ProHipHop: Hip Hop Marketing & Business News

Communication is a Good Thing

I've pulled the MTV/Viacom posts after establishing some solid lines of communication.

Again this is an example of the fact that calling people out remains simultaneously my best and worst tool.

But the folks that do respond are the ones with whom I establish real working relationships and so my bizarre methodology does sometimes lead to positive outcomes.

Big ups to Brett Henne at VH1 and Jennifer DeGuzman at MTV.  It's good to talk to humans in a human voice.

And positive vibes to Noelle Llewellyn plus special thanks to all the hard working folks at MTV, VH1 and BET who long ago recognized the ProHipHop Network as a legitimate media outlet.

Now back to work everybody!

Tatsuya Nakatani: Primal Communication Tour

Tatsuya Nakatani: Primal Communication

This is a bit off topic but I recently saw a solo improvisational percussion performance by Tatsuya Nakatani and, if you like that kind of thing, I'd highly recommend catching him on his current tour.

His album, Primal Communication, is "one straight track of 57'34", no over dubbing or editing" and was quite similar to the live show so I'm assuming he's improvising within a structure of some sort.

I talked with him briefly after the performance but didn't think to ask about the underlying structure cause I was too much in fan mode while trying not to be overly enthusiastic about my response.  He's very real and approachable and serious about what he does without being pretentious or grandiose.  That's hard to pull off and I'm just happy I caught his act and had a moment to speak with him.

Audible Hype [Rules]: D.I.Y. Promotion & Marketing

I am so glad Audible Hype linked to my post about ?uestlove and that I discovered that link and that I'm now wide awake.

If you're an up-and-coming musician, whether you want to stay indie or want to eventually get signed to a major label [sucker], you should be reading everything this guy posts.  Seriously.

I've kept up with a lot of music business blogs and this is the most useful and interesting one I've seen to date for the working artist.  Emphasis on working.

You may not agree with all his perspectives but Justin Boland's got it going on and you will not be wasting your time.

I'm Trying to Get Rid of the Ann Coulter Ads

The Ann Coulter ads should be gone soon.  I'm having trouble identifying who they're from but hopefully the ad network's customer service can sort it out.

I hate her so much.  Just seeing her ugly face turns my stomach.

Bun B On The Road With Zune, II Trill Due 4/29

Bun B is currently on tour promoting the upcoming II Trill, due April 29th from Rap-A-Lot/Asylum, and the first single, That's Gangsta.

II Trill will include guest features by the "late great Pimp C, Lupe Fiasco, Lil Wayne, 8 Ball and MJ G, David Banner, Rick Ross, Z-Ro, Mya, Mike Jones, Junior Reid, Webbie, Chamillionaire, Expensive Taste (Paul Wall, Skinhead Rob, & Travis Barker) and Slim Thug."

Collaborators include "Mr. Lee, Scott Storch, Jazze Pha, Bigg Tyme, Black Out Movement, Khalil, Clinton Sparks, Enigma and Chops."

Please check the press release for tour dates.

Bun B's relationship with Microsoft Zune includes a Bun B On the Road profile at zune.net.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Bun B & Swizz Beats Kick Off Zune Takeover 2

Wendy Day Blogs Team Blood Raw Promo Tour

I hadn't realized what an extensive account Wendy Day is providing of the Blood Raw promo tour.  According to both a promotional email from Kim Ellis of KE Consulting & Marketing Solutions and comments from Wendy Day on her blog, this run is an independent effort to build support for Def Jam's upcoming release of Blood Raw's My Life The True Testimony.

From Day One:

"We're doing this tour on a super shoe string budget. Unless we can build a strong buzz around the first single: Louie, featuring Jeezy, Def Jam will not kick in and pick up the project. So we're hitting the streets hard with a ridiculously low budget."

Yeah, it's harsh like that in the real world.

I found out about this tour after the Raleigh, NC stop where ProHipHop World Headquarters is currently located but check out this description of my hometown:

"Raleigh is an interesting market. It’s more New York-ish than dirty south. I find most of the guys rocking Timberlands and calling each other “son.” The style of music is more Fat Joe and Joe Buddens than UGK and Lil Wayne. But the radio seems to follow whatever is hot, so they have Rocko and Flo Rida and Rick Ross spinning. But the mixed CDs reflect a different picture."

