ProHipHop: Hip Hop Marketing & Business News

T.I. Arrested, ATF & U.S. Marshals Search House

T.I. gets rounded up but word's not out on what for.  It looks like they're going to try to get everybody they can on whatever they can.  Sort of a mo' money, mo' problems moment presented by the Hip Hop Cops.

Tell me again why rich rappers aren't working on prison reform.  I've said it before but if you know that your or your friends are eventually going wouldn't you get around to some strategic thinking about what that really means?

That's a rhetorical question in case you're wondering.

Via Real Talk NY.

Update:
T.I. was arrested on gun charges stemming from having his bodyguard buy machine guns and silencers for him.  It's a detailed story so click through.  Looks really bad for T.I.

Update 2:
T.I. to stay in jail at least until a bail hearing Friday.

5 Alternative Business Models for the Music Industry

last100 looks at five alternative business models for the music industry:

Free (loss leader)
Pay what you want
Pay by Popularity
Subscription
A music tax

If you've been following things you'll have a good sense of this already but it's nice to see it sketched out.

Plus, the post mentions some interesting services some of which I had yet to encounter including Jamendo, Magnatune and AmieStreet.

ProHipHop & Hip Hop Press at Twitter via Twitterfeed

You can now stalk ProHipHop and Hip Hop Press blog posts via Twitter:
twitter.com/prohiphop
twitter.com/hiphoppress

Because the service will only display 5 posts at a time, some Hip Hop Press posts will not show up during busy periods when I post a larger batch. 

If you happen to check this out right away, you'll note that Hip Hop Press has no press releases yet.  They'll start showing next time I post one.  ProHipHop currently has a mix of PHH and HHP posts but the Hip Hop Press posts will no longer be included.  So you can have one or both.

I'm currently using twitterfeed.com to make this happen.

My understanding is that the Twitter subscription option available when registering for Feedblitz newsletters results in my posts getting posted to your Twitter page, though that may involve the "your timeline" option vs. the "Direct" option.

So this provides another option for Twitter users that may better fit current use patterns.  Or something like that!

If you prefer a daily email version:
ProHipHop Newsletter
Hip Hop Press Newsletter

Atomic Dogg Rallies Pitbull Lovers & Hip Hop Fans

The Los Angeles Super Bully Show

The Atomic Dogg Magazine is rallying pitbull lovers and hip hop fans at the October 20th Los Angeles Super Bully Show in El Monte, California.

Official Site:
Atomic Dogg Magazine @ MySpace

L.A. Reid Embraces His Cincinnati Roots

L.A. Reid was recently featured in his hometown newspaper, The Enquirer, and expressed great interest in reconnecting with his Cincinnati roots which could be good news for local artists:

Nothing would make me happier than to put my arms around a band or an artist from Cincinnati, in any genre. It could be country, anything. I'm open to it.

Promo Video for Hip-Hop Chess Federation f/Casual

Hip-Hop Chess Federation Promo Video Featuring Casual

Casual of the Hieroglyphics Crew drops a few bars and Adisa Banjoko breaks down who's coming to the next Hip-Hop Chess Federation event this Saturday October 13th at the SF Design Center in San Francisco.

There's some kind of belt action happening as you can tell from the video.

In related HHCF news, the Liquid Experience Group, makers of the Jimi Hendrix Liquid Experience Energy Drink, are cosponsors of the upcoming event.

Since these people all mean well, no snide comments will be allowed concerning the obvious parallels between the psychedelic preferences of Jimi Hendrix and those thizz-faced youngsters in the East Bay.

Official Site:
Hip-Hop Chess Federation
The Liquid Experience Group

Jay-Z Brings Back "That Ace of Spades": Armand de Brignac Champagne

Hype Williams makes a gorgeous video for Blue Magic and Jay-Z gives Armand de Brignac Champagne a lovely product placement.

Here we go again!

By the way, I actually talked to Armand CEO Brett Berish a while back.  He basically said what I'd already read in the papers.  My jaw dropped further with every soundbite as I literally became speechless.  Didn't seem worth mentioning at the time.

Armand has a beautiful new website as well.

Background:
ProHipHop Coverage of Armand de Brignac Champagne

Jay-Z - Blue Magic f/Pharrell Williams [Video]

Jay-Z - Blue Magic

Nice work everybody!  The clip from American Gangster at the end with Denzel talking about Blue Magic being a brand is just too perfect.

