Trapital
Dan Runcie
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Hear behind-the-scenes stories from hip-hop's top execs. Trapital founder Dan Runcie interviews hip-hop's leaders in music, media, tech, and more. You'll stay ahead of the latest trends and gain insights to take your career to the next level. Learn more at https://trapital.co
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6 days ago
The iPod’s Legacy in the Music Industry with Zack O’Malley Greenburg
On this episode, we switched things up! Instead of a standard interview, I talked about a few recent topics with the best-selling author, Zack O’Malley Greenburg. He has long had his pulse on the music industry. Between his past time covering the business at Forbes, writing acclaimed books on the likes of Jay-Z and Michael Jackson, or his current Substack blog, Zack has formed both a macro- and micro-view of the entire industry. He’s the perfect person to bring onto Trapital to discuss the stories reverberating across the music business today.
One of those stories is Spotify’s floundering performance as of late. The streaming leader’s stock has cratered to all-time lows, partly due to so-so performance, but also as a byproduct of Netflix’s own struggles. But if you ask Zack, the commonalities between Netflix and Spotify aren’t as close as critics will have you believe. Specifically, Spotify’s “unlimited buffet” business model is a massive differentiator.
And then there’s Apple officially discounting the iPod after 21 years. Whether it gets the credit or not, the innovative product re-shaped the music business into what we see today. As a “legal Napster”, it laid the groundwork for today’s streaming-dominated industry — not just for music, but podcasts too.
Check out all the topics Zack and I covered in this episode of Trapital:
[0:00] Zack’s First Experiences with The iPod
[6:11] Steve Jobs First iPod Keynote
[8:33] iPod As A Gateway Into Apple Ecosystem
[12:16] Will iPod Have A Resurgence Like Vinyl?
[14:48] U2’s Free Album On Apple Backfires
[18:55] Spotify’s Current Business Struggles
[20:09] Why Spotify Shouldn’t Be Compared To Netflix
[27:23] Do Spotify And Netflix Have Content Problems?
[33:00] Examining Bad Bunny’s Meteoric Rise In Six Years
[38:21] Latin Music Succeeding In US Despite Language Barrier
[40:12] Did Jay Z Ruin Robinson Cano’s Career?
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guests: Zack O’Malley Greenburg, @zogblog
This episode was brought to you by Highlight. Build the community of your dreams on the blockchain. The new company is backed by leading investors like Haun Ventures, Thirty Five Ventures (“35V”), and more. Learn more at highlight.xyz
Enjoy this podcast? Rate and review the podcast here! ratethispodcast.com/trapital
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo.
TRANSCRIPTION
[00:00:00] Zack O'Malley Greenburg: If you're a startup and you're looking for celebrity investors and, I know that the market is cooled down a bit, but still, you know, you're in a fairly mature startup. And you're trying to get your name out there a little more by getting, you know, music investors, celebrities, et cetera. The kind of reach that he has, especially if you're trying to get into the Spanish language market. It's untoppable and, you know, I just think there's a tremendous opportunity there and in a lot of other places for him too.
[00:00:29] Dan Runcie: Hey, welcome to the Trapital podcast. I'm your host and the founder of Trapital, Dan Runcie. This podcast is your place to gain insights from executives in music, media, entertainment, and more who are taking hip-hop culture to the next level.
[00:00:49] Dan Runcie: On today's episode, we switched things up a little bit. This is normally an interview-style podcast, but I did a recent survey. And many of you say you wanted to hear more from me. You wanted to hear my insights, my perspective on this space and where things are heading. So it was a great time to invite back Zack O'Malley Greenburg.
[00:01:08] Dan Runcie: You may know him from his work at Forbes, where he started a lot of the reporting on how much money hip hop artists were making and the potential for what they could do in the business world. So we covered a bunch of topics in this episode. First, we talked about the iPod. Apple recently announced that they are discontinuing the influential device after almost 21 years in its production. So Zach and I talk about the device's importance and influence. Then we talked about Spotify. The stock is trading at an all-time low. So we talk about what does that mean for streaming? What does that mean for music and, more broadly, how does that compare to video and other types of streaming?
[00:01:45] Dan Runcie: Then we talked about the current king of streaming, of the current king of Spotify. Bad Bunny is the biggest artist in the world. So we talk about the impact and importance of what that means for a Latin artist, a Latin artist, who is yet to do a song in English and how cool that is. And then we close things out where we talked about Robinson Canó, who is a baseball player and how his career took a bit of a different turn after he sides with Jay-Z's Roc Nation sports agency.
[00:02:12] Dan Runcie: Hope you enjoy this episode. If you do, send a note and let us know, because that's the type of stuff that encourages great content. I hope you enjoy it. Here's our conversation. All right. We got Zack O'Malley Greenburg with us today and we are going to cover a bunch of topics. And the first one that's near and dear to both of us is we got to pour some out for the iPod. After almost 21 years, the device that changed the game, Apple announced it's discontinuing it.
[00:02:38] Dan Runcie: And it's a great time to talk about its legacy, its impact. So first let's start here cause I know that you likely owned a bunch of these. I did too. How many iPods did you own and which version was the first one you got?
[00:02:50] Zack O'Malley Greenburg: Oh man. You know, I think I had originally one of the clunky ones that didn't have sort of like the touch wheel, you know, like the kind of mano, you know, the, what is it like the black and white kind of a janky one.
[00:03:02] Zack O'Malley Greenburg: But the one that really sticks in my mind was right around the time that Bono was doing all those commercials. And I remember my godfather was like, I want to get you a nice present for your birthday. He's like, I want to get you like, like a personal DVD player. And I was like, that's very sweet of you. And I really appreciate that. Can I have an iPod instead?
[00:03:23] Zack O'Malley Greenburg: He was like, what's this iPod? But yeah. I mean, it was, I think that one that must have been. I don't know, maybe around 2005, that was when they started getting really sexy-looking. And, and you had the touch wheel and you had kind of like the sleek black look on it instead of like, you know, sort of like the white witch, which would get kind of, you know, get kind of grimy, at least mine did.
[00:03:47] Zack O'Malley Greenburg: But this was sleek. I think the back was silver. I mean, it was really a work of art and that was when I started thinking it's only a matter of time before they just make one of these as a phone, you know? And I'm sure, you know, having talked to people at Apple over the years, by the time they put out that iPod in the mid-aughts, they already had a design on the iPhone, but there would have been no, you know, no iPhone if there weren't an iPod.
[00:04:10] Zack O'Malley Greenburg: You know, in many ways, I think the iPod saved the music industry, right? I mean, when they created that ecosystem, it just became easier to get your music, you know, through the legal means than by downloading them, you know, downloading those MP3s illegally and say what you will about the depth of the album and the issues of like breaking up albums and selling them single by single.
[00:04:31] Zack O'Malley Greenburg: But, you know, I think that really provided the bridge that the music industry needed to get to the streaming era. So yeah. Pour one out, indeed. How about you, Dan, what was your first?
[…
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May 13, 2022
Comedian Bigg Jah Charters His Own Path Into Entertainment Industry
3.3 million followers on Facebook. Over 423 million views on YouTube. 4.2 million TikTok likes.
Bigg Jah (real name Jahdai Pickett) has put up those gaudy social media numbers with no studio or agency backing and a relatively small team. The do-everything entertainer — who can write, act, direct, produce, and everything in between — has been posting content online almost nonstop for the past five years, doing what he calls “hood good comedy.” It’s all paying dividends now.
He’s built a synergy map that extends past his wildly popular social media franchises like “Inner Thoughts” and “The Lesbian Homie.” There’s also merch (with a new piece dropping almost every month) and with the world re-opening, perhaps comedy shows again.
Next, Bigg Jah is trying to parlay his massive social media success into feature films. He originally studied film in college and planned to take the traditional route into the industry — shooting a short film, winning movie festivals, and signing with an agent. But the rise of social media gave Bigg Jah an alternative AND independent route into the business.
You’ll want to listen to my interview with Bigg Jah to get more insight into his creative process and meteoric rise on social media. Here’s everything we covered in this Trapital episode:
[3:14] What Does “Hood Good Comedy” Mean?
[5:36] Lasting Impact Of 90s Comedy Movies
[7:36] Navigating Different Entertainment Mediums (Social Media, Film, Comedy)
[11:49] Being Forced To Go The Independent Creator Route
[14:59] Acting Vs. Directing Vs. Writing
[18:18] How Bigg Jah Chooses What Type Of Content To Make
[21:06] What’s Behind Bigg Jah’s Success On Facebook?
[23:19] How Bigg Jah Has Leveraged Other Social Networks
[26:25] Bigg Jah’s Revenue Breakdown
[29:05] The Struggles Of Creator Burnout
[33:56] The Key To Bigg Jah’s Success
[43:55] Upcoming Projects For Bigg Jah
[45:44] How To Follow Bigg Jah
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guests: Bigg Jahh, @biggjah
Enjoy this podcast? Rate and review the podcast here! ratethispodcast.com/trapital
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo.
TRANSCRIPTION
[00:00:00] Bigg Jah: I'm not pressured to keep the series going, because I know that it works. I'm in it to create new stuff and see how it goes. I'm not a slave to the, "Well, this is what works. So let me just keep doing this only." No, I'm gonna push the envelope and push the line and I'm gonna see if they like this too. And what about this?
[00:00:15] I'm going to grab this and what if I do this? You know, so I don't have a problem with that. Plus I've done so much. I've done the series thing to a degree now I wanna move on to something else. I want to challenge myself to do another character or another storyline that see if people like that.
[00:00:36] Dan Runcie: Hey, welcome to the Trapital podcast. I'm your host and the founder of Trapital, Dan Runcie. This podcast is your place to gain insights from executives in music, media, entertainment, and more who are taking hip-hop culture to the next level.
[00:00:56] Today's guest is Bigg Jah. He's an actor creator, filmmaker, comedian, and one of the funniest people on the internet, I was first put onto Bigg Jah's work because I got to know Damien Ritter, shout out to Dame. He used to run Funk Volume, and he's now chief operating officer at BeatStars, but he also manages Jah.
[00:01:16] And Jah is someone who I think has definitely been one of the more successful, independent creators that I've seen being able to leverage social media, to grow his platform. And now accrue millions of followers on Facebook. And on YouTube. And we talk a lot about how he's built his career. He's someone that first went to school to study film and how he transitioned eventually to wanting to be the person behind the camera.
[00:01:43] But realizing that there was a lot of value from him being the person in front of the camera as well. And that's when things really started to take off for him. And we talked about how he approached his comedy, some of the most successful franchises and series that he's had and his bigger ambitions to still be able to do more motion pictures, and do more stuff behind the scenes.
[00:02:02] And we talked a lot as well about just how much of a grind it can be for creators to always produce content nonstop and how that's what the algorithms ultimately want you to do. And that's definitely something that I can relate to. I know a lot of people listening to this can relate to as well.
[00:02:17] We also talked about how he looks at running his business, what his team looks like. And so much more, if you are interested in the different levels of the creator economy, there is this essay that I wrote a couple of months back, that overlooked levels of the creator economy. And I talked a lot about the success at each stage.
[00:02:34] Jah was one of the people that was featured and mentioned in that article. So I definitely recommend you check that out and Pete this episode, because I think that anyone that. The landscape. You're trying to love a love determine. When do you partner with other companies when you don't? This is the episode for you I had a great chat with him.
[00:02:51] Hope you enjoyed it. Here's my conversation with Bigg Jah.
[00:02:55] All right. Today we got the one and only Bigg Jah. He's a comedian, an actor, a filmmaker himself. Jah, welcome to the
[00:03:02] Bigg Jah: Thank you for having me, bro. Appreciate it.
[00:03:05] Dan Runcie: Hey, I've always been a big fan of you, how you've built up your platform, not just on social media, but through touring and putting everything out there.
[00:03:14] And one of the things that stuck out to me is your brand. You've referred to yourself as putting out hood good comedy. Can you talk more about that and what that means?
[00:03:23] Bigg Jah: Yeah, man, have a good comedy, bro. Is this I'm from the hood, bro. Hood good means good things come out of the hood, and I'm one of them. So it's just sometimes you being from the hood or growing up in that environment.
[00:03:36] It's humble beginnings, tough times. Things that a lot of people wouldn't want to go through, but if you're from here and you grew up this way and you end up, you turn out good, you turned out. Okay. I loved my, I love my upbringing. I love even the hard times. Yeah, it's almost like making lemonade out of lemons..
[00:03:52] You know what I'm saying? So it's hood good comedy. A lot of the times, the stuff I like to talk about or display on camera are things that if you're from the hood, you can relate to, you don't even have to be from the hood to relate to it. But for sure if you're from the hood. You can relate to it. You know what I'm saying?
[00:04:07] That's kind of what I make it for everybody, but I make it for specifically, for folks in the hood,
[00:04:12] Dan Runcie: And I think what helps you as well as that, of course, there's a lot of black content that is out there now with Netflix and all these other streaming services. You're able to tell stories and talk about things that aren't going to get covered in those spaces.
[00:04:25] And I think that just shows that even though people may think that there's this abundance of content, that's everywhere. Now, you're telling stories through your comedy and through your sketches that you know are not going to get told elsewhere. So you have a good niche for yourself there.
[00:04:40] Bigg Jah: Yeah. Thank you, bro.
[00:04:41] It took me a minute to do it consistently. I've always wanted to do this type of stuff, this type of content, but growing up, watching Martin, you know, the Jamie Fox show or the woods, Don't Be a Menace to Society,…
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May 6, 2022
How indify’s Co-Founder prettyboyshav Is Flipping The Economics Of The Record Business
The traditional record label model isn’t artist-friendly. That’s not a secret to anyone by now. Deals are notoriously long and feature a revenue split heavily tilted toward the label — not the artist. But an ambitious alternative has arisen in the last few years. Meet indify, a start-up co-founded by musician prettyboyshav and his two childhood best friends, Matthew Pavia and Connor Lawrence.
indify is a platform that connects investors with up-and-coming artists. Investors can not only financially back artists, but also mentor them in matters like legal or marketing. But unlike a record deal, investments can be as short as a song-per-song basis. As prettyboyshav told me, it’s like “going on dates instead of marrying.”
As an artist himself with millions of streams to his name, Prettyboyshav is specially equipped to carry out indify’s vision — to create a more equitable, prosperous music industry. indify was originally a music discovery tool when it launched in 2015. Using an algorithm, it identified emerging artists on the cusp of “blowing up” like Khalid, who the tool flagged way back in 2015. That technology still underpins its new business pivot as the “AngeList for the music industry.”
To get a glimpse into indify’s innovative technology and mission, listen to my full interview with prettyboyshav. We covered a lot of topics, including the ones below:
[3:39] indify’s Mission In The Music Industry
[5:28] Why Artists Are Taken Advantage Of So Often
[7:03] What Does indify Look For In Investors Wanting To Join The Platform?
[10:16] The Potential For Culture-Setters To Financially Back An Emerging Artist
[14:38] indify Vs. Record Labels
[19:07] Is There A Glass Ceiling On Artists Who Don’t Sign With A Record Label?
[23:35] Does indify Do Upfront Money Deals?
[26:10] Principles That Guard indify’s Technology
[29:27] indify Having Web 3.0 Values Despite Being Off-Chain
[33:11] How prettyboyshav Juggles His Music Career And Being Start-Up Founder
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guests: prettyboyshav, @prettyboyshav
Enjoy this podcast? Rate and review the podcast here! ratethispodcast.com/trapital
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo.
TRANSCRIPTION
prettyboyshav 00:00
I truly, truly, deeply believe in it and feel it and empathize with the work that's being done because I believe in these values, which really comes down to community, right? And community ownership, community governance, I think these things are very powerful concepts. And I think these are very powerful ways for an artist to run their business.
Dan Runcie 00:26
Hey, welcome to the Trapital podcast. I'm your host and the founder of Trapital, Dan Runcie. This podcast is your place to gain insights from executives in music, media, entertainment, and more, who are taking hip hop culture to the next level. Today's guest is prettyboyshav. He's the co-founder and CEO of Indify, a platform that is helping people invest in the future of music. Indify connects merchant artists with the funding they need to build the biggest careers. On Indify, it brings together artists who want to grow and control their career on their terms. It also brings together investors who want to support and back these artists and have the know how to help bring them to the next level. It also brings together business partners who can help artists with marketing, legal, accounting, and many of the other things involved to help run the business. One of the things that Shav and I have always talked about and we agree on is that artists are founders. If you follow me anywhere, you've seen me talk about this, you see me reiterate this. And I think Shav himself is a great example of this. He very much approaches Indify this way, and he's also a recording artist himself, prettyboyshav has over 10 million streams. And we talked a lot about what it's been like for him, navigating both the CEO role and his role as an artist. But we also talk about what Indify has been up to and some of their progress they've ha. The company has had over a million dollars generated this past quarter and 2022 for the artists on its platform and over a billion streams for those artists collectively as well. We talk about the influence that some of the partners they've had as well, such as Alexis Ohanian, who was an early investor in Indify, some of the artists that he's been able to back, and ultimately what they're trying to build towards. We talked about how Indify is positioned relative to other alternative financing options in the music industry. We also talked about how it's positioned relative to record labels. And can an artist on one of these alternative financing platforms achieve the same success as the superstars that are on the major record labels? The folks that headline major music festivals, perform at the Super Bowl and things like that? This is a great conversation. And if you're interested in where the music industry is going, some other options, you'll love this one. Here's my chat with prettyboyshav. All right, we got the one and only prettyboyshav here with us today. He is the co-founder CEO of Indify, platform and a company that is helping artists embrace their independence. He is also an artist himself with over 10 million streams. Shav, welcome to the pod.
prettyboyshav 03:15
What's up, Dan? Good to be here, man. I've been wanting to come on here for a while.
Dan Runcie 03:19
Yeah. And I mean, you know that I've been following everything that you've all been doing. And it's been very interesting to see how you've navigated the industry and how you leverage the technology built to continue to do good things. So for those that are less familiar, what is Indify and what is it that you all are trying to help solve in the music industry?
prettyboyshav 03:39
Well, Indify is a marketplace that's helping artists raise funding on equitable terms from strategic partners. You could think of it as almost like AngelList for music. I think our premise is that the major labels and a lot of the old system and the traditional system, the music industry, kind of represent what you know, private equity did years ago on the venture side. And I think fortunately, we have things like YC and AngelList. Actually, one of these tweets is the Kanye tweet from around fall 2020, where he kind of talked about a lot of things that we've been talking about, but we think it's time that a lot of those standardized, founder-friendly, and digitize terms come to help artists who we believe are also founders raise funding equitably. Yeah. So it's been exciting. I think this is an evolution from our earlier platform, which was really just a discovery tool for the music industry and became an industry-standard tool across a ton of record labels and ended up identifying a ton of artists, early one that we're very known for is Khalid.
