ProHipHop: Hip Hop Marketing & Business News

Channel Three/21 Promos: Joell Ortiz, Consequence, Memphis Bleek plus Miss Info, Eskay & Nigel

Joell Ortiz, Consequence, Memphis Bleek for Channel Three/21

Two nice promos for Rik Cordero and Three/21 Media's Channel Three/21 @ YouTube.

At the end Memphis Bleek says "I run New York" after dropping a shoutout to American Gangster!  Ah, beautiful delusions of grandeur.  Dude, you'll always be the hypeman until you lose that job.

Miss Info, Eskay and Nigel for Channel Three/21

Blogger promo for Three/21 - New York's finest!

Official Site:
Three/21 Media

Promo Video for Mikey Mo's Focused

Promo for Mikey Mo - Focused

Promo video for Mikey Mo's debut album Focused from 3sixty5 Records due December 4th.

Over at VidRap:
Mikey Mo "The MC" - Mikey Mo's Theme
Mikey Mo "The MC", Dap Daniel & Abyss - Dollar Circulate

Commercial for Crunk Hits Vol. 4

Crunk Hits 4 TV Spot

Here's the tv commercial for Crunk Hits Vol. 4 due December 4th from TVT Records.

Russell Simmons & UNICEF Snowflake Signal Start of $hopping $eason

This is just too perfect for words.

Russell Simmons to Host UNICEF's 2007 New York Snowflake Lighting:
Honoring the spirit of giving, Tiffany & Co. and Hallmark Cards, Inc. will sponsor the 2007 UNICEF Snowflake Lighting...Onlookers will enjoy music and hot chocolate while watching the magnificent UNICEF Snowflake light up, signifying the beginning of the gift-giving season across the globe.

Pew Research Results Regarding Two Separate Forms of Music: Hip Hop & Rap?

A report from the Pew Research Center titled Blacks See Growing Values Gap Between Poor and Middle Class has a lot to consider.  Here's what the full report [pdf, p. 6] says about black and white responses to questions about hip hop and rap:

On the Cultural Front: Rap Takes the Rap

On the popular culture front, the survey finds that while a plurality of blacks think the portrayal of blacks in movies and on television has improved in the past decade, a plurality also believes that these onscreen images remain, on balance, more hurtful than helpful to society’s image of African Americans.

However, blacks are far more troubled by the influence that rap and hip hop have on society than by the portrayal of blacks in movies and television. Blacks and whites by similarly lopsided margins say that these two relatively new music forms are having a bad influence on society – mainly because of offensive language, negative stereotyping of women, and glorification of violence. There are gender differences on these questions, and they play out in different ways among whites and blacks. Among whites, men are more likely than women to see hip hop and rap as a bad influence. Among blacks, the reverse is true – women are more likely than men to see a bad influence.

Here's how the chart breaks things down:

                  All        Men        Women
% saying         %         %            %

Hip Hop is a bad influence:

Whites           64        68        59

Blacks            61        59        62

Rap is a bad influence:

Whites           74        79        70

Blacks            71        67        74

The questions on which these findings were based can be found on pages 85 to 87 of the full report.

The first questions were on hip hop:

In general, is HIP HOP music having a good influence, a bad influence, or not much influence at all on society today?

How often do you personally listen to hip hop music?

What’s the MAIN REASON you think HIP HOP music is having a bad influence on society?

These three questions are then followed by three questions substituting RAP for HIP HOP.

Normally in a survey of this sort such questions would be asked without any kind of explanation from the researchers [which would throw things off] or from those being surveyed [they aren't allowed free form responses].  Given that there is absolutely no consensus on the difference between rap and hip hop, except within the linguistic rules of distinct subcultures, these questions add a problematic level of confusion.

Very unscientific maneuver, in case you're wondering, and one that will confuse the heck out of most journalists.

I've got a phone message in and hope to find out more soon.

Via Miraflor.

Ghostface Promo: Big Doe Rehab Cover Shoot

Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab Cover Shoot

Ghostface Killah is promoting the December 4th release of The Big Doe Rehab.

Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab

You know what I mean?

Ludacris Joins Cast of Game, Movie Due Late 08/Early 09

Ludacris is joining the cast of a new movie currently titled Game that's set for a faraway future release.

