Trapital

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

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

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

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: trapital.co

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, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co

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

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 influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co

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

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 “Obey Your Thirst” Beyonce surprise album drop Hello Brooklyn campaign Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co

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 Trapital: trapital.co