ProHipHop: Hip Hop Marketing & Business News

Global Habbo Youth Survey: US Kids Like Hip Hop!

Brandweek reports on a survey of teens [11-18] conducted by teen oriented virtual world Habbo that I assume is the Global Habbo Youth Survey.  However they are focusing on only the figures for U.S. teenagers which find that rap/hip hop is the favorite music genre of U.S. teens surveyed [brief reference near the end of the article].

Though the press release for the Global Habbo Youth Survey doesn't mention hip hop, it does have more about the larger research report including what Habbo's researchers claim to have identified as "five clearly defined behavioral segments amongst respondents".

This is the second such survey by Habbo parent company Sulake who conducted the first survey in fall 2006.

From Sulake's Blog:
Habbo’s Second Global Youth Survey reveals shake up in teens' favourite mobile brands

23) Pew/Internet Reports: Teens and Social Media

The Pew Internet & American Life Project released a report on Teens and Social Media this week available for free download.

Some of the findings include:

Content creation by teenagers continues to grow, with 64% of online teenagers ages 12 to 17 engaging in at least one type of content creation, up from 57% of online teens in 2004.

Girls continue to dominate most elements of content creation. Some 35% of all teen girls blog, compared with 20% of online boys, and 54% of wired girls post photos online compared with 40% of online boys. Boys, however, do dominate one area - posting of video content online. Online teen boys are nearly twice as likely as online girls (19% vs. 10%) to have posted a video online somewhere where someone else could see it...

There is a subset of teens who are super-communicators -- teens who have a host of technology options for dealing with family and friends, including traditional landline phones, cell phones, texting, social network sites, instant messaging, and email. They represent about 28% of the entire teen population and they are more likely to be older girls.

Super-communicators!

That's a big chunk of kids moving into the always-on, always-connected world and it sounds like young women are in the forefront.

4) Has SeeqPod Captured the Baby Boomers?

I'm not even reading most Best of 2007 lists and/or posts but SeeqPod, one of these new-fangled "playable search" engines, released a list of the top 100 search terms for 2007 that caught my attention.

Here are the Top 20:

1. The Beatles
2. Linkin Park
3. Metallica
4. Pink Floyd
5. Eminem
6. Queen
7. Radiohead
8. Madonna
9. Rihanna
10. Kanye West
11. Daft Punk
12. Justin Timberlake
13. U2
14. Led Zeppelin
15. Akon
16. Bob Dylan
17. Michael Jackson
18. Pearl Jam
19. Coldplay
20. Rolling Stones

I get the feeling SeeqPod has some heavy baby boomer usage.

Here's the full Top 100.

The Old Take Revenge by Letting Youth Fight it Out

From the press release for the European Youth Culture Study research report:

A "New Media Generation Gap" now exists between 15-20-year-olds and 21-25-year-olds when comparing patterns in mobile phone usage, Internet, Personal Profiles, Social Online Networks, + Communication, marking a shift in the marketplace, particularly in the UK, followed by France, then Germany.

I'm realizing that as each generation of youth gets shorter in length and shelf-life, current folks termed "young" will be getting a much quicker taste of what it means to be considered "old" before they've fully enjoyed their youth or managed to figure out what's next.

That's so sad [insert sobbing emoticon].

China Youth Culture Study of 15 to 25 Year Olds

Some interesting highlights from a press releases regarding Label Network's China Youth Culture Study 07':
This is the only consumer insights study about the 15-25-year-olds marketplace in China and is one of the most profiled subscription programs from Label Networks due to the rarity of getting this kind of information...

Sneaker Culture remains a competitive marketplace in China, but with new stand-outs including New Balance in Shanghai and Li Ning among 15-17-year-olds indicates that while the race it tight for top brands, there's movement and space for entry of others...

Basketball + hero Yao Ming continue to set new trends in sports with males and females taking up basketball and greatly influenced by the American NBA...

