Snoop Dogg at the New York Stock Exchange

Snoop Dogg Brands the NYSE

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

"In conjunction with Global Entrepreneurship Week, NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) on Monday, Nov. 16...host[ed] the second annual "Mentoring Madness" event at the New York Stock Exchange."

Snoop Dogg Makes the Scene

"Stephen Hanson, Founder and President of B.R. Guest Restaurants; Duncan Niederauer, CEO, NYSE Euronext; Snoop Dogg, Blake Mycoskie, Founder of TOMS Shoes; Barry Sternlicht, Chairman and CEO of Starwood Capital Group and Maria Bartiromo, CNBC Anchor walk the NYSE trading floor prior to the NYSE Euronext "Mentoring Madness" event."

Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Broadus x Maria "Money Honey" Bartiromo

"CNBC's Maria Bartiromo interviews Snoop Dogg, Rapper and Entrepreneur, during the NYSE Euronext "Mentoring Madness" event."

[Photos Courtesy Business Wire]

Available on iTunes: Snoop Dogg

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

Recession: Rappers Reassess Bling, 5-Step Survival Guide

As the recession forces rappers to reassess their bling, Nahshon shares the 5-Step Hip-Hop Guide to Surviving the Recession.

Brian Rushton Phillips' Financial Security (Blanket)

Financial Security (Blanket) in Action

Unemployed conceptual artist Brian Rushton Phillips has taken what his press release claims is his "remaining cash" and sewn all 208 dollar bills together to create Financial Security (Blanket):

"The fragility of the blanket conjures an oxymoronic image, consistent with the current state of global unemployment, homelessness and financial insecurity."

Brian Rushton Phillips - Financial Security (Blanket) [2009]

The actual physical work only comes alive in use but it's an interesting idea that, as a conceptual work, could be said to include the dollar bill blanket, its performativve use, the press release and even responses such as this blog post. However, it's somewhat undermined by the obvious question:

If this was the last of his cash, who paid for the press release?

Rumor has it that Rushton Phillips next work will involve emergency housing built out of expired credit cards, tentatively titled "House of Cards"!

Official Site:
Rushton Phillips Collaborations

Forbes: Top 20 Hip Hop "Cash Kings" for 2008

Forbes' latest hip hop business special includes "20 Cash Kings Of Hip-Hop", which seems to be a rather successful bit of business porn for Forbes, and is illustrated by a handy slideshow.

Here are Forbes' top 20 highest earning hip hop artists:

1. Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson: $150 million

2. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter: $82 million

3. Sean "Diddy" Combs: $35 million

4. Kanye West: $30 million

5. Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley: $22 million

6. Pharrell Williams: $20 million

7. Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean: $17 million

8. Calvin "Snoop Dogg" Broadus: $16 million

9. André "Dr. Dre" Young: $15 million

10. Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges: $14 million

11. Clifford "T.I." Harris: $13 million (tie)

11. Dwayne "Lil Wayne" Carter: $13 million (tie)

12. Marshall "Eminem" Mathers: $12 million (tie)

12. Lonnie "Common" Lynn Jr.: $12 million (tie)

12. Aliaune "Akon" Thiam: $12 million (tie)

13. Jermaine Dupri: $11 million (tie)

13. Jonathan "Lil Jon" Smith: $11 million (tie)

14. OutKast: $10 million (tie)

14. Hakeem "Chamillionaire" Seriki: $10 million (tie)

14. Jayceon "The Game" Taylor: $10 million (tie)

Biggest Surprise:
I hadn't realized Chamillionaire was at that financial level.  Probably should have read last year's list but I was too busy having "attitude" problems.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Forbes: 50 Cent Gets Money, Wants African Mines
Forbes: Swizz Beats Profile
Forbes: Tom Mahlke, Chief Executive of CRUNK!!!
Forbes: Jermaine Dupri on the Music Industry

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."

Raekwon: Jay-Z & Kanye Should Drop the Hood Some Cash

At first glance I thought Raekwon's call to Jay-Z and Kanye West to drop 100k in the hood was kind of silly until I realized that totally fits their mythology about getting and spending money.  Especially the Jay-Z American Gangster mythology.

Each Google Employee Generates $950k in Revenue

I'm not entirely antagonistic to the concept of surplus labor as I would have been in the 80s.  But at the end of this great little list of data bits taken from an Ad Age report on search marketing, we find this:

"Google hired 5,000 people in 2006, doubling their workforce, and on average Google generates $950,000 in revenue for each employee it has."

