Hustle University - Hotep!!!

Hustle University is a virtual institution of higher learning for today’s new wave of leaders and future business/ entertainment moguls. Hustle University fosters a "do-for-self" mentality by promoting entrepreneurship and leadership through the teachings of proven business and personal success strategies.

Our strength lies in our ability to bridge the gaps between academia, hip-hop culture, corporate best practices and social activism. Hustle University provides practical strategies and solution-based methods with a "straight talk" approach laced with swagger. Our motto is:"Don't Wait for Opportunity, CREATE IT!"

B. Brown's Statement: I want to commend my man Hotep on being persistent and very focused on building Hustle University! I am very proud of you my brother! I have seen him take his idea and develop it into a great vehicle for entrepreneurs. Visit his website and take a look at a company that has a very bright future!

http://www.hustleuniversity.com

One Love!

Cheetah Girls help girls 'to believe in themselves'

By: Adrianne M. Murchison
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Wed., Oct. 29, 2008; E3)

Even with a hit television movie and a Billboard charting song to tout as accomplishments, The Cheetah Girls had not reached their ultimate high as entertainers until a concert at Disney's California Adventure Park. "It was the first time we were going to be on stage as a girl group and not as actresses," said Bailon, 25. "We hit the stage and saw fans go crazy, and there wasn't a movie director yelling action and telling them to do it."

"A lot of young girls have been following them for years and have kind of grown up with them. I know parents like to bring them out (for the show) because they are positive role models," says Julia Karenbauer, Marketing Manager for Gwinnett Arena (Gwinnett County, GA).

Group Members: Adrienne Bailon - 25; Kiely Williams - 22; Sabrina Bryan - 24

Q&A with Adrienne Bailon

Q: Tell us something people might not know about The Cheetah Girls.

A: Early on we had a couple of hard times with magazines saying, 'They're not cool enough. They're Disney Channel.' They didn't want to cover us because we didn't have edge, which to them meant we didn't have a scandal or anything intersting to say. That was hard for us to break through and really allow people to see that we are true artists and that we sing live.

Q: What is The Cheetah Girls' message of 'girl power' all about?

A: We encourage girls to believe in themselves. Anything is possible. We are really examples of that. We are the first majority minority cast at Disney. Going into the first "Cheetah Girls" movie we were like 'Hey let's just go for it.' And look where it's taken us. We learn from one another and celebrate our individuality.

Q: How would you describe each of you as friends?

A: Kiely is extremely nurturing. She's kind of like the mom of the group. She is the youngest, which is also funny. Sabrina is the comedian and keeps us all laughing. that helps when you're working hard and the stress level is high. And I'm very focused. I'm the cheerleader saying, "C'mon guys, we can make this happen."

Q: Will your upcoming concert include something special for Halloween?

A: We have some surprises in store for you guys. We're just really excited that Atlanta is such a fun city to be in for Halloween. We're hoping that a lot of fans come out dressed up looking very "Cheetahlicious."

T.I. has overcome major obstacles!

Comments by: B. Brown (BREG)

Let me start by saying that I by no means support what T.I. did last year involving the guns and silencers. But what I would like to emphasize on is the fact that this young black male battled through adversity and has jumped back onto the top of the charts with his New Album PAPER TRAIL. His first week numbers were over 500,000 units sold! Congratulations T.I.!!!

T.I. has been doing his community service at Metro Atlanta Schools and from what I have seen and heard, he is and has been making a huge impact. Now a lot of people would say and are saying why wasn't he doing this before he got in trouble? Well, I personally saw him visit North Clayton High School several years ago and he has been an advocate for education for a long time. Believe it or not, a lot of entertainers and athletes do a lot of charitable things that they do not receive publicity for what they are doing. A lot of good work is done below the radar!

We all have obstacles in our lives and we have a choice to make decisions that allow the obstacles to bring us down or make decisions to lift us above, through or around those obstacles to reach the destinations and goals we would like to reach.

T.I., keep pumping my brother and keep your head up as your time to serve your 1-year sentence approaches.

I challenge everyone to find a way to rise above their obstacles!!!

One Love!

Options, we have them, but what are we actually willing to do?

By: B. Brown (BREG)

"If I wasn't in the rap game, I'd probably have 'key', knee-deep in the crack game. Cause the streets is a short stop, either slangin' crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot. --- Notorious B.I.G., "Things Done Changed"

What a thought from B.I.G. Their is a large population of youth that really believe their way to financial success is by way of selling drugs, sports or entertainment. For some reason, they believe their options are tremendously limited and that is not the truth. Education is the key to success in anything and as an artist, manager, record company executive, etc., you must know what you are doing and that is going to require you studying your craft intensely so that you can become the best at what you do! So check this out, we have to prepare to be the best in whatever profession we chose to be involved in as a professional.