Jay-Z's American Gangster #1, Cassidy's B.A.R.S. #10

Jay-Z's American Gangster album takes the top spot on the Billboard 200 album chart moving 425k copies:
The rapper thus ties Elvis Presley in second place for the most No. 1 albums on the chart [ten each]; only the Beatles have had more, with 19.

Cassidy's B.A.R.S.: The Barry Adrian Reese Story debuted at no. 10 while the soundtrack to the American Gangster movie debuted at no. 36.

Top 10 Albums on the Billboard 200:
1. Jay-Z - American Gangster
2. The Eagles - Long Road Out of Eden
3. Garth Brooks - The Ultimate Hits
4. Chris Brown - Exclusive
5. Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride
6. Josh Groban - Noel
7. Britney Spears - Blackout
8. Taylor Swift - Taylor Swift
9. Angels & Airwaves - I-Empire
10. Cassidy - B.A.R.S.: The Barry Adrian Reese Story

Blogs: Beats & Food Stamps, Wooohah, Get A Bar!, Around the Horn, Mare 139, Frank151

Here are some blogs and a resource for finding blogs that have caught my eye of late.

Beats and Food Stamps recently launched adding another strong voice to the hip hop blogosphere.  Straight up, I was one of the folks who encouraged him to start blogging but you can't blame me if he starts wilding out!

Wooohah is making some nice moves with a specially good eye for movie and tv releases but quite a bit of hip hop business news more generally. I'm going to have to keep an eye on this operation.

Get A Bar! is LA-based with a West Coast focus.

You'll probably only hear more about these blogs at ProHipHop if they cover topics of relevance to what I'm doing and, generally speaking, there are way more interesting hip hop blogs out there than I'll ever mention.

One of the best resources I've found for discovering new and old high quality blogs is Rafi Kam's Around the Horn that can be followed in the sidebar of Oh Word.

A lot of the blogs I find there aren't so appropriate for ProHipHop but, for hip hop fans and folks just looking for interesting art and other stuff, blogs like Mare 139 and Frank151 are always worth checking out.

Roberto Cavalli Shopping Frenzy at H&M's Amsterdam Store

Fashionistas Mob H&M's Roberto Cavalli Store

A bit off-topic but I'm really impressed by the ferocious nature of these shoppers.  Especially when they clear out those bins!

Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Welcome to Jadakiss Backfires

Jadakiss "Pick[s] up the mic and die[s] again"

Jay-Z welcomes Jadakiss to the Roc but, as Miss Info attests, "so much for magical moments."

American Society of Plastic Surgeons Protect Brand in Wake of Donda West's Death

From a press release titled Plastic Surgery Complications and Deaths are Rare, Despite Highly Publicized Death of Donda West:

Following the tragic death of Donda West, mother of hip-hop star Kanye West, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reminds consumers that plastic surgery is real surgery and outlines several important recommendations when considering plastic surgery.

"The death of a patient is always tragic and devastating for all involved, particularly the patient's family and the medical team," said Richard D'Amico, MD, ASPS president. "However, we don't want to unnecessarily frighten the public. While this situation is rare, the decision to have a plastic surgery procedure is serious. No-risk surgery doesn't exist."

That sounds like a standard disclaimer and there's more standard advice that also lends itself to additional readings:

"It's one thing to have training, but it's another to have your competency tested. This is why board-certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) is so crucial," said Dr. D'Amico. "As a patient, you should ask yourself, 'Why wouldn't this surgeon be board-certified in plastic surgery?'"

This statement immediately made me wonder if the ASPS was leveraging the possibility that Dr. Jan Adams, the guy folks think performed the operation that preceded Donda West's death, was not board certified.  So I took a look to see if I could find some kind of publicly verifiable certification.

Couldn't find anything at his official website.

A personal search of resources provided to the general public by American Board of Medical Specialties and by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons revealed no certifications though one cannot assume that Dr. Adams is not certified based on this information.

So I went and got caught up on more Dr. Adams news and it turns out that he has been sued for allegedly lying about his credentials.

Sounds like a timely pr move by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons in more ways than one.

On a Related Note:
While conducting a Google search for dr. jan adams I found this text ad from a radio station seeking to capitalize on her death at the top of the search results:

Kanye's Tragedy: Mom Dies
www.Power1051fm.com
Dr. Donda West passed suddenly. Get story + leave condolences here

I can't really criticize since all media outlets reporting on this story and running ads with it are benefitting whether they advertise on other sites or not.  It just feels a little weird.