Shanghai + Rap/Hip-Hop: Here, young people clearly have the most diverse tastes in music preferences and the strongest market that prefers Rap/Hip-Hop at 37.1% among 15-25-year-olds.

Official Sites:
China Youth Culture Study 07'
Label Networks

Demographics: Boometrics, Multicultural Marketing

The following research studies are good reminders that marketers have to consider and address the diversity within any demographic schema.

The NPD Group's Boometrics study, conducted for the National Association of Recording Merchandisers and AARP, shows that "baby boomers (born between 1941 and 1964) now account for a third of all music sales."

In addition:
More than 70 percent of the 76 million baby boomers in the U.S. report buying music in the past year, making it the most important buying segment for CDs and an increasingly important market for digital downloads.

Market to us while you can but don't assume we all like the same things or like being lumped together by age.  Ask Eons!

The Yankelovich MONITOR Multicultural Marketing Study for 2007/2008 found that African American and Hispanic respondents enjoy advertising more than other ethnic groups but find it only somewhat relevant "personally and culturally".

Emphasizing that as artists cross over into mainstream markets they may seem less authentic to African American or Hispanics, the press release gives an example using hip hop:
Hip-hop music is a good case-in-point. When African American respondents were asked about aspects of their culture and traditions they feel are the most important to preserve, "Music/Songs" was cited second most frequently, right behind "History."

As different types of African American music/songs become increasingly borrowed by the general population, they may become less effective as a means of connecting directly with African American consumers. So in this example mainstream hip-hop artists that are known to general audiences would not be considered as authentic as using more "underground" artists known exclusively by African American audiences.

The Yankelovich study also emphasized that ethnic groups are not homogenous and that "multicultural marketing needs to become more multi-dimensional", a point made in a different way regarding Hispanic diversity as revealed in BIGresearch's latest Simultaneous Media Survey.

Official Sites of Research Firms:
The NPD Group
Yankelovich
BIGresearch

Alloy Access Reveals the Urban Hustler Demographic

Alloy Access has released a demographic study of the "Urban Hustler".  For older generations, the term hustler may still conjure up scenes from Midnight Cowboy.  But for younger folks, or those obsessed with tales of rising from the hood to global pop stardom, a hustler is an aspirational figure who may have gotten where he got in less than legal ways but is all about working hard and going legit.

However, Alloy Access is going for something bigger, the use of the term "Urban Hustler" to define a slice of the U.S. demographic pie that maps on to a lucrative cross-section of the hip hop listening and living market.

The press release doesn't give a brief straightforward definition but sketches out the dimensions of this demographic group.  Here's a bit:

Redefining themselves as positive, upwardly mobile 'hustlers', the group is identified as the new "Urban Hustler".  Alloy Access sought to provide a clear portrayal of this new brand of consumer, a segment representing a significant slice, 19.6 million, of the 12-34 year old demographic that is highly coveted by corporate America, yet a segment that remains ill defined in the marketplace...

No longer confined to a demographic living in inner-city zip codes, the Urban Hustler has come to represent a specific mindset born out of the unique energy, creativity and diversity of America’s urban centers - closely connected to hip-hop, ethnically diverse with aspirations to succeed and a shared set of passions...

Nearly four in ten (39%) Urban Hustlers live in suburban areas and a similar amount (39%) of the group are white.  What further distinguishes the consumers in this market is a shared belief in their own influence.

The Urban Hustler is a self-proclaimed trendsetter, with almost three-quarters (73%) characterizing themselves as someone their friends seek out for advice on the latest trends.  They spend a significant portion of their discretionary income hustling to define and keep up with what’s hot.

I checked in with Alloy Access for additional methodological info beyond what's in the press release and should be getting more detailed material soon.  However, I was informed that the folks whose responses represent the dimensions of the Urban Hustler were those who revealed, in rating a "variety of attributes", that they were best described by such statements as:

-People look to me for the newest, hottest trends
-I enjoy the energy of urban, city life
-Hip hop culture is important to me
-Success equals money, fame and respect

So what they've done is to sketch out a lucrative subsection of the larger hip hop demographic, however that larger demographic is defined.