Dan Runcie 04:34
Nice, and I got to mention, because you mentioned the Kanye tweets behind you. Is one of those the one that's talked about the Y Combinator for the music industry?
prettyboyshav 04:43
Yes, that's exactly what it is, you know, “When I spoke to Katie Jacobs who's on the board of the Vivendi. We decided to create a YC for the music industry so artists have the power and transparency to be in control of our future. No more shady contracts, no more lifelong deals.” And this one is Alexis tweeting Blonde, because I showed Alexis Ohanian, who's our investor. I was like, man, you got to get deeper into Blonde and Frank Ocean because this thing is amazing.
Dan Runcie 05:05
Yeah, it's an amazing album. And I think, thinking more broadly about what you all are building, I think that venture for music is the pitch I've heard from you…
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Apr 29, 2022
Young M.A and the $20 NFT
Music NFTs are all the rage as of late. Entering the mix is Young M.A, who dropped a capsule on April 19. But in true Young M.A fashion, she took a different approach to her first-ever NFT project.
For one, each NFT is only $20, making it widely accessible to her diehard fanbase. That’s a departure from most artists-focused NFTs that are on the pricier side due to their limitedness. In total, Young M.A dropped five NFT collections with 250 editions in each — for a total of 1,250. Each of the five collections represents key moments in Young M.A’s career. From first going viral with her Brooklyn Chiraq freestyle to the smashing success of “OOOUUU” and other highlights.
Moreover, the capsule is exclusive to new NFT marketplace Serenade. The platform prides itself on being eco-friendly in an industry widely criticized for its energy consumption.
The NFT collection is just one way Young M.A is staying connected to her fans these days. She’s also on tour and has continued to invest in non-music products like her adult toy line. Here’s everything we covered in this episode:
[0:00] Seeing where things go
[2:45] Purpose Behind Young M.A’s NFT Drop
[9:29] Surprising Price Point For Young M.A’s NFT Capsule
[10:14] Young M.A Has Hesitations About The Drop (Honest Talk)
[12:32] Prioritizing Long-Term Impact With Business Ventures
[12:55] Young M.A’s Relationship With Fame
[15:37] How Young M.A Approaches Non-Music Business Ventures
[20:10] Partnering With Serenade For The NFT Drop
[23:22] Keeping Up With Web 3.0 & Music Industry
[28:00] Young M.A Understands Her Place In The Industry
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guests: Young M.A, @youngma, serenade.co/@youngma
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo.
Transcript
________________
Young M.A 00:00
When it comes to business, you might not always know. You can't always say you know people. Even if you research them, no matter what the situation is, sometimes things might not work for you. You know what I mean? So you just look more to it. And you see how it goes as it goes. I mean, seeing business situations I handled in the past, some things didn't go right. Some things went right, you know, and it's just like with them. I feel good, you know? And it was like, let's go, let's see where it goes. Let's take these events and take risks.
Dan Runcie 00:31
Hey, welcome to the Trapital podcast. I'm your host and the founder of Trapital, Dan Runcie. This podcast is your place to gain insights from executives in music, media, entertainment, and more, who are taking hip hop culture to the next level. Today's guest is Young M.A. You may know her for her hits like BROOKLYN (Chiraq), OOOUUU, and plenty others that helped her go six times platinum. I knew this was going to be a good interview because, the moment that I logged on to the chat, Young M.A was already in there. And her first words were "took you long enough." And that's what I knew that we're in for a good one. Young M.A came on the Trapital podcast because she just had an NF T drop for her latest single Aye Day Pay Day. And she did it as a series of stories throughout her career. And she launched her NFTs different than most artists do. As I've written and talked about on this podcast, people have looked at NFTs as a way to monetize and make a lot of money from being able to sell high-end products as collectibles. But Young M.A is going about in a different way. She only has 250 drops for each of the five NFTs in this collection. And she's only selling them for $20. That's it. So we talked about the decision, how she's approached this, and why she made the decision that she has. And I think a lot of this ties into her mentality. As an artist, Young M.A is one of the more strong proponents of being an independent artist and what that means. And we talked about how this relates to how she looks at record labels and a lot of the deals that she's turned down. And we also talked about some of Young M.A's investments too. She's invested in a bunch of different areas. So we talked about that. We also talked about some of the other trends happening in this music industry, how she keeps up with everything, how her team is structured, and a whole lot more. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Here's my chat with Young M.A. All right, today, we're joined by the one and only Young M.A, who has a big drop for us today. She is launching an NFT. And I'm excited and I want to hear more. So break it down. Why was now the time for you to make this drop happen?
Young M.A 02:45
I see. You know, I'm the same person. I don't, I don't talk all that extra “Aaah.” I keep it real. The big one since A1. You know what I mean? I honestly didn't know too much about it, you know what I mean? I used to see it every now and then. And I didn't understand what it was because I'm the type of person like, like, if it don't make sense to me at the moment of me seeing it, I'm just not going to pay attention. I don't see interest into things that everybody else see interesting, too, you know what I mean? So that was literally the case. But I didn't see it casually and then once my team brought it to my attention, it was like, oh, okay, I know what you're talking about, you know what I mean? Like, I've seen, so I'm guessing this is like the new way of things, new wave of things, or whatever. So focusing my attention, you know, just basically gave me the intellect of it, the background of it, detail and everything like that. Somehow, Okay, okay, no, still not understanding it too much. But you know, kind of intrigued into it. And they kind of like broke it down. So I was like, Yo, give me a little more like pinpoint, because like, I do want to understand this situation, because it'd be something that's going to be longevity, and something's that's gonna help, you know, long term future-wise. And it's like, one of the new way that's coming in, you know, why not, you know, at least, you know, check it out. So we talked more about it, had a meeting, and, and we came up with kind of like I did. So once they broke down the ideas to me of like, what's, like, the meaning of it. And also like, what I would do if I do it. And then it become a more of understanding that was like, Okay, now I can go, you know what I mean? It's not just like, like anything we ever did before. Like, it's not like, it's, like, we did but like more digital, you know what I mean? It's like what we did but digital, in a different sense. So I'm like, okay, I get it now. So once I got that understanding, there's like, I got more intrigued, and I was like, let's go. You know, I'm the type of person, like, I'd take risks. I don't believe in like, No, I gotta, I gotta be the see it to believe it type person, like, I got to see. You know, even if I got to take that risk. I had taken risk all my life, so now I was like, I want to take this risk of, a new risk of taking risk. Let's take this risk. So we got to to it on, whatever the case, got involved with a team or whatever. And we came to a point where it was like, alright, if I'm going to do this, you already know my vibe. Not going to do it on nobody else's terms and circumstances and shit like that. Like, I know how it moves. So me understanding that this is how it goes about, let's go into a route where it's going to make, make sense for me. That's always been my, my way of grinding since I came up. Anything that I've ever done always went in a sense of how I had to do, so on and, you know, still be independent, of course. So we came up with this, all my team came up with this plan of like just creating like a timeline of, like, when I first started. Literally from the ground up, like... I wouldn't say the ground u…
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Apr 22, 2022
How Fanbase Raised $6 Million Without VC with Isaac Hayes III
In less than three years, the Fanbase social content app has raised six million dollars (without traditional venture capital) and is inching toward the one-million user mark. How did co-founder Issac Hayes III take the app from nothing all the way to this? If you ask him, his life spent in the cut-throat music industry gave him the inspiration AND business chops to thrive within the tech space.
As the son of legendary R&B artist Isaac Hayes, he was made well aware from the get-go of the exploitative practices by record labels toward musicians. Isaac would go on to notice similar exploitation with social media giants and their users, who were creating content and driving attention, but reaping little of the billions of dollars in revenues being reported by the same corporations.
Fanbase is changing those optics. On the app, users can post content — written, photo, video, audio chat, and live stream — for a subscription fee. As Isaac sees it, “monetization for every user is the wave of the future.” For a full glimpse of how Isaac is building Fanbase into a disruptive social media force, you’ll want to tune into our interview. Here’s what we covered in the episode:
[4:10] Fanbase Raised $6 Million From Crowdfunding — Not Venture Capital
[6:34] The Most Important Investors Of Fanbase
[8:10] Making Investing More Accessible
[10:30] How Fanbase Is Acquiring New Customers
[11:59] Fanbase’s Biggest Business Advantage (Not What You Think)
[14:13] “Monetization For Every User Is The Wave Of The Future”
[16:18] Why Artists Shouldn’t Sell Their Catalogs
[22:23] What Isaac Loves About Technology
[23:40] What Does Fanbase’s Future Fundraising Timeline Look Like?
[26:38] Size Of Fanbase’s Team Now & In Near-Future
[27:51] Atlanta’s Underrated Scene Outside Hip-Hp
[30:39] Isaac’s Influence For Creating Fanbase
[32:34] Getting The Music Rights Back For His Dad
[33:48] Keeping Black Icons Relevant Post-Death
[36:14] Will There Ever Be An Isaac Hayes Movie?
[41:45] Fanbase’s New Features
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guests: Isaac Hayes III, @isaachayes3
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo.
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Transcription
Isaac Hayes III 00:00
I think monetization for every user is the wave of the future. I keep saying it, I think that there isn't a person right now that isn't subscribed to at least one thing. And one subscription becomes more and more the common vernacular of how we engage with content. Social media is the last, you know, frontier that's left. You know, when you think about TV and film with Hulu, and Netflix, and Disney+, and music with Spotify and Apple Music, and print media with Forbes, and The New York Times, and Billboard, and then productivity software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Microsoft Word. Like, you don't... You're subscribed to something. You're probably subscribed to an app on your phone that allows you to edit your photos. And so subscriptions are just the language. And so I think that's going to be the language of the future moving forward.
Dan Runcie 00:53
Hey, welcome to the Trapital podcast. I'm your host and the founder of Trapital, Dan Runcie. This podcast is your place to gain insights from executives in music, media, entertainment, and more, who are taking hip hop culture to the next level. Today's guest is Isaac Hayes III. He's the founder and CEO of Fanbase. Fanbase is a company that helps creators better monetize the content they put out. And on Fanbase's platform, followers can subscribe for $3.99 a month to get all of the exclusive content from their favorite creators, or they can follow creators and they can spread love. Love is the primary form of engagement on Fanbase, and it's how creators monetize. The more likes and love they get, the more revenue that they get into their pockets. So Fanbase addresses a lot of the challenges that people have had about social media more broadly. And in this chat, Isaac and I talk about what the journey has been like. He's been able to raise $6 million through crowdfunding. He did it through this platform called StartEngine, and he's had many well-known investors on board, folks like Snoop Dogg, Charlamagne The God, Kandi Burruss, Chamillionaire, Roland Martin, and more. So we talked about his decision to go that path as opposed to the traditional VC route. Isaac and I also talked about the trend of music publishing and the catalog sales that have been happening, and why he actually thinks that a lot of musicians should not be selling their catalogs. He is not the only person to say this, but these voices have been a little bit quieter in this narrative. So it was great to hear his perspective on this. And then we also talked about the other hat that Isaac wears. He is the manager of his late father's estate. His father is the legendary singer, Isaac Hayes. So we talked about what that experience has been like managing the estate, and how his father's experience in the music industry had formed a lot of the work that Isaac Hayes III himself wants to create and the opportunities he wants to do through Fanbase. We also talked about what an Isaac Hayes biopic would look like, and who Isaac Hayes III would want to play his father in a movie. I think he had a pretty good answer. I'm a big fan of this person. So I think you'll enjoy who we said. We also talked about Atlanta's impact, and just how influential that city has been in culture and for Fanbase as well, we had a great conversation, and I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Here's my chat with Isaac Hayes III. All right, today, we got Isaac Hayes III with us. He's the co-founder and CEO of Fanbase, an app that helps creators monetize the content that they put out into the world and get what's there. So Isaac, thank you for joining. And it'd be great to just hear from you how things were going with you and how things been going with Fanbase. What's the latest been?
Isaac Hayes III 03:46
Man, we just closed our second seed round of $2.6 million on StartEngine. So we've raised a total of $6 million in less than a year. It's been phenomenal. We're adding a lot of amazing functionality to Fanbase. And new features are rolling out in the next couple of weeks, a new version of audio, which is one of our flagship features on the platform that's monetized for all users. So it's an exciting time at Fanbase.
Dan Runcie 04:10
Can you talk to me about your fundraising process a bit because I know that you crowdfunded the 6 billion. You were able to do it at a few different stages. But what made you go that route, as opposed to the more traditional venture capital fundraising?
Isaac Hayes III 04:25
Two things: one was just a recommendation by a really good mentor of mine to do so. And it was in COVID, because, you know, we couldn't move. And I had a real kind of like off-putting conversation with a VC. And it immediately reminded me of the music business. And so in my mind, I immediately thought, okay, these seeds are like the label. And I'm like an artist trying to get a record deal. And so starting to gave me the opportunity to go independent, and sell my shares out of the trunk of my car to the tune of $6 million, which gives us better leverage, and lets people know that we don't need venture capital to raise serious cash. And so that's really how it, you know, wind up that being that way.
Dan Runcie 05:06
Yeah, I heard the comparisons from a lot of people. And I think that the thing you often hear from folks that do crowdfund is that it can take a lot of time to get there. But at least from what I've seen from your process, you were able to get several thousand investors in a pretty short amount of time. So what were the steps from that perspecti…
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Apr 15, 2022
The Future Of Music Business With Economist Will Page
One of the most unique insights into the state of the music business today doesn’t come from a record label exec. Not from an agent. Not from an artist. No, it comes from Scottish economist Will Page, who served that role for Spotify from 2012 to 2019 — a period of explosive growth for the streaming giant. But if you ask Page about streaming’s future, he’s not nearly as optimistic as the rest of the industry. “The party has to come to an end,” as he told me on this episode of Trapital.
Page believes the music industry is transitioning from a “herbivore market” to a “carnivore” one. In other words, future growth will not come from brand-new customers — it’ll come from the streaming services eating into each other’s market share. Not only has subscriber counts possibly tapped out in Page’s opinion, but streaming services have also put a ceiling on revenues by charging only $9.99, a price that hasn’t budged in 20 years despite giant leaps in technology and music catalog size.
That against-the-grain prediction was one of many Will shared with me during our in-depth interview. But he has plenty more research- and experience-backed thoughts on touring, vinyl records, Web 3.0, and everything in between. Believe me, this is an interview you don’t want to miss. Here’s everything we covered:
[0:00] The 3 R’s in the business of music
[3:15] Will’s experience being a DJ
[7:10] Lopsided Growth Of Music Streaming In Global Markets
[8:59] Vinyl Records $1.5 Billion Recovery
[13:18] Will’s Bearish View About The Future Of Streaming
[15:22] Ongoing Price War Between Streaming Services
[22:59] The Changing Economics Of Music Touring
[26:16] Performing At Festivals Vs. Tours
[30:50] The Evolution Of Music Publishing
[34:32] How Music Revenue Gets Distributed To Publishers
[37:35] What Does A “Post-Spotify Economy” Look Like?
[40:00] Will’s Biggest Issues With Web3
[47:01] The Current Business Landscape Of Hip-Hop
Listen to Will’s mix right here: https://www.mixcloud.com/willpagesnc/we-aint-done-with-2021/
Check out Will’s Podcast, Bubble Trouble, where he breaks down how financial markets really work.
Read Will’s book, Tarzan Economics: Eight Principles for Pivoting Through Disruption.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guests: Will Page, @willpageauthor
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo.
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TRANSCRIPT
Will Page 00:00
The best way I could do this is, I just talk about ratios. There are three R's in this business, there's share of revenue, there's ratio, and as rates pool, they mean different things. Most experts get confused with the three R's.
I'm gonna stick to ratios that is, if I give the label $1, how much do I give the publisher, the software, there's collective management organization? So we stick to the conventional streaming model today, I would say that you get the record label $1, you're giving the publishing side of the fence 24 cents, you know, a decent chunk of change, but still the poorer cousin of the record label. On YouTube, I think it could be as high as 35 cents, 40 cents even because there's a sink right involved in those deals.
Dan Runcie 00:46
Hey, welcome to the Trapital Podcast. I'm your host and the founder of Trapital, Dan Runcie. This podcast is your place to gain insights from executives in music, media, entertainment, and more, who are taking hip hop culture to the next level.
Today's guest is Will Page. He is the author of a book I cannot recommend enough. It's called Tarzan Economics. It's a guide to pivoting through disruption. This is a must-read if you're working in music, media, or entertainment. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics. He is the former Chief Economist at Spotify. So if you are interested in where the music industry is heading, where trends are going, this is the person to talk to. I was first put onto Will’s work, he had released this white paper called Rockonomics. And it was a breakdown on how artists were using Twitch. I wrote about the report in Trapital because I was fascinated by it. And then he and I started talking from there. So it was only a matter of time before he came on the podcast.
Will and I covered a bunch in this episode, we talked about the growth of streaming, we also talked about the growth of vinyl, and how that impacts the economics for a lot of artists and songwriters and publishers. We also talked about the price of streaming services. Most services are still $9.99 per month in the US. So we talked about why that is for music compared to video streaming, where Netflix Hulu, and Amazon have been increasing their prices for their respective services. We also talked about music publishing and why Will thinks that that catalog will continue to grow. We talked about live music and some of the potential constraints where now the next 24 months everyone wants to go on tour. But there's only so many venues and so much money that consumers have unwillingness to see live shows. So we've talked about that we talked about trends in hip hop, we'll have a bunch of exclusive numbers to share in this. And it was great to talk to him. It's been great to also Jessica T to learn from him. I honestly do believe that he's one of the sharpest minds in the music industry. And it was a pleasure to have him on this podcast. And I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Here's my chat with Will Page. Alright, today we got the one and only Will Page with us. He is well known in the music and media space as an economist, but he also spent a lot of time as a DJ. And I feel like that could be a good place for us to start the conversation. Will, talk to me about your DJ experience and what you've been doing there recently.
Will Page 03:22
Well, I've been DJing since the age of puberty. And it was all inspired by one lyric by a rapper called Mike G from The Jungle Brothers from an album called done by the forces of nature, where he dropped his library. He said it's about getting the music across the message across getting it across without crossing over. And unlike a 14-year-old kid when I hear this, and I just thought about those words, getting the music across without crossing over, how do you get out to an audience without diluting its integrity. I'm only 14 at the time. But that just resonated with me so strongly, and I just kind of dedicated a huge chunk of my life to trying to get the music across to an audience that would otherwise not have heard it. And I'm not diluting how it's been presented. That's what a DJ can do. You can thread songs together in a way that gets music across without its dilution without crossing it over.
Dan Runcie 04:11
And I feel like, for you, you've been able to carry that through, you had we're not done we are done with 2021 I was able to do a quick drop for that as well. So I think what's likely inspiring for a lot of folks is that there's so many people that have music backgrounds and passions early on, but there's a pause if they're not able to continue that but you've been able to keep this as part of your charity, which I think makes so much of what you do with this space authentic because you yourself are someone who releases music.