Update:
AP: Dr. Jan Adams Admits Surgery on Donda West

BusinessWeek Puff Piece on Hip Hop 2.0

BusinessWeek has a lightweight celebrity focused Hip Hop 2.0 article and slideshow.

Take a look and tell me if you think that's even worth mentioning.  I think I need to stop promoting MSM outlets that don't actually add to the conversation cause we're past the point of waiting for the media to take hip hop seriously enough to cover it and now need to start pushing for the media to take hip hop seriously enough to cover it well.

[Note: BusinessWeek is basically a business-themed entertainment media company so maybe I should just give them a break...Not!]

Fortunately there are a few points worth considering.

Point of Interest 1:
Photo of Russell Simmons on a traditional phone with a cord and everything!

That's funny because I've always meant to do a blog essay about how the signifier of the hip hop businessman began with Russell Simmons and the cellphone.  Almost all his early candid coverage showed him with a cellphone and he epitomized the early hip hop businessman.

Then the cigar became big and you could pick a lot of candidates from Suge Knight to Jay-Z.

Now I'd have to consider if Russell Simmons is about to change the signifier game again or whether or not that landline is just another anachronism like the Pimp Cup.

Point of Interest 2:
AllHipHop is Hip Hop 2.0 now?

That would work if there was some kind of rational reason for its inclusion or some passing reference to online forums being a precursor to social networks but AllHipHop is described in the article as "multimedia-heavy" and in the slideshow as "one of the original hip-hop destinations on the Web".  The writer isn't even trying.

But why bother with such details?  Chuck Creekmur's a successful black entrepreneur living in New York and that's Hip Hop 2.0, right?

Point of Interest 3:
There's a Global Grind spam comment below the article!

Dumbness or a competitor setting up a competitor?

Have a real interest in Hip Hop 2.0?

Take a stroll through ProHipHop's Hip Hop 2.0 and Social Networks categories.

For a wider range of hip hop social networks, check out:
Hip Hop Social Networks: XXL, Indie HipHop Online, DaHoneyHouse.com?, RapHappy, Loud.com, Global Grind?, iNTERNETS CELEBRITIES?, List of Priors

By the way GrandGood says AllHipHop is the winner among the beauty pageant slideshow participants.  All I've got to say is that, by the time they're done, DanceJam should stack way more skrilla than any of these other operations [i.e. DanceJam will outperform its Hip Hop 2.0 competitors].

Taking a Closer Look at AllHipHop:
I decided to take a closer look at AllHipHop after checking out this nice press release rewrite in which it's revealed that "AllHipHop.com has learned" about this press release.

Hip Hop 1.0 tricks aside, if you scroll down you'll see that AllHipHop has added comments to their articles and that's a Web 2.0 thing for a news site to do.

They also have an embeddable Amazon store and that's kind of 2.0ish.

AllHipHop might actually be an interesting choice to consider how older sites are making the transition to a Web 2.0 world.

Sentences: Graphic Novel on the Life of MF Grimm

Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm 

NPR interviews MF Grimm, aka Percy Carey, who has written an autobiographical graphic novel, Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm, with the collaboration of artist Ronald Wimberly.

I am definitely going to cop this.

Via GRANDGOOD.

TSM Capital Invests in Rachel Roy Fashion Brand

Rachel Roy, Damon Dash's wife, has won investment capital from TSM Capital to:
grow her brand through global wholesale, new lines and the launch of freestanding stores in the US.

Official Site:
Rachel Roy

Photography Exhibition: The Breaks & Born in the Bronx

The Breaks: Stylin' and Profilin' 1982-1990 Exhibition

The powerHouse Arena is currently holding a photography exhibition at their Brooklyn location for photos from two powerHouse Books:

The Breaks: Stylin' and Profilin' 1982-1990 - Photos by Janette Beckman

Born in the Bronx: A Visual Record of the Early Days of Hip Hop - Photos by Joe Conzo

They also have event pics from an artist reception on Friday featuring Grand Wizzard Theodore and more information about the exhibition and the books.

Via Mare 139.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Born in the Bronx to Feature Joe Conzo's Photography

T.I. Working on Paper Trail Album Under House Arrest

What a grim time this must be for T.I. as he starts work on a new album under house arrest.  Apparently he got an engineer cleared for visits and is now writing down his lyrics after a period of doing it all in his head.  Paper Trail should be expected sometime next year.