That's right, son.  Now don't make me stomp you with my Tims!

On a side note, North Carolina has some interesting rap connections to New York via certain small towns involved in witness protection programs, I kid you not!  Folks in Greensboro who grew up in smaller places used to tell me about kids from New York providing cassettes of DJ Red Alert's shows back in the day.

If you're interested in following the tales of life on the road check Wendy's blog for the February posts and, if blogspot holds true to form, you can check soon for the March posts.

Some footage of the tour is available on the Blood Raw YouTube Channel and the rest of the tour dates are posted on his MySpace page.

Russell Simmons, Jenny McCarthy, Barack Obama & ProHipHop Want You to BUY THIS BOOK NOW!!!

Eckhart Tolle - A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

Russell Simmons says:
"When you get it, it's like a key turning inside you. Eckhart Tolle offers that bridge from this unconscious state that we live in to the state that we are evolving towards, like it or not."

ProHipHop Recognizes the Hidden Message:

LIKE IT OR NOT: BUY THIS BOOK NOW!!

Jenny McCarthy says:
"What happened to me as I was reading 'A New Earth,' I can best describe it as someone came and woke me up out of a dream and the dream just happened to be my entire life. It definitely made me realize that I was playing a role."

ProHipHop Reveals the Hidden Message:

DON'T PLAY A ROLE: BUY THIS BOOK NOW!!

Oprah added it to her Book Club!

Obama wishes he had time to read it [but can't say that out loud cause he's running for President!]!!!

ProHipHop Sides With Oprah & Says What Obama Can't:

BUY THIS BOOK!  BUY THIS BOOK NOW!!

[Disclaimer: ProHipHop receives 6.48% from the sale of all books bought after clicking through to Amazon.]

Key Point: This Book Is On Sale Really Cheap At Amazon!

BUY THIS BOOK!!

BUY THIS BOOK NOW!!!

If your social network is your net worth, what will happen if everyone else reads this book before you do?

GET AHEAD OF THE CURVE!  DITCH YOUR FEAR OF BEING LEFT BEHIND!

BUY THIS BOOK!!

BUY THIS BOOK NOW!!!

Available from Amazon:
Eckhart Tolle - A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

[Note: I've moved this post to the Comedy category to emphasize its satirical nature.]

Mr. Bavu Blakes' 52 Weekly Flows: 08isSoGreat.com

Bavu Blakes - 08isSoGreat Cover

Bavu aka Mr. Blakes [aka Kanye Southwest?] has made an artistic self-marketing commitment to drop a flow a week at 08isSoGreat.com which is hosted by SSA Magazine.

It's a nice concept that requires a serious commitment.  You can say, "I drop flows every day, nah, every minute," but how many people would complete the recording and get it up on time every week, week after week.  Bavu's the type of guy who will follow through.

The format is quite flexible and "some will be over jacked beats, some will be original songs".  I'd recommend Instant Classic featuring HeadKrack and Young Nick but his "wife got hooked on week 4's Fine Fleaux."

Extra Plair Party at SXSW

Bavu stays busy.

I asked Mr. Bavu how it was going as a promotional project and he emailed me this brief statement:

"it's going great
great response
lots of blogs, radio stations, dj's, newspapers, etc, catchin on beyond my normal reach
and i'm sure after more than the first month it'll get better.
just sumpn to do for fun while preppin' 3 new, original releases (two albums and an ep) for this year"

The one downside to all this activity is that it's a bit hard to find it all referenced at one spot.  Bavu definitely has a strongly distributed presence but designating one location where everything gets linked would help.

Nevertheless, I like this project and look forward to 40-something more flows to come.