Even as an Artist, there are options to chose from. Are you going to perform on the local scene and take advantage of open-mics, showcases, etc.? Are you going to put together a budget and go out and service all the DJ's at the different clubs in town and in a 100 mile radius? Do you have a budget to do a radio campaign? Do you have a budget to go on a Promotional Tour? Artists have to see the big picture at times so that planning and strategic moves can be made to further their career.

We all have choices to make. We must all choose wisely!

One Love!

Bernie Mac & Issac Hayes --- Thank you!

By: B. Brown

My Prayers go out to and are with the families of Bernie Mac and Issac Hayes. To lose two (2) giants of the Entertainment Industry within the same weekend is unbelievable! God is good and his way is unquestionable, so we know everything is going to be okay.

Bernie has made me laugh so hard because of his incredible wit, punchlines and overall style. From Def Comedy Jam to all the movies and concerts, Bernie commanded attention in all of his performances no matter how small his role was because of his huge presence and that's what I am going to miss about him the most --- his great presence! God Bless you Bernie --- Rest in Peace!

What can I say about Issac Hayes, the man that composed the theme song for the movie SHAFT and helped create a character that epitomized the meaning of "cool", Issac Hayes is a musician of Icon status and we have lost a role model and gentleman that has helped music transcend and unite people all around the world! God Bless you Issac --- Rest in Peace!

You will never regret time spent with family and friends. Let your loved ones know that they are loved as much as possible. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us.

One Love!

Let's Make A Deal!

By: Keith Murphy (Vibe Magazine; pg. 42; May 2008)

Riding high on the success of this spring's Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige tour, LIVE NATION is officially bum rushing the recording industry. And the stakes are higher than ever.

What is it?
Established by Bronx, NY - raised media entrepreneur Robert F.X. Sillerman in 1997, Live Nation is a $3 billion concert promotions giant that has handled tours for such acts as The Police, Genesis, and Mary J. Blige & Jay-Z. The company is currently rolling the dice on its Artist Nation Division, an outlet that serves as a one-stop recording/merchandising/touring entity for acts looking for an alternative to traditional record deals.

Who's Running Things?
CEO Michael Rapino, 42, who oversaw Live Nation's reported $120 million, 10-year deal with Madonna last October, Artist Nation's first deal.

How does it work?
While there has been an increase in so-called "360" record deals between artists and traditional record labels, Live Nation's partnership with Madonna is new territory. In the pact, Live Nation gets the rights to percentages of all of Madonna's business ventures---including upcoming albums, DVD's, tours, merchandising, TV Shows, Websites and films. In return, the veteran performer reportedly receives company stock and $17.5 million in up-front payments on $50-$60 million for three albums.

How Will it Affect You?
It is unlikely that consumers will see an increase in CD prices under big-time 360 deals since retailers have already been pressuring labels for the past two years to drop CD prices in order to compete with the $9.99 albums offered by iTunes Music Store and Wal-Mart. Instead, price increases most likely will be seen in merchandise and concert tickets. For The Police's record-breaking 2007-2008 reunion tour, which Live Nation handled, ticket prices bubbled to $114 on average while tickets for the Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige outing are averaging a hefty $127. With the concert industry going through a revenue decline (Live Nation itself lost revenue in 2005 and 2006 and took in just $9.9 million in the second quarter of 2007) and historically dependable revenue streams drying up for artists, such numbers will continue to go up.

What's the Big Picture?
On the surface, 360 deals make sense for established superstar acts that no longer need a record label for administrative and promotional support. The news of Live Nation's concert tour promotions rival AEG structuring an imminent partnership with Ticketmaster and parent company Cablevision adds even more intrigue. But while there have been rumors of acts like U2 jumping on the 360 bandwagon, the Madonna deal is still seen as a huge gamble.

Violator Management head Chris Lighty says, "360 deals are the next natural phase in the business." But Lighty dismisses speculation about his client 50 Cent eyeing a Live Nation deal in the near future. "I don't think the Madonna deal signals a colossal change in the industry. There are only a handful of artists who can combine worldwide touring, record sales and merchandising." Who's got next?

