OnFumes: Ralph McDaniels' Music Video Social Network

Uncle Ralph McDaniels has announced the [re]launch of OnFumes, a social network that builds on his Video Music Box assets and reputation to create a hip hop and RnB video community.

ONFUMES = Online Network For Urban Media Entertainment Services

Unfortunately "running on fumes" generally suggests the end of the line.  Let's hope that's not a bad omen for Uncle Ralph who was recently profiled in the Village Voice where I found out this was a relaunch rather than a totally new site.

There's nothing wrong with relaunches and I wish whoever feels like they need to cover that up in their marketing, and this is not unique to OnFumes, would recognize that acting like it's all new is going to look dishonest to folks that dig the least bit deeper. 

In related Ralph McDaniels news, Miss Info couldn't make the recent Video Music Box 25th Anniversary show at Central Park organized by McDaniels but she did post some videos.

DMC World: DMC & Worlds.com to Create 3D Virtual World

DMC and Worlds.com have teamed up to create DMC World, a 3D virtual world of the growing move towards launching social network versions of fan clubs.

This announcement focuses on the agreement with neither domain nor launch date provided.

Official Sites:
DMC
Worlds.com

CrackSpace Relaunches as iHipHop

CrackSpace has relaunched as iHipHop and they're claiming "almost 800,000 users"!

It looks like this number comes from the number of Total Registered Members, 789,430, currently found at the bottom of the View All Members page.

But if one checks Alexa and Compete for CrackSpace [crackspace.com] traffic, the number of people actually using the site appears radically different from the number of registered members.

The discrepancy is most likely due to members like $ DEEBO $, who joined back in 2007 and never logged in again, or to members who only occasionally login to the site.

Sounds like they have almost 800,000 registered members both active and inactive rather than that number of actual users.

Update:
My bad, as Rollo informed me in the comments, their main domain was actually hiphopcrack.com rather than crackspace.com.  Hiphopcrack.com does quite well at both Alexa and Compete. So, though there still is going to be a discrepancy between the registered members and the active users and there are some interesting traffic patterns, it's certainly not the exaggeration it at first appeared.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Dismal Outlook for Many Hip Hop Social Networks
"Urban" MySpace/YouTube-Inspired Sites: CrackSpace,
MinoritySpace, Earwax Video Network

Young Jeezy Launches USDA2DAY Social Network

Young Jeezy launches the USDA2DAY social network using Ning and it's looking like the folks behind these celebrity social networks understand why going hard at the blogging is key to a lot of things on the open web.

Looking at the site reminds me that the web has turned what are essentially fan clubs into full-fledged news and media outlets.

According to the press release, Young Jeezy's newest mixtape The Prime Minister will soon be available on the site.

Social Networks: ConcertAttack, SwaggerMonkey, eVIPlist.com

ConcertAttack describes itself as a "live music social network" and should be a particularly useful network for artist marketing.

SwaggerMonkey is a place "where social networking clashes with trend spotting".

I've been hearing about eVIPlist.com from GreasyGuide.com once or twice and from Black Web 2.0.

ThisIs50.com & the Kyte Video Platform

Michael Miraflor looks at ThisIs50.com's use of Kyte's video platform in building their social network.

Official Site:
Kyte

Dismal Outlook for Many Hip Hop Social Networks

After writing about Global Grind's performance, I decided to check in on some of the other hip hop social networks that have gotten a lot of press and found that Global Grind's looking better than some.

Compete Analytics:
globalgrind.com
streetcred.com
blocksavvy.com
loud.com
xxlblocktalk.com

By contrast thisis50.com seems to be doing well.

It's quite likely that celebrity sites will continue to do much better than celebrity endorsed sites since celebrity sites tend to be much more focused and draw folks together with interests that are more specific than a generic hip hop theme.

I think that ultimately goes beyond just being fans but focusing on one's actual fan base is a very solid way to start.

Additional Relevant Sites:
wemix.com
dancejam.com
crackspace.com

The Real Contenders:
rawkus.com
similar stats as thisis50.com.  (that's partly blog power!  note: thisis50.com is also fronted by a blog.)

Thanks for suggestions:
David ~ YSL ~ Ian

Necole Bitchie Launches The Urban Blogger Network

Necole Bitchie recently launched The Urban Blogger as a social network and colearning center for urban bloggers.  Definitely worth checking out if you're trying to build your blog and want a supportive group.