I also asked how folks like Damon Dash and Kwame Decuir were chosen for quotes and received this reply:
We are advertising partners with Blocksavvy, Damon Dash's social networking play, so he and co-founder Kwame were interested in commenting on the study and backed the importance of conducting the report to quantify these influential consumers. Blocksavvy was built to connect these consumers identified.

Believe me, I'll be thinking a lot about this study and look forward to both examining more background info and following the response.  Not to disparage the accomplishments of the folks at Alloy Access but what this study reveals most strongly is the broader lack of examination of the hip hop demographic and the fact that most discussions of said demographic trade in cliches based on personal observations rather than solid data.

So it's good to see Alloy Access exploring the topic and I'm hoping to see a lot more activity in this area in the future.

For more on Alloy Access:
Alloy Access

Related ProHipHop coverage:
Block Savvy Community Launches w/Damon Dash's Support

Demographics: Generation Tech & China Youth Culture

Jasmine France reports on two panels at Generation Tech: Plugging In With Teens, one composed of high school students, the other made up of college students.  Via Hear 2.0.

Research and Markets Label Networks releases highlights of a research report on China Youth Culture.  [press release updated 6/5]

Pew Internet Report Details Typology of Tech Users

The Pew Internet & American Life Project today released a report entitled  A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users, part of its excellent series of free research reports.

According to the press release:
These findings come from the Pew Internet Project’s typology of information and communication technology (ICT) users. The typology categorizes Americans based on the amount of ICTs they possess, how they use them, and their attitudes about the role of ICTs are in their lives. Ten separate groups emerge in the typology.

This report is not focused on gadgets but on usage and so would be quite useful for any web publisher or marketer trying to reach people via Web and mobile communications.

Black Enterprise Includes Raleigh-Durham & Charlotte in Top Ten Cities for African Americans

Though ProHipHop does not typically cover African American business per se, the strength of both the African American community and African American businesses is crucial to the state of hip hop business, despite hip hop's increasingly multicultural nature.  So I was interested to see that Black Enterprise's top ten cities for African Americans includes two North Carolina metro areas, Raleigh-Durham at no. 3 and Charlotte at no. 7.

Black Enterprise editors used the following criteria for the rankings:
median household income, percentage of households earning more than $100,000, percentage of businesses owned, percentage of college graduates, unemployment rates, home loan rejections, and homeownership rates

To be honest, I generally discourage outsiders from moving here cause we have plenty of people already.  But, despite the Triangle's charms (that's Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill), I truly believe that Charlotte is a boomtown waiting to happen.  They've been quite forward thinking about public transit while the Triangle's Democrats and Republicans focused on feeding at the developers' troughs.  From a distance, Charlotte appears to have even more possibilities for growth and development than exist in the Triangle, which has been rapidly developing for quite some time, though the Triangle's African American community still appears underserved in the process.

If you're even vaguely swayed by the possibility, check out real estate prices in Charlotte, especially if you're from the Northeast or California.  It will be like a peak back in time.

SnapDragon Consultants and Kate Rigg Provide Insights Into Asian-American Youth

Slav's post on Youth Trends from MAGIC reminded me of a recent report from SnapDragon Consultants and Kate Rigg on Ten Things Every Brand Should Know About Asian-American Youth.

The 10 "key insights":