Between the Google millionaires, the Google old timers moving to hot young startups and the above bit of data, new hires at Google are probably starting to feel a little sick.

But at least they're working!

11) ProHipHop Adds Hip Hop Penny Stocks Category

Though I try to stop myself from adding new categories at ProHipHop, really, I do, I've decided to add a Hip Hop Penny Stocks category because the over-the-counter, bulletin board, Pink Sheets stocks are getting ready to heat up as the celebrity factor enters the equation.

I've been covering such companies for a while, primarily in the Financial category and the Clubs/Restaurants category, but I think it's worth having them available in a separate section.  I'll be moving old posts over or creating link lists to such posts soon and will be continually adding new ones about such companies and related businesses as the Luke Entertainment Group and the Hip Hop Soda Shop.

If you're really interested in this kind of thing you can keep a closer eye on developments as they're announced by following Hip Hop Press.

Online Money Management 2.0: expensr & Mint

expensr is a "free online personal finance manager" with charts and tools to help you understand how you use money with social network features described by the Download Squad.

Mint offers a more complex form of online money management reviewed favorably by The Startup Game.

Both are presented as alternatives to Quicken and Microsoft Money.

As Lil' Mo Said: HSAN's Nuggets of Financial Wisdom f/Anthony Hamilton, Rocsi & Jim Jones

I could have gone to Saturday's HSAN Financial Empowerment Summit in Greensboro, NC but I just couldn't make the time.  So I was ecstatic to discover these nuggets of wisdom from a regional news site:

As Lil' Mo said, "Everybody wants to make it rain, but they never have something saved up for a rainy day."

Singer Anthony Hamilton admitted he'd just been to the mall and bought "sparkly Nikes" - but he pointed out, he got them on sale.

Wow, somebody ought to put out a book!

Take 2:
More from "Little Mo":
"Stop watching these videos and thinking that's everybody's lifestyle," said Little Mo." "It's all smoke and mirrors, so, the best way I say is everybody has to have a good plan and a good foundation."

106 & Park's Rocsi shared:
"Them shoes you see in the windows are not as important as that light bill you've got to pay next month," Rocsi, co-host of the Black Entertainment Television show "106 & Park," told the women in the audience.

Yet:
The stars also acknowledged that, like the audience, they like expensive things.  [Jim] Jones, a rapper and businessman, told the laughing crowd, "I buy the hottest cars that come out."

I'm actually slightly regretting not going.  I get such a strong sense of famous people boasting about their wealth and then talking down to the audience as if they were children that I just want to verify or move beyond that perception.

TurboTax's Tax Rap Contest Has a $25k Winner

cpulfer - It's just a breeze G

Christian Pulfer is the grand prize winner of TurboTax's Tax Rap contest to the tune of $25 thousand.

For more contest winning videos, see TurboTax's YouTube channel.

TurboTax's Tax Rap Contest Hosted by Vanilla Ice

R U a better rapper than Vanilla Ice? Win $25,000 cash!

I'm surprised nobody got all excited and emailed me about The Tax Rap, the Vanilla Ice hosted video rap contest boosting TurboTax.  I guess that's how you reach the young'uns at tax times these days!  Actually, I have no idea what demographic Vanilla Ice is expected to reach.

But you've got to admire Vanilla Ice's love of the entertainment game.  The guy's never going to go away and we wouldn't have it any other way!

More such videos at TurboTax's YouTube channel.

Free Joins Get Your Money Right Tour

Free - Co-moderator for Get Your Money Right Tour

The recently announced 2007 Get Your Money Right tour, organized by the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, has added Free as co-moderator.

Free is well-known as a former co-host of BET's 106 & Park.  In fact, the post discussing Free & AJ leaving 106 & Park is one of the most popular at ProHipHop.

(Photo Courtesy PRNewsFoto/Chrysler Financial)

Kevin Federline Super Bowl Commercial for Nationwide

Kevin Federline Super Bowl Commercial for Nationwide

Possibly funnier in an earlier storyboard version without all the pimpery.

Morgan Stanley Settles w/New York Over Gabriele T. Smith

You may have heard the story of Gabriele T. Smith who ripped off numerous hip hop artists and business people using her position at Morgan Stanley and her own independent financial services company.  She was exposed due to her handling of an account for Kenneth McGriff of Murder Inc. after which a variety of legal actions ensued.

Now Morgan Stanley has settled a case with the State of New York to pay over $1 million for failing to supervise Ms. Smith after having previously settled two private claims for a combined $2.2 million.