Category: Music

Thoughts on TikTok: The Future of Video Calls?

Image via RollingStone.com

Well I think I have finally arrived at the point of “feeling old” in my late 20’s. The emergence of TikTok, which if you have been living under a rock, is a Chinese video-sharing social networking service owned by ByteDance that is taking our pandemic-fueled world by storm. Scores of young millennials are using the app and even older professionals are slowly embracing this new trend as it becomes more of a mainstream accessory in our tech-crazed world. With the world slowly coming back to a new normal, I wonder if this is the most opportune time for this app to emerge or if its trendiness will soon fade away? Below I delve more deeply into my thoughts on the topic and share some of my initial takeaways.

Before we get too far into the weeds, I just want to say that I am by no means an expert on the medium, but rather offering some rapid-fire takeaways on the new-ish social media app. First off, the success of the app is really undeniable at this point. In 2019, media outlets cited TikTok as the 7th-most-downloaded mobile app of the decade, from 2010 to 2019. It was also the most-downloaded app on the App Store in 2018 and 2019. The Chinese company has seen a slew of interest even before the COVID-19 outbreak, but it has taken off even more in part thanks to the global stay-at-home orders given out by various nations. I myself have not downloaded the app, but I do wonder if the success will be longer lasting like Facebook or fizzle out like Vine.

Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney has been an early proponent of TikTok as a way to engage with prospective recruits. Image via USAToday.com

What I have seen through this strange time in history is that the creative power of TikTok is really taking off, especially when it comes to the generation that is younger than myself. Most famous entertainers have taken to using the app along with football coaches utilizing it to relate to new incoming recruits (thanks, Dabo). The app seems to be generating a new head of steam to all walks of life and has been trending like crazy on other social media platforms like Instagram. What’s more is that TikTok does not seem to be slowing down and is now being helmed by Kevin Mayer as CEO and COO after he was chairman of the Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International division of the company. This is a promising addition since the app has come under fire for potential concerns relating from user privacy issues to conspiracy theories regarding the app’s origins.

So where do I stand on the popularity of the app? Well I don’t think I will be adding a profile anytime soon (unless I have another blog where I do covers of 80’s dance hits), the growth and development of the company is hard to argue with. As the world is utilizing video technology constantly during this global pandemic, I wonder if that will be the norm of the future in about a decade or so once this younger generation grows up. Consumers around the world love video more and more, but I don’t think it will ever supersede face to face interactions. But who knows, this could be the beginning of a new wave and our whole business lifecycle will be completely different by the time it is all said and done. So let me know what you think of TikTok below and if you think it will be an effective tool to communicate your brand in the future.

Podfathers: My Favorite Podcasts and Career Lessons Learned

Image via Stitcher/Knuckleheads

Welcome back my millions (and millions) of readers! I took somewhat of a small hiatus from blogging to end the semester, but am back with a vengeance. As we slowly lurch into summer, I wanted to keep the theme of sharing my love of pop culture and how it has applied to my career in business. Since graduation from the University of Nevada in the summer of 2015, I developed a solid appreciation for podcasts. That being said, I wanted to reflect back on some of my favorite podcasts I have picked up since that summer and share them with you along with some business tips I have picked up from each.

Image via Sticher.com

Pardon My Take: Really the undisputed champion as far as podcasts go. Between the constant content that the show is producing with its guests, social media, and now Twitch, PMT has always been a constant in my podcast rotation. I wrote about the trio of Big Cat, PFT and Hank earlier this year, but the admiration for the crew still stands, especially after their great recent interviews with Undertaker and Karl Malone. The show has also interviewed a slew of business moguls including Mark Cuban and has made it a point to produce constant content and a show that is near the top of iTunes podcast charts, well maybe at the top since Joe Rogan is moving to Spotify. My admiration for PMT is well known, especially since Cat is a Wolf Pack basketball fan and a low-key sneakerhead.

