You see the person out at a bar and they don’t make a point to speak to you or a restaurant and they don’t at least say hello to you.
You send the person an invitation and they don’t accept it or let you know they can’t make it or give you a reason why they didn’t come after the event.
You call the person and they don’t answer; you leave a voicemail and they don’t call back.
You text the person and they don’t text back. "K" is not an acceptable response unless it's followed up with greater context/detail within 12 hours or the person is abroad.
You tweet at the person and they don’t respond. (Follow back is not required if they RT or reply to you.)
You write on the person’s Facebook wall or message the person but they don’t respond; you send a friend request but they don’t accept.
You like a photo on Instagram and follow them; but they never follow you back or like any of your photos (follow back is not required if they "like" any of your photos).
You send the person a LinkedIn connection request but they never respond; you send a recommendation request and they never respond.
This is gonna be a super quick, but important rant. One of the quotes that I live by is by Steve Prefontaine. If you don’t know who he is, look him up on Wikipedia then watch Without Limits on Netflix or something. When the first Nike shoe is based on your foot and your life is turned into a movie titled Without Limits, you’re pretty much the perfect idol for me. OK, so he said, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
What I think he meant is that once you find your true calling, your true passion and purpose – for Pre it was running - then you have you do everything to do your best. Every time, all the time. The guy was famous for refusing to run below race pace in practices! Not the game, not the actual race, but practice! Allen Iverson left the NBA just a few years ago, but he already has less impact on modern day sports than Pre because he lacked this mentality. Anyway, back to my point.
I am a HUGE music fan. Got it from my older brothers, dad (read my Father’s Day post for more on him), and good friends over the years, I guess. Regardless, the best way for me to demonstrate my music fandomness is to tell you that I go to Waterloo Records – one of the best locally-owned record shops in America – every Tuesday when I’m home in Austin to buy at least one new CD. Yeah, I still buy actual CDs. Don’t get me wrong, I love iTunes and Spotify. I’ve probably spent a good $5,000 on iTunes since college on music alone. My iPhone is Bluetooth-enabled in my car so I can start playing my iTunes playlists the second I put the key in. Still, I buy a ton of CDs. Something like 250 in the last two years. Also, I recently counted and it turns out I’ve seen over 400 different performances/shows/concerts since I moved back to Austin in January 2009. That’s something like two shows every week.
When I find a new band or artist I love, I go hard for them. Whether it’s bands like Letting Up or 10YR in Austin or groups like Electric Wire Hustle and rapper David Dallas in New Zealand, I will rep hard for them. But I can’t stand when an artist feels entitled to give anything less than their best.
Like Dr. Dre and Detox. Like Justin Timberlake. Like Andre 3000. Hell, at least D’Angelo has cleaned up his act (pun intended) and appears to be working on a new album now. One of the greatest ever, Sade, went on a full-scale tour last year, which I got to see in Miami. Bless her heart.
Dre, Justin and 3000 are absolutely killing me right now. Artists who make excuses for not acknowledging and sharing their greatest gifts kill me! Dre is using his headphones. Justin is using his acting. 3000 is using his fashion collection…and Gillette commercials. Excuses, excuses, excuses.
All three of you are sacrificing your gifts.
Have you already done enough to make someone like me happy? Sure.
Dr. Dre gave us The Chronic album and Snoop and Eminem and 50 Cent.
Justin Timberlake gave us Cry Me a River and SexyBack and his “D*ck in a Box” on SNL.
Andre 3000 gave us some of the best verses ever heard in hip-hop and paved the way for rappers like Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne to express themselves through fashion.
I get it. But you’re not dead, so you’re not done. You shouldn’t be done. If you’re just taking a break, like one of those Sade seven-year breaks, then that’s cool. Just say it! Don’t keep us hanging around…everytime Dr. Dre says, “watch out for Detox!” I want to throw a tomato at him!
2Pac
Aaliyah
Big Pun
Donna Summer
Easy E
Heavy D
G.U.R.U.
Jay Dilla
Jam Master Jay
Left Eye
Luther Vandross
MCA
Michael Jackson
Notorious B.I.G.
ODB
Pimp C
Whitney Houston
They all died for different reasons and under different circumstances. Their reputations were all different in their final years. But, upon their deaths, the same reaction occurred: universal acclaim and gratitude for the fact that they gave something special while they were here on Earth.
