Back to work vibes are in the air this week nationwide. I love this time of year. For the next few months, everyone is off the beach, out of their shell, and looking to finish the year as strong as possible. The bell for the 4th quarter is about to ring true.My nomadic Summer has been filled with wonder, but I’m glad to be back in Miami for the Fall. This is a city that feels like it’s already in the year 2025. It’s no longer just the “Vegas of the Caribbean” or the “Capital of Latin America.” Miami is the future being built in real time, replete with excitement, culture, and opportunity. It’s the melting pot that’s heating up the most.I’m excited to be leading a conversation about the culture of Miami at Brandweek next week. When it comes to brand marketing, Brandweek is always one of my favorite events. The team at Adweek has been building this gem of a platform for a few years and they always bring in big stars and bright minds. Shoutout to Lauryn Hill, Swizz Beatz, and, this year… Pharrell!It’s the first year the event has been held in Miami and it will unquestionably be a power-packed lineup. My discussion is on Web3 / Metaverse day (what else is new!), which is next Friday, September 15th. My literal neighbors – the brilliant investor, Magdalena Kala, and the prolific Web3 brand marketer, Avery Akkineni – will be joining me panelside. Expect a lot of insight as we set our scopes on Miami’s Web3 & brand marketing movement.If you’ll be in Miami and would like to join, we’re offering a 20% discount with code JOINME20 via this link. I’ll be in the mix all week.Speaking of the Metaverse (and beyond), I’m excited to announce that Metropolis World’s passport mint goes live today and I can offer you allowlist access to mint yours starting at 3pm EST by going to the site here and using our unique code: nue1 (when you enter site, you will be prompted to enter the code in order to mint your passport). Beats + Bytes is unveiling its own property/nft in one of the capital cities of Celeste and we are thrilled to be founding citizens along with some web3 all-stars. It’s my dream club that’s part tennis club, part speakeasy, part intimate music hall with a bodega-vibe shop to sell products. Expect panels, parties, drops and Meta-matches, too! See ya there!Lastly, I’m proud to be quoted in the new book by Entrepreneur Magazine EIC, Jason Feifer that dropped this week. He is a wealth of information who cares deeply about ushering in great builders. I love our chats and I’m glad one of them is memorialized in these pages. Pick up your copy here.
BEATS
Why Artists ‘Characters’ Are So SuccessfulArtist characters help define career moments. When Tyler The Creator released IGOR (2019), it felt different from everything he did before. His fans were in a different mindset when they saw his yellow wig, the pastel suits, and the “Vote for Igor” lawn sign. (Trapital)
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Invests $2 Million In REC Philly For Miami ExpansionIn 2023, Philadelphia-based startup REC, also known as REC Philly, will call Miami it's second home as they launch REC Miami behind their partnership with Diddy. (Forbes)
Firebird Takes Flight, Acquiring A Stake In Red Light Management – With More Deals On The WayAt the top of this year, Music Business Worldwide told you we’d be keeping a close eye on the moves of Nat Zilkha – a respected deal-maker with proven pedigree in the music industry. (Music Business Worldwide)
Kevin Durant Reveals Nike KD15 'Producer Pack' Shoes with Boi-1da, Cardo & 9th WonderBrooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant partnered with a trio of music producers—Boi-1da, Cardo and 9th Wonder—on a "Producer Pack" for his line of Nike KD15 sneakers. (Syndication)
Super Bowl Halftime Show Wins Emmy for 1st Time; Dr. Dre, Eminem and More HonoredThe Super Bowl LVI halftime show that featured musical artists Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and Mary J. Blige, among others, won this year's Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special, per Lynette Rice of Deadline. (Bleacher Report)
A Company That Helps Creators Launch Unique Merch Brands Just Raised $6 MillionA manga written by an esports pro. A union-made clothing line created by a political streamer. A selection of toys tied to a group of Roblox superstars. These are just a few of the products that have been launched in partnership with Warren James, a brand development company that just raised a $6 million Series A funding round. (Tube Filter)
Vince Staples to Lead Netflix Comedy From Kenya BarrisThe rapper and artist will headline The Vince Staples Show, a scripted comedy series that is loosely inspired by his life. Kenya Barris will exec produce the show, which stemmed from the Black-ish creator’s former overall deal with the streaming giant. (Hollywood Reporter)
The MTV VMAs And The Metaverse: Will The 2022 Edition Disrupt The Entertainment Industry?But how will this year’s MTV VMAs and the metaverse impact the entertainment industry? And is it time to accept that the metaverse is a core part of the future of the music industry? (Amplify)
Skepta to auction off debut painting in co-curated Sotheby’s saleSkepta is set to sell his debut painting as part of an auction he’s co-curated for Sotheby’s’ Contemporary Curated series. The painting, titled Mama Goes to Market, will be exhibited at Sotheby’s’ New Bond Street galleries later this week, before being auctioned off as part of a lot featuring pieces by Omar Ba, Theaster Gates and Ouattara Watts, among others. (The Guardian)
J Balvin and Jordan Brand Unveil Entire Footwear and Apparel CollectionSeptember 7 marks one year since J Balvin first teased his second project with Jordan Brand, following up on the duo’s colorful take on the Air Jordan 1. (Hypebeast)
Beyoncé for Tiffany & Co. Beyoncé wears their latest design symbolizing togetherness and inclusivity. Tiffany Lock features an innovative clasp and diamonds that are hand set by Tiffany master artisans to maximize brilliance.
The Kobalt Sale: 3 Takeaways From The Music Industry’s Biggest Story Of The MomentKobalt had over 210 separate shareholders in mid-May this year, according to a confirmation statement filed at the time, made up of a mixture of VC investors, management, employees, ex-employees and more besides. (Music Business Worldwide)
NFT Tickets Are the Future of Live Music. Here’s WhyAs ticketing has transitioned from paper to PDF and the age of digital credentials, a new wave of post-pandemic performances has started to shake up the live-event ecosystem via — you guessed it — NFTs.(NFTNow)
Lil Yachty Launches His Own Frozen Pizza Line Sold Exclusively In Walmart Stores NationwideThe Grammy-nominated rapper has launched Yachty’s Pizzeria, his own frozen pizza line, according to a press release shared with AfroTech. Lil Yachty’s first-ever frozen pizza line is exclusively sold in Walmart stores nationwide. (AfroTech)
BYTES
One of the most successful entrepreneurs in the music industry is, without question, Matt Pincus. He sold his independent music publishing company, SONGS, for $160 million five years ago. And now, the music holdings company he co-founded, MUSIC, just raised $200 million to invest in music and music-adjacent companies.
From Amazon, an intimate look at the life of Grammy®-winning rapper Dominique Armani Jones (aka Lil Baby) as he navigates his meteoric rise from the West Atlanta streets to the top of the Billboard charts with his roles as devoted father, son, community philanthropist and powerful voice in the fight for racial justice. Told through previously unseen footage and set to a soundtrack of his biggest hits.
If you often find yourself making Spotify playlists to get hyped for an upcoming music festival or to relive a favorite past show, a new mobile app called LineupSupply can now help make that process easier.
Spotify revealed its Songs of Summer 2022 playlist chronicling the special tracks that we streamed the most from May 29 and August 29. Let’s dive in.
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!