Michael Stewart-Isaacs aka The Coach

HIP HOP WALL ST, a project of Michael Stewart-Isaacs focused on social entrepreneurship, motivational speaking and lifestyle coaching, is emerging from beta and preparing for a full launch this year. Michael has been working with young people in Raleigh, NC, including youth at risk, using entrepreneurship as an educational and inspirational tool grounded in practical business information and tools.

For HIP HOP WALL ST:

"Hip-Hop culture is about aspiration, uncommon wisdom, and making the most of challenging situations, from dealing with difficult people to leveraging key relationships. The general objectives of our messages are to create a discussion with the hip hop generation about taking ownership of their future through a fundamental understanding of 'lifestyle entrepreneurship.'"

Michael Stewart-Isaacs' on Living the RAP Life

In the course of working with young people, Michael has been developing a curriculum and a set of principles or themes based on what he's finding works to reach kids where they're at and to help them advance in life. For example:

MESSAGE I. – Living the R.A.P. Life

a. REDEFINE: how learning tips from hip-hop pioneers can help us create a "new life" in a positive way.

b. AFFIRM: the concept of "trusting people" and how that trust can open the doors of human connection as a gateway to what is next in each of our lives.

c. PURSUE: the importance of living your life in excellence and consistency.

HIP HOP WALL ST | PART IV. PUSH THRU

Michael Stewart-Isaacs and HIP HOP WALL ST have been working with the Wake County Gang Prevention Partnership and the Hammond Road Community Task Force on program development and with Hip Hop Haven on fundraising.

Check the HIP HOP WALL ST YouTube channel or the HIP HOP WALL ST official site for more from Michael Stewart-Isaacs.

Snoop Dogg On CNBC

Snoop Dogg made an appearance at the New York Stock Exchange last week and his visit included an interview with Maria Bartiromo above.

Via Hypebot.

Available on iTunes:
Snoop Dogg

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Snoop Dogg at the New York Stock Exchange
Snoop Dogg: Malice N Wonderland

Over at Hip Hop Press:
NYSE Euronext Kicks Off Global Entrepreneurship Week with "Mentoring Madness" at the New York Stock Exchange

Many have considered Al Gore, former Vice President, and Jonathan Abrams, Friendster founder, to be losers who were once winners.  But Al Gore’s already made it back and is much richer and happier than before.  Jonathan Abrams also appears to be back on a successful trajectory.  These articles are from last month.  Guess what?  They’re still relevant!

Fast Company’s Ellen McGirt has a nice piece on Al Gore’s rebranding success titled Al Gore’s $100 Million Makeover:

One problem he had in politics, he says, was identifying an issue too early–"’predawn’ is the term I use"–to be able to act on it. But "in the business world, particularly at a time when things are moving so swiftly, if you can see it early, you can make a business opportunity out of it." He pauses. "For whatever reason, the business world rewards a long-term perspective more than the political world does."

I already knew Gore was doing well but Max Chafkin’s Inc. article, How to Kill a Great Idea!, clued me into Jonathan Abrams comeback, though it focuses on Friendster’s death by expertise:

By the rules of Silicon Valley, Friendster–a bold idea backed by experienced investor and the best managers money could buy–was destined for greatness. Instead, it failed spectacularly. "I did what you’re always told to do as a young entrepreneur," Abrams says. "I brought on experienced investors to help Friendster fulfill its potential. But the all-star team was the curse of death."

Unless he’s trying to generate some artificial dramatic tension, Chafkin’s closing remarks seem a bit clueless as to why Abrams can’t describe his new project, Socializr, three years out (that’s a fake and, possibly, foolish exercise for this kind of thing) or why Abrams would start a nightclub where he appears to rule (what’s not to like?).  Sounds like a lot more fun than dealing with VCs and watching your reputation tank.

Update:
I’m probably being a bit hard on Mr. Chafkin, though I do believe the nightclub is a nobrainer and that making public statements about Web 2.0 projects three years in the future is a questionable endeavor.

But that doesn’t mean that there is no longer value in thinking three years out, as long as you remember that at any point in the past ten years, almost anybody’s three year vision didn’t hold up.

We’ve finally moved into a period where our feedback mechanisms, from blogs to popular opinion to the stock market, are now fast enough that one can see that reality is complex and nonlinear without having to read Chaos or Linked or The Tipping Point.  That calls for a different approach to planning and, if you buy into Abrams claims about the death of Friendster, he’s in a more appropriate mode than any of his former board members cause he’s living in the present in a manner that puts him on the breaking edge.  And that’s real in a time when traditional biz dev is being outflanked by open platforms with widgets.

Venture Voice is an interesting and useful series of podcast interviews primarily with entrepreneurs and a few venture capitalists.  The shows can be downloaded as MP3s and there are also brief transcripts that will give you an overall idea of what was discussed.

Most of the entrepreneurs can be described as Web 2.0 types, i.e. they’re involved with web services such as blogging and podcasting.  However, their most recent interview is with Derek Sivers, the creator of CD Baby who’s built an operation that started as a way to sell his own cds online into a company of 50 employees doing around $25 mil in revenue with no venture capital at all.

Sample quotes:
“Was working inside the music industry just enough to know I didn’t like that side of things.”
“The joke is that CD Baby is run with all the corporate formality of Bob and Jimmy’s tackle shop in Key Largo.”

Severs advice for starting a [web?] business:
“Just give yourself a 10 day deadline, and just launch it . . . with almost no features.”

Actually he’s got a very Web 2.0 attitude, which I appreciate.  More importantly, it seems like every announcement I’ve heard about the development of the company, such as the recent online alliance with Best Buy, always seems like a positive move for the artists who use the service as well as for the company itself.

Although I haven’t worked with CD Baby and haven’t talked with anyone who’s used their service, from all outside appearances, they would be one of the companies I would want to work with if I was an independent artist putting out cds and digital tracks.

They also have a webhosting service for musicians called HostBaby that looks pretty cool.

Official Site: CD Baby