Via Corporate Takeover.

MySpace Still > Facebook for Music Marketing

Couch Sessions points to some of the differences between MySpace and Facebook that suggest that MySpace will remain the leader in music marketing.

In a related perspective, Erick Schonfeld takes a negative view of a possible Facebook music service while considering widgets and Thisis50.com.

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.

SOHH Launches Twelve24girl.com Powered by Flux

I just got a press release stating that SOHH.com parent company 4Control Media has launched Twelve24girl.com, a "new lifestyle and social networking website targeted towards females ages 12-24."

In the press release, the site is said to be debuting on February 14th (yesterday/Valentine's Day) with:

"unique features including an exclusive celebrity video column, premiering with on-air personality Wendy Williams discussing her rise to celebrity gossip diva status, the hottest Grammy red carpet fashions on "1224 Style", a confession blog featuring the true life experiences of a single mom with baby-daddy drama, and R&B singers Musiq and Raheem DeVaugn giving Valentine's Day advice."

Also:

"The new site supplies users with 12 must-have items each 24-hour period in the categories of entertainment, fashion, career and relationships. Alongside exclusive celebrity interviews, gossip, fashion tips, advice and new music, 1224girl.com provides a full social networking platform including user blogs, photo galleries, user-generated video, chat and bulletin boards."

The social network is said to be powered by Flux but, so far, it's just an interesting looking interface to SOHH.com content.

ProHipHop wonders:

Does Wendy Williams have pull among 12 to 24 year old females?

Which domain is it, twelve24girl.com or 1224girl.com?

When will the social network actually launch?

No doubt, the future will provide us with the answers as the site develops and fulfills its claimed positioning or not.

FastCompany.com Relaunches as Social Media Network

FastCompany.com, where I used to blog in an incredibly erratic manner, has relaunched with a social media emphasis.

According to Edward Sussman of FastCompany.com's parent company Manseuto Digital:

"Starting today, we become the first major media website to tackle the following problem: Can a business publication blend journalism and online community to create something better than either by itself?..."

"It's not a pure social network. A pure social network tries to recreate what Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook calls the "social graph" of a community that already exists. You go to Facebook or MySpace and find the friends and co-workers you already know. The real world gets reproduced virtually. Maybe you meet a friend of a friend."

"We're not that."

"We're an entirely new community of people brought together because we want to share ideas about business."

I haven't really paid attention to the details of the social graph concept but my social networking experiences at MySpace involved a combination of what Edward Sussman is describing plus a much larger network of folks that I met through MySpace.  LinkedIn has been a bit more like the social graph Sussman describes but primarily because I use it in a passive manner, i.e., folks find me, not the reverse.

Lynne d Johnson, who clearly has a lot to do with this project, says:

"Not to be mistaken, we've always had community at FC. In fact, the Company of Friends, the Fast Company reader's network dates back to 1997. What we've done now is basically more elegantly merged the content with the community. Let us know what you think. It's actually a public beta right now, because we know there's still work to do. So I'm definitely looking for feedback."

Here's my incredibly incomplete FastCompany.com profile in case you get on there.

DirtBag Music Social Network Launches, DJ Skribble on Advisory Board

The DirtBag Music social network has launched with some interesting features designed to connect artists and fans:
"Dirtbag Music provides free world wide video and voice calls for every user, a complete e-commerce engine to monetize online digital content and advance mobile applications that ensure artists and fans can stay connected. The site's peer-to-peer world-wide Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) functionality utilizes an advanced multimedia instant messenger system, termed "Blab Box" creating real-time social interaction between users."

In addition to allowing fans to hook up, such features are being positioned as a unique opportunity for artists:
"Bands and fans can now interact in real time through video sessions, personalized lessons, chats, concerts, interviews, rehearsals, tour bus updates and other reality based campaigns."

Upcoming features will open up additional monetization possibilities:
"When fully implemented in late Spring, the site also provides individualized e-commerce platforms, like eBay, which allows each member to choose which products or features they want to monetize. For example, a band can choose to sell music tracks, merchandise, video chats, lessons, ringtones or whatever else the bands can invent and market."

The advisory board includes DJ Skribble, Scott Ian and Ron Thal.

DirtBag Music is a spinoff of DirtBag Clothing and the whole project has a heavy rock feel.  Nevertheless, the unique features combined with DJ Skribble's involvement brought it to ProHipHop.

