Trapital

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 sourcing from data, Taylor Swift’s deal with Republic Records, and the matrix of partners that artists should have[22:52] How artists have benefited from the age of digital downloads and streaming[27:10] Why Troy is a little scared for the streaming industry[31:08] What artists should think about before releasing new music[35:48] Troy’s insights from working with the Prince Estate and his angel investingListen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuest: Troy Carter, Q&A 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. 

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 videos [26:02] On bridging the gap between generations, staying resilient, and the importance of being present during cultural shifts [31:38] About Video Music Box Collection and how the documentary has helped its goals[38:12] Ralph’s plan to bring his documentary to universities and showsListen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuest: Ralph McDaniels, @VideoMusicBox, Video Music BoxLinks: "You’re Watching Video Music Box" on Showtime Video Music Box Collection Ralph McDaniels On 'Video Music Box' & Capturing Legendary Moments During The Golden Age Of Hip Hop Ralph McDaniels’ Instagram 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. 

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 ideas, being a blessing to others, and loving what you do[28:32] What sets great companies apart[33:32] Master P’s 5-year forecast for companies[36:58] How to shift from being rich to wealthy and how the Astroworld tragedy will impact the hip-hop industry[39:40] The accomplishment that Master P is most proud of and the best advice that he has ever receivedListen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuest: Master P, @MasterPMillerLink: The Market Research Event 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.

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 moving forward[29:12] Big announcement on things to keep a lookout for in 2022Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuest: Issa Rae, @IssaRae, issarae.comTrapital 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.

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 music landscape from the perspective of music companies and record labels, legacy copyrights, and [25:28] The highlights of his legal career[31:58] What buying and listening to music was like in the early 2000s[35:48] On managing the Death Row Records catalog[40:15] On the opportunities for developing artists in the era of streaming and social media[48:02] Why some record labels have gotten into troubleListen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuest: Chris Taylor, @solicitorct, MNRK Music GroupTrapital 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.

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 social media platforms and tools[37:30] On the company’s key performance indicators[40:50] Charlie’s observations about a stream-based economyListen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuest: Charlie Kaplan, @ciwk, Charlie KaplanLinks: Audiomack Audiomack on Twitter Audiomack on Instagram 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.

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 cryptocurrency[33:35] What LVRN does differently compared to hip-hop labels[40:55] On investments in the African market, how education is key, and streamingListen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuest: Tunde Balogun, @tundetun88, Love RenaissanceTrapital 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.

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 | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuest: Flawless Real Talk, @flawlessri, flawlessri.comTrapital 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. 

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 | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuest: Steven Galanis, cameo.com, @bookcameoLinks: 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 weekly memo. 

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 eraListen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Overcast | Amazon | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coLink: New Creator Manifesto 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.