Will Page 04:40
Yeah, I mean, the mix cloud allowed me to scale what I was doing anyway, if I go back to university in the late 90s early noughties you'd make mixtapes mix cassettes. There's a great way to date girls, but you could only do maybe like 50 100 at tops. Mix cloud allows you to take what you do and scale it scale what you love to do and the mixer UK only gave us a drop for weighing in dama 2021. That makes us no-hit 27,000 on Mixcloud meaning have overtaken Erykah Badu one of your form…
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Apr 8, 2022
Audiomack CMO Dave Ponte’s Plan to Grow the Pie for Artists
It’s been ten years since Dave Ponte co-founded Audiomack alongside Dave Macli. The decade has been strong in international growth for the music streaming platform — Audiomack recently became Nigeria’s number-one overall iOS app in a given week — but if Ponte has it his way, Audiomack will next become THE “home base” for artists, a place to begin their entire musical journey. The platform has rolled out numerous features to support those lofty ambitions, plus has several others in the works.
One of the features that is live is the Supporters monetization tool. Launched in December, the tool allows fans to directly pay artists in exchange for a “badge” that memorializes their name in their profile and that of the supported artists. In the four months of being live on-site, Supporters has created $30,000 in new revenue for artists on Audiomack. As Dave told us in the episode, unlike competing streaming services, Audiomack is concerned with increasing the “size of the pie” for the entire music industry — not merely finding additional ways to ”slice the pie.”
Dave and I spoke at length about artist monetization — and how Web 3.0 possibly fits into the equation — throughout the episode. Here’s everything else we covered:
[0:00 Big Start To 2022 For Audiomack
[0:55] Evaluating Audiomack’s Supporters’ Monetization Tool Post-Launch
[3:38] Updating The Supporters’ Product Over Time
[6:47] $30,000 Created For Artists (So Far) With Supporters Tool
[10:25] Artist Campaigns On Audiomack
[14:28] Audiomack’s Newly-Launched Creator App
[17:50] Mobile App “Stickiness”
[20:23] Audiomack’s “Home Base” Aspirations
[24:05] Artist Resource Guide On Audiomack
[27:52] How Brian Zisook’s Twitter Threads Influenced Artist Guide
[30:20] Different Dynamic Between Audiomack & Other Platforms
[32:55] Audiomack’s Biggest Challenges
[38:42] How Does Web 3.0 Factor Into Audiomack’s Future?
[46:26] Audiomack Motivated To Bring AfroBeats To America
To listen to more Audiomack Trapital episodes, check out the two below:
Audiomack Co-Founder & CEO Dave Macli:
https://trapital.co/2020/11/16/dave-macli-on-audiomacks-role-in-music-streaming-partnership-with-djbooth-and-global-expansion/
Audiomack VP of Product Charlie Kaplan:
https://trapital.co/2021/12/10/charlie-kaplan-on-audiomack-supporters-artist-fan-monetization-and-streaming-business-models/
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guests: Dave Ponte
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo.
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TRANSCRIPTION
David Ponte 00:00
We cultivated all this. We aggregated all this. And now we're providing all of this for free. We're not charging anyone for it. If you go on the Audiomack app, you'll be able to access them. And you'll be able to learn and find out the answers to these questions because, frankly, I didn't even know a lot of these answers. I mean, there's so much to learn in the music industry. And you know, I know some things but there's a lot of things that I don't know. And I’ve, when going through this guide, learned a lot. And it can be one small decision that an artist would make, that can make a huge impact on their career in their life.
Dan Runcie 00:39
Hey, welcome to the Trapital podcast. I'm your host and the founder of Trapital, Dan Runcie. This podcast is your place to gain insights from executives in music, media, entertainment, and more, who are taking hip hop culture to the next level. Today's guest is Dave Ponte. The Chief Marketing Officer and co-founder of Audiomack. Audiomack is a music streaming platform and a music discovery service that reaches more than 20 million people across the world. It was great to chat with Dave because a few months back, I had talked to Charlie Kaplan fromAudiomack. This is when they first launched their platform, Supporters. Supporters is a tool that brings artists and fans more directly together where fans can directly contribute to a release of an artist give money to the artist for that, have their name be associated with that, and be able to show that badge through the Audiomack platform. We talked about the rollout of that we talked about how that fits more broadly, with Audiomack strategy to be a home base for artists and how it's doing that also through its creator app, through its artist's guide, and a few of the other things it has planned.
And that pivots us into a discussion about how Audiomack’s strategy fits within the broader music ecosystem in the broader streaming service. There are much bigger streaming services, but many of them are still copying a lot of the moves that Audiomack has done. So we talked about what that dynamic is where Audiomack is growing most right now and how this company is thinking about the future. And when you think about web3, when you think about all these other things, how much of this is an actual opportunity, how many of these things are buzzwords or just fluff, Dave and I get into all that. I had a great conversation with him. Here's my chat with Dave Ponte.
All right, today, we got Dave Ponte here from Audiomack, and I got to give him credit, the company has been having a pretty good run lately. They launched some new platforms, they've been growing internationally. Dave, we got to get the latest on how things have been going on your end?
David Ponte 02:50
Things have been going great. We're really happy about how 2022 is shaping up. And we have a lot of great new features and platforms and apps and other things that are going to help artists, you know, improve their careers and move music forward.
Dan Runcie 03:06
Definitely. Yeah, I think it was a couple of months back, I feel like that, we're making the rounds because I had had Dave Macli about a year ago or so, had Zeon after that, and had Charlie Kaplan on most recently. And we talked all about Supporters. And I feel like this is a pretty big launch for you all when Charlie came on, we were just talking about the launch and the goals of having something where artists and fans can connect more directly in just bridging that line together.
And now you have at least a few months of it to see how things have been going. So how has that been so far? How is Supporters?
David Ponte 03:42
I'm really happy with how it's launched. The product has worked really well. There hasn't been any when you're developing software, and you're adding a new feature like this, which is a completely different way that we would approach typically how our app would work. You know, we're a streaming platform, you know, you could play songs, you could follow artists, you could do all the things that you would do in a streaming platform, but now we're adding this e-commerce functionality. So it's a new foray for us. And it's gone off really, very smoothly. All the artists' supporters have been able to buy badges, it's all the finance and reconciliation portion has worked out very well, and the artists are really happy about this additional revenue stream that they can now employ.
Dan Runcie 04:24
Nice. I got to imagine for a lot of the artists, it brings them closer because that's one of the reasons that they're likely building on Audiomack as opposed to elsewhere. I feel like one of the pitches that you all have had from the beginning is that – A. you're going to have artists that are much more in control of what they're doing from how they're building their brand on your platform.
And then I think, in addition, you're not necessarily always working with the artists who are more bound by a major record label or another entity. So by being able to have what I imagined a lot of independent artists using this tool and bring it up to you whether that is the through-line there, and of…
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Apr 1, 2022
The Broccoli City Music Festival
Today I’m joined by Brandon McEachern and Marcus Allen, the co-founders of Broccoli City. The music festival makes its return to Washington D.C. on May 7-8 with a stacked lineup that includes Gunna, Summer Walker, Wale, and plenty more stars from the world of hip-hop and R&B. The black-owned promotion had not one, but two events canceled in the past two years. During the forced downtime, festival co-founders Marcus Allen and Brandon McEachern made a conscious decision to not just return for 2022, but come back better than ever.
Specifically, the two wanted to leverage the Broccoli City platform to create black change. Since starting in 2013, the festival has always catered to black people first and foremost. But in 2022, it’s aiming to give its fans better resources well beyond the music grounds. The duo is accomplishing that in the form of an expo that’ll feature job/internship opportunities, health/wellness tools, financial support for small businesses, and forums on criminal justice issues, amongst other things. The expo is one component of what the festival organizers are calling BLK Change Weekend.
The world and the music festival industry have transformed plenty since Broccoli City’s last show in 2019. However, Brandon and Marcus are not just changing with the times — they’re creating it with new initiatives too. Here’s what we covered in this episode of the Trapital podcast:
[0:00] Broccoli City Returns For 2022
[3:10] The Optics Of Bringing Back Broccoli City After Two Years Of Cancellation
[6:34] Artists Charging More For One-Off Festival Than Tour Event
[12:25] Managing Egos When Creating Festival Flyers
[14:31] Changing Nature Of Agents With Talents
[19:05] Broccoli City’s Biggest Advantage Over Other Festivals
[23:15] Measuring Success For The Festival
[25:25] Anticipating Whether An Event Will Succeed Or Won’t
[27:15] How Loyal Are Customers To Certain Festivals?
[29:01] Ongoing Challenges Of Being Black Execs In Music Festival Scene
[31:15] Influence Of The Live Nation Partnership
[34:47] Lining Up The Festival With BLK Change Weekend
[41:39] What’s In Store For The 2022 Event?
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guests: Marcus Allen, Brandon McEachern
This week’s sponsor is 1-800-NUMBER, a creative agency that produces iconic moments for brand and artists. The studio has collaborated with Lil' Uzi Vert, Future, Isaiah Rashad, 24KGoldn, Nike, Sony, Universal Music Group, TDE, and more. Want to hear how 1-800-NUMBER can help your next project? Book a free 30-min intro chat.
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo.
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Transcription
Marcus Allen 00:00
Ain't no better feeling to know coming into the event is going down like that, feeling that morning. Those mornings be like the best mornings because you really, there's two times it's the day you drop in in the morning of the festival that is just there's nothing like those two days coming into that time, and those are moments that you really appreciate and you cherish and we've had mornings that have felt good like that. And we may have some mornings and then feel bad because we always walked into the festival that morning, knowing it was about to be a win.
Dan Runcie 00:40
Hey, welcome to the Trapital Podcast. I'm your host and the founder of Trapital, Dan Runcie. This podcast is your place to gain insights from executives in music, media, entertainment, and more who are taking hip hop culture to the next level. Today's episode is with Brandon McKay Hearn and Marcus Allen. They're the founders of Broccoli City. It's a two-day music festival that's based in DC that has headliners, Annie Lenox, Summer Walker, they have Lil Durk, Gunna, and great lineup of some of the biggest names in hip hop and R&B. This festival is focused on celebrating Black culture more broadly with the entire weekend they have planned with the BLK change weekend, they have a 5K. And they have other community events that really speak to maybe the topics that be branded and Mark is talking about on this episode, we talk about what it was like for them to get this festival off the ground, given some of the challenges the past two years and how COVID set them back. We also talked about some of the challenges dealing with particular artists. Some of you may remember, there was a pretty public complaint from Wale. He was one of the artists that was frustrated, but they were able to navigate some things with him. So we talked about what it's like dealing with artists, some of their pushback, but also we talked a little bit about the broader Asia landscape. If you've been following Trapital, you know, I've talked about examples of the NBA, where you have an agent like a Rich Paul and Klutch Sports and the influence that they've had making things happen for their stars, while the same thing happens in the music industry with some of these powerful agents that are trying to convince themselves and others that their stars deserve to have headlining spots everywhere. So we talked a little bit about that. We also talked about what it's like for black music festival promoters, and how they are not just pushing this, but also some of the challenges they may have in this industry. We also talked about some of the other economics some of the decisions and what Brandon and Marcus are most excited for and how all that stays afloat. If you are interested at all in the music festival space, what it takes to put one on this is definitely the conversation for you. It was a great chat, it was great to reconnect with them both. Here's my chat with Brandon and Marcus. All right, we got Brandon, Marcus co-founders of broccoli city, y'all are back. COVID set y'all back for a couple of years via y'all like “Nah, we're gonna be here. We're gonna make this happen.” So how does it feel?
Brandon McEachern 03:10
Man, it feels good. It feels good to be back. Happy that the world is opening up. You know, for a minute, dead. Damn, we thought that we was gonna be able to come back for 2021. But you know, COVID and the variant had a different plan in mind. You know what I mean? So, so that's what we're happy. We're back this year, though. 2020 to two days. You know, we outside so it's a good look.
Dan Runcie 03:32
Yeah, I mean, I feel like it must have been stressful because 2021, once everyone got vaccinated, I'm sure you probably thought the rest of the year was green light, right? Go Let's go. But no, Mari I came through with that touch.
Brandon McEachern 03:46
And a couple other festivals got off. You know what I mean? So that was the thing to kind of had to like, dang, you know, like Lollapalooza, the biggest festival, one of the best festivals out, shout out to them. They actually, “Oh, rolling loud.” Got to do this. Shout out to Matt Tyree like saying, “Yeah, we just got the short end of the stick on that side. But it's all good.”
Marcus Allen 04:04
Yeah, I mean, I think the other part too, is is that of the festivals that got off, we were the only ones that was focusing in on people of color, right? And so there was a certain optic that was in the air that was like, as our people was the most effective. It was a decision like, you know, do we put all of our people in jeopardy, right? Do we create a big spreader event? And will the world accept this having a big spreader of like, how he makes up somebody else? And like Brandon and I've just decided it just weren't worth it. It wasn't worth the risk on anybody's part.
Dan Runcie 04:33
So walk me through the steps of being able to put this back on right because I'm sure some of those same questions you're talking about Marcus some of that trade off? Are people going to be comfortable if there's a super…
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Mar 25, 2022
Why Podcast Ownership Matters with Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings of “For Colored Nerds”
A lot of creators talk about owning their intellectual property and distribution, but co-hosts of the For Colored Nerds podcast — Eric Eddings and Brittany Luse — actually went and made it happen, by any means necessary. The two left the Spotify-owned Gimlet Media network in 2020, leaving behind The Nod show (and its IP) which they had built up since 2017. As “free agents”, the duo made ownership a mandate in its next podcast deal.
Stitcher was happy to oblige, bringing the two together in a homecoming of sorts. Before Gimlet, Eric and Brittany began podcasting with Stitcher which included the first iteration of the For Colored Nerds podcast. Now it’s back in its second form — still with a heavy dose of discourse about the intersection of pop and Black culture, but now with a dash of personal opinions from the two on ongoing issues as they see it.
For Colored Nerds is one example of how the media industry is transforming in real-time. While Eric and Brittany got what they wanted, it wasn’t easy. The two joined me on this episode of Trapital to discuss this laborious process that included lawyers and agents — two things most creators aren’t privy to. Here’s everything we discussed in this episode:
[3:07] Why Choose Stitcher Over Other Networks?
[5:52] Changing Landscape Of Creator Ownership
[9:22] Biggest Barriers To Having A Fair Contract
[11:31] Will Future Podcast Networks Embrace Creator Ownership?
[18:23] How Does The Podcast Balance What Topics To Discuss On The Show?
[22:10] What Makes Podcasting So Special
[28:51] The Polarization Of Tyler Perry
[37:06] The Perils Of An “Elitist” Mindset
[42:28] Relationship With Present-Day Music Compared To Past Favorites
[49:23] Knowing Your Audience
This episode is brought to you by Koji, the best “link in bio” tool. It is trusted by Grammy winners, chart-topping hitmakers, and more. Join 185,000+ creators. Check it out for free: koji.to/trapitalpodcast
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guests: Brittany Luse, IG: @bmluse | Eric Eddings, Twitter: @eeddings | For Colored Nerds Podcast, IG & Twitter: @ForColoredNerds
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Eric Eddings 00:00
What the industry kind of needs to understand is that people now, like, require that flexibility. Because so many creators understand different parts of the trajectory. Everybody's not necessarily trying to be, you know, at the pinnacle of podcasts or like on the front page of, you know, iTunes every single day. There are different levels. Some people are having a podcast, they want it as a significant companion to maybe something else that they're building. And so they understand what place that podcast could fit into their lives and into their brand or ecosystem.
Dan Runcie 00:38
Hey, welcome to the Trapital podcast. I'm your host and the founder of Trapital, Dan Runcie. This podcast is your place to gain insights from executives in music, media, entertainment, and more, who are taking hip hop culture to the next level.
On today's episode, I'm joined by Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings. They're the host of the podcast, For Colored Nerds, which peels back the layers of black culture. I've been following Brittany and Eric's work for a while now, back when they had their podcast on gimlet media, The Nod. And they also had the Quibi Show after that. And they recently relaunched their old podcast, For Colored Nerds. So we talked about that, we talked about the journey and how Brittany and Eric have been so open and transparent about podcast ownership and some of the back and forth challenges that have happened not just with them, but with other podcasters that ultimately what they hope to see in this industry in the future. We also talked a bit more about how they go about thinking of their content, some of the common themes that they'll discuss on the shows, and one of the things that they discuss, which is a topic I've often discussed on Trapital as well is Tyler Perry. If you've read through Apple, you know that I'm more so, talking about Tyler for what he's achieved from a business perspective, which I've always found inspiring and great. But on the content side, it's a little different, because I think many people do have some conflicting opinions about how he's gone about things that he put out, and, but also recognizing that there was an audience that Tyler has unapologetically been willing to serve, and what that means for him as a business leader, and how that obviously has led to his success. So we talked a lot about that.
And we also talked more broadly about hip hop as well. Folks like us, who I think grew up in the 90s and 2000s, and may still resonate with so many of the artists from that era, how do we relate to current day hip hop? And is it our place to relate to some of the current artists? So we talk about that, and a whole lot more. Here's my chat with Brittany and Eric.
All right, today, we got Brittany and Eric from the For Colored Nerds Podcast. I’ve been a big fan. I've been following their work for a while, and also their journey. And before we start, I do just want to say thank you to both of you, because I feel like you've been so open about so much in the podcasting space. And I think a lot of people learned a lot from that. So thank you both it’s much appreciated.
Brittany Luse 03:00
Thank you.
Eric Eddings 03:01
Thank you for having us. Yeah, it's been a wild ride in this industry. But it's been good.
Dan Runcie 03:07
Definitely. And I know for you that your journey has been well documented, you're back on the podcast that you had started years back with For Colored Nerds. And now you're with Stitcher, and I'd love to start there because I'm sure that you got hit up by a number of different outlets or networks that likely wanted to partner with y'all. What was it about stitcher that made you want to work with them?
Eric Eddings 03:31
Wow. I mean, I felt like there was a lot I mean. To your point, we did a bit of the tour, I guess you could say, in terms of meeting with tons of distributors, you know, after our Quibi show kind of wound down after, hell, after Quibi. Went down a rabbit...
Brittany Luse 03:47
It happens on the same day.
