I've decided to kick off a quick brief newsletter to help keep my followers connected to up-to-the-minute news and analysis of the intersection of all things hip hop/pop culture and the digital scene. People have been asking me for this info blast because this knowledge is key to reaching a large part of Gen Z and Millennials. Absolutely vital stuff to know but not easy to access if you are not a holistic part of the scene and, let's face it, your kids or nieces and nephews are too small a sample set to really give you depth. So I'll be giving you the latest and greatest to give you ideas, insights, and integrity to work with the culture in a powerful manner. (see my profile for the street cred :-) It all moves pretty quickly so here we go...
- Everyone is buzzing about the fact that the inimitable 50 Cent is working on his latest series: The Oscar-winning "8 Mile" is now in prep to be adapted as a cable TV series. As you are aware, "8 Mile" was loosely based on the life of iconic rapper Eminem. Em just can't stop winning. Whether breaking records on Spotify or being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this award-winning talent is well beyond Gen Z years but still compelling in a number of ways. But will Em make any appearances thanks to AI tech as in other 50 Cent productions? Let's watch and see.
- Grammy-nominated L'il Baby will be making his "Saturday Night Live" performance appearance later this month. Was announced just a couple of days ago. For those who my not know, Baby's It’s Only Me?debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. It became the artist's third Number One of his career. He also topped the rankings with?My Turn?and?The Voice of the Heroes. I caught the premiere of his docu during Tribeca Film Festival last year. Killer production. Glad it found a home at Amazon Prime, but there could be so very much more in promotion that the distributor could have done. Gen Z gold still in the mines.
- In just a couple of weeks, it will be time for the Grammy's. The Recording Academy announced its Special Merit awards. They will be given at a ceremony in L.A. on February 4th. Who was the only rapper included? Why, none other than Slick Rick! The only other rappers to receive this award are ?Run-DMC, Public Enemy, Salt-N-Pepa, and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
- If you don't know, now you know (Biggie lyric), 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of hip hop, and there will be a TON going on. I'll be analyzing opportunities, hits and misses brands, artists, and corporations. Don't miss it!
- So... the Biggie concert in the Metaverse took place, and I'm still not sure why the company picked so close to the holidays (December 19th) to do something so interesting that would then get a bit sidelined due to everything else going on at the end of the year. The Notorious B.I.G. “Sky’s The Limit: A VR Concert Experience” drew thousands (yes, you read right) of fans. The “concert” featured live performances by?Sean “Puffy” Combs, The Lox, Latto, Nardo Wick, Lil’ Cease, DJ Clark Kent, and more. But rather than impress Biggie’s fans, the effort seemed to offend many hip-hop fans who looked at it as a quick way to make money and brand based on a deceased artist. Word to the wise: get the community involved first and listen rather than assume. This is where brand consultants come in very handy. The tech side of this features a big win, the emotional side is a big zero. Data-rich but culturally intelligent poor is never a good look. And once word gets out, it's very hard to re-coup cultural capital. Plan well before making moves.
- To this end, if you missed my contribution to a recent talk produced by Nokia on the Metaverse and Gen Z, you can access it here.
Stay tuned for next Sunday night's info to prep you for the week. Spread the word on this and subscribe. Thanks!