Official Site:
DirtBag Music

Damon Dash to Launch Block Savvy [Out of Beta]

Over a year after launching what I'm informed was the beta version of Block Savvy, Damon Dash is expected to announce the launch of whatever happens after that.  Personally, I would use the term relaunch and avoid the world premiere approach but, hey, I'm a nutty web guy so what do I know?

Press Release:
World Premiere!!! Fashion/Music/Internet Mogul Damon Dash to Announce the Launch of BlockSavvy.Com, The New Virtual Lifestyle Portal & Interactive Ad Agency for the Digital Generation, At the 2008 Urban Wheel Awards

Ning CEO Gina Bianchini Analyses Ning vs. Flux

If you've been considering adding social network elements to your blog or website you may have considered Ning's social network platform, where many have built unique social networks, and/or Flux's social distribution platform, which has begun offering widgets and will soon offer build-your-own networks.

In a great attack from Ning presented in a Techcrunch post, their CEO Gina Bianchini shares her analysis of why Ning is the better platform.

Given that Flux isn't fully available, that might seem unfair but check her description of the rights you sign over to Flux.  It's a good reminder that we really should be reading all those agreements before checking those little boxes when we sign up for a service!

I'm going to check things out on Flux but this doesn't look good for them.

Bianchini sticks it to Flux's owner Viacom as well by providing a timeline of ten years of new media failures followed by a brief history of Viacom's tendency to sue their partners.  Nice twist of the knife.

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

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

Lots happening on the hip hop social network front so I think it's time for a roundup of new announcements of hip hop and related social networks as well as a quick list of previously announced projects.  It gets glutted fast!

Recent Hip Hop Social Network Announcements:

XXL has launched a social network called XXL Block Talk.

Indie HipHop Online, a hip hop social network, relaunched this month.

DaHoneyHouse.com is trying to claim hip hop social network status by allying with Bishop Don Magic Juan.  No thanks!

RapHappy is an mtvU & Cisco-backed "online and mobile-phone-based hip-hop community" that got a lot of digital ink in September.

Universal Music Group invested in Loud.com/BattleRap.com back in the summer.

Possible Upcoming Entrants in the Social Network Sphere:

Global Grind (globalgrind.com) may be adding social networking capabilities.  I found a relevant url but I done lost it!

Relevant Music Related Social Network Announcements:

Kompoz is a " social workspace for musicians", i.e., a cross-genre social network focused on online music creation that has added desktop software to facilitate uploads.

MyTune.com is a general music network that deserves mention because of their claim to involve music industry professionals in addition to musicians and fans.

Hip Hop Social Networks Previously Covered at ProHipHop:

Streetcred.com - social media network.

Block Savvy - associated with Damon Dash.

RapSpace.tv - with artist collaboration tools and webcam features.

CrackSpace - associated with Babygrande Records.

My Rawkus - associated with the Rawkus record label.

Da Bidness - hip hop business network.

More Tools, More Players, More Networks:

I'm sure there are many more beyond what I've covered and many more to follow with tools like Ning, Flux and even the PHP Social Network Layout 1 Hip Hop, as well as unexpected players like Clear Channel and who knows what else to come.

For periodic hip hop and related social network news please check ProHipHop's Social Networks and Hip Hop 2.0 categories.

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

Hey! Nielsen: Social Network as Research Tool

When I read the press release from Nielsen.com I thought Hey! Nielsen was a bad idea:
"Hey! Nielsen gives lovers of pop culture an opportunity to sound off online and to make their voices heard by decision-makers," said Karen Watson, Senior Vice President of Communications at The Nielsen Company, and Executive Sponsor of Hey! Nielsen.

"If you're passionate about any aspect of the entertainment world, you will find like-minded consumers on Hey! Nielsen. We hope this will be a fun place to share opinions and discuss your favorite shows, movies and music. And because we will be providing our clients with insights from Hey! Nielsen members, joining the network is a way to let the entertainment industry know what you think."

A social network that gives me the opportunity to bond with "like-minded consumers" as we "let the entertainment industry know" what we think!

When I go to the site, Hey! Nielsen: Opinions, it doesn't seem so horribly misguided or off-putting:
Hey! Nielsen is the place to make a name for yourself while trading opinions on TV, movies, music, personalities, web sites and more.

