FWB FEST was the event of the season! It wasn’t simply a conference or a music festival, it was a moment in history that won’t soon be forgotten.I don’t believe this would have worked quite the same 12 months ago. The vibe would have been too nuevo rich and attracted a crowd that would have been obnoxiously opportunistic and transactional. The fast money in upcycles can bring out some of the worst types of people. That’s a major red flag in crypto. But now, the people who are here care and are thinking long-term.FWB is not about flipping jpegs and making fast bucks on a market that couldn’t miss. This is a group of diverse, smart, cultural marketers, builders, programmers, designers, DJs, and creators. We are market-makers with high base level knowledge and a shared belief in answering the big question: How do we help make the world better through technological revolution?FWB FEST was a discord group that came to life in all the right ways. The programming was heady and deep but also refreshing and enlightening. The panelists weren’t shilling or pontificating. The formats allowed us to philosophize face-to-face about weighted buzzwords like “community,” “privilege,” “allyship,” “DAOs,” “LARPing,” “NFTs”,“social good,” “AI,” and “design” in open forums where the discussion spilled into every crevice of the campus in Idyllwild, CA.I have to give a shout out to the culinary programmer, Joey Rubin, and his team who provided the menu that nourished us.. He framed it to me like a DJ would curate a 48 hour marathon set. One that started with a vegan smattering when we first arrived (to establish a healthy baseline after our travels to the mountains), to what he called “peak protein” on Saturday night with ribs and steak to fuel us through the night. Rubin’s Sunday morning sendoff was a ‘Bull Market Brunch’ to lead us wherever our next adventure might be. Along the journey there were so many treats & impressive new age brands like Taika, Vamos bars, Tepache, Off Limits Cereal, and a late night, hand-rolled Estrano street pasta bar that hit at the perfect time.The performance lineup included an amazing IDM (intelligent dance music) set from Oneoftrix Point Never, complete with holographic projections; a dope hip-hop set by JPEGMafia; a day party with BartyDarty; Sudan Archives’ alternative rap-soul-violin show; James Blake both crooning and DJing; and FWB co-founder, Trevor McFedries, originally known to me as DJ Skeet Skeet, bringing back his alter ego to close it out with a set of techno that slapped so hard it felt like a Berlin club at 4AM.Cautious optimism was in the air as the market shifts to its next evolution. The merger of ETH is set to take place in mid-September, which is very exciting. The way toward more adoption is more applications grounded in symplicity, education, and value. I hate to say this but…Web3 and NFTs have started to develop a branding problem. The potential of the technology is very different to the tangible products being marketed in today's mainstream culture, causing confusion. Is an NFT a piece of software like an MP3, a program that unlocks great utility, a smart contract, or a digital collectible? It may be all of the above but that’s a lot to comprehend. The answers to most of my philosophical questions never came clear, but the hard questions were certainly asked in those rooms.FWB FEST was the perfect example of how a DAO can bring a community from discord to discourse in a first class IRL experience. So much of crypto culture is built on FOMO, but this wasn’t that. There was no drama or flagrant misbehavior and it wasn’t designed for “Instagrammable” moments or flash hype drops. It was an experiment and experience that transformed the most influential server in Web3 culture into a meeting of 500 highly motivated, passionate, curious minds. It will be interesting to see where things can go from here. Does engagement grow? Do memberships rise? Does the token go back up in value after dropping 90% YTD? Time will tell. What we do know was this weekend was a case study that will go down in DAO history and be referenced over and over again for all the right reasons!
BEATS
The Song Of The Summer Is House MusicHouse music has been making quite the splash this summer, and some believe Beyoncé & Drake have helped shine the spotlight on the genre with their new albums. (Future Party)
Kelly Rowland Talks Supporting Black-Owned Businesses Like Re'Gine Terry's Busy Baking And Why You Should TooKelly Rowland has been in the game for decades and knows a thing or two about launching a business, or in this case, flaunting one. (AfroTech)
Drake-Backed Sports League Startup Overtime Raises $100M In Series D Funding Round As It Looks To Expand Into Web3Just last year, sports league startup Overtime raised $80 million in its Series C funding round, as previously reported by AfroTech. For 2022, the Drake and Jeff Bezos-backed company is scaling even further. (AfroTech)
Building an 'ARMY' of Fans: Marketing Lessons from K-Pop Sensation BTSFew companies can boast a customer base as loyal and engaged as BTS fans. In a case study, Doug Chung shares what marketers can learn from the boyband's savvy use of social media and authentic connection with listeners. (Harvard Business School)
Nipsey Hussle’s Marathon Continues To Hollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is set to posthumously honor Nipsey with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Boardroom)
How Agencies Pick the Perfect Song for Their AdsKeeping people interested can be executed through leading with recognizable faces, strong visuals and the right sound. To get consumers to look up from their phones, brands must have a deep understanding of rapid social media trends and the pop culture climate. (AdWeek)
The Difference Between Vinyl Fans: Then And NowThe new generation of Vinyl buyers are dedicated to the format and represent an opportunity for artists, retail, and device marketers. (Russ Crupnick)
Spotify Launches Feature Allowing Fans To Rank Kendrick Lamar's Best AlbumsSpotify is giving users to ability to rank their five favorite albums by Kendrick Lamar and share their list on social media. The new feature provides an interactive in-app experience for fans to show their love for the Pulitzer Prize-winning artist. (HopNewHipHop)
A Breakdown on TikTok’s Plan to TakeoverThe Chinese-based company is the fastest-growing app to reach 1 billion monthly active users. It has Gen Z in an attention chokehold and has scaled on the back of music. TikTok wants to monetize the attention it has captured with artists, content creators, and users. (Trapital)
BYTES
Post Malone is one of the most successful artists who rose from the streaming era. In 2015, he burst onto the scene with his viral hit “White Iverson” that was uploaded to SoundCloud. That song paved the way for a record deal with Republic Records, four studio albums, world tours, and headliner status at music festivals. (Trapital)
Anticipation over YG‘s next album Pray for Me has been steadily brewing throughout 2022, but before his sixth studio record finally lands in the laps of the masses, he has sprinkled various singles out into our streaming services. After linking with Tyga and 21 Savage for “Run,” the Bompton representative has blessed us with his new track “Toxic,” and he was recently summoned by A COLORS SHOW to perform it.
Selena Gomez is turning her years of mental health advocacy into something more tenable. Today she launched Wondermind, a mental health company she'll head with her mom, Mandy Teefey, and media entrepreneur, Daniella Pierson, who previously founded The Newsette.
They say that success breeds expectation, so when one of the most acclaimed producers of the 21st century – Danger Mouse – and one of the most revered rappers alive – Black Thought – join forces for an album that’s been talked about for almost two decades, it’s safe to say that anticipation is high. (NME)
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!