Eric Eddings 03:50
Yeah, exactly. But no, with Stitcher, I think there were a few things that lined up pretty quickly. They were the only ones who who started the conversation, knowing that we were coming in with a desire to own our show, which is funny, because as to your point before, like, we have been very open about like some of the conflicts that we you know, had around pursuing ownership in particular. And so I think like that changed the conversation in a way where we then, actually, could talk more freely and comfortably about what we wanted the show to be, you know, because again, there was not that fear of like, you know, will it be ours? And will we maybe have to make something different, you know, after the fact if we don't own and kind of control that so I think that was like one big piece of it. I'm curious Brittany, like what you would add
Brittany Luse 04:37
I mean, a big part of it, too, is like the team. I mean, one of the people that we got to you know, talk with coming into Stitcher when we were just sort of in the initial feeling each other out stage is someone who turned out to be the cousin of someone we met a few years ago and like hit it off with, Natalie Well who's amazing, she's literally just made us feel comfortable from like moment one. Also Peter Clowney, who is, Eric knows this, proper title. I feel terrible because I can't remember anyone's proper title. Because Eric works at Stitcher as an execu…
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Mar 18, 2022
How Kevin Liles Built 300 Entertainment Into A $400 Million Business In Under 10 Years
Kevin Liles didn’t co-found 300 Entertainment just to sell it. He created it, first and foremost, to fill a void he saw in the music industry — a lack of talent development. Ten years after starting the 300 record label, it’s safe to say Kevin and company filled that void. By developing culture-shifting artists like Gunna, Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug, among others, 300 has become one of the hottest commodities in all of hip-hop. This led to WMG buying the formerly-independent label for $400 million at the start of the new year.
In WMG, Kevin believes he’s found a partner with the “mindset of an independent, but the muscle of a major.” As the one-time EVP of WMG, Kevin would know this first-hand. And even with an influx of $400 million, Kevin isn’t going to change the way he makes decisions. For Kevin, it’s always been about prioritizing the cultural incentives rather than the financial ones. This mindset has followed him from Def Jam intern to its President and now as CEO of 300 & Elektra Music Group.
In-between running the label, Kevin has also invested resources in creating a pipeline for future music and entertainment execs with diverse backgrounds. In particular, Kevin has tapped into HBCUs, helping set up a $250 million fundraising campaign for his alma mater, Morgan State, and connecting students directly with the FBI.
Kevin and I covered a lot of ground in this episode of the Trapital. Here are the show chapters:
[3:23] Behind 300 Entertainment’s Sale To Warner Music
[8:29] Gunna’s Meteoric Rise
[10:29] How Phrases Like Hot Girl Summer & Pushin P Became A Thing
[13:08] What Changes With WMG Partnership?
[15:58] New Def Jam Video Game In The Works?
[17:27] Launching 300 Studios
[20:17] Kevin Thinks The Best Is Yet To Come For Hip Hop
[22:10] Hip Hop’s International Opportunity
[24:23] Major Differences Between Running Def Jam vs. 300
[28:10] The Power Of Diverse Execs Making Cultural, Not Financial Decisions
[30:25] How Music Industry Has Handled Diversity Issues Since George Floyd
[31:00] Kevin’s Attempt To Create Diverse Talent Pipeline
[32:14] The Rise Of Hip-Hop Media Personalities
[40:35] Young Thug’s Role As Chief Innovation Officer
[43:49] Keeping Narrative On The Future, Not Past
This episode is brought to you by Koji, the best “link in bio” tool. It is trusted by Grammy winners, chart-topping hitmakers, and more. Join 185,000+ creators. Check it out for free: koji.to/trapitalpodcast
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Kevin Liles, IG: @kevinlileskwl, Twitter: @KevinLiles1
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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TRANSCRIPTION
Kevin Liles 00:00
When you put diverse people at the head of the company, and you allow that person to make cultural decisions and not financial decisions on something that they don't know, so that young people run a company, they don't know they might go to a concert, but they don't know when a kid could come in, like I came in. And I saw Russell, I said, “Oh, he's the boss.” So you mean if you're the boss, you can move stuff that you want to people not only want to be an employee or work in music, no, they want to run companies. And until we as an industry, and really this is not just about the music industry, this is about the world. Until a CEO that looks like them, act like them talk like them, you know, that's when you unleash the true power of where we are in our culture.
Dan Runcie 00:56
Today's episode is with Kevin Liles, the Chairman and CEO of 300 Entertainment and Electro Music Group. Kevin's been one of the most influential record label executives of the past few decades. He ran Def Jam for seven years in the late 90s, early 2000s. And almost 10 years ago, he started 300 Entertainment, which he just sold to Warner for a $400 million deal. So we talked about everything that went into that decision, what it was like to sell the record label what a partnership with Warner looks like and how the record label can maintain its independent spirit under the umbrella of native record labels. We also talked about Gunner and how he's having one of the biggest years in hip hop right now and Pusha P and everything with that. We talked about Megan Thee Stallion and we talked about Thug. Did you know that Thug is Chief Innovation Officer at 300? When we talked all about that and what that means and a whole lot more. He also gave us the latest update on Def Jam Vendetta. You know the people that ask him at Def Jam Vendetta, they want to see the video game come back through. So we talked about that. We also talked to broader about IP. If you follow me on social media, you know that I want to see the story to hip hop record labels get the same type of TV anthology breakdowns that we're seeing now about Thera Nose and WeWork and Uber I want to see the same about Def Jam and Bad Boy and Rockefeller. And we talked a little bit about that too. It was a great conversation. I think it's always inspiring to talk to one of the most influential execs in hip hop that I believe really helped to make this culture what it is. Here's my chat with Kevin Liles. All right, today we got co-founder and CEO with 300. Entertainment Kevin Liles with us today. Hey, Kevin, I got to give you a shout out man, it feels like you've had one of the strongest starts to this year sold the record label, Gunner’s hit starting the year off strong. How does it feel?
Kevin Liles 02:43
It feels like another day at the office. People ask me all the time, Kevin, what's new, every day is new. Every day is a new opportunity. God woke me up and I feel there's a bigger purpose. And I feel the steps that we take, I don't look for number one albums, I don't look for to be, accolades or to be the best this or anything. I really just strive on doing this work that day. And I joke with somebody I said no with me, I'm never gonna be up too upset, they'll never be too sad. I will flow like water. And water is a very powerful thing because it helps grow. It changes direction with the most people around the world. So I feel like what is great about me.
Dan Runcie 03:23
I hear that. So talk to me a bit about the sale because that made big news, there was rumors about it happening towards the end of 2021. But walk me through that process. When did you first think about selling 300 and what went into the decision for you?
Kevin Liles 03:39
I never thought about selling. I don't build things to sell. I'm a serial entrepreneur, but I build things to change the world. And I find a void. And the void was the creation of 300 co-founders, the void was there was no true artist about it. When we talk about our students. I'm not just talking about developing a sound or developing of a person I'm saying we're raising young kids, young men, and women into the world. And so they need to have some have dads and we have moms and we had by my dad, but some have not, you know around them. So we need to be of service to their growth. So when people say what are you thinking about selling, I always was thinking about who was my best partner that I could have the independent of my mindset of independent, but the muscle of a major who's the best partner that independence will be in their DNA, who's the best partner that I could actually administer around the world, the good, the bad, the right the wrong and treat the body want to be treated. And so I'm not for sale. 300 as an entity I sold because I wanted entrepreneurs to learn what intrapreneurship was to add what tools in a toolboxes around the world, but you know, people can't be sold a company what I did was sold an asset that I felt could be a bigger asset to the world. I'd…
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Mar 11, 2022
How Quality Control Music Invests in Startups
Dazayah Walker is the Head of Investments at Quality Control Music, the label behind today’s most trendsetting artists like Lil Baby and Migos, Dazayah. She maintains QC’s investment portfolio, particularly within the startup space, which spans well beyond just music and entertainment. Being a 23-year-old venture capitalist is difficult as is. Now tack on being female and black? “It’s been a journey”, as Dazayah Walker shares with us in this episode of the Trapital podcast.
Dazayah’s path to becoming a Venture Capitalist is as unorthodox as you’ll find in the venture capital world, but she’s stuck to the same principles that got her that opportunity to begin with — seeking out mentors, surrounding herself with a supportive community, and taking the learning process day-by-day. Before overseeing QC’s investments, Dazayah worked on the music side for the label. She began as an intern for QC, and worked her way through the ranks at the same time QC was taking the musi…
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Mar 3, 2022
Frank Cooper III Brokered Beyonce-Pepsi’s $50 Million Deal. Here’s Where He Sees Industry Going Next
Take a quick look at Frank Cooper’s resume and you might think, “what HASN’T he done?” He’s both Berkeley- and Harvard-educated. Coming out of school, Frank cut his teeth with two iconic labels — Motown Records and Def Jam. And most recently, he’s been Chief Marketing Officer for world-renown brands like Pepsi, BlackRock, and breaking news, he just took the same role with VISA.
But if you ask Frank, his early years inside the music industry formed the backbone of his illustrious career. It’s during this time period where Frank developed cultural aptitude — and specifically, how to connect larger societal needs with brands he’s led.
Frank’s unique pedigree that spans music, entertainment, and finance makes his views on business all the more fascinating. And believe me, Frank has a lot of thoughts about today’s ever-changing music landscape — whether it’s in the inflow of capital or the ripples that Web 3.0 will create. Here’s all the talking points Frank…
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Feb 24, 2022
The Future Of Live Music with Kevin Shivers, Partner at WME
It’s no secret that touring is the lifeblood of most modern-day musical artists. But while most fans only see the finished product — a head-bobbing performance at Coachella or a sold-out nightclub — few get a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes work being done by professionals like Kevin Shivers, a partner in WME’s music division. Let this interview with Kevin be your inside look at what goes into the live performances that fuel the entire music industry.
Kevin has been with WME since 2008 after a stint in Hollywood. While with WME, he’s worked with stars such as Tyler The Creator, Summer Walker, Kid Cudi, and plenty more on their touring strategies. Of course, Kevin’s world — much like every other industry — was dealt a massive blow during the past two years. But with live shows seemingly back (knock on wood), Kevin has his eyes toward the future.
And the future is an even better fan experience, says Kevin. NFTs, virtual concerts, removing the frictions of going to a…
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Feb 17, 2022
Bun B Believes The Metaverse Will Open Up Access Between Artists & Fans
In this week's show, we have a hip hop legend, Bun B. Best known as one-half of the Southern rap duo UGK, Bun along with Pimp C formed UGK in the late '80s when their former crew, Four Black Ministers, fell apart. Based in Port Arthur, Texas, UGK signed with Jive, and with 1992's Too Hard to Swallow began a series of Southern gangsta rap albums that were successful sellers.
In 2005, Bun B carried on solo, and released both the mixtape Legends, and his debut album Trill extending his presence into the 2010s with Trill O.G.: The Epilogue and Return of the Trill, just as a generation of younger MCs looked up to the influential veteran for inspiration. Since then he has continued to experiment and always try what’s new, specially in the technology field, to take full advantage of it.
We have an insightful talk on what he’s doing with NFT’s and Web 3.0, and discuss broadly about the metaverse. Tune in to discover how Bun has positioned artists and himself in this incredible space!…
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Feb 10, 2022
How Tuma Basa is Bringing Black Music to the World with YouTube
Since Tuma Basa broke into the music industry in the late ‘90s, he’s seen first-hand the complete transformation of the business. But amid the changes, Tuma has been a consistent force in curating hip-hop music and connecting it with brand-new audiences far and wide. That’s on full display in his current role as the Director of Black Music & Culture at YouTube.
It’s a unique title for an even more unique individual. Tuma cut his teeth in music on the programming side, working for BET and MTV for over 10 years. Next, he was a guiding force in the launch of P Diddy’s REVOLT TV. But once the industry embraced streaming, Tuma left traditional TV and joined the new frontier with Spotify. There, he was the curator behind the RapCaviar playlist — which amassed over nine million followers at the time, making it a top-5 Spotify playlist globally.
Tuma joined YouTube in 2018. The platform may not get the credit that a service like Spotify does, but it's just as influential in bridg…
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Feb 4, 2022
How Junae Brown Became the ‘Beyoncé of Marketing’
Junae Brown is a marketing expert and the founder and CEO of Browned 2 Perfection agency. She started her career in music and had worked for several record labels like Sodi Layla's, Columbia, and RCA. She gained the skills and expertise while working for these companies and set herself to start looking at the opportunities to have more control over all the exciting projects she wants, which is primarily why she started her agency.
In today's episode, June shares her experiences way back in the music industry and how it paved the way for her to create her agency. She talks about the secret behind her signature, "Beyonce of marketing," that stood out in the marketing realm. She also shares her insights on building brands and creating a scalable business in the music industry. We had an insightful talk about her and her business ethics, which makes her distinct, making people want to work with her.
Episode Highlights
[01:36] Looking back at Junae’s previous roles in the music industr…
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Feb 1, 2022
BONUS: The New Creator Manifesto
In today’s episode, our host, Dan Runcie, is joined by Gina Bianchini, co-founder, and CEO of Mighty Networks, which provides creators what they need to build their community-run courses and hosts live stream conversations, and Zoe Scaman, a brand strategist, owner of Bodacious, a strategy studio in London.
The three talks about the creative economy survey Gina and Zoe conducted to identify some common struggles that creators are faced with right now. Specifically, they discussed the burnout and frustration creators are going through to keep up with the treadmill of creating content day by day and keeping up with social media algorithms and the solutions the survey surfaced to help creators get out the other side to try to find new models. They also share what trends creators should watch out for and what opportunities look like for the rest of 2022.
Tune in to get valuable insights on the survey and what’s behind the New Creator Manifesto Gina and Zoe designed to help creators b…
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Jan 28, 2022
How KevOnStage is Building His Comedy Flywheel
Kevin Fredericks is a comedian, producer, director, and entrepreneur behind KevOnStage studios. He is known for his works Major Deal (2016), No Good Men (2008), and The Family Exchange (2015). Despite his talent, Hollywood somehow couldn't say yes to him. But that didn't stop him from having his green light and making his trademark in the tv industry. In fact, he surprised people to build his own streaming service.
Today's episode talks about how he built an independent brand that really paid off his hard work. He established a solid fan base, had millions of followers on social media, and monetized these platforms by producing his hilarious viral content, a total blast in the mainstream.
Listen as we talk about what's going on in his business and his independent success, turning rejection into a massive opportunity to be where he is now.
Episode Highlights
[01:56] What KevOnStage is currently working on
[04:49] His take on more black content going in the mainstream
[06:53] KevOn…
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Jan 21, 2022
Troy Carter on the Future of Music Streaming
Troy Carter is the co-founder and CEO of Q&A, a technology and media company focused on powering the business of music via distribution, services, and data analytics. He has also produced his own music, managed some of the biggest artists like Lady Gaga and Eve, and worked for Spotify as its Global Head of Creator Services. In today’s show, we talk about trends in the music industry and how things need to change moving forward. We also discuss the role that record labels serve, Web3, Troy’s work with Venice Innovation Labs, and his approach to angel investing.
If you want to learn more about IP distribution, the economics between labels and artists, and what streaming can look like, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights
[02:42] What Troy learned while starting Q&A
[08:02] Why Kanye’s path is very similar to how tech founders run their companies
[11:22] Troy’s forecast for major and indie record labels and their relationship with artists
[16:00] His thoughts on s…
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Jan 14, 2022
Ralph McDaniels on Video Music Box and Documenting Hip-Hop History
Ralph McDaniels—or “Uncle Ralph”—is the co-creator of Video Music Box, a popular video show that is dedicated to airing hip-hop music videos and showing a side of hip-hop specifically from New York and the tri-state area. In this episode, he talks about the documentary that he recently released in collaboration with Mass Appeal and Showtime, the artists that he has worked with, and his nonprofit organization. He also shares how he was able to leverage his platform into directing hip-hop videos and hosting parties.
Listen and learn from a pioneer for hip-hop media personalities!
Episode Highlights
[03:58] The process of getting “You’re Watching Video Music Box” off the ground
[09:28] Some memorable sections from the documentary
[12:45] Ralph’s transition from being behind the camera to talking on the radio
[14:42] About his business model, his mindset about money, and the parties he hosted
[19:12] What the music industry was like when he first got into directing v…
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Jan 7, 2022
Master P on Bringing Culture to Corporate America (live from TMRE)
Master P is an American rapper, record executive, actor, and entrepreneur. In this episode, he shares his thoughts on what corporate America can learn from hip-hop culture. He then talks about his work to get distribution in some of the more competitive spaces on retail shelves across the country, Snoop Dogg, Shaq, and some of his business endeavors. He also weighs in on the future of businesses and answers a few questions from the audience.
If you’re looking to get into corporate America and become the best in your space, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights
[03:55] Master P’s insights on starting from the bottom, marketing as the key to his success, and bridging the gap between hip-hop and corporate America
[10:15] Personalities sell thanks to social media
[13:12] How to get talents to work with brands
[15:58] On Master P’s transition from music to business,
[19:45] What he learned from the types of partnerships he has been able to make
[22:48] On creating id…
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Dec 24, 2021
Issa Rae on Insecure, Ownership in Media, and Creator Economy Trends
Issa Rae is an actress and creator who is best known for her work on “Insecure” that has been running for five seasons on HBO. In this episode, Issa shares her journey with Warner and the importance of ‘ownership’ in the industry, which has been a growing topic especially for a lot of black creators like herself. She also talks about the final week of “Insecure” and her plans moving forward.
Listen and be inspired by Issa’s story, achieving something that is often deemed unattainable: living your passion, creating engaging content, and being financially successful.
[02:56] What to expect from the final week of “Insecure”
[07:26] How the value of ‘ownership’ play a factor in the decisions in her content
[11:01] Why her experience with Warner, specifically, HBO is the best decision
[14:13] On working on the digital side to expand her business
[19:41] What was her take on Quibi
[22:39] On which of the multiple hats would Isaa want to have more focused on movin…
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Dec 17, 2021
Chris Taylor on MNRK's Rebrand, Managing Death Row Records Catalog, and Music's M&A Market
Chris Taylor is the president and CEO of MNRK, a record label that was formerly eOne Music. In this episode, he walks us through his journey from being a touring musician to having a legal practice to starting an independent label to heading eOne’s music division through its rebranding. He shares what it was like to sell Last Gang during the pandemic, to represent Drake and other Canadian artists, and to manage the Death Row Records catalog. He also offers advice as a record label executive to developing artists.
Get thrown back to the pre-streaming era and see how the music landscape is changing from the eyes of a veteran in the industry!
Episode Highlights
[02:18] What MNRK has been up to since its rebranding and the process of how eOne sold its music business to Blackstone
[08:40] On leading MNRK now compared to 2016
[15:52] The synergy opportunities that Last Gang and eOne lost because of its strategic partnership and the onslaught of COVID
[19:02] Chris’ thoughts on the…
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Dec 10, 2021
Charlie Kaplan on Audiomack Supporters, Artist-Fan Monetization, and Streaming Business Models
Charlie Kaplan is the VP of Product at Audiomack, a music streaming and discovery platform that reaches 20 million monthly active users. In today’s episode, he weighs in on Audiomack’s achievements and financial model. He then introduces the platform’s new monetization tool “Supporters” and explains why it matters. He also talks about Audiomack’s commitment to its users, the value exchange experience, and some of the trends he is seeing on social media platforms.