I AM RAPAPORT: STEREO PODCAST: Wow this might be a really controversial selection since the fallout between Michael Rapaport and Barstool Sports was so bitter, but man when they were on together, it was awesome. The peak period for me was in the summer of 2016 and listening to both Rapaport and his co-host Gerald Moody aka “G Moody” was always an entertaining time. Though the podcast does contain a 1.5 rating on iTunes, it was one of my favorites thanks to Rapaport’s brash wit and his skill in in connecting with his interview subjects. There was even a short-lived talk where the show almost linked up with the now-defunct Reno Bighorns (#HornzUp). Though I have not listened much in the last couple of months I fondly remember my time as part of the #Rapapack.

Knuckleheads with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles: A more recent inclusion is duo of former Los Angeles Clippers young guns, Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles. Yeah I might be biased since “Q-Rich” enjoyed my column on him and Miles earlier this year, but their engaging content with their guests is unparalleled. Being able to hear war stories from the NBA in the 2000’s is amazing to listen to and also a nice nostalgia trip as well. The lesson here is how these two ex-pro athletes were able to transition into another lucrative career path and also doing so as friends and business partners in a positive way.

I already wrote about my appreciation for “The City” podcast that was put on by USA Today and the Reno Gazette-Journal, but I think it also deserves an honorable mention here. So let me know some of your favorite podcasts and what they mean to you. Also thank you for taking the time to read as always and leave a comment below as well!

Turn Up The Radio: The Most Profitable Hair Metal Acts of the 80’s

Image via Amazon.com

In music history, there might not be a more polarizing time period than the mid-to-late 1980’s hair metal scene. Set amidst the haze and sunshine of Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip, 80’s hair metal birthed a number of different important musical acts as the decade drew to a close. Bands such as Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Guns N’ Roses (kind of a fringe hair band, but still), Dokken, Warrant, Poison and Whitesnake ruled the day as these acts were all the rage in stadiums and bars across the country. So who made the biggest impact on the state of music as the decade wore on? Well in many wayss they all did in one way or another, but I wanted to take a classer look at who had the most mainstream appeal, stayed the most true to their initial “look” and finally, who made the most money during this time.

Def Leppard: Is Def Leppard really a hair band? Well thanks to some exhaustive research, Rolling Stone tabbed “Hysteria” as their number one greatest hair metal album of all time so for this list this they qualify. In terms of mass appeal, few bands were able to rival DL in their heyday thanks to their strong arena rock anthems. Released in 1987, “Hysteria” topped the UK and U.S. album charts. As of 2009, it has reached beyond the success of “Pyromania” (my personal favorite), having been certified 12× platinum for sales of over 12 million in the U.S. and has gone on to sell over 25 million copies worldwide. DL was later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, so their lasting appeal from the time period is warranted.

Poison’s 1986 album “Look What The Cat Dragged In” is one of the most memorable albums of the time period. Image via Amazon.com

Poison: Now in terms of iconic looks from the era, Poison is right there at the top. Their 1986 album ‘Look What the Cat Dragged in’ was full of classic sing-along hits that defined a lot of the sound from the era. Front man Bret Michaels would later on go to become a successful reality television star and the band would find somewhat of a second wind because of this. Poison probably won’t win any “greatest bands of all time” lists, but their look defined an era.

Bon Jovi: You don’t become the owner of an Arena Football League team by not selling a TON of albums, but that’s exactly what Jon Bon Jovi and his band did and still continue to do since their formation in 1983. Bon Jovi has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the bestselling American rock bands of all time and has also landed them in numerous halls of fame. Their third album, “Slippery When Wet”, has sold over 20 million copies and included three Top 10 singles, two of which reached No. 1 (“You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin’ on a Prayer”. Indeed, Bon Jovi is not only one of the most successful hair bands of all time, but also perhaps one of the most successful bands of all time, period.

Honorable mention: Dokken: Now I don’t think Dokken is really one of the best bands of the era (even though they did beat out Metallica at one point in terms of headlining appeal), I just think they’re underrated. Plus the “In My Dreams” music video is one of the best depictions of that era. So while I might not have lived through the 1980’s, if you grew up in Reno listening to the radio, it still is a staple in your rotation at one point or another. So let me know who you think is a great 80’s hair band and why in the comments below.