Holy Intellect

By: Michael Muhammad Knight (excerpts from VIBE May 2008 Issue, pg. 88-93)

"We can never fall off," said Brand Nubian's Sadat X to Fab 5 Freddy, "cause this is God right here."

Filming a 1992 episode of Yo! MTV Raps in front of the Five Percenters' headquarters, Allah School in Mecca (aka Harlem, NYC), the dread locked Lord Jamar ran down the long list of classic Five Percenter MCs. It read like a hall of fame from the east coast's golden age: the World's Famous Supreme Team, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Poor Righteous Teachers, and Lakim Shabazz-rappers who used their considerable skills to espouse the street gnosticism of the Five Percent Nation. And it don't stop. Though condemned as heretics by Sunni Muslims and demonized by law enforcement, the Five Percenter movement has thrived in various forms until the present day, due in large part to the sense of purpose and dignity that gods brought to the microphone.

"The music just sounded really intelligent, with some of the terminology that they used," said 50 Cent in 2006. "They studied their lessons, so they speak a certain way, he said, causing Five Percenters like Rakim to "appear a lot more intelligent than the other artists who were out there just rappin'." The Five Percenters bridged the gap between hip hop's humble beginnings and New York's long tradition of black Muslim consciousness.

Alternately known as the Nation of Gods and Earths, the movement began in the early 1960s with Clarence Edward Smith. Leaving the Nation and losing his "X," Clarence went to pool halls and corner dice games to share the secret lessons freely with teen hustlers, dropouts, and throw-outs. Drawing up his own self-styled message, Clarence taught that reefer "referred" the mind, while shooting dice revealed the mathematical properties of the universe.

According to the lessons, 85 percent of society remained deaf, dumb, and blind to the truth, having been deceived by the "slave-makers of the poor," the 10 percent. That left only a sliver of humanity, a mere five percent, to liberate the minds of the masses. Clarence told his young disciples that they were this messianic Five Percent, "poor righteous teachers" bringing truth to "all the human families of the planet Earth."

You are gods, he said. And for the street kids, he was no longer Clarence; they called him Allah. ... Allah read his new name as an acronym for "Arm, Leg, Leg, Arm, Head" signifying the divinity of man, and he broke down "Islam" as "I Self Lord And Master" ...

"A true Five Percenter," remembers Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons, "could sit on a stoop or stand out on a street corner and explain the tenets of the sect for hours on end-and be totally entertaining!" ... Gathering in a circle known as a "cipher," Gods would take turns addressing the group. Terms used to describe their teaching battles would enter into classic hip hop slang: "dropping science," "dropping knowledge," "dropping jewels." To praise something as "the bomb" goes back to Five Percenters verbally bombing each other with the lessons. Simmons describes the Gods of those days as "slick" and "smooth-talking," preaching "with as much flair as possible." But they also complemented their style with a highly politicized awareness born from the black nationalism of the 1960s. In its original use, "G" meant not "gansta," but "God." Rakim breaks it down in 1988's "No Competition.": "I'm God, G is the seventh letter made." Seven represents "God" in the Supreme Mathematics.

The Five Percent Nation's most urgent priority was not creating pious followers but empowering young people with self-respect.

Despite everything-the assassination of Allah, government persecution, and religious disapproval-the Five Percenters teach on. "The knowledge has helped our generation," insists RZA, who includes all races and walks of life among those touched by the culture. "Hip Hop brought these positive people together." As both hip hop and the Five Percent Nation continue to elevate and expand, reaching places beyond their originators' dreams, they travel together, one unimaginable without the other. "The Five Percent is now accepted all around the world," the RZA told VIBE. "It's going to continue to grow until that's 100 percent."

What is Lil Wayne rapping about?

By: B. Brown (BREG)

It's quite amazing! Declare yourself the best rapper alive long enough and people actually start believing that you are the best rapper. Human nature and propaganda are a trip. If you do not know who I am talking about yet, let me tell you. I'm talking about Lil Wayne. Yeah, he's talented, but by know means is he the best rapper alive! Have we forgotten about Jay Z, LL Cool J, Nas, Ice Cube, KRS One, Andre 3000, Ludacris, T.I., etc. I don't even remember the last time Lil Wayne said something of substance. Everyone knows about him sipping on syzzzurp now, so he is obviously disoriented on his most recent features with Mario, Mary J. Blige, Usher, etc. On "Lolipop", he says absolutely nothing! He tries to come back strong on Baby's new banger "I Run This ...", but Wayne's verses do not put him in my top 5 of anything.