Hey! Nielsen looks nice and combines some good ideas.  Obviously it's a smart dataplay for Nielsen if the social network attracts participants.  Now let's just keep the VPs away from the mic and try to remember that if you want to communicate with folks who might participate in your social network, calling them something other than consumers is a simple but effective place to start.

Since Nielsen does seem to want to push the idea that participants can have an effect on what big media makes, messaging should clearly communicate that participants are powerful partners whose actions have real effects [if that's actually the case] rather than content generators who periodically drop some feedback in the digital suggestions box by voicing an opinion or taking a poll.

Hey! Nielsen has a blog.

Zwinky Party With Lil Mama & Jason Fox!!!

Zwinky Party f/Jason Fox & Lil Mama

Avatar creator turned social network Zwinky has enlisted Lil Mama and Jason Fox for a commercial that will run both online and on television.

From Adweek:

A new in-house-created spot breaking next week is again emphasizing the customization theme, but also tries to position Zwinky as the go-to virtual environment for teens (particularly girls) interested in fashion and music to meet and interact. The tagline urges viewers to "Join the party."

IAC enlisted the services of up-and-coming pop stars Lil Mama and Jason Fox to perform in the animated commercial, which shows cartoonish Zwinky avatars. Both artists have held events in the virtual world, and 50 Cent is opening a lounge there, where users can listen to samples of his music and order his upcoming album, Curtis. Some events, such as one held in conjunction with Live Earth last month, draw up to 250,000 participants, Garrell said. Like other virtual worlds, Zwinktopia has its own currency, Z-Bucks, which enable residents to buy virtual and eventually real-life goods.

IAC will run the commercials throughout the month on NBC during daytime programming favored by teen girls, such as the daytime soaps Passions and Days of Our Lives. The work will run 26 times, in 15- and 30-second versions.

Special thanks to Jeff Cambron at Attention PR whose informative email, presumably on Zwinky's behalf, provided the primary components of this post.

Official Blog:
zwINK

At Idolator:
50 Cent Is Getting Ready To Show You His Zwinky

At VidRap:
Lil Mama - Lip Gloss
Jason Fox - Aunt Jackie

Jarrett Carter Launches Da Bidness, A Hip Hop Business Social Network

I'll be back in action tomorrow, cause there is much of interest to discuss, but I wanted to make sure I mentioned the debut of Da Bidness, a hip hop business social network powered by the Ning platform.

When Ning relaunched as a social network provider, I couldn't see doing a ProHipHop branded social network for a variety of reasons beyond those I've discussed previously.  But I soon realized that a hip hop business social network launched as an independent entity had a lot of potential.

However, I have a sad history with social networks and put the idea aside until I realized that Jarrett Carter of Carter Media Enterprises might be just the man for the job.  Luckily for us, he did too and now industry folks that want to link up have a unique forum for so doing.

If you've registered for Rawkus Records' nicely done network or for AdGabber, you already have a Ning account and should be able to join after logging in.  If you haven't gotten in on social networks powered by Ning, don't worry, it's quick and easy.

You'll hear more about Da Bidness at ProHipHop in the near future.  In addition to some initial posts to get the network started, you can read more of Jarrett Carter's work at Ski Mask Way.

Forbes' Special Report on Networks

Forbes has a very cool Special Report on Networks:
The 28 essays from a cast of experts and leaders we have assembled from many different walks of life, may help you see networks you hadn't thought about before or make connections you never thought possible.

Via The Long Tail.

BlackPlanet.com Now 4th Ranked Social Network

Big news for BlackPlanet.com as they are now the 4th ranked social network by Hitwise.  You'll note that for spot 4 and on down each site is getting less than 1% with top ranked MySpace getting over 80% of traffic.  Nevertheless, this is important news for BlackPlanet.com.

I knew something was coming after talking to someone with BlackPlanet.com in late '05 about their plans and then talking to a consultant last year and getting a sense of where they were at but had totally forgotten about it.  BlackPlanet.com has been one of those longstanding question marks in the social networking scene as in, where are they?  Well, here they are.

Via BlackRimGlasses.

AdRants Spawns AdGabber, an Advertising Social Network

Steve Hall of AdRants fame has started an advertising discussion social network using Ning.  It's the first example I've checked out that uses Ning's new build-your-own social network service.