I’m not saying these three musicians – Dr. Dre, Justin Timberlake, and Andre 3000 – haven’t given us their gifts significantly already. I’m not saying we wouldn’t celebrate their lives and musical contributions if they died prematurely or suddenly.
I’m just saying that I keep asking myself…do Dr. Dre, Justin Timberlake, and Andre 3000 take life and their gifts for granted – not to mention their fans – so much that they aren’t busy doing their best to share them with the world?
Are they intentionally letting the years go by, drawing closer to their deaths, without sharing their musical talents because they think they’ve done enough?
If they do, I beg them to watch Without Limits. I beg them to take heed to Pre’s words.
I beg them to take advantage of, and not sacrifice, their gift. Sorry, making headphones, acting and fashion design, are talents you may have, but the world already knows what your best gift is. Making music!
That’s the gift we’ll all be prepared to celebrate when you leave this Earth, too. Until then, share it with us before you end up in music history Heaven with the rest of the people on that list above; possibly dead before your final act could be performed as was the case with Michael Jackson, with millions of fans wondering what else you had left in the tank as was the case with Tupac and Biggie, with so much talent left to show as was the case with Aaliyah and Jay Dilla.
I can tell you this; no one ever wondered if Steve Prefontaine had anything left in the tank nor did anyone wonder what other talents he had to share...every distance runner, every Nike-sponsored athlete and every U.S. Olympian knows exactly what Pre had.
He gave it his all, every time, all the time. It's disappointing to look at some of my favorite musicians and wonder if that's something they can say for themselves, despite their God-given and awe-inspiring talents.
I just attended an awesome discussion led by Bill Pauls and John McHale, creative directors at Internet marketing & branding agency SapientNitro, titled, “Y Rappers R Better Than U”. I've attended half a dozen panels during SXSW Interactive since it started yesterday (Baratunde Thurston's keynote was badass too), and this one is by-far the best one thus far. Not only did Bill and John do a good job of setting the mood (Nas' Illmatic was playing as I walked into the room), but they also did a great job of balancing their desire to speak as the discussion leaders and moderators with the insights from the people in the room. It's amazing how many moderators don't listen to the audience, especially considering many people in the audiences as these panels are social media, startup or marketing wonks themselves.
The room was energetic, engaged and the speakers well-prepared and informed. The core messages or themes they shared were that:
1) Stay legit. Rappers understand that before you can grow your brand, you must protect it. Jay-Z has maintained his hustler mentality whether it be about the drug game or the marketing game.
2) Always be on the lookout for a bigger venue. Rappers are like highly-trained tech incubators when it comes to uncovering new opportunities and unlocking new value. Run-DMC's iconic "Rock This Way" song with Aerosmith is just one example.
3) Name check. Rappers have crushed the marketing game by being pros at name dropping without overly saturating their brands. Rappers like The Game and upstart guys like Big Sean are name checking regulars.
4) Master social. Sure, brands have done a good job with social media as they've become more versed and developed case studies, but rappers like Soulja Boy have really paved the way for rap's seat as the social media kings. Take that John Mayer.
5) Fuck the rules. Excuse my French, but this is an important one. Ice Cube has gone from a hard-core gangsta rapper in NWA to a rom-com daddy actor and maintained his authenticity by saying "fuck the rules", but doing so in an organic, balanced way from Boyz N Da Hood to Friday to Barber Shop to Are We There Yet?.
6) Manufacture controversy. 50 Cent comes to mind, but there are other examples in the rap game that brands should pay attention to. Don't be afraid to challenge your competitors a la Apple's "1984" commercial.
7) Reflect culture. Project culture. This seems like the other end of the loop from point #1 about staying legit. This is where you see so many rappers constantly speaking to their audiences through other forms of pop and urban cultures.
The discussion about rappers being expert marketers triggered another thought: rappers are highly experienced at handling mergers and acquisitions.
Think about it: Rap started in the late ‘70s, but didn’t really get profile until the 1980s with Run-DMC, The Beastie Boys and Def Jam out of New York. What else was happening during the 1980s? Did you see that movie Wall Street with Michael Douglas and Michael Sheen? Leveraged buyouts and a ton of M&A activity led by New York’s finance industry.