Jay Smooth on RZA & the "Legend of the Replicator"

Ill Doctrine: RZA and the Legend of the Replicator

Honestly, I hoped for something a bit more investigative than making fun of RZA but the Prince Paul endorsement at the end is kind of interesting.

The problem: RZA says he invented the precursor to an important piece of digital technology for which others receive credit.

He then tells a story in which he says he met the guy who had created the replicator, i.e. he met the inventor, and then went on to try to build a business around the invention that he didn't invent.

So RZA's own version of the story immediately contradicts itself and manages to obscure what may well be an interesting piece of music business history.  Jay includes the key segments in the above video.

ProHipHop Takeaway from MC Hammer Interview: DanceJam to Stack Major Skrilla

I talked to MC Hammer today about the rollout of DanceJam and also checked out the current version that is gradually growing by invitation and should soon be open to everyone.  You can catch up on the back story and some of the positioning via the links at the end of this post.

The basic deal is that Hammer is working with cofounders of Flock to create DanceJam, a dance-centered social video network, and that he deserves the Chief Strategy Officer title because there isn't really a proper title for the full range of what he brings to the table.

MC Hammer: Chief Strategy Officer

Prior to the interview I had not picked up on the fact that Hammer, in addition to being a legitimate cofounder, was being called Chief Strategy Officer.  Unfortunately I think my surprise at the title showed all too clearly and I managed to stumble my way into a poorly articulated question that Hammer fielded quite gracefully.

After going over some necessary background, Hammer clarified what he does in his role as Chief Strategy Officer, a role that draws fully on his wide-ranging background in dance and music performance:

curating original premium content
sharing creative and technical insights from the world of music videos
building a relationship with the dance community that is offline as well as online
connecting with his marketing contacts and partnering with ad agencies

While some of this sounds like strategy and other parts sound like something else, it all sounds quite important to the success of an operation at a time when just opening the doors is no longer enough.

DanceJam's Current Incarnation

The still-in-progress version I saw today featured four main categories:

Dances - information on particular dances with example videos from members.  Hammer says that a how-to component is coming that will teach not just general steps but stylistic variations.

Competitions - these are set up as video battles with multiple videos grouped together for comparison and rating.

People - member pages.

Videos - featuring uploaded videos that can be viewed by most recent, most popular, etc.

DanceJam loads quickly and isn't stuffed with bells and whistles which I'm sure helps explain the great performance.  How that will work when people flood this thing and ads begin to appear remains to be seen but the current incarnation runs quite smoothly.

The site has been prepopulated not just by sending out invitations to folks that want to check things out but by making some of the first videos with dancers around the country.  Hammer says they put together a team and went from city to city, setting up a comfortable space to video and getting lots of footage from talented locals.

According to Wired:
The company has already profiled 160 cities and traveled to six major metropolitan areas to gather video footage and enlist local experts.

Videos will be embeddable and such initiatives as a dance channel at MySpace are in the works so this isn't going to be a walled garden by any means.  In fact, DanceJam is participating in Google's OpenSocial initiative.

DanceJam will also be consciously connecting on and offline worlds with events and related initiatives.

DanceJam: The Urban Dance Video Social Network?

I asked Hammer if he was concerned about the possibility of being labeled "the urban dance social network" and not being able to expand to the much broader range of dance that they clearly plan to include.

Hammer's answer: Cheerleaders!

DanceJam is planning on connecting with cheerleaders at all levels and benefiting from the fact that they already have a deeply entrenched competitive culture to fuel their involvement.  Cheerleaders and such related phenomena as dance teams connect to urban music as well as other forms while representing a wide range of social groups across the country.

Hammer also expressed hope that their how-to videos could help end what he described as the "butchering" of social dance moves on the dance floor, i.e., he's going after the Dancing With the Stars demographic as well.

ProHipHop Takeaway: DanceJam to Stack Skrilla High

At this point I'm fully convinced that DanceJam could be a huge business and it's their's for the taking.

