A sea change is coming as we begin to wind down 2022.The much discussed “red wave” didn’t crest in the election last night (phew), FTX traded to Binance (wow), and Elon Musk took control (if you can call it that) of Twitter, which has rapidly introduced unexpected possibilities and concerns for one of the world’s most important social media sites. Although advertisers and brands are cautiously pulling back, usership is actually going up. It’s nothing if not fascinating.I’ll leave the politics to the analysts and stay in my lane here. The FTX trade is remarkable. It happened so fast! I’m anxious for more information and to see how this impacts the larger crypto landscape. I think we still will see more heads roll and more brands go down before the winter’s through.I’m on the road this next week, first to the West Coast for Summit Series in Palm Desert and then to BK for a Web3 Music discussion titled Future Wave. I always enjoy a work-travel week, peppering meetings in different cities between events in the trenches. You need fresh faces to find fresh ideas, and new builders to build new things.See you in the street or on the Tweets.
BEATS
Finding the XCOPY of Music NFTsIn the world of music NFTs, there are two kinds of artists. The first are the ones who’ve “made it”. They’ve already seen success in the music industry, and now they’re curious about NFTs as a new way to monetize their work. (Coopahtroopa and Lucas Campbell)
Fred Again.. Gets It: Marketing an Artist in 2022In 2022 the name of the game is authenticity and consistency. Fred again.. does both of these things effortlessly with his growing online fanbase. (The Music Network)
Gaming Is Taking Over Music As Gen Z's Cultural HubDmitri Vietze launched the first Music Tectonics in 2019 to explore how web3, NFTs and the metaverse are shifting the music landscape. (Dot.LA)
Exclusive: How E-40 Went From Rapper To What He Calls 'The Epitome Of Black-Owned Business' By Investing In HimselfE-40 always knew he would be successful. In an exclusive interview with AfroTech, E-40 — whose real name is Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. — revealed he had a self-motivated spirit nurtured early on by those closest to him. (AfroTech)
Web3 Is Changing Music Faster Thank You ThinkHere are 8 of the best threads from 8 important follows to help you understand how to navigate music from 2.0 → 3.0 (AbelowRob)
Metallica Teams With Vault Comics for ‘Headshell’ Music Graphic NovelThe partnership follows Black Squirrel Ventures, which manages investments for the hard rock band, taking a stake in the indie comic book publisher. (Hollywood Reporter)
Music Tectonics 2022’s Startup Competition Winner Announced: Audioshake Wins Jury Choice and Audience Choice Awards from Swimming With NarwhalsAs part of the competition Final, four promising startups from music tech, tackling important challenges in live music, generative AI, video monetization, and stem creation, gave their pitches in front of a packed ballroom and a three-person jury of investors and experts. (Music Tectonics)
2022 Parsons Xtreme Golf x Nick Jonas Collaboration LaunchReserve your Tee Time to the PXG Club House to explore the launch of our Nick Jonas Collaboration. Come see the collection and be immersed in the PXG experience. November, 15 2022. Soho, New York, NY. (PGX Club House)
Under Armour looks to shift its focus toward younger athletesInterim CEO Colin Browne said Under Armour is observing a changing market and needs to adjust its strategy when it comes to consumers. (Biz Journals)
Ralph Lauren Launches Fortnite Fashion Line With Redesigned Polo LogoAmerican fashion house Ralph Lauren Corp. is diving deep into the metaverse by launching a new fashion line with one of the most popular games online, Fortnite. (Bloomberg)
Missy Elliott on Patrón, the Creative Heights of Her Career, and Looking Out for the Next ‘Superstar’Off the heels of the 20th anniversary of her 2002 album 'Under Construction', the artist teamed up with the tequila brand for the launch of their new prestige expression, Patrón El Alto. (Rolling Stone)
BYTES
In the Season 3 premiere of Out of Office, Rich Kleiman sits down to talk with Steven Victor, founder & CEO of Victor Victor Worldwide and SVP of A&R at Universal Music. In the wide-ranging conversation, they discuss how Victor got his start in the music industry, meeting and eventually managing Pusha T, and his decision to create his own label.
Co-founders Brad Pitt and Damien Quintard take us on a tour of the legendary Miraval Studios and share their future plans for the revamped studio for Billboard’s latest cover story.
Everyone starts as a Fan on PickleJar® but the musicians in the subway station, on the street corner or on stage we call Artists. Our proprietary Data Analytics Dashboard provides the Artist the tools they need to go from the street to the stage.
After 24 years, No Fear of Time finally reunites one of the great hip-hop duos of all-time – yasiin bey and Talib Kweli are Black Star. Recorded guerrilla-style in hotel rooms and dressing rooms around the globe, the 9-track album has a future vibe with vintage soul, fitting for one of the most anticipated releases in decades.
This week's newsletter was carefully curated by the Nue Agency staff and our editor Rachel Meisner. If you think we missed something this week or have any suggestions/comments for next week's newsletter, let us know!