It's called AdGabber and I think it's a really smart move for Steve.  Actually, it made me realize that niche social networks might work really well as an extension of an established project that already has lots of traffic and interest rather than as a stand-alone attempt.

It will be interesting to see how it works because I would have assumed that if you don't have a lot of comments on your blog, and Steve's aren't high volume, then a related discussion board or social network wouldn't work.  But maybe such a setting will bring folks out to interact who might not respond to a single writer in the same way, even a writer they really liked.

We'll see.  Both Rafi Kam of Oh Word and I have expressed some scepticism about the proliferation of such projects but this one has a different feel and I think it would be kind of cool if it was a success.

I'd be curious to see what would happen if blogs with a radically high volume of comments like Nah Right would do.  The thing with Nah Right is that the commenters have formed a social network and really made it their space so it actually might be a redundancy.

I just went and joined the Library 2.0 network, in addition to AdGabber, cause I'm geeky like that.

Via Miraflor who I think I just outgeeked with the Library 2.0 move!

Hip Hop Social Network RapSpace.TV

McLean Mashingaidze-Greaves is the man behind RapSpace.TV, a hip hop social network based out of Canada, that was recently profiled by Matthew Ingram:

One of the interesting features of RapSpace (which launched a beta version in November), is that prospective MCs with a webcam don't have to spend the time saving and uploading their video. RapSpace grabs the video as they perform, encodes it and stores it, then generates a code so the performer and others can embed the video in a web page. And if a rapper doesn't have their own soundtrack or "beat" to rap to, they can pick one from the RapSpace library. The technically ambitious can even use the built-in Web tools to customize a track. McLean says rappers will also soon be able to compete head-to-head with others on the site in real time video contests.

Block Savvy Community Launches w/Damon Dash's Support

Block Savvy recently launched with a unique combination of differentiators (yes, the word for the day is differentiators!) in both their design and approach.

It's designed around blocks, that can be focused on community interests or particular brands, and rooms chosen and altered by participants.  There's a currency which one can earn by using the site and spend at the in-world storefronts with some kind of real world currency exchange possibilities.  Many of the in-world graphics are or will be based on digital photographs.

What also differentiates the site is that it has some level of backing from Damon Dash and that it was "created with brands, sponsorships and advertisers in mind".

All in all a very interesting experiment with a great deal of potential that appears to be based on a serious examination of social networks and virtual worlds to both capitalize on participant interests and on marketing needs.

Via Lynne d Johnson.

Kid Koala Provides A Multicultural Moment On YouTube's Homepage

Kid Koala - Floor Kids Part 2 B-Boy Olive

YouTube's homepage Featured Videos are so overwhelmingly white that, after seeing this animated Kid Koala video for Your Mom's Favorite DJ with a brown skinned cartoon character, I just thought I'd run it in celebration of the momentary change of pace.  Plus, it's kind of cool.

Talib Kweli's Bed Stuy Brownstone In Second Life

So it looks like earlier appearances of Talib Kweli in the online world of Second Life went well enough to create a Talib Kweli digital brownstone as an in-world community space:

Created by Kweli himself, users can visit his Brooklyn brownstone, which will feature online amenities such as a pool table, bar area, chill-out room, and, in an exciting development, a rooftop stage where his live concerts from around the country will be streamed. Second Life users will also have exclusive access to new video content, which can be viewed from every floor in the brownstone, as well as material from "Ear Drum," Kweli's eagerly anticipated debut album for Warner Bros. Records, which is slated for release early next year.

You can stalk Kweli's avatar [most likely run by interns] at the Talib Kweli Bed Stuy Brownstone in Second Life.

Marketing Firm crayon Launches w/Island In Second Life

Joseph Jaffe and some other forward thinking marketing types have launched crayon: a new marketing company that's focused on a "bold mix of alternatives to traditional communications that we like to call New Marketing".

I have to admit I like their orientation but I'm not sure that "New Marketing" is such a hot term.  It's an incredibly 20th century phrase but perhaps it works with their target market or with the particular timing given that marketing is going through such radical changes.

Overall they seem to be off to a nice start.  They've got a famous, breaking edge marketing guru and a Manifesto, they've got a group of people who already blog and podcast, they've got offices in big cities like New York, London and San Francisco, they've got a blog, they're in Second Life and they just got written up in ProHipHop!