Some threads that, if successfully woven together, will produce many duffel bags stuffed with skrilla:

serious investors
solid software and a knowledgeable team
smart prepopulation of the network
the ability to customize campaigns for marketers
urban dance and Hammer celebrity juice to kick things off
overlapping dance crazes:
    hip pop dances, dancing with the stars ballroom dancing
dance and related activities are an ongoing important part of people's
    lives whether or not a dance boom is happening
connecting on and offline worlds:
    the events game is a big part of making money in the dance world
dancers buy specialized gear like crazy
it's a music play that doesn't have to directly compete with established music websites
this list could be longer

Yes, I see huge stacks of skrilla bags woven from the dance of life!

I ended my conversation convinced that, despite kneejerk responses, Hammer brings a deep set of resources to this project.  Such resources could easily be the deciding factor that will allow DanceJam to avoid a potentially disappointing fate as simply the first highly visible dance-themed social video network and instead lead DanceJam to a Blue Ocean future.

PR & Back Story:
Official Press Release
Wired's Listening Post
SF Gate [plus video]
TechCrunch

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Hammer and Geoffrey Arone Meet the Press w/DanceJam
MC Hammer Survives TechCrunch40, DanceJam Soon?
Peek at MC Hammer's DanceJam, Dance Party 3D Launches
MC Hammer Blogs With Heart

Earlier Roundup of Hip Hop Social Networks:
Hip Hop Social Networks: XXL, Indie HipHop Online, DaHoneyHouse.com?, RapHappy, Loud.com, Global Grind?, iNTERNETS CELEBRITIES?, List of Priors

Hammer and Geoffrey Arone Meet the Press w/DanceJam

Just got off of a great interview with Hammer regarding DanceJam.  May not be able to write about it till tomorrow but one of the interesting aspects was reading the online coverage by people that interviewed both Hammer and cofounder Geoffrey Arone, who is also a Flock cofounder.  The pieces were from interviews done earlier today so I was able to read them beforehand and skip a lot of basic questions.

Wired's Listening Post:
MC Hammer Hops Onto Dance Craze With DanceJam

SF Gate:
Hammer teams with entrepreneur to create interactive dance site

I missed the tag team presentation but I did get a lot of nice stuff from Hammer.

DanceJam is still in private beta and may take a few more weeks to open up since they are committed to getting it right.  It looks good on brief examination and I tend to take them at the word regarding opening later than announced.

More soon.

Common's Lincoln Mercury Deal Goes Beyond Endorsing the 2008 Lincoln Navigator

Common with the 2008 Lincoln Navigator

Common is entering a marketing partnership with Lincoln Mercury focused on promoting the 2008 Lincoln Navigator with additional aspects to the partnership.

From the press release:
Through an exclusive partnership with Lincoln, Common will appear in national television broadcast, radio and print advertisements, primarily focused on the all-new 2008 Lincoln Navigator. The first of the ads, titled "Common," will debut nationwide November 25 during NFL Sunday Night Football on NBC, and later appear on general market and urban schedules. The commercial spotlights the people, places and experiences that shaped his life in his hometown of Chicago. It segues to his present-day life as an enterprising, multitalented individual, continuing to reach higher, yet still deeply rooted in his community. His understated confidence, authenticity, and distinctive sense of style echoes the personality of the Lincoln Navigator. The print and radio ads will premiere in 2008.

Lincoln will additionally work with Common in developing other online and offline cross-promotional and marketing programs across his diversified businesses, including the licensing of songs for creative executions for television and the Web, tie-ins with Common's books and hat lines, as well as alignments with his concert tour. Common will also perform and make personal appearances on behalf of Lincoln at auto shows and dealer events, and be an integral component of the annual multiple-city Lincoln Lounge events.

Lincoln also plans to align itself with Common's nonprofit organization, the Common Ground Foundation, and will sponsor the first annual Start the Show n' Bowl fundraising event to be held February 2008 during Grammy weekend.

Common's a great endorser, in part, because he doesn't have Kanye's unpredictable behavior, 50 Cent's questionable nature or Jay-Z's tendency to overshadow all he endorses, though I guess nobody's too upset about the latter.

This obvious pr copy does a nice job of keying into the qualities with which endorsees wish to associate themselves that make Common such a high quality endorser:
His understated confidence, authenticity, and distinctive sense of style echoes the personality of the Lincoln Navigator.

And the fact that he's willing to explore a niche that crosses both conscious hip hop and pop culture means that sometimes he'll lend those special qualities to products that don't necessarily have to be safe or good for the environment.  And that's money in the bank!