If you’re a strategist who is interested in what's happening in the creator economy, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights
[02:50] How Audiomack compares to other streaming services
[05:55] Why the platform does not charge artists to upload and share music
[11:48] The evolution of recorded music from file transfers to streaming
[15:45] About Audiomack’s “Supporters” initiative
[20:40] How listeners/fans benefit as a supporter
[27:58] What Audiomack has to offer for artists versus other soc…
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Dec 3, 2021
Tunde Balogun on Developing R&B Superstars, LVRN's Journey, and Mental Health in Music
Tunde Balogun is the co-founder and president of Love Renaissance (stylized as LVRN), an Atlanta-based record label that is focused primarily on R&B music. We talk about Summer Walker’s latest release and how LVRN has prioritized mental health services not just for its staff but also its executives. Tunde then weighs in on the differences of running an R&B label versus running a hip-hop label. He also shares his thoughts on the trends he is seeing in the music industry such as NFTs and other emerging technology.
If you are looking to change the game and make things better for artists overall, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights
[02:18] What Tunde is hoping to achieve with Summer Walker’s latest album
[04:38] How LVRN stays a tightly-knit company
[09:00] The LVRN executives’ history
[12:22] What lead them to the decision to invest in group therapy
[21:42] How they balance their artists’ welfare with making a profit
[25:20] Tunde’s thoughts on Tiktok and cry…
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Nov 26, 2021
Independent Artist Life with Flawless Real Talk (2020)
Rapper, producer, and entrepreneur Flawless Real Talk joined to talk about how he manages his rap career. He was the runner up on Netflix’s hip-hop competition show Rhythm & Flow, which boosted his career trajectory. But despite all the industry attention, Flawless is still an independent artist. He talks about that decision, the tradeoffs he’s had to make, and what his goals are as an artist. He recently hosted a livestream concert on LIVIT, where he had over 1 million fans join in.
If you’re interested in how artists manage tradeoffs between being signed and indie, building a fanbase, and resiliency, then this is the episode for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Flawless Real Talk, @flawlessri, flawlessri.com
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo.
Advertising Inquiries: http…
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Nov 19, 2021
Steven Galanis on Cameo's Rise (2020)
Cameo CEO and co-founder Steven Galanis came on the pod to talk about his company’s marketplace for personalized celebrity video shoutouts. We broke down Cameo’s growth in the pandemic, finding product-market fit with people who are more famous than they are rich, and tapping into the long tail. We also break down Cameo’s success with hip-hop artists and Black culture, and the future products that may come from the company.
If you’re interested in how marketplaces are built, creating flywheels, and finding product-market fit, definitely check this podcast out.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Steven Galanis, cameo.com, @bookcameo
Links:
* How Cameo Blew Up During Quarantine - New Yorker
* Why The Music Industry Should Be Tuning Into Cameo - Forbes
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free…
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Nov 12, 2021
Trapital Mailbag #5: Blockchain Opportunities in Music, Middle Class Musicians, Astroworld, Indie vs Major Record Labels, and more
In today’s episode, I dive into a bunch of questions that I have received from readers. I weigh in on the opportunities that are available for middle-class hip-hop artists and how the creator economy is booming. In the wake of the Astroworld tragedy, I offer suggestions so that artists can do their part and manage crowds during music festivals. I also correct some misconceptions about blockchain technology, record labels, and streaming platforms.
If you have had some burning questions about the future of music, tech, and startups, this may be the episode for you!
Episode Highlights
[01:30] My definition of what a middle-class musician is
[06:10] How artists can be trained to handle crisis situations
[09:55] On smart contracts, NFTs, and Web 2.0
[16:00] What the best indie record labels are doing that major record labels are not doing
[24:38] How artists have been finding fans and monetizing these past few years
[29:10] How artists get paid today compared to the CD era
Listen…
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Nov 5, 2021
Dave Mays on The Source's Legacy, Launching Breakbeat, and State of Hip-Hop Media
Dave Mays is the founder and former CEO of The Source Magazine. In today’s episode, he weighs in on the magazine’s legacy, the evolution of media, and what hip-hop is all about. He then talks about Breakbeat, a new podcast network that he co-founded and heads. He also discusses the success of the podcast “Don’t Call Me White Girl”, the boom of podcasts, and the projects he is working on now.
If you want to get into podcasts that are all about hip-hop, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights:
[03:10] About The Source Magazine and The Source Awards
[11:15] Some lessons that can be learned from The Source
[14:15] What led Dave to start Breakbeat
[20:55] His future plans for the podcast network and a hip-hop-based app
[25:22] His transition from behind the scenes to being a voice on the network
[27:08] How he met his business partner and how he measures success
[34:00] Dave’s observations about the podcast landscape
[39:32] What Breakbeat is currently working…
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Oct 29, 2021
Sacha Jenkins on Rick James Life and Times, the Rise of Music Documentaries, and Hip Hop 50
Sacha Jenkins is a documentarian, a film producer, and a creative director at Mass Appeal. He joins me on today's show to talk about his most recent documentary titled “Bitchin': The Sound and Fury of Rick James” and the steps that he took to get that project off the ground. He also weighs in on the boom of documentaries, giving us previews of the projects he is working on now.
If you want to know more about music documentaries, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights:
[02:42] What inspired Sacha to do a project about Rick James and what messages he wanted to convey to viewers
[06:32] Why do some artists act the way they do
[08:48] The process of making a documentary
[11:55] What people don’t know about Rick James
[18:35] How viewers have responded to the documentary
[20:08] Sacha’s thoughts on music by POCs
[24:18] On the rise of music documentaries thanks to streaming
[27:52] Sacha’s dream project
[31:35] About “Hip Hop 50”
Listen: Apple Podcasts | S…
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Oct 22, 2021
Zack O'Malley Greenburg on How Music Leads Innovation, Forbes to Substack, and Hip-Hop's Next Billionaire
Former Forbes senior entertainment editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg returns to the podcast to talk about his achievements when he worked for the media company. He shares his thoughts on Jay-Z, the challenges of publishing, and why he decided to go with Substack. He also discusses his books, “We Are All Musicians Now” and “A-List Angels”, diving deep into some of the different themes and artists that he wrote about.
If you’re interested in seeing things from a music and entertainment writer’s perspective, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights
[03:05] On pioneering Forbes’ hip-hop coverage
[08:22] How Zack valuates the net worth of hip-hop artists
[11:25] Jay-Z’s billionaire status and his future plans
[17:32] About Zack’s transition to Substack
[23:38] Forbes’ journalism style versus Zack’s writing style
[25:25] A preview of “We Are All Musicians Now”
[34:35] What “A-List Angels” is about
[39:12] Zack’s prediction on who is going to be t…
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Oct 15, 2021
Mary Rahmani on TikTok Artist Strategies, Launching Moon Projects, and Influencer Partnerships
Mary Rahmani is the founder and CEO of Moon Projects, an innovative agency that is focused on short-form video content and helping artists, brands, and companies take that to the next level. In this episode, she talks about her three-pronged company and what she has learned from her time as a TikTok executive. She then discusses Moon Projects’ partnership with Republic Records and some of the trends she is seeing within the entertainment industry.
If you’re looking to be a part of the TikTok community and to learn more about leveraging short-form videos, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights
[02:10] An overview of Mary’s career and how she established Moon Projects
[06:05] Strategy is key to gaining virality and staying relevant on TikTok
[09:48] What emerging artists can learn from famous musicians who use TikTok like 24kGoldn, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, and Lizzo
[13:57] How Mary chooses artists to work with and how A&R representatives should be dealing with…
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Oct 8, 2021
Mike Weissman on SoundCloud's Creator Strategy, Web 3.0, and Building a Music Entertainment Business
Mike Weissman is the CEO of SoundCloud. He returns to the podcast to talk about the independent artist community, user-centric monetization, and the potential in NFTs and the like in a Web 3.0 era. He then weighs in on the revenue model in relation to the rise of streaming services and on SoundCloud’s progress to becoming a modern music entertainment business.
If you are interested in the future of the music industry, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights:
[02:38] The 3 pieces to SoundCloud’s growth and success
[07:55] How fan-powered royalties work and benefit artists
[13:20] What Mike is seeing from major labels
[16:00] The opportunities in Web 3.0
[19:30] On the $10 all-you-can-consume subscription model
[23:35] SoundCloud’s partnerships and future plans
[26:28] Podcasting versus music streaming versus video
[31:50] On SoundCloud’s international growth
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket…
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Oct 1, 2021
Steve Stoute on Artist Independence, UnitedMasters, Translation, and Facilitating Fan Access
Steve Stoute is the founder and CEO of the music distributor UnitedMasters and the creative agency Translation. He returns to the podcast to talk about what his companies have been building towards in the past few years. He also weighs in on the trends he is seeing with independent artists and record labels—including legacy infrastructures, cryptocurrencies, and direct fan communication.
Tune in and get up-to-date on what’s happening in the music scene!
Episode Highlights
[03:32] The biggest shift in the creator economy
[10:10] On artists owning IPs and what production companies should be doing
[14:15] Technology advances benefit the rights holder
[18:15] About UnitedMasters’ world-class technical team and its partnerships
[25:42] How UnitedMasters and Translation push the cultural edge while giving artists the opportunity to become small businesses
[31:30] The opportunities in text marketing platforms and CRM tools
[46:30] Why gamers and adult performers have found succ…
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Sep 24, 2021
Karl Fowlkes on Becoming an Entertainment Attorney, NBA Agent, and NIL Opportunities
Karl Fowlkes is an entertainment attorney, the founder of Fowlkes Firm, and a certified NBPA player agent under Firm Sports. In this episode, he walks us through his journey to where he is today. We talk about some of the artists he has worked with, the challenges of properly communicating information, and how athletes are missing out on revenue streams. Karl also weighs in on NFTs and cryptocurrency.
Tune in for insight from a lawyer/agent who has established a name for himself both in music and in sports.
Episode Highlights:
[02:52] Karl’s transition from law school to building a network and starting a law firm
[08:08] His process for raising funds
[10:02] About Section 8 and his partnership with Lil Baby
[13:40] Creators need to focus on the following when it comes to their contracts: length, obligation, money, and ownership
[17:00] On content creation
[24:45] Why Karl decided to become an NBA agent
[28:45] On NIL (names, images or likeness), brand building, and maximizin…
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Sep 17, 2021
DJ Semtex on Donda, Certified Lover Boy, Podcasting, and UK Hip-Hop
DJ Semtex is an author, a podcaster, a radio host, and a DJ. In part 2 of our conversation, he shares his thoughts on Donda and Certified Lover Boy, diving into how these albums reflect on Kanye West’s and Drake’s artistry. He then weighs in on music journalism, fan feedback, and the gradual comeback of live performances. He also talks about podcasting and compares it to doing radio shows, going into some of his interviews.
If you’re a fan of DJ Semtex or you’re just looking to start your own music podcast, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights:
[02:35] DJ Semtex’s thoughts on Donda and Certified Lover Boy
[09:15] Why Donda is a masterpiece
[16:25] Music criticism in the era of social media
[22:32] What music events are like now compared to pre-pandemic
[28:45] Whether or not hip hop will reach a saturation point
[34:05] Podcast interviews versus radio interviews
[42:50] How hip hop has changed the podcasting scene and online consumption
[52:55] Some UK ar…
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Sep 10, 2021
Rick Ross on Bossing Up, Building His Empire, WingStop, and his Investments
Joining me on the show is Rick Ross—rapper, entrepreneur, mogul, and record executive. He has over 20 partnerships, and he just recently published “The Perfect Day to Boss Up” which he wrote during the pandemic. In this episode, Rick discusses his passion for music and business, highlighting the importance of finding joy in the things you do. He then talks about his home which has been featured in the movies “SuperFly” and “Coming 2 America”. He also weighs in on the feature market and ways to go viral.
Strap in for some gold nuggets from a man who has found success in both music and business, and get into the mindset that you need to be in to level up!
Episode Highlights
[02:41] How Rick has changed since the pandemic
[05:08] How he evaluates which brands or businesses to partner with
[07:51] On doing live performances
[11:07] About Rick’s Wingstop franchises and his thoughts on artists getting involved with the fast food industry
[14:21] How Maybach Music Group…
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Sep 3, 2021
The OutKast Edge
For the first part of this episode, I do a live reading of an essay that I wrote about the rap duo OutKast and a theory that I’ve named after their journey. I explain how different phases of technology and platforms have played a role in OutKast, Tyler Perry, Issa Rae, and Tyler, the Creator’s trajectories to success. After that, I weigh in on some of my readers’ suggestions for people—in hip-hop and in other industries—who they think have the OutKast Edge. And to wrap it all up, I talk about a few names from my own personal list.
Tune in to this episode to learn how slept-on trends can become popular and how artists can sustain their unique edge to succeed!
Episode Highlights
[01:32] About OutKast
[03:43] The OutKast Edge theory
[04:40] Create content for like-minded outsiders
[05:07] Build an audience on independent platforms
[05:45] Play the long game: persevere and push through
[06:17] Who else has the OutKast Edge
[11:11] The OutKast Edge evolves with phases of…
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Aug 27, 2021
A Campaign Breakdown on Tyler, The Creator’s “Call Me If You Get Lost” with Amber Horsburgh
Amber Horsburgh is an artist coach, a music marketer, and the founder of Deep Cuts—a go-to resource for early-stage musicians. And in today’s episode, we talk about Tyler, The Creator and break down his “Call Me If You Get Lost” campaign. We weigh in on his rollout strategy to use alter egos, the brands he has partnered with, and his business model. Amber also shares her thoughts on Tyler’s strengths, what he could improve on, and how present circumstances have posed a challenge for artists.
If you are a fan of Tyler, The Creator or just curious about how music campaigns work, this episode is for you!
Episode Highlights:
[03:28] My thoughts on Tyler and his “Call Me If You Get Lost” album
[05:52] How he has changed over time
[08:32] 3 ways to stand out as an artist
[10:55] About the Tyler Baudelaire persona
[14:22] On Tyler’s brand collaborations and his “slow and steady” climb thanks to his fans
[19:35] My expectations for Tyler’s campaign
[21:02] How th…
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Aug 20, 2021
24kGoldn on TikTok Success, Investments, and Record Label Deals
24kGoldn is a chart-topping hip-hop artist and songwriter who was born and raised in San Francisco. In this episode, he talks about the opportunities he has gotten since “Mood” shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the middle of the pandemic. He shares how he leveraged Tiktok to stay relevant and what innovations he has done with his music. He also dives into his current investments and the business aspect of his brand.
Get to know the genius behind the TikTok hit “Mood” and see what other options artists have when it comes to making money.
Episode Highlights:
[02:32] What it has been like for 24kGoldn since the pandemic began
[05:25] The pros and cons of going virtual or working remotely
[08:55] How much work went into making “Mood” a hit through TikTok
[10:25] About the #BlackTikTokStrike
[12:25] The different ways you can get your music heard
[18:52] 24kGoldn’s musical inspirations and aspirations
[22:00] His investment portfolio
[24:42] The opportunities…
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Aug 13, 2021
Mike G on Music Festivals, Touring, Young Thug, The Kid LAROI, and Chris Brown
Mike G is a music and touring agent for United Talent Agency (UTA). He joins me on the podcast to share what it has been like for him since COVID broke out, especially the big things he did recently. He talks about The Kid LAROI and Young Thug, the trajectory of their careers, and the projects they’ve worked on. He looks back on how he went from sales rep to full-time booking agent, revealing what it was like to manage Chris Brown. He also weighs in on what music events will be like when the pandemic’s over.
Tune in to this episode to get an update on some artists, and see what things will be like for future concerts and tours from an agent’s perspective!
Episode Highlights:
[00:21] The opportunities that Mike G saw during the pandemic
[05:18] The recent trend in tours and concerts
[07:00] On working with The Kid LAROI and increasing the demand for him
[12:00] About Young Thug and the challenge of getting him to the level where he should be
[16:35] What music festival prom…
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Aug 6, 2021
Anthony Martini on Royalty Exchange, Music Royalties, NFTs, and Managing Lil Dicky and Tyga
Just last March, Anthony Martini became the CEO of Royalty Exchange, a marketplace where buyers and sellers can trade music, rights, and copyright. He explains how royalties can benefit middle and lower-tier creatives in this economy of hit records, highlighting what Royalty Exchange is capable of as a platform. He then talks about the practical applications of NFTs. He also weighs in on what he has learned as a former artist, an artist manager, and the founder of an independent record label.
Whether you’re a musician looking for funding or an investor searching for an asset to park your money in, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights
[03:50] The opportunities in selling music catalogs and publishing
[06:48] How Royalty Exchange has grown and what it has to offer as a platform compared to other investment funds
[10:08] About multiples, the “dollar age” metric, and why music royalties are attractive assets
[14:40] Anthony’s insights on hip-hop from a streaming pe…
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Jul 29, 2021
Steve Rifkind on Loud Records, Spring Sound, Wu-Tang Clan, and the Family Business
Steve Rifkind is the founder of Loud Records, SRC Records, and his new label Spring Sound. Loud Records, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last January 2020, is one of the most influential record labels in hip-hop with artists like Wu Tang Clan, Twista, and Akon. In this episode, Steve shares what it was like when he first started out in the industry, walking us through the changes he has seen since then until now. He also talks about Loud Record’s anniversary event and his close relationship with DMX.
Reminisce about the ‘90s and early 2000s, and see things from the perspective of a legend in the music industry.
Episode Highlights:
[ 03:28 ] What the music industry was like 40 years ago compared to now
[ 07:52 ] On Akon’s popularity and the rise of Youtube
[ 12:38 ] On leveraging joint ventures with artists
[ 17:28 ] What Steve is capable of offering and doing as a record label executive
[ 19:58 ] Why the emergence of CDs led to a downshift in the industry
[ 23:35 ]…
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Jul 23, 2021
Detavio Samuels on REVOLT, Digital and Cable Strategy, The Crew League, Black-owned Media, and Working with Diddy
Detavio Samuels is the new CEO of REVOLT, a hip-hop-focused media company founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs. In this episode, he talks about the opportunities and challenges that rose when the Black-owned company made a shift toward social justice. He reveals what it’s been like to run a cable network amid the explosion of online content, giving a sneak peek of the exciting things that the company is working on. Detavio also shares how he establishes himself as a leader with Diddy as the chairman.
If you work in media, entertainment, music, or in any of the related fields, here’s an interesting episode for you!