I don't know if they're going to do a MySpace profile but, in some ways, it makes more sense to create them for a particular client since folks are probably more interested in a MySpace profile for a new movie than for a marketing company.  Ditto for YouTube.  Not that crayon won't necessarily do those things but setting up a client with a MySpace profile brings them into the process in a way that promoting them on one's own MySpace profile never would.

Here's a crayon FAQ that tells you more, though I'll have to say that the elevator pitch leaves something to be desired, which may explain why it's buried down the page.  Maybe they don't believe in traditional elevator pitches.

In any case, despite my minor jabs, I look forward to seeing how their practice develops.

Update:
I just went back and read an email from Neville Hobson and he seems to be emphasizing the Second Life office/island, seen here in in-world photos, as was Jaffe in an email he sent out.

I'll have to be honest, I feel like I've done more work than I should have to figure out what these guys are doing.  I got the general idea right away, this is online marketing 2.0 or whatever would indicate people marketing online in a way that doesn't simply replicate offline marketing but that intelligently responds to the emergence of online society.

But I can't tell if they handle online ad buys or only do conversational things or what?

But in trying to clarify how they're positioning themselves, I have to wonder how all this would look to the folks who remain baffled by blogs and social networks.  Or is it enough to know that these guys are well regarded and can handle your online marketing needs?

I should note that I decided not to look at other bloggers' reactions to crayon and I haven't been checking marketing blogs for at least a week and haven't really read any news so I'm writing this post based off two emails and what I see online.  This way you're getting my immediate, off the cuff response which can be a good thing since people apparently evaluate most things at first glance without necessarily knowing the context for what they're examining.

Again, I look forward to seeing where this goes and do wish crayon the best of luck!

"Urban" MySpace/YouTube-Inspired Sites: CrackSpace, MinoritySpace, Earwax Video Network

CrackSpace has announced its official launch date as November 1st and is emphasizing the MySpace/YouTube-style social networking elements of the urban-oriented site, though it also has the typical range of news, interviews, reviews, etc.  One particularly interesting twist is that the "MySpace-inspired web community" will allow folks to "upload and sell their own songs, videos, ringtones and wallpaper".

Also from the announcement:
Chuck Wilson, founder of one of the nation's most successful independent urban labels (Babygrande Records), created CrackSpace, through his newly formed Triumph Media Holdings...

CrackSpace has formed a strategic partnership with Musicane, the company that will provide users with a unique player enabling all of the site's transactions. Another CrackSpace strategic partner is hh411.com (a popular hip-hop information site) which attracts nearly 400,000 unique visitors a day. TAG Strategic, a company started by digital media whiz, and former EMI Music Group Senior VP of Digital Development & Distribution, Ted Cohen, has been enlisted to consult after launch.

Though I'm fine with the use of crack in the name, because I feel like its multiple meanings don't ultimately endorse crack dealing or smoking, not everyone thinks the name is appropriate, judging from the comments added to my previous CrackSpace post.

Rizoh, who writes for CrackSpace, recently mentioned a competing site of which I was unaware, MinoritySpace.com, that's basically a MySpace-clone with a smart feature, the ability to import one's MySpace profile.

I've also been checking out Earwax Video Network that has become sort of an urban YouTube and has a related Gospel Video Network.

If you know of other such social networking and/or user generated content projects in the hip hop or urban space, please post it in the comments.

Related Announcements:
Zorpia Launches New Social Network Portal for Music Industry
muvee Teams With Warner Music Group to Transform User-Generated Content
Wiki Music Fan Site Created for Music Lovers, By Music Lovers is Now Online

MySpace To Enable MP3 Music Sales

I'm trying not to get too upbeat about MySpace's move to create the opportunity for musicians to sell MP3s from their MySpace pages, in part, because I haven't had a chance to look more closely at what SnoCap does.  But I'm also hesitant because I got a little too happy about Universal Music's offering of free ad supported music downloads, a move that's looking more like the same old industry nonsense in its execution, and I clearly got overly excited about the possibility that Jay-Z was going to get political in something other than a superficial manner.

Nevertheless, I think the idea is an excellent one for MySpace which will, of course, be conditional on the execution of that idea.  I don't write a lot about MySpace though I follow developments quite closely.  My feeling has been that they're making a lot of mistakes right now but that they still have quite a bit of wiggle room given their massive traffic and popularity.