Major Labels Rediscover Artist Development Via 360 Deals

Jeff Leeds discusses the multiple rights or 360 deals that appear to be the last of the major label music industry's possibilities for sustaining innovation.  Read The Innovator's Dilemma to see what comes next.

It was obvious that the move to 360 deals, in which labels basically attempt to profit from everything a musician does, signaled the emergence of a much harsher bargaining atmosphere for musicians hoping to sign with major labels just as the major labels will see a much harsher environment for bargaining with major stars.

But I had no idea major labels are claiming with a straight face to suddenly be committed to artist development.  Hope whoever's bargaining with these people gets that in writing.

Point of interest: Maino's deal with Atlantic is described as a "360-style" contract.

On a Related Note:
When I first started to think through the implications of Madonna's Live Nation deal and the related move to 360 deals on the part of major labels, I focused in passing on the possibility that major labels could take more services in-house as they attempt to maximize profits.  However it's probably more likely that, as major labels seek to maximize revenue streams, more rather than less outsourcing will result and create new opportunities for small firms.

Update:
Lefsetz [via Brown] goes on a rant inspired by 360 deals, for example:

If you’re contemplating a major label, and your success is not based on terrestrial radio play, if you don’t make pop music, YOU’RE A F*CKING IDIOT!

Have you been to the major label’s office recently? There’s nobody working there! They want more of YOUR money for doing less work. You’ve still got to hire a manager, an agent, pay them, and also pay the label which is doing no more than before, it’s just that it can’t make as much money because the landscape changed.

Kanye West's Mom & A Downside of Writing ProHipHop

I was over at Kanye West's blog where supporters have been expressing their condolences in the wake of his mother's passing.

I suddenly remembered that he had just topped Lycos' most searched celebrity blogger list and immediately thought:
"Wow, this will really raise traffic to his blog!"

Donda West, Kanye's Mom, Passes

Just heard the news about the passing of Donda West at the age of 58.

My condolences to her friends and family.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Donda West's Raising Kanye Better Sell [Or It's All Kanye Will Rap About]

Hip Hop Album Releases for Nov. 13: Bone Thugs -n- Harmony, DJ Screw, GZA, Kruse, Offwhyte, Tone-Tone

Offwhyte - Mainstay

To receive this report separately each week, please visit Weekly Hip Hop Albums and sign up for our free weekly newsletter delivered every Monday with Tuesday's releases.

The following new releases are available from Amazon.

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - T.H.U.G.S.
DJ Screw - 11-16-00, Volume 2 [Ltd. Remastered Orig.]
GZA - Collection of Classics [Import]
Joey Montana - Sin Cadenas
Kruse - True Stories
Lil Minor - Hypothermia
Maharaji & Shys-t - Time Ta Shine [EP] 
Offwhyte - Mainstay
Pistol - Fed Material
South Kakalak: Buried Treasure South Carolina
Tone-Tone - D-Boy Fresh

For a database of upcoming and past releases with updates,
please see Hip Hop Albums @ netweed.

Hypebot: Facebook, iLike, Eagles, eMusic, MySpace, Patrick Faucher, Pirate Bay, Musical Middle Class Discussion

Music industry news from Hypebot:

Social networker Facebook launched its music initiative with artist pages and targeted marketing opportunities.

iLike expanded its cross-platform music marketing tools.

Despite being sold exclusively to Wal-Mart, the Eagles' new CD found its way into other retailers vis re-sales and imports. The record topped the charts selling 750,000 units; almost 3 times the Britney debut.

eMusic hit 350,000 subscribers and added several key labels.

MySpace announced Hypertargeting and SelfServe ads.

Patrick Faucher, the head of Music 2.0 artist service's company Nimbit answered four questions that Hypebot will be putting to music industry leaders in the coming months in a new series called 4QFor.

Notorious file sharing site Pirate Bay expanded its reach by sponsoring a band and starting work on an effort to create an open source Bit Torrent replacement.

Bruce Houghton's essay on The Rising Musical Middle Class drew reaction across the blogosphere.  Here is a roundup of some of the best comments. Join the debate.

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

Rick Ross PSA: Keep Miami Gardens Beautiful

Keep Miami Gardens Beautiful

This is a fun little PSA and the storyline actually turned out like I was hoping while I was watching the first part.