Episode Highlights:
[ 03:08 ] Why Detavio jumped ship from his previous company to Revolt
[ 05:50 ] How REVOLT combines hip-hop culture with the Black Lives Matter movement
[ 12:08 ] The challenges of launching a cable network that offers black content
[ 17:32 ] On REVOLT’s digital content and most important metrics
[ 19:40 ] A preview of “The Crew League” Seaso…
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Jul 16, 2021
Jamal Henderson on Space Jam, Structuring SpringHill, LeBron James, and the Creator Economy
Jamal Henderson is the Chief Content Officer of The SpringHill Company, a video-production company created by LeBron James and Maverick Carter. He reveals what it took to get “Space Jam: A New Legacy” off the ground, diving deep into branding partnerships and the musical aspect of the production. He also weighs in on all of the changes that have happened in the entertainment landscape post-pandemic and gives a preview of what’s next for SpringHill.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to spearhead projects for an entertainment company and to launch a movie post-pandemic, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights:
[ 02:08 ] How the pandemic affected the production and release of movies
[ 03:12 ] About “Space Jam: A New Legacy” and SpringHill’s brand projects
[ 06:27 ] Why the movie is on-brand for LeBron and how it aged well
[ 10:45 ] On creating the “Space Jam: A New Legacy” soundtrack
[ 14:40 ] How SpringHill came to be what it is today
[ 22:55 ] Ab…
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Jul 13, 2021
Music Business Podcast: Trippie Redd's Manager Charlene Bryant on Hitting Billboard #1 and Launching Riveter Management
Today's episode is a special interview from my friends at the Music Business Podcast!
They had a great conversation Founder of Riveter Management and Trippie Redd’s Manager Charlene Bryant. Charlene Bryant was formerly a Digital Account Manager for Sony/RCA Inspiration, who recently ventured out to start her own artist management company, Riveter Management Inc. She is passionate about helping artists and her company motto is to treat every client like a VIP.
If you enjoy their episode, leave a comment or a review on what you thought about the episode on Apple Podcasts or on the Music Business Podcast instagram @musicbusinesspodcast.
You can also connect with our community on Patreon, MusicBusinessPodcast.com/Community.
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Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo. trapital.co/newsletter
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Jul 9, 2021
MixedByAli on EngineEars, TDE's Legacy, and Mixing for Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre
Derek Ali, better known as MixedByAli, is a 3-time Grammy Award-winning mix engineer and a longtime collaborator with Top Dawg Entertainment. He is also the founder and CEO of EngineEars, a platform for audio engineers to mix music and find projects. He walks us through his music career, the artists who launched him to fame, and the workshops he offered. He also talks about the challenges of launching a startup, how he scaled his business, and the power of niche.
If you’re an audio engineer looking to grow your potential or interested in building a startup, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights:
[ 02:24 ] How Derek’s ringtone business in high school kick-started his interest in music
[ 08:05 ] What it was like to work with Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre
[ 10:10 ] About Derek’s team of engineers
[ 10:50 ] On “unlearning”
[ 11:42 ] Why and how he started offering workshops
[ 16:05 ] On running a small business as a sound engineer and getting the funding to scale E…
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Jul 2, 2021
Call Me Ace on his Indie Rap Career, Building His Brand, and Still Working Full-Time
Call Me Ace, hip-hop recording artist who has charted on Billboard, returns to the podcast to talk about his album “Out Of Office”, his participation in the BET AmpliFINd contest, and other things he has accomplished this past year while working a full-time job in tech. He shares his personal approach to making content and engaging with his fan base, High Grade Society. He also gives a sneak peek of a book he is working on.
If you’ve ever wondered how people grew and established their creative careers while working a day job, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights:
[ 02:13 ] How the pandemic affected Call Me Ace
[ 03:15 ] About “Out Of Office”
[ 06:26 ] The importance of community and making connections
[ 08:50 ] Utilize the right platforms that align with your brand
[ 13:38 ] On becoming a Top 10 semi-finalist in “BET AmpliFind” and the opportunities that followed after that
[ 23:42 ] Call Me Ace’s partnership with Insider Studios and Ford
[ 27:55 ] O…
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Jun 25, 2021
Benjy Grinberg on Rostrum Records, Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller, and Mental Health
Benjy Grinberg, founder and CEO of Rostrum Records, looks back on his journey—how he left what others might consider a dream job to start his own music label. Rostrum has helped put Pittsburg on the map with artists like Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller. Benjy reveals what it has been like to work with those two artists, giving us a snapshot of how their careers took off. Tune in until the end to learn about some of the philanthropic things he has done.
If you want to know what it’s like to start your own label, this is the episode for you!
Episode Highlights:
( 02:40 ) About Pittsburg’s music scene
( 03:24 ) Benjy’s transition from L.A. Reid’s assistant to independent music producer
( 07:05 ) How he met Wiz Khalifa and their trajectory to success
( 11:40 ) On handling different duties at the same time
( 17:41 ) The challenges of releasing mixtapes on streaming services
( 25:52 ) On doing deals with artists and major labels
( 37:40 ) The importance of giving back and menta…
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Jun 22, 2021
The Major Record Labels All Want Your Attention
An audio version of the Trapital essay “Inside Universal, Sony, and Warner’s Arms Race For Your Attention”
Streaming, media, and indies have changed the game for the three biggest major record labels. Here’s a full breakdown on where each company is heading.
Host: Dan Runcie, trapital.co
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo: https://trapital.co/newsletter
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jun 18, 2021
Leron Rogers on Helping Artists Become Moguls, Entertainment Law, and Representing Rick Ross
Entertainment attorney Leron Rogers, a partner at Fox Rothschild, came on the pod to talk about rising up the ranks as a lawyer. He has represented Kanye West, Rick Ross, Monique, Migos, Steve Harvey, and the Miami Marlins. His goal is to help artists build their business like a Fortune 500 company. They should establish a board of directors. That message is definitely easier with some artists than others!
We also talk about Rick Ross and 50 Cent’s beef, artists wanting to own their masters, and advice he gives to up and coming industry execs.
If you want to hear all the hats that music industry attorneys wear, this is the episode for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Leron Rogers, @leronrogers, foxrothschild.com/leron-e-rogers
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by readin…
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Jun 4, 2021
Jonnyshipes on Cinematic Music Group, Indie Hip-Hop, and Building the Supreme for Music
Cinematic Music Group founder and CEO Jonnyshipes came on the pod to talk about how he’s built Cinematic into an influential entertainment company that other labels are trying to follow. Shipes worked with Smoke DZA, Nipsey Hussle, Joey Badass, and more. In this episode, Shipes breaks down how he partners with major labels, helps artists build their careers, and more. Shipes also loves comedy. He recently signed comedian Druski, who blew up after Drake’s “Laugh Now, Cry Later” video. Druski and Shipes have a few things in the works which he goes more in depth with.
If you want to hear about how an indie hip-hop company is run, this is the episode for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Jonnyshipes, @jonnyshipes, cinematicworldwide.com
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players…
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May 28, 2021
Tarik Brooks, President of Combs Enterprises (2020)
Combs Enterprises President, Tarik Brooks, came on the Trapital Podcast to talk his role managing the Combs Enterprises portfolio of brands, which includes Ciroc, Bad Boy Entertainment, Revolt, Sean John, AquaHydrate, and more.
We talked about how to measure Diddy’s value-add as an investor, Tarik’s experience working for both Diddy and Robert L. Johnson, and why Diddy sought mentorship from Ray Dalio, and more.
This episode originally ran on February 4, 2020.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Tarik Brooks, @tarikamin, combsenterprises.com
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo. trapital.co/newsletter
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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May 21, 2021
Tracy Chan on Twitch Music, Helping Artists Monetize, and the Creator Economy
Twitch’s VP Head of Music, Tracy Chan, came on the podcast to talk about how artists on Twitch are making money. The number of artists making $25,000 on Twitch has grown 16x since the pandemic started. For those making $50,000 or more, the median viewership is 183 fans. That’s wild! We talk about how artists use the platform, gaming culture’s influence, and where the creator economy is heading.
Tracy joined Twitch in 2020. He left Spotify where he launched Spotify for Artists, and worked at YouTube before that to help launch its creator platform. Tracy has seen the creator economy at every stage. If you’re interested in this topic, this is the podcast for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Tracy Chan, @tracypchan, twitch.tv/music
Link: Twitch’s Rockonomics - a case study on how musicians make money on the platform
Trapital is home fo…
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May 14, 2021
James Lindsay on Rap Snacks, BossUp Bank, Why Distribution Matters, and Managing Meek Mill
Rap Snacks founder and CEO James Lindsay came on the podcast to talk about his rise in the consumer packaged goods industry. Rap Snacks launched in 1994 and has partnered with artists like Migos, Cardi B, Trina, and Fabolous to sell snack chips.
We talk about how Rap Snacks landed distribution space in Walmart, and how to navigate the snack food industry. We also talked about BossUp Bank, the new bank he launched with Master P to reach underserved communities.
Lindsay also co-managed Meek Mill, so we talked about his experience there, and some recent advice he gave Meek about Dogecoin!
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: James Lindsay, @askfly1, rapsnacks.net
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo. trapital.co/newsletter
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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May 7, 2021
Trapital Mailbag! Hip-Hop’s Streaming Popularity, Rap Battle Leagues, Cancel Culture, Women Music Execs, and Record Labels
I answered a bunch of questions from Trapital readers and listeners! Monetization in hip-hop vs other genres, rap battle leagues, Square’s Tidal acquisition, women in the music industry, cancel culture, record labels, and tech funding announcements that look like music festival lineups!
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo. trapital.co/newsletter
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Apr 30, 2021
Brandon Pankey on Launching the APEX Video Network, Live Music’s Return, and Educating the Next Generation
Live Nation Urban’s VP of Business Development & Operations, Brandon Pankey, joined to talk about the post-pandemic return of concerts and music festivals. He recently launched APEX, an advertising video on demand streaming service that will be music-centric. We talk about why he launched it and how he plans to give artists an opportunity to tell their stories. We finished our conversation by talking about the community and education-related work that Brandon has done, and why we have to let the next generation know about the opportunities that are out there!
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Brandon Pankey, @brandon_pankey, watchapex.com
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo. trapital.co/newsletter
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Apr 23, 2021
Shawn Prez on Bad Boy, Black Rob, and PowerMoves Inc. (2020)
Music executive Shawn Prez came on the pod to talk about his days as Bad Boy’s VP of Marketing, what set Bad Boy’s Street Team apart, breaking hit records, starting the Ciroc Boyz, his work at Power Moves Inc., and why he decided to launch an award shows to recognize DJs.
This episode was originally published on April 7, 2020.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Shawn Prez, @powermovesprez, powermovesprez.com
Link:
* Ciroc Boyz – Power Moves Inc.
* Black Rob – “Whoa”
* Global Spin Awards
* Power Moves with Shawn Prez – YouTube
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Apr 16, 2021
BrandMan Sean on Music Marketing, Common Mistakes Artists Make, and Working with 24KGoldn
Music marketer BrandMan Sean (Sean Taylor) joined to talk about how he built the BrandMan Network, which recently crossed 100,000 YouTube subscribers! He’s been a go-to source of insights for rising hip-hop artists on how to build their brands, use social media, and focus on what matters most.
In this episode, Sean breaks down how he keeps up with the changes in the landscape, how artists beat those with 2-3x their budget, and his Contrabrand Agency.
If you’re interested in the latest best practices on music marketing, this episode is for you!
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: BrandMan Sean, @brandmansean, BrandMan Network YouTube Channel
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo. trapital.co/newsletter
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Apr 9, 2021
The "Will and Jada" Playbook
An audio version of the Trapital essay “How Will and Jada Pinkett Smith Built a Content and Commerce Powerhouse”
The star couple regained Hollywood success by letting fans into their once-private lives and building a media-driven commerce flywheel with Westbrook Inc.
Host: Dan Runcie, trapital.co
Trapital is home for the business of hip-hop. Gain the latest insights from hip-hop’s biggest players by reading Trapital’s free weekly memo: trapital.co/newsletter
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Apr 2, 2021
Brian “Z” Zisook on DJBooth’s Run, Major Record Labels, Indie Artists, and Audiomack’s Partnerships
DJBooth’s Editor-In-Chief and VP of Content Operations and Artist Services at Audiomack, Brian “Z” Zisook, came on the pod to talk about DJBooth’s 18th anniversary (!) and how it stayed strong over time. We also talked about the role that major record labels serve, the potential for indie artists, TikTok’s influence, the streaming era, classic rap albums, short releases, and more. At the end, we talked about Audiomack World and the company’s new partnerships with DistroKid.
If you want an honest take on where the music industry is heading, this is the episode for you!
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Brian “Z” Zisook, @djboothEIC, audiomack.com/world
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Mar 25, 2021
Dame Ritter on When “Ownership” Goes Too Far, Myths about Streaming and Touring, and Managing Comedians
Music Entrepreneur Club founder Dame Ritter came back on the pod to help me break down four music industry myths:
* artists need to own everything. Ownership!
* I can’t make money on streaming
* NFTs will save me
* I’ll make all my money on tour
All of these takes need nuance, and there’s no better person to talk to than Dame. He ran Funk Volume, a former independent record label that hit $4M in sales in its first four years. On the episode we also talked about the comedians he manages, Bigg Jah and Minks, and the difference between artists and comics.
If you’ve been hearing a lot about ownership, music business models, and want more context, this is the episode for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Dame Ritter, @Dame_MEC
Links: Music Entrepreneur Club
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your busine…
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Mar 18, 2021
Ibrahim "Ib" Hamad, Dreamville President (2020)
Dreamville co-founder and President, and J. Cole’s manager Ibrahim Hamad came on the Trapital Podcast to talk about how him and J. Cole started Dreamville and how it became what it is today. Ib also broke down what changed for Dreamville in 2014, the impact that the Dollar & a Dream tour had on J. Cole’s career, establishing the Dreamville brand beyond J. Cole, and why the Dreamville Fest has nine lives.
This episode was originally published in April 14, 2020
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Ibrahim Hamad, @KingOfQueenz, dreamville.com
Link: J. Cole is Still Making Millions From a $1 Million Concert - Trapital
Dreamville Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business.
Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co/newsletter
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Mar 11, 2021
Micah Johnson on Selling $1M Worth of NFTs in 1 Minute, Transitioning from MLB to Fine Art, and Getting More Black Collectors Involved
The artist Micah Johnson came on the pod to talk about his rise in the art world. On February 21, he introduced the world to Aku: The Moon God, his fictional character that was born from a question, “Can astronauts be Black?”
Aku was released as an NFT that resulted in $1 million worth of sales in 1 minute and $2 million total in 28 hours! On the podcast, we talk about how Micah got support for Aku’s launch, why NFTs are powerful for his work, his future plans for Aku, and more. Micah was also a former Major League Baseball player, so we talked about his transition from MLB to fine art.
If you’ve been hearing a lot about NFTs and want to hear how it works from an artist themself, this is the podcast for you!
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Micah Johnson, @Micah_Johnson3, linktr.ee/Micahart
Links:
* Aku | Micah Johnson’s character to inspire kids to dream without limits
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Joi…
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Mar 4, 2021
Mick Batyske on How His DJ Career Led to Brand Deals, Angel Investing, and Startup Advising
The multi-hyphenate entrepreneur Mick Batyske (aka DJ MICK) came on the pod to share how he started his career as a DJ (Mick Boogie) for the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting parties for LeBron James and Jay Z. He rebranded as “Mick” to expand his reach in multiple areas, build for the long-term, and leverage his best skillsets.
His most important skill is building relationships and gathering audience insights. That mindset equates to how founders think, how marketers sell products, and invests in startups.
If you’re interested in how a modern creator operates in today’s landscape, this is the pod for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Mick, @mick, mick.co
Links:
* The Mick Show podcast - on The MICK Show, he offers a behind-the-scenes look at the lives + businesses of today’s most prominent creatives.
*
* With interviews from a va…
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Feb 26, 2021
Jay Z sells 50% of Ace of Spades, TikTok Artist’s Path to Success
Dan shares thoughts on Jay Z selling 50% of Armand de Brignac to LVMH, Cristal, and how it all ties together. After that, Dan gives an audio version of the Trapital essay, How More TikTok Stars Can Succeed in the Music Industry.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Links:
* Jay Z Puts a Cap on Cristal (2006) New York Times
* Jay Z and LVMH Pop the Cork in Champagne Tie-Up Wall Street Journal
* How More TikTok Stars Can Succeed in the Music Industry Trapital
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co/newsletter
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Feb 18, 2021
Ted Lucas on Slip-N-Slide Records, Miami Hip-Hop, and R&B’s Comeback
Slip-N-Slide Records founder and CEO Ted Lucas came on the podcast to talk about his influential record label. Slip-N-Slide was home to Trick Daddy, Trina, Rick Ross, Plies, and many more. We talk about the early days when Ted had to pay major record labels for distribution! We also talk about why his label stayed independent, why his artists had major deals with other labels, and R&B’s role in modern music. We also talk about SuperFest, the music festival he runs in Miami, and his rising artists Sebastian Mikael and Teenear. Lastly, we talk about Miami--it’s role in hip-hop and its role in tech, and all the VCs and tech folks moving to his city.
If you’re interested in how an indie record label can make moves in the music industry, this is the podcast for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Ted Lucas, @slipnsliderec, slipnsliderecords.com…
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Feb 10, 2021
J. Erving on Human Re-Sources, Sony Music's Acquisition, and How to Evaluate Talent
Human Re-Sources founder J. Erving came on the podcast to talk about why he recently sold the rising indie distributor to Sony Music, where he’s now EVP of Creative Development and an EVP at The Orchard, where Human Re-Sources now sits. We also talked about his experience managing artists like Jeremih, why record labels and indie distributors partner with each other, how to evaluate and develop talent in today’s era, and more.
If you’re interested in the “role of a record label” in today’s landscape, this is the podcast for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: J. Erving, @human.re.sources, human-re-sources.com
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Feb 5, 2021
The Best Hip-Hop Album Rollouts of All-Time (with Ernest Wilkins)
A webinar recording of "The Best Hip-Hop Album Rollouts of All-Time," a conversation on the best album rollouts in hip-hop since the year 2000. I’m joined by Ernest Wilkins of Office Hours.
We break down the marketing tactics that make a good album release and each shared our top five list of albums rollouts. Our lists include some big releases by Kanye West, Dreamville, Beyonce, and many more!
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Ernest Wilkins, @ernestwilkins, officehoursnewsletter.com
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jan 28, 2021
Def Jam's Past, Present, and Future with Gary Suarez
A webinar recording of "Def Jam's Past, Present, and Future," a conversation on the past decade of business decisions made by one of hip-hop's most storied record labels.
Gary and I discuss the highlights, the lowlights, and who should lead the label next.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Gary Suarez ( @noyokono ) runs a hip-hop newsletter called Cabbages. He's a music journalist with bylines in Vulture, Entertainment Weekly, NPR and VICE.
To learn more about his work, sign up for his newsletter at https://cabbages.substack.com/
Dan Runcie is the founder of Trapital, a media company that covers the business of hip-hop.