This is a really beautiful video but I'm totally disappointed to see that effing Ace of Spades is back!  More on that soon.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Pharrell Mobbed on Way to Blue Magic Shoot
Jay-Z's Blue Magic Highest[?] Debut by a Rap Single

Koch Records In On Jim Jones' Columbia Deal

In a press release distributed by Koch Records, Jim Jones' deal with Columbia and ongoing relationship with Koch has been clarified, sort of:

Rapper and entrepreneur Jim Jones has signed a new deal with Columbia Records. This new deal is a partnership of sorts with KOCH Records. KOCH will still be involved in marketing and radio promotion for Jones, and participate in revenue streams, while Columbia will oversee all aspects of his campaigns.

Jones will have the best of both worlds as the #1 Indie label and one of the most historic major labels team up with him on his upcoming album.

So far, so good.  We'll see if Mr. Jones is ready for a new level of the game.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Jim Jones Signs Deal w/Sony, Working w/Rick Rubin

Ghostface's Book: The World According to Pretty Toney

Ghostface Killah - The World According to Pretty Toney

Ghostface has a hardback book coming out November 1st from MTV Books called The World According to Pretty Toney in which, in the guise of Pretty Toney, he shares unique advice.  Here's what the pr email said:

"For all y'all smart dumb cats out there." Legendary Hip Hop artist, Ghostface Killah, settles into one of his most popular characters(Pretty Toney(and offers readers a hilariously unique perspective on life via guides to and advice on everything from sex to gambling, family to education, even how to eat on just $5 a day, better known as The Hustler's Diet. A singular twist on Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for the hip hop generation complete with illustrative photos.

Born as a series of shorts on MTV2, Pretty Toney and his musings quickly became a channel and online hit, with fans uploading the shorts on YouTube and circulating them virally.

The book will also include a CD of Ghostface reading the material, the perfect accompaniment to enjoying the book.

Actually, from what I've seen of the MTV shorts, an audiobook version of this might work really well.

Tyler Perry Real Estate Empire Interests Kanye West

Apparently Tyler Perry has been quite active in real estate over the last year.

Most recently Kanye West is rumored to have checked out Perry's 22 acre lot in Beverly Hills that's currently available for $15 million making me wonder if Kanye's next move is to create a Murakami Neverland!

However, he did recently spend "$7,150,000 for a 3,299 square foot fixer on N. Crescent Drive in the flats of Beverly Hills" so maybe he's just window shopping.

Via Sucker Free.

Soulja Boy: 5th Week #1, Kanye's Good Life #10

Soulja Boy's Crank That (Soulja Boy) enjoys a fifth week at the top of the Hot 100 singles chart as Soulja Girl featuring I-15 debuts at no. 72.

Kanye West gets another top 10 hit as Good Life featuring T-Pain rises from no. 18 to no. 10:
thanks to an increase of 25 million audience impressions, the largest of the year. "Good Life" is also the top airplay gainer on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, rising 15-8.

Top 10 Singles on the Hot 100:

1. Soulja Boy - Crank That (Soulja Boy)
2. Kanye West - Stronger
3. Britney Spears - Gimme More
4. Timbaland - Apologize feat. OneRepublic
5. Timbaland - The Way I Are feat. Keri Hilson
6. J. Holiday - Bed
7. Colbie Caillat - Bubbly
8. Alicia Keys - No One
9. Fergie - Big Girls Don't Cry
10. Kanye West - Good Life feat. T-Pain

Jay-Z's Blue Magic appears at no. 55 and is crowned this week's Hot Shot Debut.

Off Topic: Amp'd Mobile Condoms Outlast Company

Big money, big ego, big bankruptcy sale:

A company called VoodooVox...occupies Amp'd Mobile's former posh offices on Union Square in Manhattan, complete with a massive terrace overlooking the city. VoodooVox CEO Scott Hamilton was able to acquire the space and it's custom-built contents "by feeding on the corpse of Amp'd," as he so delicately puts it. For $16,000 at bankruptcy court, he was able to to get a couple hundred thousand dollars worth (his estimate) of furniture and other surplus.

As usual, when someone leaves a place in haste, some things are left behind:

As Hamilton was cleaning out the desks and filing cabinets, he came across some of those excesses in the form of marketing schwag—like condoms stamped with the unfortunate tagline, "Try not to die." Little did the Amp'd marketing genius who came up with that line know that the expiration dates on the condoms would outlast the company.