  1. Many Asian-American youth feel excluded and misunderstood by most
     brands. It's made worse by the fact that they see advertisers actively
     wooing the African-American and Hispanic markets.
  2. Mixed race kids are proudly identifying as Hapa, a once derogatory word
     in Hawaiian to mean "half." Hapa is also slang for marijuana in
     Japanese (spelled Happa). Hapa is supplanting terms like Amerasian,
     biracial, and blasian.
  3. Asian-American youth are secret fans of "easy listening" adult
     contemporary music. Lite FM is a hidden passion.
  4. There's a "hero gap" among Asian-American kids, which is being filled
     for many by activists from other cultures. Martin Luther King is a role
     model and hero to many young Asian-Americans.
  5. Most Asian-American kids refer to white people as "white people" the
     same way African-Americans do.
  6. Underage gambling is huge. The "new" American poker obsession is
     nothing new to Asian-American kids. Gambling has a long history in
     Asian culture. Many students Rigg spoke with are avid online gamblers
     and card players. Some organize private online poker tournaments.
  7. Asian-American kids want an end to the hyper-nerdy images of
     themselves on TV and want to see more punked-out skater and graffiti
     DJ images which reflect a different energy. The feeling is:  Enough with
     the math geeks, future doctors and violinists. Asian-American kids crave
     street credibility -- not just academic accolades.
  8. Asian-American kids universally hate the question:  Where are you from
     -- especially since the answers are usually something like
     "Westchester" or "Boston."
  9. All things Korean are hot and getting hotter. Fashion. Foods. DJs.
     Online communities. Korea is the new Japan.
  10. The 15 minutes of seemingly benign American Idol fame for William
      Hung had a surprisingly negative effect on Asian-American students.
      There's a feeling that Hung perpetuated the worst stereotypes about
      Asian people and gave non-Asians permission to indulge in two years
      of racial stereotyping and mocking.

Interestingly enough, the report was based on interviews that Kate Rigg conducted with Asian-American youths from 14 to 23 in preparation for a performance piece scheduled for the Smithsonian.

Official Site:
SnapDragon Consultants

MySpace Becoming Haven For Senior Citizens, You Know, Over 35

Those of us 35 and over are now the majority on MySpace.

I'm not sure what that means but it reminds me of claims that if more older people joined MySpace, younger people would leave.  I think that's unlikely because of networks that develop within MySpace.  In MySpace there can be more of a certain demographic without anyone noticing that doesn't normally interact with that demographic.

What it also reminds me of is the fact that our assumptions about who does what are often based on little more than hunches, sometimes even when contradictory evidence is readily available.  In fact, I imagine that MySpace will continue to be viewed as a great place to market to young people and young people only, just because that's the general perception.

Ok, back to my birthday.  Late!

Update:
I just released the likely problem with this research report.  I haven't seen a description of their methods but I'm assuming they're basing the age of users on the ages listed on profiles.  Given that teens, for example, will sometimes list a much older age for a variety of reasons and that all sorts of other identity altering behaviors occur, what this study most likely reveals is the demographics of the identities assumed on social networking sites.

Demographics: "Asian American Teens and Echo Boomers"

Asian American Youth: America's New Trendsetters:

According to results of the study, "Made in America: Asian American Teens and Echo Boomers," Asian American young people are likely to see themselves as trendsetters in three distinct cultural categories -- technology and gadgetry, anime and manga, and video-gaming. . .

This study, "Made in America: Asian American Teens and Echo-Boomers," will be presented at the conference "IMPRINT: Urban Youth Unabridged" (www.imprint-life.com) on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 at the Japanese American National Museum. George Takei will be the opening speaker, while the rest of the conference will feature a mix of live panels, presentations, and performers -- including Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment, Jim Farley from Toyota Motor Sales, Eric Nakamura from Giant Robot, Gonzalo Perez from MTV, and John Hiler from Xanga.

Learning About Hispanic Teens From Hispanic Teens

Cheskin, an "innovation consulting firm", recently released a video research report entitled Nuestro Futuro: Hispanic Teens in Their Own Words.

From the press release:
An unprecedented video profile of U.S. Hispanic teen lifestyles, attitudes and behaviors. Produced from over 30 hours of in-depth at-home interviews with more than 30 Hispanic teens across the US, ages 13 to 19, the profile illuminates key issues in the words of teens themselves. Hearing and seeing them in their homes through the lenses of Snippies video journalists provides an emotive and realistic context for understanding.