Adding MP3 sales is a great idea and could most effectively be followed with additional services for musicians, such as facilitating ringtone creation and sales, i.e., services that build off the unsigned and indie musicians that are a big part of the MySpace dynamic.

MySpace is in a unique situation in which they can work with both major labels and indie artists in a manner that goes beyond just selling everybody's stuff since they can tailor services to all levels of the music industry.

The other thing I would strongly suggest they do is to not only open up their system to the many services that have grown independently in relationship to MySpace and to the products of companies like YouTube but, rather, to encourage such developments and to pursue partnerships with those add-ons.  I think that almost any service that MySpace users embrace and that ultimately keeps them at MySpace is a positive and they've done an extremely poor job of negotiating that dynamic.

Friendster slipped, in part, because they took a walled garden approach and didn't adapt well to change.  MySpace has a strong position now with a lot of resources at hand but that does not ensure their long term success, especially given the massive amount of low paying, irrelevant to their users ad inventory that they are currently running.

Pharrell Concert Gets Media Coverage for Album & The List

Music was obviously a core part of MySpace's initial success and that seems to be holding true as marketers search for ways to capitalize on that success.  I haven't been keeping up with it as closely as I'd like but MTV's article on Pharrell & Friends, a live album preview show, reveals one aspect of how MySpace's The List is currently a great way to boost attention for a new release [if only to get MTV coverage].

Fans sign up for The List by adding the page as friends and I guess the hope is that they'll write about it on their blogs and so forth, hoping to see their favorites in a small concert venue and then rave about it afterwards.

To evaluate this further I'd want to identify who was on the Pharrell & Friends list and check back through their blog posts and comments to see what they're saying, although things like email messages and other more private communications can't be so easily monitored.  Not sure if the attendees list gets broken out anywhere in public, either, since The List crosses genres.

A brief check of MySpace's Privacy Policy suggests that data mining could occur in the aggregate so that makes me wonder what info they provide to folks using their services for marketing.  As Amazon and Google have shown, that data alone is a powerful differentiator, both in real time and as a historical source.

At the moment, The List doesn't have the photos and whatever else they'll post from Monday night's concert and the Pharrell and Friends Forum, linked below The List's Friends photos, has only one comment.  Maybe that will pick up after the coverage posts but it looks like, more generally, the Forum isn't where it's happening.

In any case, there's a certain amount of experimentation going on here and I appreciate seeing folks experiment.

On a related topic:
Does anybody have any Pharrell teen fan contacts?  I mean, real, offline, verifiable entities that can be questioned?  If so, could you tell me, are the kids digging Skateboard P as a name?  Is there actually a demographic above, say 9 years old, that finds that cool?  Or have I just lost touch with all the stupid things that teens used to think was cool back in the day (like The Fonz).  At 46 years old (yes, 46 years old!!!), I mainly remember that I was always on a somewhat "different" path than my peers.

PS - Please excuse the sh*tty graphics. 
The reality is, until some pr intern says, "hey, shouldn't we send these to some bloggers", you can't get anything out of major labels.  And, yes, that's an overstatement but only slightly.  However, I love the pr folks that get what's happening online.  I can't always help them but I do respect them.

Update:
Finally got a halfway decent graphic for In My Mind off Amazon.

Current MySpace Concerns Are An Educational Opportunity

I think a lot about MySpace and track all the news I see but most of my thoughts aren't about marketing so I haven't been writing much about the company.  For what it's worth, I want to make a quick point about the lawsuit against the company by a 14 year old and her mom.

Here's the short version:
A 14-year-old girl who says she was sexually assaulted by another user of MySpace.com sued the social networking Web site Monday, claiming it does not take sufficient steps to protect underage members.  The girl says a 19-year-old man lied in his profile about being a senior on a football team to gain her trust and phone number.

Assuming she was assaulted, how was MySpace supposed to protect her?  What if he had been a senior on a football team?  Would that have protected her?

To be honest, I don't think MySpace is handling these concerns very well and they're setting themselves up for a lot more problems in the days ahead.  These kinds of concerns have been raised repeatedly in relationship to online meeting spaces such as AOL's chat rooms and Yahoo groups.  MySpace does need to put additional controls in place but they also need to educate their users about safe use of such services and reframe current concerns in relationship to past examples.  These issues are not new by any means.