Amp'd Mobile: Try not to die before your condom!

Q-Tip Focused on The Renaissance, Not Lupe Fiasco

Q-Tip has spoken on Fiascogate, says he's talked to Lupe Fiasco and they're basically cool.  They even discussed the possibility of a tour!

Q-Tip is a bigger man than most.

He already sounds ready to leave it behind and focus on his work:

He is now turning his attention to the February 12th release of his long-awaited sophomore solo album, The Renaissance...

In addition to the early '08 release of The Renaissance – a video for the album's next single, "Fever," is forthcoming – Tip will be making his Andre 3000-esque comeback complete in the coming weeks with his own Mick Boogie-backed mixtape, as well as an additional pre-album treat helmed by Green Lantern and Statik Selektah entitled The 21 Breakbeats of Death, wherein which Tip will be spittin' over classic hip-hop breaks.

Even though Q-Tip isn't dwelling on it in public, you know he's feeling the love from all you guys that blew up in Lupe's face over this one.

Via The Rap Up.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Lupe Fiasco to Sue Vibe for Fiascogate Article

Lupe Fiasco to Sue Vibe for Fiascogate Article

Lupe Fiasco says he will sue Vibe for defamation of character for their recent Fiascogate article that now bears the disclaimer:
Note: The interview with Lupe Fiasco regarding his feelings about Tribe and Midnight Marauders was conducted prior to his Hip Hop Honors performance. The article should have made clearer that Lupe Fiasco was responding to statements he'd previously made, not his Hip Hop Honors performance.

That is different because people were pretty shocked at these statements as a response to this incident but I think those folks would be shocked anyway.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Lupe Fiasco Chooses Brand Self Destruction

Jay-Z's Roc Boys Drops; Plus, Conference Call Audio

Real Talk NY has the streaming audio of Jay-Z's new single Roc Boys plus audio of a conference call with Jay-Z.

Nah Right has a downloadable version of Roc Boys.

Further Reputable Vendors:
The Rap Up
1xtralarge
Sit Down Stand Up

Further ProHipHop Coverage:
Listening Session w/Jay-Z, Next Single: Roc Boys

Prodigy Sentenced to 3.5 Years on Gun Possession

Prodigy - Mac 10 Handle

Prodigy gets 3.5 years after pleading guilty to "criminal possession of a loaded gun".

Via Real Talk NY.

50 Cent Exits Top 10, Soulja Boy Debuts at #4

Soulja Boy - souljaboytellem.com

Kanye West drops to no. 7, 50 Cent exits the top 10 and Soulja Boys' souljaboytellem.com debuts at no. 4 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Top 10 Albums on the Billboard 200:

1. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
2. Rascal Flatts - Still Feels Good
3. Matchbox Twenty - Exile on Mainstream
4. Soulja Boy - souljaboytellem.com
5. J. Holiday - Back of My 'Lac
6. Keyshia Cole - Just Like You
7. Kanye West - Graduation
8. Reba McEntire - Reba Duets
9. Annie Lennox - Songs of Mass Destruction
10. Soundtrack - High School Musical 2

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Souljaboytellem.com: Soulja Boy's Dot Com Marketing

Over at VidRap:
Jimmy Kimmel: Soulja Boy f/Travis Barker - Crank That/Soulja Girl
Soulja Boy - Crank That [Travis Barker Live Remix]
Barney Cranks Dat Soulja Boy

Ghostface Dropping Big Dough Rehab Album Dec. 4th

Ghostface Announces The Big Dough Rehab

All us top bloggers have been emailed a link to this video of Ghostface announcing a new album [a video that they no longer supported after using us for some quick publicity] dropping December 4th, same day as Wu-Tang Clan's 8 Diagrams.

Sounds like he's calling it The Big Dough Rehab. 

Currently Ghostface is on Adult Swim's hip hop tour and will be joining the HIP HOP LIVE! tour on October 29th.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Ghostface Promo: Big Doe Rehab Cover Shoot

My Son Marshall by Eminem's Mom Debbie Nelson

My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem - Debbie Nelson

illjeezy calls it a rumor but My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem by Debbie Nelson, aka Eminem's mom, is out in the UK.

I guess if she gives up on the reconciliation we can look forward to Volume Two: My Son Slim Shady.

