

Trapital
Dan Runcie
Trapital is where technology meets culture. Hear breakdowns on the most important trends in tech, media, and entertainment. Trapital founder Dan Runcie and various guests break down the moves that shape the rest of society. Learn more
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 14, 2020 • 48min
Hip-Hop Challenger Brands with Ernest Wilkins
Office Hours’ Ernest Wilkins came through to talk about challenger brands in hip-hop, why they exist, our respective articles on No Limit and Quality Control Music, and what we expect for the future.Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSSHost: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuest: Ernest Wilkins, @ernestwilkins, officehours.substack.comLink:
How No Limit Became Hip-Hop’s Challenger Brand - Ernest Wilkins (in Trapital)
How Quality Control Music Took Over Atlanta - Dan Runcie (in Office Hours)Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co

Jul 7, 2020 • 39min
Roy Wood Jr. on How 2020 Changed Comedy, His Comedy Central Partnership, and Why Alabama Means So Much to Him
Comedian, actor, writer, and producer Roy Wood Jr. came through to talk about how the pandemic and uprisings, all the “lost tapes” from 2020, how comics have shifted, why he partnered with Comedy Central, and why his home state of Alabama means so much to him. Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co Guest: Roy Wood, Jr @roywoodjr, roywoodjr.com Link:
It’s Time for Stand-ups to Prepare for the Worst - Roy Wood Jr, Vulture
Black Patriotism Sketch - Father Figure special, Roy Wood Jr. Roy Wood Jr’s Rap Song “Smoothie Song” Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co

Jul 3, 2020 • 13min
The Steve Jobs of Gap?
An audio version of the Trapital essay: Why Kanye West’s Gap Deal is a Risk to Yeezy. Yeezy’s new partnership with the struggling apparel company is a threat to the brand that Kanye West built. Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co Link: Why Kanye West’s Gap Deal is a Risk to Yeezy - Trapital
Kanye describes his issues with Nike and confirms Adidas deal - Hot 97
Why Rihanna Broke Barriers That Others Couldn’t - 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

Jun 30, 2020 • 37min
Hovain Hylton and Busy Rivera on Cinematic Music Group’s Rise, and Turning the Brand into a Lifestyle
Cinematic Music Group’s President, Hovain Hylton and Head of Creative, Busy Rivera came through the Trapital Podcast to talk about leading the independent record label and management company, doing more with less than the major record labels, and managing the Cinematic brand like it’s one of their artists. Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co Guest: Hovain, @hovain Busy Rivera, @busyrivera Link: Cinematic website Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co

Jun 14, 2020 • 12min
Build Your Table
Another solo episode in light of recent events, and an audio version of this week’s Trapital article, “Why Ownership Matters More in Hip-Hop.” The system hasn’t always had hip-hop’s best interest at heart, so its artists are more likely to take control. Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co Link: Why Ownership Matters More in Hip Hop Beyonce Commencement Speech | Dear Class of 2020 Cash Money Records Has a Bleak Future Without Drake and Lil’ Wayne Why Death Row Was Bound to Self-Destruct Spreadsheet: Hip Hop Statements - BLM 2020 Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co

Jun 5, 2020 • 13min
Hip-Hop's Role in the Fight for Justice
This Trapital Podcast is a solo episode in light of this week’s events, the music industry’s actions in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, and this week’s Trapital article, “How Hip-Hop Pushed Companies to Fight for Racial Justice.” Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co Link: Spreadsheet: Hip Hop Statements - BLM 2020 How Hip-Hop Pushed Companies to Fight for Racial Injustice Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co

May 12, 2020 • 32min
Trapital Mailbag #3: How Hip-Hop Makes Money in a Pandemic, Superproducers in the Streaming Era, What’s Next for Fortnite + Travis Scott, and more!
Round 3! Here are the most pressing questions from Trapitalists: Do smaller indie acts fare better during the pandemic? Is Tekashi 6ix9ine worthy of a marketing case study? What’s next for Travis Scott + Fortnite? And a whole lot more. Tune in! Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co Link: How Hip-Hop Producers Lost Their Power How Travis Scott Growth Hacked Hip-Hop Why Hip-Hop and Gaming are Still Scratching the Surface Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co

May 5, 2020 • 43min
Tiffany Ballard on Music Business Law, Why Bad Deals Still Happen, How She Made Connections on Myspace, and Her Time on Reality TV
Entertainment lawyer Tiffany Ballard came on the Trapital Podcast to talk about how she rose in the music industry. She spoke about using Myspace to find career opportunities and discover artists like Nicki Minaj. We also spoke about bad record deals and why they still happen. Tiffany also revisited her brief time on the reality TV show Money Power, & Respect! Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuest: Tiffany Ballard, @BlackElleWoods Link: Money, Power, & Respect - Meet Tiffany - WE tv Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co

Apr 28, 2020 • 36min
Zack O'Malley Greenburg (2019)
Since Kanye West is now a billionaire, let's revisit the podcast I recorded in September with Zack O’Malley Greenburg, Senior Editor of Media & Entertainment at Forbes. We talked about Forbes’ annual Hip-Hop Cash List, why artists like Cardi B and Meek Mill who question the results, the integrity challenges with self-reported data, and the amount of work that goes into reporting a single number. Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.co Guest: Zack O’Malley Greenburg, @zogblog, forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg Links referenced: Article: Kanye West is Now Officially a Billionaire (and He Really Wants the World to Know) - Forbes Article: Highest Paid Hip-Hop Acts 2019: Kanye Tops Jay Z to Claim Crown - Forbes Article: Kanye’s Second Coming: Inside the Billion-Dollar Yeezy Empire - Forbes Article: Artist, Icon, Billionaire: How Jay-Z Created His $1 Billion Fortune - Forbes Twitter: Cardi B, Meek Mill, “Pee” from Quality Control Music
Article: Why Cardi B Doesn’t Need to Go on Tour - Trapital Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Take your insights to the next level. Become a Trapitalist.

Apr 14, 2020 • 46min
Ibrahim "Ib" Hamad on Building Dreamville, Managing J. Cole, the Dollar & a Dream Tour, and Starting the Dreamville Fest
Dreamville co-founder and President, and J. Cole’s manager Ibrahim "Ib" Hamad came on the Trapital Podcast to talk about how him and J. Cole started Dreamville and how it became what it is today. Ib also broke down what changed for Dreamville in 2014, the impact that the Dollar & a Dream tour had on J. Cole’s career, establishing the Dreamville brand beyond J. Cole, and why the Dreamville Fest has nine lives! If you wanna know what it takes to get to that next level, this is the episode for you. Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | YouTube | Overcast | RSS Host: Dan Runcie, @RuncieDan, trapital.coGuest: Ibrahim "Ib" Hamad, @KingOfQueenz, dreamville.com Link:
J. Cole is Still Making Millions From a $1 Million Concert - Trapital
Dreamville Fest - August 29, 2019 - Dreamville Hip-hop’s influence continues to grow. Learn how it impacts your business. Join the execs, CEOs, and moguls who read Trapital: trapital.co/welcome