From Chris (pictured above), a 17 year old from New York City:
I cannot live without music. It's such a big part of my culture.
Latinos, we need our music, we need a daily fix of our music, it's like
our life drug. I couldn't go a day without listening to my iPod. I even
bought a cell phone that has iTunes on it. I have to have some rhythm in
my life.

From William, a 19 year old from Chicago:
My personal style is mine. I don't know how to explain it ... I'm a fresh Latin Hip Hop style ... It's my unique and own style. I try to take samples from other styles, but I don't just straight copy. I take bits and pieces here and there and just make it my own.

Jessica, a 17 year old from New York.

Three major themes of the report:

* There are multiple levels of complexity in how Hispanic teens
identify themselves. While Hispanic traditions provide grounding,
this segment maintains a multicultural, broad worldview and embraces
diversity. Family orientation is important, but so is establishing
their unique individuality.

* They have influence within their own families as role models and
navigators, and as cultural ambassadors with their friends. They are
proud of the growing influence of Hispanic culture in the U.S.

* They are optimistic. While achievement oriented, they also seek life
balance and opportunities for altruism. Education is important to
them, and they recognize the advantages of their own bilingualism.

For more information on the 3-DVD $5,850.00 set including a video sample see:
Nuestro Futuro: Hispanic Teens in Their Own Words

Official Sites:
Cheskin ~ Snippies

That Girl: Avis/XM Spot & Scoble's Jay-Z Comments

I hadn't seen this Avis/XM Radio tv spot but it's awesome. Found it via That Girl From Marketing whose comments are another tiny piece in understanding the complex puzzle of hip hop demographics.

TGFM also says, regarding Robert Scoble's comments on meeting Jay-Z, "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

Good looking out on Scoble's well-meaning condescension!

Why Would Latinos Need Their Own Magazine?

Fuego Magazine bites the dust giving Hashim Warren the opportunity to say at Media Chin-Check:
the truth about Hispanic people is this - most will read, vote and buy in the same patterns as Black people.

Interesting, too bad he didn't share any actual stats or demographic info other than:
My Latino friends buy the same sneakers and watch the same TV shows that I do. Why would they need their own magazine?

Why indeed?

[that's a sarcastic why indeed, by the way]

Due to lack of time, I will simply take an initial step in undermining the easiest of Hashim's assumptions to refute.  According to CNN exit polls, during the 2004 elections African Americans voted overwhelmingly for Kerry over Bush (88% to 11%) versus Latinos whose vote was split between Kerry and Bush (53% to 44%).

Hmm, maybe Hashim just hangs out with Latinos that are similar to him?  In any case, personal experience adds depth and counter examples to demographic generalities but falling into the trap of universalizing your own experience is bad for researchers, journalists and, yes, even bloggers.

Hip Hop Demographics: Beyond False Assumptions

I've been meaning to write more about hip hop demographics for quite a while. My planned but only partially completed fourth All In The Game column explored assumptions regarding the age of hip hop listeners. One of the more interesting bits of information I was considering was Vibe magazine's demographic which is described as "young", though 24% of Vibe's readers (as of 2003) are over 35. When one considers the assumptions of marketers, that rap music reaches young people, it makes sense that Vibe emphasizes their strong reach to youth. But such a large over 35 readership suggests that more of us old folks are into hip hop than people realize.

And, don't forget, baby boomers invented hip hop!

For quite some time, I've been meaning to write about Bakari Kitwana's work on white rap fans in Why White Kids Love Hip Hop. I find his discussion of the limits of current demographic research into hip hop fans (and, by implication, all music fans) to be quite strong and not well represented in any of the articles I've read about the book. In particular, he does a great job of addressing the problems with using Soundscan data to make assumptions about racial demographics when those stats aren't actually gathered, plus the fact that there are multiple forms of music distribution that Soundscan doesn't track.

An article by Kitwana in the Village Voice about the white fanbase of "black-conscious" hip hop raised some of these issues but they got a bit lost in the mix. I'm not really interested in digging into that piece but Hashim Warren got into some of the problems. However, I will say that the weakness I sometimes find in Kitwana's work occurs when his ideology outweighs his evidence.