BT Digital Music Awards 07: Best Music Blog Top 100

Blunted announces that the blog made the Best Music Blog Top 100 as part of the BT Digital Music Awards 07 Peoples Choice Awards.

In case you don't recognize some of the blogs on the list, that may be because it's a UK thing.  Note there are some American blogs like Real Talk NY (actually that's the only one I recognized from the States) but go there for the wide range of UK blogs like Leeds Hip Hop Scene.

This is a timely discovery for me as I've been feeling the need to develop more international coverage from local sources.

If you've got other world hip hop site suggestions, particularly blogs written in English other than Flight 808 which I already follow and recommend, please drop them in the comments or hit me up with an email at:
clyde(at)prohiphop(dot)com

Got world hip hop pr?  Send it to:
hiphoppress(at)netweed(dot)com

And congrats to the winners!

Lupe Fiasco Chooses Brand Self Destruction

Looks like Lupe Fiasco is choosing the "dig hole deeper, faster" approach to crisis management in the wake of Fiascogate.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Lupe Fiasco to Sue Vibe for Fiascogate Article

Iller Than Theirs' Illeractive Album Guide

Illeractive Guide to Iller Than Theirs

Though I'm not in love with this image, I do like the way the artist, Iller Than Theirs member Tone Tank, took his album cover art for their self-titled debut and expanded the composite elements to make a simple interactive or "illeractive" website with audio.

Over at VidRap:
Iller Than Theirs: To Be Ill ~ Razor Bumps

Blogs: Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Donny Goines

Kanye West's kanYe West: Blog and Pharrell Williams' Billionaire Boys Club blog have a lot in common including fashion show attendance and a keen interest in French design.

Up-and-comer Donny Goines shares his advice for other up-and-comers at Hustle Harder.

ProHipHop to Sidestep Hip Hop Cultural Correctness

Though the temptation is mighty, ProHipHop is taking a public vow to avoid the following topics due to the risks involved with disrupting the forces of Hip Hop Cultural Correctness.

ProHipHop will not be discussing Lupe Fiasco's recent disrespecting of the elders because we are attempting to avoid involvement in religious disputes.

ProHipHop will not be discussing the excessive posting of RZA's videotaped discussion of The Heart Gently Weeps because we do not believe that RZA's depth can save a boring track.

Finally, ProHipHop will not be discussing KRS-One's recent attack on Kanye West and endorsement of 50 Cent cause that's just wack.

Thank you and have a pleasant tomorrow.

Upon further reflection:

Lupe better do something fast cause his brand is melting.

RZA is still the man.

KRS-One has been doing a great job of seizing the old school moment, raising his visibility and strengthening his brand.

Carry on.

Izod Beats Rocawear for Stadium Naming Rights

Izod beat Rocawear in the challenge for naming rights to the Meadownlands Arena currently called the Continental Airlines Arena.

Henceforth it will be known as the Izod Center.  For more see USA Today.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Jay-Z's Rocawear Battles Izod & SouthPole for Meadowlands Arena Naming Rights

Jermaine Dupri Promotes Book on The Big Idea

Jermaine Dupri on The Big Idea

Jermaine Dupri talks with Donny Deutsch on the topic "Millionaires Must Stay Hungry" as he promotes his new book Young, Rich, and Dangerous: The Making of a Music Mogul.

Dupri is a great interviewee despite what Rizoh accurately describes as "uninspired questions".

Don't know how long the video will last but it's worth a look especially for Kriss Kross fans since he discusses a bit about how he found and developed them as an act.

Jermaine Dupri's Young, Rich, and Dangerous on Strip Club Research

Crain's New York Business.com has an article about Jermaine Dupri that includes excerpts from Young, Rich, and Dangerous: The Making of a Music Mogul.  In particular Crain's found Dupri's thoughts on strip club research worth noting.  Check the links at the end of the post for prior ProHipHop coverage of this fascinating topic.

Jermaine Dupri writes about strip club research:

Strip clubs are basically a way into that street life...Magic City and The Body Tap are my special music laboratories. These are the places where artists and records break, especially in the South. In strip clubs the music gets nice and grimy. People can lose their inhibitions so you really get to know how they feel about the music. I'd even say strip air play is stronger than radio air play in Atlanta...