But let me be fair, I can call Lil Wayne the most popular rapper alive at this time. Now that may be true because every young lady I ask, "Who is your favorite rapper?", they all say, "Lil Wayne." Unbelievable!

So aspiring rappers or even established rappers, feature on as many songs as possible and start saying that you are the best rapper ever or alive, and one day everyone may be hyped into believing that you too are the best!

One Love!

Train of Thought - Sheek Louch: "Don't Be Them"

By: Hillary Crosley

Why shouldn't kids want to be like their favorite rappers?

I got an almost 4-yr. old son, and he's like, "Daddy, I wanna rap." I told him, "Don't rap. Be the head of the company the rappers are signed to." We don't need another Styles, Sheek or Jadakiss. When B.I.G. came into the game, he wasn't tryin' to be anyone else. He was just B.I.G. He was rapping about how he was Black and ugly as ever, and made himself cool.


Well, an artist like Soulja Boy is totally being himself. What's your take on him?

A lot of people take shots at Soulja Boy 'cause he's coming with gimmicks. But let lil' homie do his thing. It's whatever. I don't bump it in my car, but he's doing him. At least he's not tryin' to be
Kool G Rap.


You say, "Everything pretty behind the scene/until you find out your favorite rapper's a fiend." Were you talking about anyone in particular?

No, it I was talkin' about somebody, I would've damn sure said his name, 'cause that's how me and my crew get down. I don't think cocaine went away, but it's not the only popular drug right now. People still on them prescription pills, weed, angel dust. There's a lot of wetheads out here.


So life on the road isn't all it's cracked up to be?

I'm not broke, and as an artist, you do get money, but it's a grind. That's why labels call the promotional week for your album - "hell week." You do all these big shows, but it's for promo. You be like, "Where's the money?" Gettin' into the game, it is what it is. Going to these shady clubs, people gettin' shot, but this is how we get our money.


You mention being careful about chicks giving you brains. Have you ever been burned?

Nah, but AIDS is out there, and sex is part of being on the road. Groupies come immediately. You're with your crew, hoppin' in whoever's mouth, and you're young and you're livin'. the groupies get sillier as time goes on, but I'm not interested. the hotter you are, the hotter the groupies are. But, in retrospect, once the game is over and you get that doctor call ... This song is strictly geared to the artist that's home writing, that can't wait to get on.


Any other advice for these aspiring MC's?

Get some equipment. Screw the Jordan Shoes. Invest that little money in a keyboard or a beat machine. You can record at home and keep the budget. Stay shape. Leave them cheeseburgers alone. And keep your circle tight. You're gonna meet new people ... you can't let them ruin your circle.

Radio Music Conference - Albany, GA (3-22-08)

By: B. Brown of BREG

It was a history making moment in Albany, GA on Saturday, March 22, 2008! Team JaWar (Music Industry Connection) invaded Albany, GA for the Radio Music Conference. The first Music Conference of its kind took place in this long ignored area and the audience loved it!

JaWar (Music Industry Connection), Allen Johnston (The Music Specialist), John Christmas (Sports & Ent. Attorney/Bio Disel Fuel), DJ Judgemental (Hittmen DJ; Radio Mixshow DJ), Willie Hunter (Sentinel Newspaper), B. Brown (Bar-Red Ent. Grp.), J-Dog (Select-O-Hits Distribution), and El & Goose (Mogul Tunes) gave awesome presentations that really gave conference attendees the ability to make money and moves in the industry as soon as they left the conference. The theme of the conference-seminar was "How to Make Money Online"!

Great networking took place at the conference, and I have personally been speaking with contacts that I made at the Radio Music Conference and I will probably do some business with some of them.

I would like to give a big shout-out to the Host of the event --- Solo! Brother, you did a good job and the next conference is going to be even better. I would like to recognize some more entertainment professionals that were present --- Cool Water (Artificially Flavored, Inc.); Rovella (Versus Ent.); Thedy B. (Hits-A-Million Ent.); Hotep (Skinnymen Productions); Ayodele Vassell (Ent. Attorney); GameFace Video Production & Bizness.

I would like to say thank you to all the conference attendees and ask that you make the next conference even bigger and better! May God Bless you and keep you!

The Direction of an Artist and/or Independent Record Company

By: B. Brown of BREG


I receive a lot of phone calls and emails asking about what direction an Artist and/or an Independent Record Company should go in for their project. In the last two (2) days, I have had three (3) conversations about this very important issue.