Learn more at: https://trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jan 21, 2021
Binta Brown on the State of the Music Industry, omalilly projects, and Black Music Action Coalition
Music executive Binta Brown talked about why she left a successful career as an attorney to enter the music industry. We talk about the opportunities she saw and how the industry differs from other forms of media. We also talked about her work leading the Black Music Action Coalition, an advocacy organization formed to address systemic racism in the music industry.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Binta Brown, @batnib
Link:
* Black Music Action Coalition
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jan 13, 2021
Master P on Reebok, Ownership, Generational Wealth, and Lessons Learned from Reginald Lewis
The mogul and hip-hop legend Percy Miller (!!) came on to talk about why he and ex-NBA star Baron Davis want to acquire Reebok. We also talked about his new Master P Reviews channel on YouTube, supporting Black businesses, how his strategy differs from Jay Z and Kanye West, and lessons learned from studying the late Reginald Lewis, the Wall Street banker who started the first Black-owned billion dollar company.
If you want to learn it straight from the No Limit Records legend himself, this is the episode for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Master P, @masterp
Link:
* “Why Do White Guys Have All The Fun” - Reginald Lewis
* “What Hip-Hop Gets Wrong About Master P and No Limit” - Trapital
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
A…
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Jan 4, 2021
Why Artists Are Selling Their Music Catalogs (with Karl Fowlkes)
A recording of the Why Artists Are Selling Their Music Catalogs webinar from December 19. We broke down the reasons why so many artists sold their catalogs in 2020, the companies that want them, and where this trend is heading.
Karl Fowlkes is an entertainment attorney whose clients include artists, musicians, athletes, producers and creative companies that have amassed millions of streams, RIAA certifications. He's also a music industry professor at Rowan University and Drexel University.
To learn more about his work, visit: https://www.fowlkesfirm.com/
Dan Runcie is the founder of Trapital, a media company that covers the business of hip-hop. Learn more at: https://trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Dec 14, 2020
Phylicia Fant on Developing Superstar Artists, Rising in the Music Industry, and Navigating 2020
Columbia Records’ Head of Urban Music Phylicia Fant came on to talk about her career in the music industry. Before Columbia, she had executive roles at both Warner and Motown, and launched The Purple Agency. We talked about the superstar artists she’s worked with, the challenges the industry has faced in 2020, the use of the word “urban” in the music industry, and more. We also talked about the documentary she worked on--Eggs Over Easy: Black Women & Fertility.
If you’re interested in how major record labels have navigated all the changes in 2020, then this is the episode for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Phylicia Fant
Links: Eggs Over Easy: Black Women & Fertility
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries:…
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Dec 7, 2020
Flawless Real Talk on Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow, Life as an Indie Artist, and Building His Fanbase
Rapper, producer, and entrepreneur Flawless Real Talk joined to talk about how he manages his rap career. He was the runner up on Netflix’s hip-hop competition show Rhythm & Flow, which boosted his career trajectory. But despite all the industry attention, Flawless is still an independent artist. He talks about that decision, the tradeoffs he’s had to make, and what his goals are as an artist. He recently hosted a livestream concert on LIVIT, where he had over 1 million fans join in.
If you’re interested in how artists manage tradeoffs between being signed and indie, building a fanbase, and resiliency, then this is the episode for you.
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Flawless Real Talk, @flawlessri, flawlessri.com
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Nov 30, 2020
Daouda Leonard on CreateSafe, the Record Deal Simulator, and Empowering Artists to Manage Their Careers
CreateSafe co-founder and CEO Daouda Leonard came through to break down his company’s goals in the music industry. In 2020, CreateSafe launched the record deal simulator to empower artists to better manage their careers. Daouda has used these tools to manage Grimes and other artists. It’s planning to launch a publishing simulator and a suite of other products. The goal is to make the music industry’s operating system--an open source tool that offers the transparency the industry needs.
If you’re interested in artist management tools and freemium business models, this is the episode for you.
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Daouda Leonard, @daoudaleonard, createsafe.io
Links:
* Record Deal Simulator - CreateSafe
* Bringing Transparency to the Music Industry - The Hustle
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.c…
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Nov 23, 2020
Steven Galanis on Cameo’s Growing Marketplace and Closing the Gap Between Fame and Monetization
Cameo CEO and co-founder Steven Galanis came on the pod to talk about his company’s marketplace for personalized celebrity video shoutouts. We broke down Cameo’s growth in the pandemic, finding product-market fit with people who are more famous than they are rich, and tapping into the long tail. We also break down Cameo’s success with hip-hop artists and Black culture, and the future products that may come from the company.
If you’re interested in how marketplaces are built, creating flywheels, and finding product-market fit, this is the episode for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Steven Galanis, cameo.com, @bookcameo
Links:
* How Cameo Blew Up During Quarantine - New Yorker
* Why The Music Industry Should Be Tuning Into Cameo - Forbes
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapit…
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Nov 13, 2020
Dave Macli on Audiomack’s Role in Music Streaming, Partnership with DJBooth, and Global Expansion
Dave Macli is the co-founder and CEO of Audiomack, a music streaming provider built for artists. We discuss how Audiomack got started, its business model, and why it’s artist-first approach is so important. It landed early projects by J. Cole, Chance The Rapper, and Jennifer Lopez.
Dave is also co-founder of DJBooth, which has had an ongoing partnership with Audiomack. In 2020, Audiomack has strengthened its global footprint in Africa and other continents.
If you’re interested in how music streaming execs navigate a rapidly growing landscape, this is the podcast for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Dave Macli, @audiomacli, audiomack.com
Links:
* Audiomack Announces Partnership with DJBooth
* Warner Music Inks Licensing Deal with Audiomack for Key African Markets
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, a…
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Oct 21, 2020
Big Tech's Big Plans in the Music Industry with Cherie Hu
This is a recording of our webinar discussion on the latest music strategies from big tech companies!
We broke down the latest and greatest from Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google, Tencent, and more.
Cherie Hu is an award-winning music journalist and founder of Water & Music where she unpacks the fine print of innovation in the music business.
Her work has been featured in Billboard, Forbes, NPR Music, Columbia Journalism Review, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Music Business Worldwide, Variety, CNBC, and more.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | RSS
Hosts:
Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Cherie Hu, @cheriehu42, cheriehu.com
Links: Slides shared during webinar
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Oct 12, 2020
Alex "Al D" Damashek on a New Partnership With Twitch, Move Forward Music, and the Future of Live Music
Al D is founder of Move Forward Music, a New York-based live events production company. His company built a reputation for putting on the first NY shows for big name artists like Kendrick Lamar, DaBaby, Noname, and others.
But like many companies, Move Forward was forced to pivot in 2020. Al partnered with Twitch for a new live streaming channel. Oct 17-18 is the Move Forward Fest with Just Blaze, The Alchemist, Sonny Digital, and more.
Al D broke down tough decisions made, his business model, and the future of his company after the pandemic.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Alex Damashek, @mfmusic, moveforwardmusic.com,
Links:
* Move Forward Twitch Channel: https://www.twitch.tv/moveforwardmusic
* Move Forward Partners with Twitch: https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/9460342/move-forward-music-partners-twitch-live-streamed-programming-festival/
Hip-hop’s influ…
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Oct 2, 2020
Netflix's Black Content Strategy
An audio version of the Trapital essay: Netflix's Black Content Strategy, Explained.
The global entertainment company has grown stronger since it leveled up and focused on its influential customers.
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the people taking hip-hop to the level at trapital.co.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Sep 28, 2020
The Best Hip-Hop Marketing Campaigns of All-Time with Marcus Collins
This is the audio from the webinar with Marcus Collins, a marketing professor at the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. We broke down the top five hip-hop marketing campaigns of all time (and a few honorable mentions). We also talked about Marcus’ favorite ad campaigns from his days as an advertising exec at Translation, Doner, and other agencies.
At the end, we broke down Travis Scott’s McDonald’s campaign and took questions from attendees.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Marcus Collins, @marctothec, marctothec.com
Links to discussed campaigns:
* Hamburger Helper “Watch the Stove”
* Nipsey Hussle $100 mixtape
* The Reebok S. Carter
* Reebok Allen Iverson A5 and A6
* Budweiser Made in America case study
* Beats by Dre ambush marketing at London 2012 Olympics
* How “Straight Outta Compton” became a viral sensation
* Sprite “Obe…
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Sep 11, 2020
Jason Geter on Heavy Sound Labs, Launching Grand Hustle, Signing T.I. and Travis Scott, and Redefining the Modern Record Label
Heavy Sound Labs founder and CEO Jason Geter came on the Trapital Podcast to break down his rise in the music industry. He started as an intern when he was in high school! He eventually started Grand Hustle with T.I. and helped build his career. Jason adapted the playbook to help build Travis Scott’s career.
Jason recently launched Heavy Sound Labs, a music incubator that redefines what it means to be a record label. He’s also an investor in All Def Digital, the largest Black-owned digital media property.
If you are interested in how the music industry has evolved and where it’s heading, this is the podcast for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Jason Geter, @jasongeter, heavysound.com
Related essay: How Travis Scott Growth Hacked Hip-Hop Trapital
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Tr…
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Sep 2, 2020
Donald Albright on Building a Podcast Network, Hip-Hop Marketing Tactics, and Tenderfoot TV’s Future
Tenderfoot TV cofounder and President Donald Albright came on the Trapital Podcast to talk about how his company has amassed 500 million podcast downloads. Tenderfoot is behind this hit shows Up and Vanished, Atlanta Monster, To Live and Die in LA, and more. The company has partnered with HBO, iHeartMedia, HBO, and others.
Before Tenderfoot, Donald was a music exec in Atlanta where he managed LaFace Records’ street team, managed August Alsina, and worked closely with OutKast, Goodie Mob, and others.
If you are interested in podcast strategy, partnerships, and ownership, this is def the podcast for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Donald Albright, @dabright03, tenderfoot.tv
Link: How Donald Albright Became Atlanta’s Podcast Kingmaker - Atlanta Magazine
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who rea…
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Aug 31, 2020
Hip-hop's Indie Economy
An audio version of the Trapital essay: Why Hip-Hop’s Indie Economy Has Taken Off.
An ecosystem of rappers and businesses have shaped the path and future for independent artists.
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the people taking hip-hop to the level at trapital.co.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Aug 17, 2020
Tyler, The Creator's Cult-Like Following
An audio version of the Trapital essay: How Tyler, The Creator Built a Cult-Like Following.
Tyler's greatest creation is the loyal fanbase that's been riding with him for over a decade.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Links:
* How Tyler The Creator Built A Cult-Like Following - Trapital
* Tyler, The Creator's Fashion Show is Unlike Anything You've Ever Seen (Vogue - YouTube)
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jul 21, 2020
Peter Bittenbender on Mass Appeal’s Rise, Holding Brand Partners Accountable, and International Expansion
Mass Appeal CEO Peter Bittenbender came on the Trapital Podcast to talk about the company’s content strategy, the 2020 climate, holding partners accountable, international expansion, and Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Peter Bittenbender, @bittenbender, massappeal.com
Link: Wu Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men: Mass Appeal
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jul 14, 2020
Hip-Hop Challenger Brands with Ernest Wilkins
Office Hours’ Ernest Wilkins came through to talk about challenger brands in hip-hop, why they exist, our respective articles on No Limit and Quality Control Music, and what we expect for the future.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Ernest Wilkins, @ernestwilkins, officehours.substack.com
Link: How No Limit Became Hip-Hop’s Challenger Brand - Ernest Wilkins (in Trapital)
* How Quality Control Music Took Over Atlanta - Dan Runcie (in Office Hours)
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jul 7, 2020
Roy Wood Jr. on How 2020 Changed Comedy, His Comedy Central Partnership, and Why Alabama Means So Much to Him
Comedian, actor, writer, and producer Roy Wood Jr. came through to talk about how the pandemic and uprisings, all the “lost tapes” from 2020, how comics have shifted, why he partnered with Comedy Central, and why his home state of Alabama means so much to him.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Roy Wood, Jr @roywoodjr, roywoodjr.com
Link:
* It’s Time for Stand-ups to Prepare for the Worst - Roy Wood Jr, Vulture
* Black Patriotism Sketch - Father Figure special, Roy Wood Jr.
* Roy Wood Jr’s Rap Song “Smoothie Song”
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jul 3, 2020
The Steve Jobs of Gap?
An audio version of the Trapital essay: Why Kanye West’s Gap Deal is a Risk to Yeezy. Yeezy’s new partnership with the struggling apparel company is a threat to the brand that Kanye West built.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Link:
* Why Kanye West’s Gap Deal is a Risk to Yeezy - Trapital
* Kanye describes his issues with Nike and confirms Adidas deal - Hot 97
* Why Rihanna Broke Barriers That Others Couldn’t - Trapital
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jun 30, 2020
Hovain Hylton and Busy Rivera on Cinematic Music Group’s Rise, and Turning the Brand into a Lifestyle
Cinematic Music Group’s President, Hovain Hylton and Head of Creative, Busy Rivera came through the Trapital Podcast to talk about leading the independent record label and management company, doing more with less than the major record labels, and managing the Cinematic brand like it’s one of their artists.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest:
* Hovain, @hovain
* Busy Rivera, @busyrivera
Link:
* Cinematic website
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jun 14, 2020
Build Your Table
Another solo episode in light of recent events, and an audio version of this week’s Trapital article, “Why Ownership Matters More in Hip-Hop.” The system hasn’t always had hip-hop’s best interest at heart, so its artists are more likely to take control.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Link:
* Why Ownership Matters More in Hip Hop
* Beyonce Commencement Speech | Dear Class of 2020
* Cash Money Records Has a Bleak Future Without Drake and Lil’ Wayne
* Why Death Row Was Bound to Self-Destruct
* Spreadsheet: Hip Hop Statements - BLM 2020
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jun 5, 2020
Hip-Hop's Role in the Fight for Justice
This Trapital Podcast is a solo episode in light of this week’s events, the music industry’s actions in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, and this week’s Trapital article, “How Hip-Hop Pushed Companies to Fight for Racial Justice.”
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Link:
* Spreadsheet: Hip Hop Statements - BLM 2020
* How Hip-Hop Pushed Companies to Fight for Racial Injustice
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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May 12, 2020
Trapital Mailbag #3: How Hip-Hop Makes Money in a Pandemic, Superproducers in the Streaming Era, What’s Next for Fortnite + Travis Scott, and more!
Round 3! Here are the most pressing questions from Trapitalists: Do smaller indie acts fare better during the pandemic? Is Tekashi 6ix9ine worthy of a marketing case study? What’s next for Travis Scott + Fortnite? And a whole lot more. Tune in!
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Link:
* How Hip-Hop Producers Lost Their Power
* How Travis Scott Growth Hacked Hip-Hop
* Why Hip-Hop and Gaming are Still Scratching the Surface
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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May 5, 2020
Tiffany Ballard on Music Business Law, Why Bad Deals Still Happen, How She Made Connections on Myspace, and Her Time on Reality TV
Entertainment lawyer Tiffany Ballard came on the Trapital Podcast to talk about how she rose in the music industry. She spoke about using Myspace to find career opportunities and discover artists like Nicki Minaj. We also spoke about bad record deals and why they still happen. Tiffany also revisited her brief time on the reality TV show Money Power, & Respect!
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Tiffany Ballard, @BlackElleWoods
Link: Money, Power, & Respect - Meet Tiffany - WE tv
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Apr 28, 2020
Zack O'Malley Greenburg (2019)
Since Kanye West is now a billionaire, let's revisit the podcast I recorded in September with Zack O’Malley Greenburg, Senior Editor of Media & Entertainment at Forbes. We talked about Forbes’ annual Hip-Hop Cash List, why artists like Cardi B and Meek Mill who question the results, the integrity challenges with self-reported data, and the amount of work that goes into reporting a single number.
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Zack O’Malley Greenburg, @zogblog, forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg
Links referenced:
* Article: Kanye West is Now Officially a Billionaire (and He Really Wants the World to Know) - Forbes
* Article: Highest Paid Hip-Hop Acts 2019: Kanye Tops Jay Z to Claim Crown - Forbes
* Article: Kanye’s Second Coming: Inside the Billion-Dollar Yeezy Empire - Forbes
* Article: Artist, Icon, Billionaire: How Jay-Z Created His $1 Billion Fortune - Forbes
* Twitter: Cardi B, Meek Mill, “Pee” from Quality Control Music
* Article:…
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Apr 14, 2020
Ibrahim "Ib" Hamad on Building Dreamville, Managing J. Cole, the Dollar & a Dream Tour, and Starting the Dreamville Fest
Dreamville co-founder and President, and J. Cole’s manager Ibrahim "Ib" Hamad came on the Trapital Podcast to talk about how him and J. Cole started Dreamville and how it became what it is today. Ib also broke down what changed for Dreamville in 2014, the impact that the Dollar & a Dream tour had on J. Cole’s career, establishing the Dreamville brand beyond J. Cole, and why the Dreamville Fest has nine lives!
If you wanna know what it takes to get to that next level, this is the episode for you.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Ibrahim "Ib" Hamad, @KingOfQueenz, dreamville.com
Link:
* J. Cole is Still Making Millions From a $1 Million Concert - Trapital
* Dreamville Fest - August 29, 2019 - Dreamville
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co/welcome
Advertising Inquirie…
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Apr 7, 2020
Shawn Prez on the Bad Boy Street Team, Grassroots Marketing in Hip-Hop, and Starting the Global Spin Awards
Music and marketing executive Shawn Prez came on the Trapital Podcast to talk about his days as Bad Boy’s VP of Marketing, what set Bad Boy’s Street Team apart, breaking hit records, the Ciroc Boyz, his work at Power Moves Inc., and why he decided to launch an award shows to recognize DJs.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Shawn Prez, @powermovesprez, powermovesprez.com
Link:
* Ciroc Boyz - Power Moves Inc.
* Black Rob - “Whoa”
* Global Spin Awards
* Power Moves with Shawn Prez - YouTube
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co/welcome
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Mar 31, 2020
Hannibal Buress on How Netflix Changed Comedy, His Investing Strategy, and Why Isola Fest is One of His Favorite Career Moments
The hilarious comedian Hannibal Buress came on the Trapital Podcast to talk about how he’s adjusted to quarantine life, how he prioritizes his multiple business interests (touring, comedy specials, acting, investing), Netflix’s impact on comedy specials, planning a music festival on three weeks notice (!!!), why he wishes he got into the toilet paper business, and what’s in store for 2020.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Hannibal Buress, @hannibalburess, hannibalburess.com
Link:
* Isola Fest - Hannibal Buress
* Handsome Rambler Podcast - Hannibal Buress
* Hannibal’s thoughts on the toilet paper business - Comedy Camisado, Hannibal Buress
* I.B.S. - Cam’Ron (2006, Killa Season)
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co/welcome
Advertising Inquiries: https://redc…
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Mar 26, 2020
Mike Weissman - President, SoundCloud (2019)
Mike Weissman, President of SoundCloud, came on the Trapital Podcast to talk about the streaming company’s business model, how it compares to a tech accelerator, SoundCloud’s growth in the Middle East, SoundCloud rap, and what sets the company apart from its competitors. (Originally published November 11, 2019)
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Mike Weissman, @soundcloud, soundcloud.com
Links referenced:
* WIRED: As Streaming Services Boom, SoundCloud Strives for Relevancy (2017)
* Trapital: Why Hip-Hop Can Help Venture Capital Navigate Changes in the Industry (2019)
* Trapital: Why Streaming Services are Here to Stay (2019)
* SoundCloud: On Tuesday We Presented Lil’ Tecca with our First-Ever Chart-Topper Award (2019) – The sneakers are on this link!