Mr. Bavu Blakes Online:
08isSoGreat.com
Bavu on MySpace
Bavu on YouTube
Extra Plair the EP
The Smooth Show
bahvoo.com

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
MySpace Feature: Austin's Mr. Blakes
Scion Disses Bavu Blakes
Bavu Blakes and DJ Elite on Myspace.com

Agenda Inc's "New" Luxury Coverage

I got into Agenda Inc. back in the early days of ProHipHop when it was a broad trend watching consultancy.

But they mostly cut and pasted other people's content into their blog, though they did link out, and I eventually started following all the relevant sources on which they drew so I moved on.

That meant I missed their shift to a focus on the luxury market till quite recently and have been meaning to inform ProHipHop readers who have an interest in such things.

And I'm happy to report that they're actually blogging now.

A good look all around.

Wired: Freeconomy With a Too Quick Deadline

Chris Anderson is doing some stuff about Freeconomy at Wired and it's definitely worth a look given our always fluctuating business environment.

Apparently there was a very brief free offering of the March issue focused on the whole Free thing.

They offered it Monday and now it's gone.  It's weird what a strong flash of rage I felt to have just found out and yet to have already been cut off from something I really wanted.

Yeah, it was free for other people.

There's some other stuff worth looking at from the above link but I ain't linking to anything else on there.  You'll have to sort it out for yourself.  There's a video but I didn't watch it cause Anderson looks pretentious and I'm in annoyed mode.

Yes, there's a downside to how you handle "Free".

Via Agenda Inc.

The 10-K Rap: Methodologie Enlists Little MG for Video

The 10-K Rap

The 10-K is an annual financial report that public companies must file with the Feds.

It would be considered a pain point.

Methodologie, a branding firm based in Seattle, is raising its profile with a light hearted approach to the difficulties of public companies facing increasingly complicated filing requirements by releasing The 10-K Rap featuring Little MG.

From the press release:

"'Methodologie has been in the business of designing annual reports for the last 20 years, so we have seen a change in requirements and best practices, and we understand the stress and complexities that go along with producing them,' said Janet DeDonato, Strategic Director and Partner, Methodologie. DeDonato has designed and managed over 100 annual reports for clients that include BNSF Railway, Amylin, and Washington Mutual."

Stephen "Static" Garrett Passes

Blackground Music issued a statement today regarding the passing of Stephen "Static" Garrett.

In addition to writing a wide range of songs for RnB and rap artists Static intended to introduce his "alter ego" Major on his debut album Suppertime.  I Got My featuring Lil Wayne was intended as the first single.

MONSTA News Owner Sends MONSTA Mag Crew Cease & Desist Letter

Robert G. Lopez of MONSTA News and a Special Features Editor for Don Diva Magazine informed me that he sent a cease and desist letter via Sandy Lal & Associates, P.C. to Dave Mays and other folks associated with MONSTA magazine regarding trademark infringement.

I received a copy of the letter in three .jpgs:
Page 1
Page 2 [misnumbered]
Page 3

Hip Hop Game has additional comments from Mr. Lopez:

"I own the trademark rights to that name and I’m shutting them down, point blank...I just sent out that cease n desist letter yesterday and Mays has already reached out 'cause they now they have a big problem of their hands right now. What sucks for them is that this is what I do for a living. I been working in the entertainment legal field for the last eight years and represent a bunch of people for trademark matters."

A search of the USPTO's Trademark Electronic Search System reveals that "MONSTA" is registered to Robert G. Lopez for:

"Newsletters in the field of criminal law developments, prison statistics, hip-hop news and urban street culture; Magazines featuring news, interviews and information on the criminal justice system, prison life, hip-hop, and urban street culture."

There's more to come, I betcha!

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Dave Mays & Benzino to Launch MONSTA Magazine
The Game Featured on First MONSTA Mag Cover

The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats

The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats

The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats by Grandmaster Flash with David Ritz is due June 10th from Harlem Moon.

Grandmaster Flash has also relaunched GrandmasterFlash.com.

Press Release:
THE ORIGINAL HIP HOP DJ, Grandmaster Flash, Launched His New Website In Celebration of Black History Month

Business Plan Resources via Business Week

Business Week gathered together a group of brief useful articles in a special report on business plans.

Via My Global Hustle.

