust and Sage Francis will go on tour. Epitaph will also be releasing albums by Blackalicious, the Coup and Danger Mouse and distributing Lyrics Born’s next release. By the way, if you wish rap music was more meaningful but you’ve never heard of these artists, you have some homework to do.

For more about the highly politically conscious Sage Francis, check out this interview at Zero Mag. Sage Francis is also a partner in KnowMore.org, an almost live activist-oriented search engine focused on corporations.

Posted by Clyde Smith on January 31, 2005 in Artists, Labels | Permalink

January 31, 2005

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

In late February, Chuck D. and some other folks will meet at New York University to discuss one of the greatest hip hop albums to date and one of the strongest musical statements of the late 20th Century, Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back.

Posted by Clyde Smith on January 31, 2005 in Albums, Events | Permalink

January 31, 2005

Hip Hop Criminal News at AllHipHop.com

I avoid as much crime news as I can, but it’s relevant to business, so here you go.

Lil’ Kim goes to trial in late February for her alleged involvement in a shootout for which her manager has pled guilty as one of the shooters.

Though The Game is doing great on the charts, he and some crew members are being investigated in a beatdown of a dj allegedly because he made a comment about The Game’s manager’s cell-phone headset (if this is true, WTF?!?). The Game’s Black Wall Street label responded to this and other violent incidents clustering around The Game.

Regarding Irv Gotti’s current legal difficulties, 50 Cent said that,
“After establishing himself in the music business, he tried to become something he never had the heart to be in his neighborhood. That’s where “Gotti” came from. He was DJ Irv ahead of that. Anybody in the street is trying to get out. You can’t blame anyone but Irv.”

Over at NPR, you can hear a Morning Edition report on the investigation of Irv Gotti and associates.

Ja Rule and employees are wanted for questioning in a late Dec. shooting supposedly caught on a security cam (in which case they would be getting arrested rather than questioned, right?). Maybe the cam actually caught a short black man with some taller black men with guns. I can see how that would become, “hey, Ja Rule’s short and black and likes guns, let’s question him.”

I guess I just don’t understand the whole criminal game in hip hop. At some point, once you’ve broken in, shouldn’t you just allude to past crimes and focus on making money? I mean, just because you take terminology from white gangsters doesn’t mean you can’t emulate white collar crime instead of blue collar crime, like the bad boys of Enron. Then you’d just be labeled as aberrant rather than indicative of hip hop and, until you’re busted, you can talk abusively to the press and they’ll just fall in line. Think about it. Corporate crime is where it’s at. And, if you get away with it, you’ll be labeled a great historical figure.

Posted by Clyde Smith on January 31, 2005 in Legal | Permalink