Pac and Dre said it best: “California…knows how to party.” I think I proved it this past week. Coming off an awesome shoot with Foot Locker for their Week of Greatness campaign (sneaker commercial of the year!) and a weekend …
The Business of Culture
“Culture” is one of the most overused buzzwords of the decade. By definition, culture is “the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively; the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other …
Partying with a Purpose
Legendary Motown-era talent executive, Suzanne de Passe, once told me, “it’s important to do good, especially as you are doing well.” This is one of the reasons I love the 4th quarter. The charity galas are kicking into gear …
Music Marketing 20/20
This week we hosted one of my favorite CRWN episodes to date. The guest was none other than Wale. Wale and I go way back — before his Rick Ross and Mark Ronson days — and it’s awesome to see …
Songs that Shook 🇺🇸
We typically do our CRWN series with the hottest artists when they’re at their most relevant. But when it comes to Amir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter of The Roots, that’s tough to do. They’re always reaching new …
IP-NOpe
First, we saw my friends at WeWork hold back their IPO. Next, Peloton took their shot and tumbled right out of the gate. Then, top-tier talent agency William Morris / Endeavor had to pump the breaks on their IPO plans …
Programming Music Buying 📊🎶⤴️
It’s Advertising Week in New York, so you can imagine how busy it is. It feels like every brand marketer in the game is in town. Everyone has their agenda and is pushing their current platform or thesis. I’m listening, …
Is Cancel Culture Canceling Culture?
The end of the year and the decade are insight, and I know because I’ve got 20/20 vision (cue groans from live studio audience). So, in the spirit of a Nue season approaching, I’m focusing on dropping labels. And …
A Whole New WORLDZ
Greetings from California. Today kicks off WORLDZ. WORLDZ is a platform like none other. It’s been defined by some as the Harvard of culture. It’s always a worthwhile gathering where many of the best and brightest brand marketers investing …
A Journey Across America 🐍🇺🇸🎶
Of all the fascinating musician stories this summer, one of the most breathtaking has been Mike Posner’s walk across America. On March 1st, Mike set out to go coast to coast on foot. He started in Asbury Park on …
#BansOffMyBody
It’s a hard time right now. The Amazon is burning in real-time. Global warming is causing environmental disaster after environmental disaster. Pollution is contaminating our oceans and eroding our ozone. Babies are being separated from their families at …
Jay Running Plays
I’m back in a New York state of mind after a week in the Vineyard relaxing with my feet in the sand. It honestly felt too short. Now I’m playing catch-up before we head into Labor Day. August is …
Vacation Mode
Greetings from Marthas Vineyard. After two delays and having to give back two days because of work… I finally made it to my favorite place in the world and starting today, I’m switching over to vacation mode for at least …
Woodstock’s Debacle
I spent the weekend outside Bethel, home of the original Woodstock, at Silent G Farms, which got me thinking about how wild the unraveling of Woodstock 50 is. The Woodstock 50 announcement came out of nowhere. It was a great …
The Great Chart Debate
It was quite a week. From the passionate, heated debates at RapCon to flying into Chicago to work with some of the country’s brightest cultural brand marketers and up-and-coming artists, the depth of my conversations was vast and all …