Rakim's Archive: Live, Lost & Found Due March 4th

Rakim - The Archive: Live, Lost & Found

Rakim's The Archive: Live, Lost & Found is due March 4th from Koch/Fast Life after being pushed back from an initial release date of August 14th, 2007.

Press Release:
New Album by Legendary Lyricist Rakim, "Live, Lost & Found," to Be Released on March 4th, 2008

Denmark West Interview on BET's Ad Network

Black Web 2.0 has an interview with Denmark West, President of Digital Media, BET Ad Network.

Official Site:
BET Interactive Ad Network

Prodigy Sets the Trends, Like Logins for Blog Posts

I was going to link directly to Prodigy's post about setting trends but you have to sign in to see the stupid thing so Mr. Eskay gets all the link love.  Now I see why he reprinted the list of trends Prodigy claims to have set.

There are a lot of people that claim to be the first this or the first that but Prodigy's list of firsts has to be the most interesting one I've ever read.  It's such a strong mix of hip hop street & web history, meaningless trivia, impressive claims and drug-induced megalomania that I can't even comment beyond pointing out that if he wants to establish a historical basis for his legacy, he should really get an editor or, at least, a good copywriter.

Note: Making people sign in to read your blog post or check out your social network is kind of a doofus move.  But I'm not questioning Master Prodigy's trend setting and I am astounded by what he brings to the table.

Dr. Dre/Drinks Americas: Cognac, Vodka, Tequila

Drinks Americas Logo

Dr. Dre and Drinks Americas announced yesterday that they have "formed a partnership to identify, develop, and market premium non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages."

However, so far they're just talking the hard stuff and it sounds promising, especially since their first produce will be cognac:

"The partnership's first premium beverages will be a super premium cognac selection, followed by a unique new to market sparkling vodka (which is now being crafted).  Drinks Americas and Dr. Dre also plan to enter the growing imported premium tequila category."

This partnership grew from the agreement between Drinks Americas and Interscope/Geffen/A&M announced last summer and appears to be the first artist deal from that relationship though Willie Nelson is associated with parent company Universal Music Group via Lost Highway Records under Island Def Jam.

Drinks Americas has quite a group of celebrity product lines already including Donald Trump's Trump Super Premium Vodka, Willie Nelson's Old Whiskey River Bourbon and Paul Newman's Lightly Sparkling Fruit Juice Drinks and Flavored Waters.

Big ups to Lynne d Johnson for getting me up to speed.

Soulja Boy's Yums Sneakers

Sneaker Files has the video and pics for Soulja Boy's new sneaks from Yums.

Official Site:
Yums

PROJECT 150: Meet 50 Cent via Bragster & Thisis50.com

Meet 50 Cent! Bragster and Thisis50.com Present: PROJECT 150

Bragster and 50 Cent are doing a cross-promotional project in which the 150,000th member to join or be referred to Thisis50.com will get to fly with a friend to somewhere or other to hang with 50 Cent.

To participate you'll need to be a registered member of Thisis50.com and then head over to Thisis50.com/profile/bragster.

The idea that this started with a dare at Bragster is kind of silly but that's Bragster's structure so that's how they have to set it up.  It seems highly unlikely that they didn't plan the whole thing ahead of time but it looks like a great way to get new members on 50's site as well as give Bragster some attention.

One oddity:  It sounds like you could refer the 150,000th member and then pick someone else to go but then the 150,000th member could do the same thing.  I'm sure they'll work it out somehow.

Kings of Hip Hop: Jay-Z & Nas Album?

Rush & Molloy claim that Jay-Z and Nas are working on an album of duets to be called The Kings of Hip Hop.

Nah Right expects it to "drop the same day as Detox and Chinese Democracy".

FogScreen Adds Branding Partners, Positions Projection Screens as Media Platform

Playboy Brand on FogScreen Projection Screen

FogScreen is currently presenting a new branding and sponsorship program at the 2008 Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show utilizing its Inia and One projection screens.