More recently, Michael Miraflor has begun writing about hip hop demographics at Hip Hop Blogs and the funny thing is, he says that my encouragement got him writing about this topic while his writing finally got me going at ProHipHop. Just one of those positive blogger feedback loops, I guess.

Michael looks at some data to which he has access but doesn't have the rights to republish fully so it's more of an introduction to the argument that hip hop fans online might be more likely found on sites that aren't hip hop sites. Both his post and the ensuing discussion raise a lot of issues about how much this information reveals, which is part of the problem in any kind of mass demographic work. But he does a nice job of introducing some information that leads to counter-intuitive findings and that's one of the reasons marketers do research, because their assumptions are sometimes incorrect.

I'm taking this opportunity to add a Demographics category to ProHipHop because I intend to do more on this topic, including keeping up with what folks like Bakari Kitwana and Michael Miraflor have to say.

I've also been planning some related projects beyond blogs post so, if that interests you, please be in touch, whether it's something you're interested in working on or whether you just want to be informed when the next stage kicks in:
clyde(at)prohiphop(dot)com

Live 8, AmsterJam & Indie Rock/Hip Hop Demographics

Bob Geldof's Live 8 concerts will draw together a bunch of pop, rock and rap stars, including Jay-Z and 50 Cent in Philly, for a multilocation free concert that will also be broadcast on tv and webcast on AOL. The concerts are planned for July 2nd and, instead of raising funds like the original Live Aid concert, this event is intended to pressure the G8 meeting of Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Russia, Canada, Italy and Japan to take action to help end poverty in Africa.

Apparently, U2's Bono had a hand in inspiring Geldof and it's indicative of Bono's attempts to intervene at the highest levels of power, a move that is currently beyond the hip hop nation but speaks to what folks like Bono have accomplished and what could happen if rockers and rappers start working together to effect political change.

Live 8 is also an example of the increasing presence of hip hop artists in predominantly rock oriented festivals and tours. The Zooma tour, that was recently cancelled due to disappointing ticket sales, headlined Trey Anastasio and Ben Harper but was set to include Jurassic 5. This summer's Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza festivals will include a variety of hip hop acts as did the recent Coachella festival.

What's interesting to note is that, though the Live 8 concerts are featuring chart topping stars as does the upcoming AmsterJam mashup concert with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snoop Dogg, most rock events feature hip hop artists who might be called "conscious" or, at the very least, don't talk about shooting people and wearing jewelry as much as Jay-Z or 50 Cent might. Such artists in the other tours and festivals mentioned above include Jurassic 5, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, Digable Planets, Ozomatli, Saul Williams, RJD2, Common and M.I.A.

These are some of the artists I would include in an indie rock fan demographic that I've previously sketched out but haven't fully articulated, one that is distinct from but sometimes overlaps the rap-rock demographic. Promocopy responded to my thoughts and, though we exchanged a follow-up email or two, she didn't bite on my suggestion that we explore the concept together. On that note, if you're interested in marketing and hip hop demographics, I'm open to discussion and collab on such issues. If you have some ideas or writing, perhaps you can share them at ProHipHop. Feel free to write if such topics interest you:
clyde(at)prohiphop(dot)com

PROMOCOPY, Indie Rock & Hip Hop Demographics

You never really know how well someone reads a text until they read yours. I recently posted briefly about a blog called PROMOCOPY that focuses on criticizing indie music promotions in order to "remind people that Indie can mean something in terms of character and credibility and respect for an audience." That's an important thing for indie promoters to hear, in part, because of issues raised in my previous post on niche markets. Speaking to people in an honest human voice is crucial if one wants to move beyond fly-by-night activity without making the mistakes of major labels.

