4 Things To Know Now At the Intersection Of Emerging Tech, Pop Culture, Brands & Media. My Weekly Brief Is Now Live! Insiders, Click Now.

Okay. This is a high-energy little issue of my Brief for you. As always, I am tracking the those who are leading pop culture as they intersect with brands, media, and emerging tech. Insights for those on LinkedIn tasked with strategy and engagement. Shall we begin?

1) Luving, luving, luving this one! So, Capitol Records is ressurecting and legendary label called Tamla from way back in the day only this time the roster will focus on "positive hip hop." Not sure what kind of criteria is going to be used to decide what is "positive" but anything that creates a more vast offering such as that reflected during the golden era of hip hop that featured everything from Ice Cube to A Tribe Called Quest to Souls of Mischief to Jeru The Damaja is a welcomed site. Now, if this label combines this vibe with the right elements from emerging tech at the right time, Capitol could actually become very, very relevant again. Not sure if this move is a mea culpa as a result of the racial stereotype issue they had last year with their AI artist or not, but either way, this could be an interesting move in the industry. Read the full story here.

2) Still some reverberations happening around the BET Awards, especially Busta Rhymes heart-felt acceptance speech, and of course, a special segment on the 50th anniversary of hip hop. If you missed both the awards and a round-up, here is a lighting fast look for you to click on now.

*** Quick Note: if you are someone who wants to learn more about this powerful space of youth culture and how you can use it to better connect Gen Z and Millennials and/or become part of the cultural narrative, connect with celebrated recording artists/notables in the space, and/or creates brand?strategy,?DM me to discuss further. Hip Hop is where the power to connect resides. I provide strategy and consulting for demystifying relevant emerging tech, defining the cultural opportunity, and defining a roadmap for success for competitive advantage.?Book?me to speak, as well for these same insights for your leadership team.

3)A few days ago everyone simply could not get enough of any and all footage and photos from Pharell's debut Louis Vuitton runway show in Paris, France. Lights, camera, swagger was the order of the moment. You gotta love it when one of the world's richest men (Bernard Arnault, head of LVMH) is chilling in the front row next to Beyonce and JayZ. While there were certainly some very hot looks and some not so hot, this who spectacle was more about reinforcing brand sentiment about Vuitton by leveraging hip hop culture than anything else at all. The cherry on top of that cake? JayZ and Pharell performing right after the show closed. Just a couple of decades ago, this whole scenario would have been absolutely unimaginable by such a storied French house. But LVHM somehow stays right on the pulse and has very few missteps when it comes to aligning with Black music/culture and luxury fashion/beauty. Brands out here, take note regarding this alchemical formula and how it pertains to market share. Get all the juicy deets on the show right here.

4) Finally, just a quick announcement. I've been asked to become a professional member of the Grammys. Yay! Looking forward to serving and advocating. Especially for all things hip hop x emerging tech! Will keep you posted.

In closing, here are a few additional news items to definitely watch. I selected the first to inform you about a shift in one part of media to that which seems to be a bit of an upsurge in another form of media as demonstrated in the remaining items I selected. I'll be tracking this area in terms of economics and cultural impact over the months ahead. Have a great rest of the week.