From the press release:

"For the first time, FogScreen, Inc. is partnering with key brands to create experiential and interactive branding and sponsorship opportunities within select nightclubs and bars. Through this partnership, FogScreen will launch its products as a new branding and sponsorship media that is more dynamic and interactive than any other method in the industry..."

"FogScreen will be showcasing their technology at The Las Vegas Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show at booth #6126 on the showroom floor."

No word on the actual brand partners but this is a smart move if they can pull it off.  They have a media platform so why not start a marketing network?

[Playboy Brand for illustration only.  Photo courtesy FogScreen.]

Duck Down Vs. Stones Throw at SXSW w/VTech Phones

The Duck Down Vs. Stones Throw Sound Clash at this year's SXSW Music Festival sounds like a great way to take a showcase amidst a wide range of showcases and give it a bit more edge.

There's no indication that there will be any kind of battle or similar event but this is a freebie and should be a good look for both labels.

The event is sponsored by VTech phones.

Official Sites:
Duck Down Records
Stones Throw Records
2008 SXSW Music Festival

KFC Pride 360 Hitmaker 2007 Compilation CD

According to the press release, Kentucky Fried Chicken is expanding its 2008 Pride 360 activities but you can still download the KFC Pride 360 Hitmaker 2007 Compilation CD.

Dame Grease: Respect The Producer, HipHopWorld.TV, Goon Musik Album

Respect The Producer: Best of Dame Grease Instrumentals, Vol. 1

Check the press release for the tracklist and purchase info for Respect The Producer: Best of Dame Grease Instrumentals, Vol. 1.

Plus:
"Grease's new venture is the website HipHopWorld.TV...Grease has inked a deal with Baby Grande to release his album "Goon Musik," which is slated to hit stores in May 2008."

Tele2 Beatboxing Promo: A Marketing Mishap?

Beatbox: Tele2, a project of Swedish telecom Tele2, is an online interactive marketing thingie featuring a beatboxing dog!!!

GRANDGOOD describes it as a marketing mishap.  Guess it depends on the market in question.

Tour Dates: Paul Wall & Tech N9ne, Bisc1

Tour dates at Hip Hop Press:

Tech N9ne And Paul Wall Set To Embark Upon The Fire And Ice Tour 2008

Bisc1 Announces Traveling Circuits Tour Dates

Snoop Dogg Twitter Widget: Ego Trippin' & Twitter'in

Ego Twitter'in Just Like Snoop Dogg

So, Snoop Dogg's got a Twitter feed, or whatever they're called, and that's given Twitter and Snoop Dogg a widget based marketing opportunity.

Yes, you can now Shizzolate Your Twitters for minutes of...fun.

Considering that Twitter is designed to be a very lightweight app I find a bulky widget to be an odd promotional device for them [especially now that's it not showing up on my blog or their's, at least for the moment].

Snoop Dogg - Ego Trippin'

Note the use of the Ego Trippin' cover art in the widget.

I would think a lot of the people on Twitter will get a big kick out of this because the tech crowd eats this stuff up but I'm not sure if it will do much for Snoop's upcoming album.

But I may be wrong about Twitter users' response since some are now looking at the appearance of this widget as a sign to leave Twitter.

Widget distribution by Gigya.

VH1 Senior VP Jim Ackerman Under [Wack?] Attack

[Update: I have reason to believe that this is a wack marketing attack and will be posting on the topic in the next couple of days.  I will be including a statement from a VH1 rep and will post that along with the reasons that this attack may be leveraging valid concerns with VH1 programming to push what is looking like a Web myth regarding statements attributed to Ackerman.]

Original Post:
I'm not up on the details of this situation but folks are starting to call for the ouster of VH1 Senior VP Jim Ackerman for comments such as:

"viewers are more interested in seeing black people in a ghetto role, black women are looked at as being ghetto and not educated."

Given shows like Flavor of Love that comment fits the mentality behind such programming so it comes as no surprise.  It's one of the reasons I don't watch much tv.

But making sense and being right are two separate things so I'm passing this along for folks who feel that focusing on execs is a useful lever for making change in mass media.

Of course, if it becomes a marketing disaster, you'll be hearing more at ProHipHop.