If the girls are requesting the track and shakin' it to the beat you know it's gonna cross over into radio. It's like the girls are hit detectors. That's why guys wanting to get their demos heard try to pay off the strip club DJs to play 'em. They know some cat like me is sitting in the club studying how the ladies and the audience react to their song.

Strip clubs are for real down an' dirty grassroots marketing. Young Jeezy broke in strip clubs. Rick Ross' song "Hustlin'" did well--strippers made money off of it. They moved so well they made their customers happy and got more bills thrown at them.

I'm probably the only top label executive in the world who goes to a strip club at least once a week. Puffy goes once in a while, but you won't see L.A. Reid or Jay-Z in the clubs. But for me it's necessary. That's where I meet people, learn things and see what's happening in other people's worlds. The clubs are like a gumbo of life. All together in one building you can find the straight white corporate guys listening to rap in their suits, alongside the hardest thugs who killed 10 people. You get NBA guys mixing it up with artists as well as regular dudes. It's my chance to be in the thick of it all.

For me musically the strip club is equivalent to the whole mixtape scene in New York. You get exposed to records you're never gonna hear on the radio.

Via Sit Down Stand Up.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Jermaine Dupri's Strip Club Research
Hip Hop Research & Marketing in Atlanta Strip Clubs
Hip Hop Research & Marketing in Strip Clubs, Pt. 3

Steve Rifkind Launches Loud Beverage Corp., Plans Loud Sex Shots & Energy 2008 Tour

New Loud Energy Drinks - Sitrus Stunner & Classic Mix

Steve Rifkind, founder of Loud Records, and Ron Urban have launched Loud Beverage Corp. and Rifkind is planning on putting his street marketing expertise to work:

"We will launch this product market by market in the manner of breaking records," says Loud's Rifkind. "In addition to traditional beverage marketing, we utilize radio, DJs, mix tapes, club nights and promotions with non-traditional entertainment and lifestyle accounts. This company's rich musical history has its roots in marketing, and that's the same approach we are taking with Loud Energy Drinks."

More on current and future product lines including Loud Sex shots from the press release:

Loud Energy Drinks currently come in two flavors (Classic Mix and Sitrus Stunner), with a third (Grapple Sauce) in production and a fourth (the sugar-free Pomberry Zero) completing formulation. The drinks, unlike other products, are lightly carbonated, providing energy components as well as essential vitamins and healthful ingredients...

Loud Energy Drinks are currently available in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, New Mexico, Texas, Atlanta, Memphis, New York City and suburbs, with Virginia, Maryland, DC, Pennsylvania and New Jersey added to the list within the next month...

Loud Beverage Corp. also has several lines in development, including Loud Shotz, a two-ounce sugar-free energy/vitamin/antioxidant shot, which will launch in November with two flavors. In addition, there are plans for a co-branded artist launch of four organic vitamin waters in 2008, along with Loud Sex shots.

And on the marketing including the Loud Energy 2008 Tour:

The packaging incorporates the well-known Loud logo, one of the most recognized brands in all of pop and hip-hop culture, in a streamlined 12 oz., can with a sleek, cool look. By December, the drinks will come in stylized four and six-packs that resemble a woofer from a speaker and an old-school boom box, lending itself to co-branding and promotional opportunities.

Local promotions are planned with partner Universal Music Group at such retail outlets as Dimple, Rasputin, Hastings and more than 200 independent indie accounts. The product will also be on sale at select FYE stores this holiday season....

The Loud Energy 2008 Tour, with a full slate of corporate and entertainment sponsors, is slated to start in January and will run for six months, hitting 26 major markets.

Now that's a rich and useful press release!

There doesn't seem to be a separate website so check Loud.com for future news and availability.

Common Ground Foundation to Support Urban Youth

Common has [re]launched the Common Ground Foundation with Jodie Blum as Executive Director:
The foundation will be overseen by Executive Director Jodie Blum, and is dedicated to the empowerment and development of urban youth through education...

Additionally, The Common Ground Foundation supports and focuses on AIDS/HIV prevention programs targeted towards youth and young adults, reaching beyond our national borders to serve communities throughout Africa.

A quick look at the Common Ground Foundation website reveals some serious looking community programs plus additional interests in Katrina relief.

This looks solid and it appears that the programs were already in motion and this is the next step organizationally or that a lot of planning and development occurred in the buildup to this announcement.  Either way it's a great start.