Award Tour: How The Low End Theory Changed Hip-Hop

Image via atribecalledquest.com

The early 1990’s is regard by many music historians as one of the most brilliant era in the history of rap music. You have the west coast G-funk scene headlined by Dr. Dre, Tupac and Snoop Dogg and are also juxtaposed with the likes of New York mainstays, Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. However, one of the most seminal albums of this time period emerged from a Queens Hip-Hop group by the name of A Tribe Called Quest. Released in September of 1991, The Low End Theory was a smash hit and helped propel ATCQ to lasting success as a hip-hop group for the majority of 1990’s. While there a ton of great tracks off of this album, I wanted to talk more about the impactful ways it changed hip-hop during their decade from a business and cultural standpoint.

The Low End Theory album cover. Image via emusician.com.

Bridging the gap between Jazz and Hip-Hop: Thanks to magnificent production work from Q-Tip, The Low End Theory was a sonic masterpiece in terms of sampling songs and creating new sounds. Tunes like “Check the Rhime” and “Award Tour” are certified classic party tracks along with more slower songs like “Jazz (We’ve Got)” and “Buggin’ Out” give the album a balanced feel. Thanks to his excellent production work, Q-Tip and ATACQ have inspired a slew of musicians over time including the likes of Kanye West and Pharrell and were one of the forefathers of alternative hip-hop. Indeed, a marvelous fusion of of sounds is what makes The Low End Theory a standout and must-listen album.

The Emergence of Busta Rhymes: Featured prominently on one of the album’s stand out hits, “Scenario,” a young Busta Rhymes made his mark on the landmark track that featured a slew of other artists. Rhymes would go onto to have a successful solo career and is listed as one of the greatest 50 MC’s of the last 20 years. As an original member of Leaders of The New School, Rhymes is a huge influence on hip-hop to this day and one of the genre’s greatest visual artists. Indeed his cameo on Scenario is one of the most iconic in hip-hop history.

Historical Impact on Hip-Hop: With ATCQ coming off of one of hip-hop’s greatest debut albums ( People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm), The Low End Theory had a huge bar to cross over to make its own impact on hip-hop culture. The album is regarded as Phife Dawg’s lyrical breakout, as he established himself as a formidable MC. The group is credited with showcasing how hip hop was made before commercial success influenced many rappers’ creativity, and for challenging the “macho posturing” of hardcore and gangsta rap. Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 153 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, stating that people “connected the dots between hip-hop and jazz”, as both were revolutionary forms of black music based on improvisation and flow, however, “this LP drew the entire picture.”

So tell me your favorite song from The Low End Theory either in the comments below or on Twitter and make sure to have a safe and peaceful weekend!

“I Love The Dough” – Hip Hop’s Top 3 Songs Relating to Business

Image courtesy of http://www.consequenceofsound.net

In the pantheon of hip-hop history, the rap game is closely intertwined to not only the economics of the streets, but also the ups and downs of the business world. An incredibly diverse and rich genre, hip-hop has the ability to touch all walks of life. Whether you appreciate it for its raucous anthems (Digital Underground, DMX, Souls of Mischief) or its down to earth flows (A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul), rap music has a little bit of something for everyone. In this case we are going over how hip-hop can tie back to business and economic themes and the top three songs (in my opinion) in the history of the genre.

For this list, we are mainly going to focus on songs from the 1990’s. While there are certainly many jams that go over the up and down times of the business world, this list is my personal top three. While there are plenty of excellent choices to choose from, especially as the 1990’s transitioned from the gangster rap earlier in the decade to the decadent high-spending times to open up the 21st century, there can only be room for a top three. So without further ado, let’s get into the list, which is in no particular order.

Jay-Z performs during the “Dead Presidents II” music video. Jay-Z released his
debut album “Reasonable Doubt” back in 1996 and it almost immediately
became a hip-hop instant classic. Image courtesy of YouTube.com

“Dead Presidents II” by Jay-Z : Released in the summer of 1996, Jay-Z’s debut album “Reasonable Doubt” is regarded by many in the entertainment industry as one of the greatest rap debut albums of all time. Spearheaded by a slew of expertly crafted hits, including “Can’t Knock the Hustle”, “Cashmere Thoughts” and “D’Evils”, the album is a masterpiece and has stood the test of time in terms of influencing the generations after him. However, the key headliner from this album has to be “Dead Presidents II” which is slang for every president that appears on U.S. dollar bills. The song is an ode to Jay-Z’s time on the streets and featured sampled backing vocals from Nas that became a key element of their famous feud later on in the decade. “Dead Presidents II” is a key song to listen to if you are ever in the mood to learn more about the origins of one of hip-hop’s greatest performers of all time.

