Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I was Jazzy Jeff's assistant.
I think piracy itself is going to end up going away.
I bring in the record label who distributes the music.
I invested in Uber in 2011 when it was only in San Francisco.
No one has bridged that gap between music and technology yet.
I don't think holograms are the future in the music industry.
The music industry really is a meritocracy on a creative level.
I grew up carrying crates of records for Will Smith and those guys.
You have a huge demographic shift that's happening in America. Globally.
I'm from the streets, so I look at investing through a very unique lens.
When I first got pitched on Uber, I thought it was the dumbest idea ever.
The only two things that ever came naturally to me are music and investing.
Now we know that if we make a ten min video for YouTube, people will watch it.
The venture capital world is completely stacked against minority entrepreneurs.
When your back is against the wall, your brain has to function at a high level.
We called ourselves '2 Too Many' because we only had enough money for one of us.
I said, 'Who said African American founders can't build a billion dollar company?'
Lady Gaga is phenomenal. From the first day I met her, she was lightning in a bottle.
I'd like to open doors for underserved communities and minorities in entrepreneurship.
I was brought onboard to strengthen the bridge between Spotify and the music community.
Fifty-one million likes doesn't mean we're going to sell 51m albums or concert tickets.
The way it works is the manager's sort of, you know, is like the hub of an artist's career.
There's less clutter in the beverage category than in the music category. A lot less clutter.
What's important for that person on the other side of the table, and what's important for the client?
I came up with Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Those guys, they took me under their wing at an early age.
It's pre-roll or post-roll on Vevo. The record company makes money off of that, and then it trickles down.
The most successful people in the world are the ones who thought of that idea that was 'too crazy to work.'
There were a lot of stereotypes that I had to break of how people in the entertainment industry do business.
Backplane will provide a platform and tools for communities to socialize and communicate on a more focused level.
GaGa is a digital baby - that's how they communicate. There cant be any layers between the artists and their fans.
People are experimenting with streaming, with subscription services, whether it's a Spotify or a Pandora or a Rdio.
When I started Atom Factory, the idea was to do something small yet powerful. That name resonated with the mission.
To me, mentorships and internships are two big pillars in business development. I believe in having multiple mentors.
I was just a kid in love with hip hop music. I love music. I love the culture. I wanted to be a part of it in any way.
With Gaga - she's not afraid to take chances. You get these dynamic projects because of it. She's completely unafraid.
With what Enrou was doing with helping women and taking products from local marketplaces, we thought it was really great.
As important as hustle is, grit and resilience are equally as important because there's a lot of rejection in our business.
In order to continue the growth, we have to go back to embracing technology and the way that people choose to consume music.
You go into the venues, and there's a huge drop-off rate in the merch lines. People don't want to miss parts of the concert.
I stay away from the arts... writing songs, being creative - those are downloads from God. You can't do data analytics on art.
Once we started making investments, we realized the same service we provided to artists was applicable to entrepreneurs as well.
I believe in outgrowing a mentor and getting a new one, and I think that you can never be too old to be schooled by your mentor.
Mattel stepped up and changed the face of Barbie. Barbie looks a lot different than she did decades ago. Or even three weeks ago.
I am inspired by the diversity of the entrepreneurs that come into 'Shark Tank' and the ability of the show to reach all Americans.
If a kid goes and buys a CD at Best Buy, we have no idea who the person is, how many times they listen to it, or anything like that.
I had this little rap group, and we were called '2 Too Many'... We used to hang out in front of Jazzy Jeff's record studio every day.
I still have a day job, so I don't think I'll be a full-time Shark, but if they ever invited me back, I'd be more than happy to do it.
Being schooled is the same thing as learning, and you can never be too old to have your coattail pulled when you're wrong about something.
My biggest frustration is the lack of scale in the music industry. The fact that no one has sold 100 million copies of an album is frustrating.
Hip hop is a multi-billion dollar business, and it was built off an opportunity that nobody else saw because they didn't understand the culture.