Kanye West's Blog Team Are Jackers

I was checking out Kanye West's blog, to which you can find a link here, and it's so full of material taken from other blogs and websites without links or attribution it's not even funny.

If you guys like that stuff so much why don't you credit the folks that turned you on to it?

Lame-ass jackers.

Converse Connectivity Campaign w/Common & M.I.A.

First Look At Converse's Connectivity Campaign including (from left to right) Hunter S. Thompson, Dwyane Wade, Sid Vicious, M.I.A., James Dean, Karen O, Common, Joan Jett and Billie Joe Armstrong

Common and MIA join a motley crew of living and dead icons for the Converse "Connectivity" campaign that celebrates 100 years of Converse history. 

Only the sacred words of a publicist can do justice to this campaign:

"Rolling out around the world from February 2008, 'Connectivity' is a striking artistic showcase of true originals who define the essence of the Converse brand since 1908. The advertising visually 'connects' past and present Converse icons brought together by their optimistic rebellion and homage to the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe..."

"Additional regional icons include Ian Curtis (UK), Jefferson Hack (UK), Carlos Diez Diez (Spain), Jane Birkin (France), Nina Hagen (Germany), Kim, Jung Man (Korea), Cui Jian (China), Darren Cordeux (Australia), Jose Fernando Emilio (Mexico) and Sandro (Argentina)..."

"The global advertising campaign will be unveiled in over 75 countries across the EMEA, Asia Pacific and the Americas via a mix of impactful print and outdoor, digital and integrated brand marketing executions. Regional adaptations of 'Connectivity' will roll out locally throughout Spring 2008 with country specific Converse icons joining the campaign and legendary line-up."

"'Connectivity' is a fully integrated marketing campaign created by New York City based creative agency Anomaly using distinctive and optimistically rebellious creative direction completely shot in monochrome and using hand-painted straplines and logo placement."

I'm sure Hunter S. Thompson and Sid Vicious are puking in their graves and dying again over this one but, hey, the living always feed off the dead.  At least until they become zombies but even zombies wear Converse so it's all good.

Official Sites:
Converse
Anomaly

Drugs & Soda: Anti-Energy Drank, Dez & Mountain Dew

I've lost track of ProHipHop's marketing focus but that's going to change starting right now with a bit of catching up and leaning back.

HoustonSoReal is pushing Drank, an "anti-energy" soda that plays off obvious drug references.

Matt also has pics from a party for Dez hosted by Bun B for Dez's Mountain Dew bottle design that's part of the Green Label Art project.

Dez also designed Do The Dew custom sneaks.

Question: Is Mountain Dew trying to displace Sprite as a key ingredient in Purple Drank?

Answer: Don't know but it certainly involves a wink and a nudge.

Question: So why's that boy stumbling around the court in those Do The Dew dunks?

Answer: He's got his lean on.

Hip Hop Album Releases for Feb. 26: El Chivo, Joe Budden, Lil' Zane, Pete Rock, Shawty Lo, Siah & Yeshua Dapoed, Webbie, Young Droop, Yukmouth

Webbie - Savage Life 2

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.

Pete Rock - NY's Finest

The following new releases are available from Amazon.

Black Walt - 55th Street Legend
EDO.G & Da Bulldogs - Life of a Kid in the Ghetto: Rarities and Demos
El Chivo - Cicatrices
Havoc - The Kush: Instrumentals
Joe Budden - Mood Muzik 3: The Album
Large Professor - Beatz, Vol. 2
Lil' Zane - The Return
OG Ron C - F-Action 50: The Last F-Action
Pete Rock - NY's Finest

Shawty Lo - Units in the City

Shawty Lo - Units in the City
Siah & Yeshua Dapoed - The Visualz [Deluxe Reissue]
Uncut Raw - First Toke
Webbie - Savage Life 2
Young Droop - King Me
Yukmouth - The City of Dope

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

Rhymehouse Launches: Indie Hip Hop, Nice Design

Rhymehouse is a recently launched website with a focus on independent hip hop.

I'm mentioning the site here because I really like the simple yet lively design.  That's hard to do and I think they've done a good job with it.