So PROMOCOPY responded with a textual expansion on a few brief sentences, an approach that I can appreciate. The key theme seemed to be my statement that PROMOCOPY is "mostly an indie rock thing which means you will get some of the standard rappers that indie rock consumers tend to dig cause that's the promotion P. will encounter." Although PROMOCOPY reads my statement a bit differently than I would, the author, who's unidentified because s/he works in the industry, does a nice job of unpacking a sentence that's full of subtexts and references. In fact, I think it's the first time I've alluded to the topic and I'm happy I did it in relationship to a writer that could actually pick up on the fact that there's a lot being referenced.

First, I should say my comments are more of a general impression about indie rock critics who occasionally write about hip hop and the kind of hip hop that I see getting a white college kid and SXSW hipster audience. That's an unfair package to leave at PROMOCOPY's doorstep since I used that underlying hidden narrative for a quick take on a blog that I've read only sporadically. But it's a topic I would like to address because it's an interesting phenomenon for a variety of business reasons.

I started following online coverage of hip hop over at my personal/political blog, Hip Hop Logic, a few years ago and eventually started checking out alternative newsweeklies on a regular basis because many of my favorite hip hop writers would appear in their pages. I quickly noticed that certain artists would get picked up by multiple papers, in addition to pieces that were reprinted across networks, and that they seemed to follow a pattern that related to the kinds of hip hop I saw represented on mostly indie rock sites or that caught indie rock reviewers' eyes.

To really dig into what's going on, one has to recognize the role of editors in this process, the demographics that various publications serve and who's on publicists' radar, among other issues. I'm not going to do all that here, but I do want to point out a couple of things. PROMOCOPY mentions Nas, The Roots and Jurassic 5. I would put all three of those acts on the indie rock critics' list. Notice that these artists all have either an old school or a conscious hip hop identity, although that's only part of the picture. I believe that one could make a fairly strong case for specific kinds of hip hop artists appealing to indie rock fans if one were willing to do quite a bit of work looking at past trends. While I'm not up for doing that on my own at the present time, it would be the sort of research that would be quite useful to marketers, and I am available for such commissions!

I directly experienced who's on the list and who's off at a SXSW Murder Dog showcase. SXSW is indie rock oriented and hip hop acts that don't appeal to an indie rock crowd don't do well there. I should clarify that the indie rock crowd was my scene in the 80s, a great time for stuff like that and I saw some amazing acts in tiny clubs in North Carolina. So I know that indie rock fans range from incredibly sophisticated listeners who build early audiences for difficult music to frat boys who help turn acts like The Roots into stadium players.

Murder Dog doesn't fit that demographic, though they cover some artists that do and their showcase crossed over into it because it closed with one of Dizzee Rascal's first U.S. appearances. However, it opened with Swishahouse and multiple artists that I was hearing on local Austin radio everyday. I'm not sure how regional this phenomenon was but it's the kind of thing my indie rocker friends would tend to refer to in jokes featuring "sizzurp" or "grills" and the like. But that's not an absolute.

Nevertheless, I considered Swishahouse major and expected that part of the showcase to be crowded. It was a good audience, interracial with a lot of stereotypical hip hop style, but not so big. However, right before Dizzee Rascal hit the stage, people started filtering in and it suddenly became a packed house with lots of stylish indie rock fans in distinctive hipster garb. I've never seen dancing like the dancing I saw at Dizzee's show at a hip hop club or concert before, but I don't get out all that much.

In any case, these and related experiences caused me to develop this image of hip hop acts that have a special appeal to the indie rock crowd, broad strokes that are useful to marketers but can be readily unraveled by a close textual reading or examination of the available evidence. That unraveling doesn't undermine the usefulness of those broad strokes but it is an important task for critics and it can be used by marketers who are interested in such things or by writers like me who seek to connect these diverse worlds.

I'll stop there but I intend to revisit issues related to the demographics of hip hop that are currently treated in a fairly limited manner by marketers. I also look forward to seeing where PROMOCOPY goes in the future. The author raises excellent questions in his or her response to my brief statements and, even if s/he is not addressing hip hop that often, I belief the motivations and the concerns of the author are of great importance to hip hop artists and business people.