Jay-Z: The Art of the Deal (Samsung Galaxy x Jay-Z)

Jay – Z is writing the new rules. According to hip-hop mogul and icon Jay-Z, “The internet is like the wild wild west.” So he has linked up with Samsung Galaxy to release his new album Magna Carta Holy Grail 72 hours before it actually releases to the world on July 4. The album comes pre loaded as an app that can be downloaded from the Google Play store.  Samsung has bought 1 million copies of the album at $5 per album according to Complex magazine.  This looks to be one of the most innovative collaborations that have been seen in recent years. However, as of 6/21/13, Billboard has decided not to count the 1 million copies that Samsung “bought” as actual sales. Billboard magazine editor Bill Werde wrote: “ it wasn't as simple as you might think to turn down Jay-Z when he requested that we count the million albums that Samsung "bought" as part of a much larger brand partnership, to give away to Samsung customers. True, nothing was actually for sale.”

(Watch the Video Below)

The commercial for the album was unveiled during half time of game 5 of the NBA finals. Jay has chosen a select group of producers to work on the album with him. He is shown with Rick Rubin, Pharrell, Timbaland and Swizz Beats. In the commercial Jay-Z talks about his vision of what he hopes the album will bring to the table. The listener is being taken on a journey of how Jay-Z deals with his success, failures and still remain himself at the end of the day. (Below are screen shots of the app)

So whether you are a fan of Jay-Z or not, you must admit that this deal is one of the most creative innovate ways to get people talking about album sales again. The record industry has taken a nosedive in the record sales department. According to Hypebot.com, the new releases of Kanye West, J. Cole and Mac Miller this week mark the first time 3 hip hop albums have sold over 100,000 copies the first week (in the same week) since 2006. Maybe Jay-Z is on to something. Do you think the record sales from the first 1 million apps should be counted? Why or Why not?

-O.T. Griffin

Is Making Music Making You Money?

Times are rough out there for the working musician. If you are a fulltime musician you know the struggles of playing paycheck to pay check. Even hoping to get a record deal these days are not as lucrative as they once were. The attached article talks about 101 ways to make money as a musician in this industry. Three of the ideas that stand out to me are:

·      Teach live music lessons online

·      Create a music education or appreciation app

·      Start a Summer music school

You can teach live music lessons online with sites like THE ZOEN

Musicians post lessons online, students pay ZOEN for the lesson at the price you set and ZOEN takes a fee for hosting, but you are running your own part time music teaching business.

Another way to create revenue with music is to create a music app. Applications for smart phones are on the rise and now is a great time to take advantage of the market by offering something unique to musicians. You can hire a programmer or you can learn the code yourself. I started taking an online app design course from a special I saw on Groupon.

Starting a summer music school is another great opportunity to show your talents and also influence a lot of young people to spend their time constructively creating music.  I would have it broken down into age groups, according to age and genre of music to learn. There can be an enrollment fee and auditions if necessary. A good example of this type of school is the Children’s School of Music.

Making music with your passion is a beautiful experience. It brings you joy to share your gift with others, and creating income helps you get just a little closer to your dreams. I chose to write on this topic because living my passion is a mantra that I live by. It’s ok to make a living, however getting paid for what you were designed to do creates a feeling of liberation unlike anything else in the world. I encourage you to get out there and make your living your passion.

-O.T. Griffin

Entertainment Industry Leaders

The entertainment industry is a good place to find examples of successful leaders. As a class assignment at Full Sail University, I collaborated with two other students to discuss whom our entertainment mentors are and how we believe they have similar characteristics.

 

George Lucas, Dr. Dre and Mathew Knowles may seem like they have nothing in common, but after looking at their careers, they are similar in many ways. Obviously, all three are successful businessmen, but they also have extreme influence within their respective fields. Plus, their attitudes and self-discipline are leadership traits that have made them successful.

 

George Lucas has been able to capitalize on people’s imagination. He is most notable for his Star Wars movies and the impact they have had on the way people think and act. He has also played a factor in the development of technology. Lucas is a renown producer who has collaborated with many successful directors such as Steven Spielberg, Jim Henson and Francis Ford Coppola. He has inspired such films as ET and Indiana Jones, which both are famous for allowing people to suspend their imaginations. Lucas has also inspired many video games and secured his position as a director and producer with an incredible vision for the future.

 

Andre “Dr. Dre” Young is a legendary producer; businessman and pioneer in hip hop music. He was the original music producer for the legendary “gangster rap” group NWA. In 1991 he later formed Death Row Records with the notorious Suge Knight.  Death Row Records was home to legendary artists such as Snoop Dogg and 2pac. He is the current owner of Aftermath Records, and is responsible for finding multi platinum talent Eminem, 50 cent, and most recently Kendrick Lamar. Today Dr. Dre is best known for his newest business venture Beats Electronics, LLC with Interscope-Geffen-A&M Records chairman Jimmy Iovine and music cable company Monster. As of 2011, the Beats by Dre Company have 53% of the $1 billion market (Mitchell 2012). The Beats by Dre brand has expanded from just headphones into cars, computers and smartphones. This type of move takes broad vision in order to balance all of these career decisions. I feel that Dr. Dre’s accomplishments are not only admirable but can be used as a template for others who want to use their leverage to move their brand into new arenas.

 

Mathew Knowles is a prominent music executive that is most notable for being Beyonce’s father and Destiny’s Child’s manager; however, he is a reputable force in the entertainment industry in his own right. I admire Knowles’ ability to set his own path in business that secures his longevity in an often fickle industry. As CEO of Music World Entertainment (MWE), which is an independent entertainment company and record label, he has taken his career into his own hands. He not only manages the careers of many successful artists, such as the solo careers of each of the members of Destiny’s Child, but he has grown MWE into many different sectors of entertainment such as movies and television. Most interesting to me is the creation of Music World Gospel, which is currently one of the most successful independent Gospel music labels in the world. His career is to be admired and studied by all who are interested in holding any stake in the entertainment field.

 

 

Mitchell, G. (2012). Dr. Dre. Billboard, 124(23), 28-29.

 

Maxwell, John C (1993) Developing the Leaders Within You, Nelson Business publishing

 

http://www.biography.com/people/george-lucas-9388168

 

http://www.lucasfilm.com/inside/bio/georgelucas.html

 

Collins, L. (2013). The gospel music industry round-up 2013. Los Angeles: Eye on Gospel Publication. Retrieved from http://www.gospelroundup.com