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Become a Trapitalist.
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Mar 17, 2020
Akin Aliu - Music Touring Agent, CAA (2019)
CAA music touring agent Akin Aliu came on the pod to talk about the BET Awards, representing Ciara, Freddie Gibbs, and Becky G, the NCAA’s “Rich Paul Rule,” and why agents break out on their own. (Originally published October 21, 2019)
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Akin Aliu, @caamusic
Links referenced:
* Article: Why Choosing the Right Concert Venue Matters – Trapital
* Article: Why Cardi B Doesn’t Need to Go On Tour – Trapital
* ESPN: NCAA amend “Rich Paul Rule” amid blowback
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Become a Trapitalist.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Mar 10, 2020
James Supreme - A&R at Universal Music Publishing Group (2019)
James Supreme, A&R at Universal Music Publishing Group, came on the pod to talk about his role in Lil’ Nas X’s second hit song “Panini”, the differences managing black rappers and white rappers, working with Beyonce’s Parkwood Entertainment team on The Lion King: The Gift, and why mental health matters in the music industry.
(Originally published October 10, 2019)
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: James Supreme, @jamessupreme
Links referenced:
* Article: How Lil’ Nas X’s Success Will Impact Hip-Hop - Trapital
* Article: White Rappers and Black Rappers Have Different Business Models - Trapital
* Article: What Chance the Rapper Gets Wrong About Ownership - Trapital
* Article: How Do You Follow Up ‘Old Town Road?’ If You’re Lil’ Nas, You Don’t Try - Rolling Stone
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Bec…
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Mar 3, 2020
Trapital Mailbag #2! D-Smoke’s Potential, Lovers & Friends Fest, Jay Z the Wartime Leader, The Cost of Album Bundles, and Def Jam…oh Def Jam
This is Round 2! Here are the most pressing questions from Trapitalists: How successful will the Lovers & Friends Fest be? Was Jay Z’s tenure as Def Jam CEO a success? Should artists bundle albums with digital products to reduce costs? My thoughts on Mr. Eazi’s music incubator in Nigeria? Will Travisbott lead to a producer-less future? And a whole lot more. Tune in!
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Link:
* Trapital Mailbag #1: Grammy Awards Woes, Young Rappers Most Likely to Become Moguls, and Thoughts on a Rappers Union - Trapital
* How Travis Scott Growth-Hacked Hip-Hop - Trapital
* How Billboard Can Fix the Album Bundles Issue - Trapital
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co/welcome
Want in on the next mailbag? Learn more here: trapital.co/membership
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Feb 24, 2020
Lynzie Riebling on Gen Hip Hop, Quantifying the Power of the Hip-Hop Audience, and REVOLT’s Role in the Culture
REVOLT’s VP of Insights & Strategy Lynzie Riebling came through to talk about Revolt’s new study Gen Hip Hop, key findings from the study (did you know gen hip hop has a buying power of $438 billion?!), why this work matters, Revolt’s competition, and more.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Lynzie Riebling, @hilynzie, revolt.tv
Link: genhiphopstudy.com - Order a copy of the report. It’s free!
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co/welcome
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Feb 18, 2020
Karl Fowlkes on Music Business Law, Combat Jack’s Influence, and Why He Hopes There are Less Lawyers in 20 Years
The Fowlkes Firm founder and music business professor Karl Fowlkes talked about his experience as an entertainment lawyer, why he fights for producers rights, music publishing exams, trends in digital streaming, the late Combat Jack (Reggie Ossé), and his series “The Courtroom.”
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Karl Fowlkes, @esqfowlkes, elawandbusiness.com
Links:
Free Music Publishing Exam - The Fowlkes Firm
The Courtroom - Karl Fowlkes (YouTube)
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co/welcome
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Feb 11, 2020
Jesse Kirshbaum on Nue Agency's Brand Marketing, #CRWN Interview Series, and the Future of Award Shows
Nue Agency Founder and CEO Jesse Kirshbaum talked about his company’s transition from talent to brand partnerships. We also talked about his brand activation deals with Sour Patch Kids and Tidal, The Grammys, the Super Bowl Halftime Show, upcoming awards shows, and more.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Jesse Kirshbaum, @jessekay, nueagency.com
Links:
The Patch South Patch Kids brand partnership - Nue Agency
#CRWN partnership with Nue Agency - Nue Agency
A Conversation with Elliot Wilson & Meek Mill - Tidal
Grammys PostGame - Beats and Bytes newsletter
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co/welcome
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Feb 4, 2020
Tarik Brooks on Combs Enterprises, Diddy’s Investment Strategy, and Managing a Portfolio of Brands
Combs Enterprises COO Tarik Brooks came on the Trapital Podcast to talk his role managing the Combs Enterprises portfolio of brands, which includes Ciroc, Bad Boy Entertainment, Revolt, Sean John, AquaHydrate, and more. We talked about how to measure Diddy’s value-add as an investor, Tarik’s experience working for both Diddy and Robert L. Johnson, and why Diddy sought mentorship from Ray Dalio, and more.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Tarik Brooks, @tarikamin, combsenterprises.com/tarik-brooks/
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co/welcome
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jan 27, 2020
Steve Stoute on UnitedMasters, Partnership with Apple Music, Ownership in Hip-Hop, and Why Brands Value Indie Artists
UnitedMasters and Translation CEO Steve Stoute came through the Trapital Podcast to talk with Dan Runcie about ownership in hip-hop, why the music distribution company partnered with the NBA, Apple Music, and NBA 2K. We also talked about brands that use phrases like “Hot Girl Summer,” why his work at UnitedMasters is gratifying, and why he’s still in the second inning of building this company.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Steve Stoute, @stevestoute, @unitedmasters, unitedmasters.com
Links
* Apple Music, NBA Strike Deal for Playlist, Songs in Highlights - Bloomberg
* With $70M from Alphabet, UnitedMasters replaces record labels - TechCrunch
* 2014 Michigan Ross Alfred L. Edwards Black Business Students Association Conference
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.c…
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Jan 21, 2020
Fantasy Record Labels? We’re Skeptical. (a Trapital - Water & Music Collaboration with Cherie Hu)
Water & Music creator and music journalist Cherie Hu came on the Trapital Podcast to discuss why “fantasy football for music” hasn’t taken off. Her and I did a mutual newsletter takeover where we both researched the topic and wrote separate articles in each other’s newsletter. On this podcast, we recapped our findings, and shared key reasons why the concept is limited in its reach. We also had some fun and answered a popular meme on how we would spend our $15 if we’re drafting a record label.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Cherie Hu, @cheriehu42, cheriehu.com
Links
* So you want to be a music mogul: The future of fantasy record labels - Cherie Hu in Trapital
* Why “fantasy football for music” has struggled - Dan Runcie in Water & Music
* FanLabel - your fantasy record label where you can compete in daily music contests with songs by big name artists and…
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Dec 16, 2019
Milana Lewis on Stem’s Artist-First Strategy, How it Evolves in the Streaming Era, How the Company Makes Tough Decisions
Stem CEO and co-founder Milana Lewis came on the Trapital Podcast to talk about Stem’s role as a music distributor, how it worked with Frank Ocean and Childish Gambino, business decisions that impacted the artist community, diversity in the music industry, and why some record labels deals make sense. Don’t miss it!
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Milana Lewis, @milana, stem.is
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co/welcome
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Nov 26, 2019
Trapital Mailbag Special: Grammy Awards Woes, Young Rappers Most Likely to Become Moguls, and Thoughts on a Rappers Union
I answered some of the most-pressing questions from Trapital Members:
Should the digital streaming providers invest in e-commerce? Are the Spotify Awards a step-in-the-right-direction to recognize global music or will it be more of the same? Will rappers surpass NBA players as the best sneaker endorsers? Don’t miss this one!
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Want to participate in the next Mailbag? Become a Trapital Member: trapital.co/membership
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Nov 19, 2019
Why Netflix's 'Rhythm + Flow' Was a Hit
Ace “Call Me Ace” Patterson came back on the pod to break down Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow. We talked about what worked, what didn’t, how the hip-hop competition show compares to American Idol and Making the Band, and what we expect from Netflix next season!
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Ace Patterson, @callmeacelegit, airplanemode.callmeace.com
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Learn more about Trapital.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Nov 11, 2019
Mike Weissman on SoundCloud’s Creator Strategy, How it Compares to a Startup Accelerator, and What it Means to be a SoundCloud Rapper
Mike Weissman, President of SoundCloud, came on the pod to talk about the streaming company’s business model, how it compares to a tech accelerator, SoundCloud’s growth in the Middle East, SoundCloud rap, and what sets the company apart from its competitors.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Mike Weissman, @soundcloud, soundcloud.com
Links referenced:
* WIRED: As Streaming Services Boom, SoundCloud Strives for Relevancy (2017)
* Trapital: Why Hip-Hop Can Help Venture Capital Navigate Changes in the Industry (2019)
* Trapital: Why Streaming Services are Here to Stay (2019)
* SoundCloud: On Tuesday We Presented Lil’ Tecca with our First-Ever Chart-Topper Award (2019) - The sneakers are on this link!
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Learn more about Trapital.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Nov 4, 2019
Shea Serrano on the Economics of Book Publishing, ‘Movies (and Other Things),’ and How DJ Screw Inspired his Promotional Tactics
Shea Serrano, New York Times bestselling author and staff writer at The Ringer, came on the pod to chat about his strategy for his latest book ‘Movies (And Other Things),’ the pros and cons of selling independently vs. through a publisher, and how the late DJ Screw inspired his promotional tactics.
We also talked about Shea's FOH Army fanbase, rappers who fumbled the bag with Fast & Furious franchise, why The Ringer CEO Bill Simmons is the plug, and his Top Five rappers. Don't miss this one. Tune in!
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Shea Serrano, @sheaserrano, sheaserrano.com
Links referenced:
* Book: Movies (and Other Things) - Shea Serrano (2019)
* PDF: Conference Room, Five Minutes - Shea Serrano (2018) - independently released
* Book: Basketball (and Other Things) - Shea Serrano (2017)
* Book: The Rap Year Book - Shea Serrano (2015)
* Book: Bun B’s Rapp…
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Oct 28, 2019
DJ Semtex on UK Hip-Hop’s Moment, Stormzy and Skepta Becoming Stars, Brexit’s Impact on the Culture, and Why Radio Still Matters
DJ Semtex, award-winning DJ, radio host, author, and podcast, came on the pod to talk about the moment UK is having in hip-hop, how Brexit has impacted the hip-hop landscape, why he still loves radio. He even asked me some questions too! Tune in.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: DJ Semtex, @djsemtex - Twitter, @djsemtex - Instagram
Links referenced:
* Book: Hip-Hop Raised Me - DJ Semtex (2016)
* Podcast: Who We Be TALKS_ - DJ Semtex and Spotify
* Article: What Chance the Rapper Gets Wrong About Ownership - Trapital
* Article: Why Latin Hip-Hop is Still Undervalued - Trapital
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Become a Trapitalist.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Oct 21, 2019
Akin Aliu on Life as a CAA Agent, Representing Ciara, and the “Rich Paul Rule”
Akin Aliu, Music Touring Agent at the Creative Artists Agency, came on the pod to talk about the BET Awards, representing Ciara, Freddie Gibbs, and Becky G, the NCAA’s “Rich Paul Rule,” and why big-time agents break out on their own.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud | YouTube | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Akin Aliu, @caamusic
Links referenced:
* Article: Why Choosing the Right Concert Venue Matters - Trapital
* Article: Why Cardi B Doesn’t Need to Go On Tour - Trapital
* ESPN: NCAA amend “Rich Paul Rule” amid blowback
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Become a Trapitalist.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Oct 10, 2019
James Supreme on Being the A&R Behind Lil’ Nas X “Panini”, G-Eazy's Management Team, and why Mental Health Matters in the Industry
James Supreme, A&R at Universal Music Publishing Group, came on the pod to talk about his role in Lil’ Nas X’s second hit song “Panini”, the differences managing black rappers and white rappers, working with Beyonce’s Parkwood Entertainment team on The Lion King: The Gift, and why mental health matters in the music industry.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud | YouTube | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: James Supreme, @jamessupreme
Links referenced:
* Article: How Lil’ Nas X’s Success Will Impact Hip-Hop - Trapital
* Article: White Rappers and Black Rappers Have Different Business Models - Trapital
* Article: What Chance the Rapper Gets Wrong About Ownership - Trapital
* Article: How Do You Follow Up ‘Old Town Road?’ If You’re Lil’ Nas, You Don’t Try - Trapital
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Become a Trapitalist.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Oct 8, 2019
Dame Ritter on Kanye West’s Sunday Services, Launching Music Entrepreneur Club, and How He Almost Signed Russ to a Deal
Dame Ritter, Founder and CEO of the Music Entrepreneur Club, came on the podcast to talk about the latest with Kanye West and his infamous Sunday Services. We also talked about Dame’s journey launching and running the Funk Volume record label, the business model for Music Entrepreneur Club, and how he almost signed Russ, and why he regrets turning down an opportunity to invest in the platinum-selling rapper. Tune in!
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud | YouTube | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Dame Ritter, @dame_mec - Twitter, @dame.mec - Instagram, https://musicentrepreneurclub.com/
Links referenced:
* Article: Why Kanye West’s Sunday Service Has Limited Power - Trapital
* Website: Music Entrepreneur Club Tour
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Become a Trapitalist.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Sep 26, 2019
Zack O’Malley Greenburg on the Forbes Hip-Hop Cash List, the Controversy it Causes, and What it Took to Declare that Jay Z is a Billionaire
Zack O’Malley Greenburg, Senior Editor of Media & Entertainment at Forbes, came through the Trapital Podcast to talk about the Forbes’ annual Hip-Hop Cash List. We talked about the artists like Cardi B and Meek Mill who question the results, the integrity challenges with self-reported data, the amount of work that goes into reporting a single number, and more.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud | YouTube | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Zack O’Malley Greenburg, @zogblog, forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg
Links referenced:
* Article: Highest Paid Hip-Hop Acts 2019: Kanye Tops Jay Z to Claim Crown - Forbes
* Article: Kanye’s Second Coming: Inside the Billion-Dollar Yeezy Empire - Forbes
* Article: Artist, Icon, Billionaire: How Jay-Z Created His $1 Billion Fortune - Forbes
* Twitter: Cardi B, Meek Mill, “Pee” from Quality Control Music
* Article: Why Cardi B Doesn’t Need to Go on Tour - Trapital
Hip-hop’s influenc…
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Sep 12, 2019
50 Cent is a Habitual Line Stepper
Dan is joined by Ace Patterson (hip-hop artist ‘Call Me Ace,’ Consumer Marketing at Facebook). They break down how 50 Cent built a brand on shock value, why he raises hell on social media, whether he’s changed his style, and why he’ll never get canceled.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud | YouTube | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Ace Patterson, @callmeacelegit, callmeace.com
Links referenced:
* Article: Why 50 Cent Hasn't Been Canceled - Trapital
* Podcast: Moody Jones on marketing for Snoop Dogg, EMPIRE’s digital strategy, and why he wants to work with Childish Gambino - Trapital
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Become a Trapitalist.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Aug 23, 2019
Moody Jones on marketing for Snoop Dogg, EMPIRE’s digital strategy, and why he wants to work with Childish Gambino
Moody Jones, Head of Digital at EMPIRE, came through the Trapital Podcast to chat about his experience marketing for artists like Iggy Azalea, Tyga, XXXTentacion, and Snoop Dogg. He also broke down why he wants to work with Childish Gambino, and dropped some advice for the aspiring rappers who stay in his DMs.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud | YouTube | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Guest: Moody Jones, @moodyjones, empi.re
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Become a Trapitalist.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Aug 9, 2019
RapCaviar's Big Advantage
Dan explains why Spotify’s RapCaviar playlist still has a competitive advantage over its competitors and why that won’t change anything soon. But that doesn’t mean the other digital streaming providers should give up! Each competing playlist can still take steps in the right direction.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud | YouTube | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Links Discussed:
* Why Spotify’s RapCaviar Can’t Be Matched 8/8/2019 - Trapital
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Become a Trapitalst.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Aug 1, 2019
Roc Nation's Wild Year
Dan breaks down Roc Nation’s wild and eventful 2019--a bunch of execs got fired, there are new co-presidents for the record label, and a new joint venture record label with Meek Mill: Dream Chasers. There’s been A LOT going on, but the company needs to be intentional about its next steps.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud | YouTube | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co
Links Discussed:
* Why Roc Nation Needed to Restructure 7/31/2019 - Trapital
* Why Roc Nation May Move on From its Record Label 12/7/2018 - Trapital
Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Become a Trapitalist.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jul 23, 2019
The Hip-Hop Partnership Flywheel
Dan breaks down why distribution is so critical for today’s hip-hop artists and how it has created a partnership flywheel that benefits Jay Z, Rihanna, and countless others.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud | YouTube | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, Trapital (trapital.co)
Links Discussed:
* How Distribution Changed Hip-Hop for Better or Worse, Trapital
To get all the content you need to level up on hip-hop business, become a Trapital member.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jul 15, 2019
No Tour, No Problem for Cardi B
Dan breaks down why Cardi B has held out on a major tour, why she’s on the festival circuit instead, and whether her model is one that other rappers can follow.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud | YouTube | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, trapital.co, @RuncieDan
Links Discussed:
* Why Cardi B Doesn’t Need to Go On Tour - Trapital
* Why Choosing the Right Concert Venue Matters - Trapital
* Why Jay Z Partnered with Cannabis Company Caliva - Trapital
* GGB vs. Caliva - Web Smith, 2PM
To get all the content Trapital has to offer, become a member.
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Jul 8, 2019
Mathew Knowles on Beyoncé's Streaming Strategy, Solange's Marketing, and Dinner with Jay Z or $50,000
Mathew Knowles, founder and CEO of Music World Entertainment came through the Trapital podcast to talk shop on Beyoncé and her streaming strategy with Netflix and Tidal, Solange and BlackPlanet, and the burning internet question: Would you rather have dinner with Jay Z.
We also ran through a list of lightning round questions from Trapital members. Check it out!
Listen: Apple Podcasts | SoundCloud | YouTube | RSS
Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, Trapital
Links Discussed:
* Beyonce’s Streaming Strategy, Explained, Trapital
* mathewknowles.com
* @mathewknowles - Twitter
* @mrmatherknowles - Instagram
Trapital is the home for hip-hop business + strategy. I write one free article per week on a particular topic in the hip-hop business world. I also write additional content for Trapital's membership program.
Stay up to date on Trapital between podcast episodes: https://trapital.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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