Since that time, rappers from LL Cool J and Vanilla Ice to Rick Ross and Wiz Khalifa have been the winners or losers of mergers and acquisitions in the rap game. To that effect, I wanted to share some highlights of the last 25 years in hip-hop history and the M&A activity that has paved the way for the most powerful music marketing force we have today.
Mergers in the rap game are partnership that yield visible business results and amplify rappers' brands.
Merger Winners
Run-DMC & Aerosmith - The aforementioned "Rock the Way" track may seem more like a partnership, but really it was a significant merger of rock and rap...paving the way for mergers like Jay-Z and Linkin Park or even the late DJAM & Travis Barker.
Dr. Dre & Eminem - Not a merger in the sense of two equal parts, given the fact that Dr. Dre helped Em get his start, but by the time 50 Cent's career was launched by these guys it felt less like a rapper launching a career and more like a successful brand launch.
Jay-Z & Kanye West – Speaking of great partnerships, Watch the Throne has produced a hit album, but more importantly produced the most successful rap tour duo ever put together. This merger has yielded considerations by other rappers of taking a shot at a similar feat a la Lil' Wayne & Drake or Nas & Common. Chances are, they'll be more AOL Time Warner than Exxon-Mobil.
Jay-Z & Beyonce - The world calls it a marriage, but from a marketing and business standpoint this is a straight up merger. Probably the single-most important merger in the pop culture world since Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie don't push product outside of the movies they act in. Perhaps this is why Wiz Khalifa is dating Amber Rose; only problem is Rose has yet to show she has talent beyond her rear-end.
Merger Losers
Master P & Snoop Dogg - Sure, this move by Snoop helped him escape the grip of Death Row's Suge Knight, but it didn't exactly produce a successful, sustainable business.
Common & Erykah Badu - I actually like that Common song "Come Close" feat. Mary J. Blige, but I agree with the criticism he received during his partnership with Erykah Badu that he went a little soft. At least too soft to represent Chicago. His merger with Kanye West resurrected his career.
Acquisitions in the rap game are all about battles. Rappers have brands that carry weight and that weight is tested through battles. The winner gets the spoils, and sometimes - like Jay-Z and Nas - the battle itself isn't the real acquisition play.
Acquisition Winners
50 Cent - Fiddy is never afraid to gamble with an acquisition. Ja Rule and Fat Joe have both had their street cred and popularity acquired by Curtis Jackson's enterprise in the last decade.
Rick Ross - However, 50 Cent has taken an L of late to none-other-than Rick Ross. Rick came in the underdog, but left with a W next to his name thanks to the progress of his Maybach Music releases over the last few years.
T.I. - Houston rapper Lil' Flip never stood a chance when he challenged Atlanta's T.I.'s self-appointed designation as "The King of the South". T.I. immediately put Lil' Flip's business into non-existence upon the acquisition.
Nicki Minaj - Did you listen to Kanye's "Monster" featuring the Barbie Doll rapper herself? Yeah, she pretty much bought all of Lil’ Kim's 1990s glory in one verse.
LL Cool J - An acquisition expert and veteran having waged battles with everyone from Kool Moe Dee to Canibus. He hasn't maintained his relevance years into his career in the way Jay-Z or Common have, but he is one of the early innovators in the hostile takeover business of rap music.
Jay-Z - Sure, "Ether" gives plenty reason to pause when chalking up an L for Nas, but it's clear to see who the king of rap music for the last 15 years (post-Biggie & Tupac) is and he is most definitely from Brooklyn, not Queens.
Common - "I Used to Love Her" is one of the greatest, most important, hip-hop tracks of all time, but surprisingly pre-comedy Ice Cube got serious and shortsighted about his lyrics and tried to squash Common's statement. Common fired back and proved to the world that he was here to stay, no matter how big of a competitor he'd have to face.
KRS-One - Before Jay-Z and Nas there was KRS and MC Shan. One of those guys is still regarded as a legend of hip-hop, the other one not so much.
MC Serch - Not many people remember MC Serch, but his 3rd Base track "Pop Goes the Weasel" helped to put fire on Vanilla Ice's career. Serch went on to executive produce Nas' masterpiece Illmatic.
Acquisition Losers
Prodigy - One-half of notable, Queens-based rap duo Mobb Deep, Prodigy and Jay-Z never seemed to get along...mostly because Jay-Z was always in the seat Prodigy coveted but could never grab. Jay-Z closed the case on this one with "The Takeover" on The Blueprint.