As far as direction is concerned, there is always more than one way to skin a cat and it is the same way in the music industry. Many people have a clear vision of the result they want, but do not have a clear vision of how to get to those results. That's why you would contact and hire Bar-Red Entertainment Group (BREG), JaWar and/or any of my business associates to assist you in making your project a success.

One of the first things you have to do is be willing to work hard. The second thing is to be willing to listen & learn. The third thing is to actually have some financial resources available and be willing to use your own financial resources strategically. These three (3) things are very important!

The direction we all may want to be headed in and definitely invest research time and money into is digital marketing, promotions and sales. We are in a music based content environment and we have to tap into this arena or we will definitely be left behind. Solja Boy sold 3 million + ringtones and 500,000 physical Albums (CD). See the difference!

As business men and women, we must elevate our minds and businesses to reach our goals. Believe me, we can do it!

One Love!

Attitude - Kanye West

By: B. Brown of BREG

There is no denying Kanye West’s talent, appeal and drive. The man is flat out one of the best producers and artists in the business right now! His songs are hits and he seems to attract everyone he needs to attract to be successful. He has one fatal flaw however!

He is too self-absorbed and arrogant. I never question people when they thank as many people as possible during their award acceptance speeches. We must all thank and acknowledge everyone that has assisted us in achieving our success, but being flat out obnoxious isn’t good. Kanye actually kept talking when the music started playing for him to exit the stage and then he said, “I know ya’ll are not playing the music on me.” He kept talking, and then he said, “It would be in good taste for you all to stop playing the music.” It was funny, but at the same time, extremely disturbing because Kanye wines all the time and this was a time when everyone wanted him to shine because of the recent passing of his mother and the great performance he did prior to receiving his award. There is a time and a place for everything. For some reason, he chooses any place and any time to say whatever he wants to say. Appropriateness does not seem to matter.

I suggest that every Artist think before they speak and actually know the time allotted for them to speak or present so that they do not impose on someone else’s time slot, performance and/or position.

I believe in being humble and when you do that, people tend to want to help you and be a part of your success. When you are not being humble, people tend to want to see you down and out.Remember, in all things, talent will only take you so far. At some point and time, a pleasant personality and positive attitude will take you farther than you may ever believe!

Making sure your CD gets heard!

By: K. Cannick (Makin' It Magazine)

As an independent artist one of the worse sights to see is your CD's scattered on the club floor or parking lot. Even if you were a signed artist, a fair share of your promo CD's are going to make their way to the rash heap. Though many independent artists get discouraged by this, it is just the nature of the beast. Promotional CD's and free goods are a necessary component to successfully promote your project. Here are a few tips to help you maximize your results. Have a well packaged product and no cheap paper sleeves and hand written labels. I recommend a thermal printed CD in a slim jewel. The better the packaging is the higher the perceived value of the CD. If it looks like trash ... that is how it will be treated.

Speak to people - Don't just randomly hand out CD's as you make your way around the room. Use this opportunity to create a personal bond with potential fans. Introduce yourself to people holding brief conversations. Later in the evening go back to those same people addressing them by name, and reference your earlier conversation while giving them the CD. The goal is to attach a personal element to it. If that's too much for you, at least introduce yourself as you pass out the CD and tell people who you are.

Ask - A simple way to greatly increase how many of your promo CD's get heard is to ask people to listen. The trick is to ask a specific question that will elicit a response. I.e. "If I give you a copy of this CD will you check out number 4 when you get in the car? If they say "no" you have saved a CD from the trash. If they say "yes" you thank them and as you give them a CD tell them you appreciate their honesty. This is effective because people have a strong urge to be consistent. When they get to the car, they have two options, listen to the song or admit to themselves that they are liars.

Place a value on the CD - Another tactic that I've used is selling the CD for a dollar. Most people will have no problem shelling out a buck to show their support and the fact that you are selling the CD places a value on it. If a person doesn't have a dollar, but shows a genuine interest, give it to them and the affect will not be lost. You can also place a value on the CD by making people take action to receive it whether it is a contest, answering a question or just walking across the room to get it. The key is to make them pay for the CD whether with money or effort.

Wait till the time is right - Passing out CD's in the club can be a double edged sword. Sure it may be your target market for your music, but people are typically preoccupied with liquor, friends, and the opposite sex. A good time to pass out CD's is at the car before they go in. They are typically sober and you can ask them to toss it in the stereo. This increases the chances that they will be listening to your CD on the way home. Another good time to pass out CD's is during or after performing.

A small amount of effort on your part can save you a ton of money and make your street promotions much more effective. Until next time ... keep Grinding.