“Juicy” by The Notorious B.I.G.: In terms of rags-to-riches stories, “Juicy” is probably is one of the most under-appreciated inspiration songs of the 20th century. In the song, Biggie details his humble and dangerous upbringings in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn and how he has achieved everything he has wanted after leaving the drug trade. This includes everything from “money green leather sofas” to the illustrious duo of the “Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis”, which of course are things we all want to aspire to. While also serving as an incredible pump-up anthem, “Juicy” is an incredible tale that is really “The American Dream” for many people in a nutshell.

“C.R.E.A.M.” By Wu-Tang Clan: Wrapping up our list we have Staten Island’s own Wu-Tang Clan bringing arguably their most classic track from their debut album to the table. In a list that is really become dominated by the east coast rap scene, Wu-Tang stood out for their giant ensemble group and their varied lyrics and themes in their songs. The eighth track from “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)”, “C.R.E.A.M.” is short for “cash rules everything around me” and with a diverse street upbringing ever present in their lyrics, Wu-Tang brings their economic street sense. While not the most feel-good song, and not that it has to be, “C.R.E.A.M.” is the Wu’s ode to cash flow and how it dominates the street culture where they are from. With their iconic Wu-Wear brand and almost each member of the group spinning off to a successful solo career, “C.R.E.A.M.” was really a sign of things to come.

Thanks as always for taking the time to read this post and please drop a comment or tweet me @CDBoline with your favorite hip-hop song from the 1990’s.

“8 Million (Business) Stories” – A Tribe Called Quest and also this blog (sort of)

Image via YouTube and Complex

We all have heard of the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words”, right? Well in the present day world, pictures are not the only forms of communication that make humans think and feel something. In our everyday lives, we find all kinds of ways to connect ourselves to the world around us. That means more avenues to tether ourselves to mainstream culture and relating it to our personal lives. 

That’s why this blog is geared around our collective connections to pop culture (sports, entertainment, tennis shoes, movies, music, etc.) and how they can tie back into our personal lives, or in this case, how culture ties into business as a whole and how it can relate to your own company.This blog is going to be filled with examples of characters, both real and fictional, and their journeys navigating the sometimes treacherous corporate world. These stories will be going over the mundane turned comical (Office Space) to the eternally changing world of social media and its impact on future generations (YouTube vloggers). Indeed, business and pop culture have found multiple ways to intertwine themselves over the decades — do you think Air Jordans are popular by accident? Each story or anecdotal tale has a foundational core of a protagonist or protagonists striving to make money at the end of the day, and hopefully changing the world for the better.

While each post on this blog will tell a different event from industries as disparate as the NFL to the dry deserts of northern Nevada, they all share a common thread of stories offering a distinct glimpse into how their business functions and how it can change over time. For each post I will be going over a new tale and how it can potentially relate back to your business in terms of lessons learned and things to say and do. Plus who doesn’t like talking about sports and music? For every entertainer or superstar athlete, there is a story behind them and how they developed their business. There are also the events of everyday people and how their lives are typically connected to their business for better and possibly for worse. 

It seems as though everyone is connected to some sort of social media platform whether it be your eccentric aunt on Facebook or a former classmate from middle school finding YouTube fame. All of these individuals are attached to an outlet that brings them closer to the collective consciousness of the culture around them. Indeed even those stories can add value to a business owner’s next great grassroots marketing plan or a new strategy to help grow a certain demographic. Maybe you will find some useful pieces of information in this blog or a new tactic to apply in your business. Hopefully you’ll run across some topics you’ve never heard of before or just a post to kill some time while you are in the airport. 

Regardless, thank you for coming and visiting my blog and I hope you enjoy the posts inside. 

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