Common - Just as Ice Cube tried to bully Common in his early days, it seems Common has taken a jab at Drake and his crooning. We'll see how this ends up, but it's already started as a failed acquisition attempt by Common. Sorry, no new fans for you.
*This may become my next book topic, so be on the lookout for more in the future, and remember where you heard this theory first.
Everyone, including my friends, want a classic, but they have the wrong thinking cap on in terms of a classic if you ask me. Run-DMC, Beastie Boys and Public Enemy had some classics, but let’s assume for a second that not enough hip-hop albums had yet to be made to really have a high bar for what a “classic” was.
So what are the bonafide hip-hop classics of the last 20 years?
A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders, Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Nas’ Illmatic, B.I.G.’s Ready to Die, Jay-Z’s The Blueprint, Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP, Kanye West’s College Dropout…that’s just a sampling, I’d assume. Let’s say there are five others by solo rappers (which Tupac album is tops?). Now, can someone point to any groups besides Tribe, Outkast and Wu-Tang Clan that produced bonafide classics?
I don’t think you will. The fact that you’d have to argue so-and-so’s album is a classic is reason alone to say it’s not bonafide. Basically what we’re looking at is a dozen or “classic” hip-hop albums in the last 20 years, of which only three duos/groups have contributed.
So why the hell do you think that Jay-Z and Kanye will produce a classic hip-hop album together? Because they’ve each made classics individually? Thinking that would be like saying “Say, Say, Say” is the best song Michael Jackson ever did since Paul McCartney was involved. Or maybe Scream, since it was MJ and his lil’ sister Janet. Or how about #1, you know that song Pharrell and Kanye did together. Hell, even Snoop Dogg and Akon were better collaborators.
Let’s face facts: classic individuals don’t make classic teams. I saw the documentary and I love Q-Tip as much as anyone, but I’d pay three times more to see Tribe perform as a unit. Similar, I loved the idea of Jay-Z and R. Kelly doing an album together, but the actual material was never going to top The Blueprint or R.
And that’s ok with me. Kanye West and Jay-Z make great music together. Hits and bangers, people. Do we need more? Is it reasonable to ask for more? Based on history, I don’t think so.
Let’s just acknowledge this album for what it is: a chance for the two to show their closeness, dominate the rap industry even more, do a monster tour, make a ton of money, rap to each other about their perceived perils and brag about the things they own.
That’s why songs like “N*gg*s in Paris”, “Illest MotherF*ck*r Alive” and, yes, “H-a-M” make perfect sense and fit into my expectations for an album of these proportions. Considering the soft sweet sampling by Pete Rock (“The Joy”) and Kanye (“Otis”), it’s almost like they were able to capture the best of both worlds. Something Jay-Z and R.Kelly never got around to.
It may not be a classic in your book, but it’s definitely a high standard for others to try topping. Besides, I don’t expect another Outkast album for a while, do you?
I read hundreds of articles and blogs each month, especially some of the ones listed on my blogroll here, but I'm always on the lookout for good books and subscribe to a dozen magazines. Here is a snippet of what's inspired me lately.
Referred to me by my boss, the COO of Bazaarvoice, after she read it. There's a big business book, share-what-you're-reading culture here. This book had so many a-ha moments for me and I look forward to applying a lot of this to my life. This is precisely why I took a job in the first place. It's humbling and rewarding at the same time.
Monocle is probably the dopest magazine in the world and I have to thank my oldest brother, Kahron, for this recommendation years ago. This particular issue has me even more anxious to visit Japan.
I happen to agree with former Def Jam Records president Kevin Liles who said, on the Oprah show no less, that hip hop has done more for race relations in America in the last two decades than anything else. I haven't started reading this one yet, but I'm sure to knock it out next week on a flight to New York.
No man about fashion can not read Vogue, it's just impossible. Sure, GQ, Esquire, Complex and the like give great guys' tips. But we all know fashion starts with what the women are doing.
Recommended to me by Bazaarvoice CEO Brett Hurt and a must read for anyone who fancies himself or herself an introspective type. Hell, I have an entire category of blogging dedicated to it.
Nylon Guys is pretty dope. It speaks to the more indie/preppy side of me while Complex speaks to the rap/street side of me.
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