Update:
The Common Ground Foundation has been around for awhile and I have no idea why they're not calling it a relaunch.  For example, here's an event they did in 2005.

N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton 20th Anniversary Edition; Plus, Featuring...Eazy-E

N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton [Remastered 2002]

N.W.A.'s classic album Straight Outta Compton will soon be available in a 20th Anniversary Edition:

On December 4, Capitol/Priority will release an expanded 20th Anniversary Edition of the landmark album in CD, vinyl and digital formats. The commemorative release adds five bonus tracks, including a live version of "Compton's N The House," covers of Straight Outta Compton tracks by Snoop Dogg and C-Murder, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Mack 10, and WC, and a new package essay by music writer and author Soren Baker.

Also set for release December 4th is a new Eazy-E collection:

Capitol/Priority will release Featuring ... Eazy-E, a new 16-track collection of his best collaborations and rare solo recordings. The compilation includes four previously out of print tracks, which are exclusively available on this release, and collaborations with his N.W.A co-conspirators Ice Cube, MC Ren and Dr. Dre, as well as with Mack 10, Ice-T, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and others.

It's gonna be an OG Christmas!

ProHipHop Launches prohiphop.mobi Via MoFuse

I'm happy to report that prohiphop.mobi now redirects to http://m.mofuse.com/phhmobi where you can access feeds for both ProHipHop and Hip Hop Press courtesy of MoFuse: Mobile Fusion.

I'm still playing around with the details but you'll get the idea.  I do plan to offer larger excerpts but I'm running into feed issues that hopefully won't be a big deal.  However since clicking through to an html site isn't the best mobile experience I do plan to improve the current offering.

Let me know if anybody actually checks it out on a mobile device and feel free to give me feedback here or via email:
clyde(at)prohiphop(dot)com

If you're interested in an invitation to the MoFuse beta hit me up. is now open to the public.

Found via Mashable.

More Jay-Z Merch: Classic Albums: Reasonable Doubt DVD

Jay-Z - Classic Albums: Reasonable Doubt DVD

From Amazon's Product Description:
"Reasonable Doubt" was his debut album and is still considered by many to be his finest achievement. A much harder hitting and edgy record than his later more polished and pop orientated releases it announced to the world that a new rap star had arrived. This latest addition to the Classic Albums series sees Jay-Z take us back through the whole creative process behind this stunning first release.

The Classic Albums: Reasonable Doubt DVD starring Jay-Z is set for release October 30.

Russell Simmons to Speak at Media & Money Conference

Russell Simmons joins a group of serious heavyweights at the first Dow Jones/Nielsen Company Media and Money conference happening November 7th and 8th in New York.

Keynote speakers will include:
Jeffrey Bewkes, President & COO, Time Warner
Michael Eisner, Founder, The Tornante Company
Norman Pearlstine, Senior Advisor, The Carlyle Group

Simmons will be providing the inspirational keynote on "Business Karma":
In this session, Mr. Simmons will share lessons of his journey from New York City streets to the pinnacle of business accomplishment and his views on how success is not something you achieve, but something you do.

Official Site:
Media and Money 2007

5 Tips for Professional Hosts from Terrence J

North Carolinian Terrence J, cohost of BET's 106 & Park, shares 5 Tips for Professional Hosts:

1. Read Up
2. Listen
3. Brand Yourself
4. Be A Trend Setter
5. Have Fun

Bob Lefsetz: "The Money is in the Filter"

Bob Lefsetz at the 2007 Digital Music Forum West

At the start of this clip Bob Lefsetz of The Lefsetz Letter is finishing up a tale so don't worry that he's talking even faster than he writes.

His closing comments on the music industry quickly cover some interesting ground but he does slow down a tiny bit as he makes multiple suggestions and offers some great insights.

Bob Lefsetz says: "The money is in the filter."

ProHipHop's take: He's talking about humans, not algorithms or corporate content by committee, that's why bloggers can win.

Bonus Lefsetz Quote:
"All the usual stuff, that's irrelevant."

Via Hypebot.

Hypebot: RIAA Victory?, DRM Free Sites, Lefsetz, AmieStreet App, Radiohead, eMusic's Future?, New Zunes

Music industry news from Hypebot:

The RIAA won a big jury trial for illegal downloads and a single Mom now owes them $220K. But was this really a victory for the music industry?