We should also consider the fact that our society oscillates wildly between overprotecting teens from the world and overexposing them to the world.  Parents and educators have to take some of the responsibility if they are not educating young people about how to conduct themselves in a safe manner with both old and new contacts.

The last time I checked, young people were most likely to be abused by people they already knew, often by trusted members of the family or related institutions.  Telling kids to behave, monitoring their media consumption and emphasizing abstinence without educating young people to take care of themselves when they have the opportunity to choose for themselves is a fool's game.  Its hurting young people much more than its hurting those who refuse to educate them, whether that refusal comes from parents, school boards or MySpace.

Update: I just registered at MySpace as a 15 year old and see that they do post safety guidelines and require you to check a little box saying you've read them, sounds like a lawyer approved method that will not reach young people.  I've heard that they're also doing PSAs but havent seen them.  MySpace may need to be targeting parents and educators and offering educational materials as well, perhaps in a public/private partnership.

Let me say that I recognize that I don't have an easy solution and this is not a simple problem.  But, so far, I feel that MySpace is trying to look good without truly addressing the issue.  That will help them in court but it does not address the real problems at hand.

More News: MySpace Restricting Adults' Access To Teen Users

ProHipHop Shuts Down MySpace Page, But Why?

Yes, it's true.  The cool kids are leaving!

Actually, that's obviously a joke since I'm more like the old man on the mountain over there.  I'm just glad a few bright souls made the pilgrimage!

I've really enjoyed having the ProHipHop MySpace page up and it will be up a bit longer so you still have time to check out some of the interesting folks I met through MySpace as well as some folks I'd already met through ProHipHop.

The bottom line is that I don't have time to keep up with things over there and social networking is not good if you don't have time to network.

When I started at MySpace I was out to meet hip hop and related business people and to meet up and coming artists so I could give them a little shine.  I'm now finding that I can't really keep up with the slow but steady stream of artists to my site but, during the brief period that I was able to prioritize MySpace, I found myself much more willing to check out music there than MP3's sent via email or cds sent via snail mail.

However, if you're thinking about starting a MySpace page, let me assure you that it's not as big a time drain as it may sound.  I found that approaching it as a meet and greet situation worked just fine.  For the most part, both friends (in the non-MySpace sense) and acquaintances were approaching it in the same way.

ProHipHop may return with a business only MySpace page focused on networking with folks involved in the business end of the game but it wouldn't be right for me to remove artists from my friends list at this point.

I will definitely be setting up a regular person type page under an assumed identity so I can check out how folks are marketing music on MySpace at my leisure.  It will be fun just to wander around without having to appear (vaguely) professional!

USA Network: Show Us Your Character Contest/Social Network

The USA Network's Show Us Your Character thingamajig partakes of that Universe of Me perspective so popular right now by allowing you to present yourself as a "character" and even participate in a contest.  It also partakes of social networking cause you can meet the other characters.

I'm mentioning it because they feature a breakdancer on the landing page, an example of how elements of hip hop culture are often taken up to symbolize individuality and creativity in order to move the Mob of a Million Me's into action.  Of course, that's a role the artist often plays in commercials, no matter the artform.

In case you're wondering, the breakdancer identifies himself as Anachron of the Original LA Breakers.  And the contest is in the finalist stage.  Sorry characters!

MySpace: It's New, It's Now, It's Over, It's Forever!

I thought MySpace was online until the Bside Roadshow started following me.

I thought MySpace was a website until it became a free issue of Nylon.

I thought Fabolous was my friend until I found out I had been loaning money to a Fabolous imposter on MySpace.

I thought my dance career was over till I realized I could audition for a Step Up music video and my video audition might make it into the movie credits.

I thought I could never be a model until I saw the wet n wild Fresh Face competition at MySpace and realized that, yes, my face is that fresh!

I figured I could never be President since I never leave the house but then I heard about Phil Angelides.

If I do start making public appearances, I'll have my entourage arrive in separate cars.

I truly believed that, like Julien Smith says, I'd have to put a lot of time and energy into spreading my presence on MySpace until I found out about automated promotional scripts!

While those scripts are running and making me friends, more friends than you'll ever have, I'll be moblogging at From MySpace To MoneySpace with my MySpace enabled mobile phone while standing next to you in line at [product placement available].

Somebody told me that MySpace is dead but nobody asked me to turn in my membership card.

A Convert's Introductory GT Music Marketing on MySpace

Guest columnist