Over at Hip Hop Press:
New Website Dedicated to Independent Hip Hop -- Rhymehouse.com Launches!

ClickZ Job Board for Internet Marketers

ClickZ, a resource site focused on web marketing, has added the ClickZ Job Board.

Over at Hip Hop Press:
The ClickZ Network Connects Interactive Marketing Job Seekers with Attractive Career Opportunities

Hip Hop 2.0: Fat Joe & Votigo, Wyclef & Shopit

Press Release:
Imperial Records Chooses Votigo For Fat Joe Video Contest

At Votigo:
Fat Joe's Video Contest

Press Release:
Wyclef Jean Partners with Shopit to Offer Exclusive Merchandise to Fans

At Shopit:
Wyclef's Profile & Store

Artists House Music: Music Industry Career Guide

Jimmy Iovine on Breaking Into the Music Industry

I recently ran into this music industry website, Artists House Music, that seems to have a lot of good career education resources for those trying to break into the industry.

When this Jimmy Iovine video hit the blogosphere, I didn't realize that it was from Artists House Music, but now the dots connect.  I'm sure Mr. Iovine has some great things to say but I couldn't get past the first two minutes.

High point of the first two minutes:

"the song thing is very important"

I think I'll put than on a t-shirt!

Video via Hypebot.

Over at Hip Hop Press:
Music Industry Heavyweights and Educators Discuss the Future of the Music Industry on ArtistsHouseMusic.org

Hypebot: Zaoza, Jimmy Iovine, TVT Bankruptcy, SXSW 2008, VP's Desk, RIAA Madness, Ad Supported Music, iPhone Band, Lessig for Congress

Music industry news from Hypebot:

Vivendi has launched Zaoza in Europe offering unlimited mobile downloads.  Is this a preview of Universal's Total Music service?

A rare and rambling interview with Interscope Records head Jimmy Iovine.

One of the largest indie labels TVT has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and the CEO Steve Gottlieb  explains why.

SXSW 2008 by the numbers. Is bigger better?

A fun look at the desk of Warner Brother Record's VP of Technology Ethan Kaplan.

A new RIAA training video bears a sad resemblance to the paranoid hysteria of "Reefer Madness".

Is the ad supported music model unsustainable? Digital consultant Bill Houghton thinks its not.

Videos: The World's First iPhone Band, Creative Commons' Lawrence Lessig may run for Congress.

A roundup of the best posts from consumer digital music site OurDigitalMusic.com

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

Davie Brown Celebrity Index: Obama > Clinton or McCain

The Davie Brown Celebrity Index [or DBI or whatever it's called, there's an unclear naming strategy happening with this product] has chosen a fun way to market itself by comparing Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

It turns out that Barack Obama is the winner because Americans view him as "more appealing, trustworthy, and influential than other presidential candidates."

That's good news since George W. won because he was the guy Americans would most enjoy sitting down with and having a beer.

Gotta love Americans.  We truly get the government we deserve.  But maybe this time it will work in our favor.

Speaking of nutty nonsense, Ralph Nader's running for President.  I guess this is the "Three Strikes and Your Brand's Out" campaign.

I don't understand Nader's insistence on totally destroying the brand that he spent so many years building.  One more half-assed run should reduce it to nothing.

A sad ending to what should have been a great legacy.

People I Don't Know Inviting Me To Networks I Don't Need

I'm getting so many invites to so many little social networks by so many people I don't know it's not even funny.

Whether they're actual people building their personal networks or employees just trying to build the company doesn't really matter.

I rarely know them.  I've rarely heard of the sites.

I was checking out the sites themselves, typing in the url, bypassing the invite, but today I stopped doing that every time.

Are we reaching saturation on "invite a web friend that doesn't know you" as a tactic for building social networks?

I think so though if someone I do know writes me I will check out the site.

At this point for me it's all about LinkedIn, though I'm a passive user, and possibly about Xing, though I have yet to join.

So I'm obviously not part of the market for most of the networks contacting me.  This is more of a canary in the coal mine post but seeding social networks by sending out random invites seems pretty played out at this point.