The Top 5 Sites for DRM Free Music plus 2 dishonorable mentions.  OurDigitalMusic.com took a look at the list from a consumer's perspective.

Video of music commentator Bob Lefsetz on the future of the music industry from last week's Digital Media West conference.

AmieStreet launched a Facebook application that lets you start a fantasy record label and compete for prizes.

Popular alternative rockers Radiohead released their latest album without a label selling it as a download using a "pay what you want" model.  The Radiohead site was stalled last week by the high demand with most fans paying full price according to a spokesperson.

Hypebot asks if eMusic can survive the new Amazon mp3 store?  Will more labels leave?

Microsoft unveiled a new line of Zunes. Here's a video first look.

See ProHipHop's Hypebot Industry News category for past roundups.

Amazon Product Cloud Widget: Music

Amazon Affiliate Program Product Cloud Widget

Considering Yahoo's Ian Rogers' comments on Amazon's MP3 store caused me to check and see what they're doing with widgets these days.  I'd hope for one for the MP3 store and that will probably emerge but the above is an example of their keyword cloud widget that features products from the Music category that are supposed to be relevant to the page on which one encounters the widget.

Yahoo's Ian Rogers Big Ups Amazon MP3 Store

Michael Arrington has a great post on the perspective of Yahoo Music VP of Product Development Ian Rogers who points out that the music industry has forced Yahoo! to create unpleasant consumer experiences.

His disregard for DRM even leads him to describe his great experience at Amazon's new DRM-free MP3 store in comparison to what consumers experience at Yahoo!.

But here's the best part:
I won’t let Yahoo! invest any more money in consumer inconvenience. I will tell Yahoo! to give the money they were going to give me to build awesome media applications to Yahoo! Mail or Answers or some other deserving endeavor. I personally don’t have any more time to give and can’t bear to see any more money spent on pathetic attempts for control instead of building consumer value. Life’s too short. I want to delight consumers, not bum them out.

Here's Ian Rogers post that includes his presentation.

Notorious Casting Call: Patting Down Auditionees

The NY Times has a fun little piece on auditions for Notorious, a Biggie Smalls biopic coming from Fox.

Mostly entertainment but the writer mentions that they patted down auditionees before letting them in. 

Ah, the business of hip hop, bringing new security practices to every industry it touches.

Listening Session w/Jay-Z, Next Single: Roc Boys

Jay-Z - American Gangster

Eskay describes an American Gangster listening session with Jay-Z providing a "track by track breakdown of everything I was about to hear".  Sounds like a trip to say the least.

Some highlights:
The album plays out like a film. Every track represents a a different period in the progression of the hustler. The next single, "Roc Boys," which should be leaking any day now, is the celebratory "your name on the blimp" period.

This sh*t is actually more soulful than The Blueprint. Word to Marvin.

He damn sure does have the movie on continuous loop on a TV in the studio.

The "Blue Magic" video is shot, edited and ready to go. Jay said he’s not ready to let it go yet.

He said he wants to shoot a movie to accompany the album (which accompanies a movie).

Wow.  So stay tuned for Roc Boys and that Blue Magic video followed by the album itself in about a month.

Updates:

More from Popwatch.

Looks like the publicists are all over Wikipedia these days.

AllHipHop's Chuck Creekmur has lots to say about Friday night.

Further ProHipHop Coverage:
Jay-Z's Roc Boys Drops; Plus, Conference Call Audio

Pics: VH1 Hip Hop Honors Celebrity Basketball Game

Real Talk NY has pics and video from today's VH1 Hip Hop Honors Celebrity Basketball Game.

[I'll check back on the video.]

Related Press Release:
VH1 Represented Hip Hop to the Fullest at the Fourth Annual 'VH1 Hip Hop Honors'

Boost Mobile RockCorps At Radio City Music Hall Photos

Sit Down Stand Up attends Saturday night's Boost Mobile RockCorps At Radio City Music Hall show and has the photos to prove it.

Press Release at Hip Hop Press:
Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and More Take Center Stage at Boost Mobile RockCorps Concert Saturday, October 6 at New York's Radio City Music Hall

See You Monday

I'm kind of on an extended birthday break [I'm an aging Libra!] so I think I'll see you tomorrow.

Till then!

Update:
Things got hectic and I returned to the fray but it's a good transition into the week.

Over at Flux Research:
From the Dewey Decimal System to Mahalo