1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: M M. Welcome to Strictly Business Varieties, weekly podcasts featuring 2 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: conversations with industry leaders about the business of entertainment. I'm 3 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: Cynthia Littleton, business editor of Variety Today. My guest in 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: New York is Peter Bittenbender, CEO of mass Appeal. Mass 5 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: Appeal is a content centered company that is active in 6 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: TV and film production, music, creative advertising, and branding. The 7 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: company is enjoying a burst of attention right now thanks 8 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: to of Mikes and Men Before Part showtime documentary series 9 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: that tells the story of hip hop's legendary Wu Tang Clan. Here, 10 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: Bittenbender discusses how mass Appeal plans to build on the 11 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 1: momentum for the company that he relaunched in two thousand 12 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: thirteen in partnership with rapper Nas and director Sasha Jenkin. 13 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: Bittenbender is candid about how mass Appeal intends to avoid 14 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: the problems faced by similarly situated companies such as like 15 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: media leader. Bitten Vender, CEO of mass Appeal, thank you 16 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: so much for dropping by. Thank you for having me 17 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: mass Appeal. I have seen it described as a platform 18 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: for radical creatives. Tell me how does a platform for 19 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:23,680 Speaker 1: radical creatives make money in today's media landscape. Uh, diversification, 20 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: I think is a big point of what separates us 21 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 1: and makes us a sort of unique company. Um. You know, 22 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: we look at mass Appeal is like an engine and 23 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: then creatives can plug into its. Whether you're a music artist, 24 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: a film filmmaker, h a journalist, you know, a graphic 25 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: designer or whatever. We are sort of a place where 26 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: you can come in and then we can help you 27 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: realize your dreams. So the goal is, you know, if 28 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: we're doing a lot of different things at once through 29 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: our business, you know, hopefully many of them, but if 30 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: not a few of them are making money and that's 31 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: covering sort of the things that are the passion projects 32 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: for the business. So you have kind of an incubator 33 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: mall where you have relationships with a lot of creative 34 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: people and kind of give them the tools and the platform, 35 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: and then as things developed, then you partner with them 36 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: to shape them a little bit more for the for 37 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: the content marketplaces that that we have our stable of 38 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:18,920 Speaker 1: talent that is like our home home team, the family 39 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 1: of massi Appeal. Obviously Sasha Jenkins, we directed the Wu 40 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: Tang series and many of other other sort of high 41 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: profile projects. He's the marquee sort of name that people 42 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: are most familiar with. And then under under Sasha, we 43 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: have a bunch of you know, Sasha protegees or people 44 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: that we are grooming through, um, smaller projects, but that 45 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: we see having a ton of potential. And that's you know, 46 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: that's a handful of people less than ten that are 47 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: sort of like Mass Appeal living breede that every day, 48 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: that are not staff but like creative directors. Um. And 49 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 1: then we bring in you know, people for the right 50 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: jobs that are sort of our extended family members. UM. 51 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 1: So whether we're doing a soundtrack for a movie, not 52 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,519 Speaker 1: every artist on our label that is necessarily gonna fill 53 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: every slot. So we'll have you know, half of our 54 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: team maybe produced music, and then bring in you know, 55 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 1: whoever else we think might be might be right for 56 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: the project. And mass Appeal in addition to in addition 57 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: to you know, video content, film and film and video, 58 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: doing creative advertising, branded work. You also have a music label. 59 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:24,640 Speaker 1: You have a partnership with Universal Music Group. Yes, so 60 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: mass Appeal has four sort of business units. Um. The 61 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: thing that people know Mass Appeal most for was a magazine. 62 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: If you sort of followed the history of mass I 63 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: don't know if the variety listeners maybe maybe know the 64 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: whole history, um, But today Mass Appeal sort of works 65 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: in these four different areas that all synergistically can come 66 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: together on something big like a Woo Tang, or can 67 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: kind of work as a siloed different business unit content arm. 68 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: So the content Arm is producing really premium level film 69 00:03:55,840 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: and television projects, so Wu Tang being the most recent 70 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: of them. But then we've done you know, films like 71 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: Fresh Dressed. We just finished Futures documentary with Apple Music. 72 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: We did a big series of Netflix called Rapture. We've 73 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,119 Speaker 1: had you know a handful of things, whether they're they've 74 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: all been non scripted, you know, for the moment, we're 75 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: starting to get into the scripted space. So that's the 76 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:18,599 Speaker 1: content bucket. The record label is a non traditional label, 77 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: and the fact that like we have artists, we do 78 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: very artist friendly deals. NAS obviously being the helm of 79 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: the label, is a great, you know, sort of beacon 80 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 1: for for the artists that we work with. Let me 81 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: also work with a lot of brands helping them solve 82 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: their music needs. So whether it's a soundtrack for a 83 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: movie or We just did a big program for want 84 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: of Uni leaders, Uni Leaver's brands who wanted to do 85 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: something really impactful and hip hop with music for one 86 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: of their products. So the label unlike a lot of 87 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: major labels or you know whatnot, we have our artists. 88 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: But then we're also sort of having this music agency 89 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 1: model where brands can come to us and we pick 90 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: you know, three to probably five for brand projects a 91 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 1: year that we can do either original music or we 92 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: can do consulting or strategy work on UM. Then we 93 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 1: have the creative department, which you brought up, which is 94 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 1: more of a traditional agency creative advertising. So that is 95 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:20,359 Speaker 1: a strategy first. Culture is kind of our sweet spot, 96 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 1: you know, our voice and the authenticity of mass appeal 97 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: because I think what sort of makes us proprietary, as 98 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,359 Speaker 1: you might say, UM, so that that piece of the 99 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: business is UM you know, kind of the cash cow 100 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:36,920 Speaker 1: if you want to say, because it's a high, high 101 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,279 Speaker 1: margin business. We have great clients, Google being our largest client. 102 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 1: We work with you know, Showtime obviously on the marketing 103 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: of Wu Tang, but then we've worked with Game of 104 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: Thrones for years or excuse HBO for years on Game 105 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: of thrones UM and brands are coming to us to 106 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: connect with the audience and the culture that mass appeal 107 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: is very fortunate to kind of be living every single day. UM. 108 00:05:58,160 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 1: And then our four fourth business unit is kind of 109 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 1: amalgamation of a lot of things. It's our digital business, 110 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: so it's all of our social channels, all of our platforms, 111 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: and then it's our venture business. So in the venture bucket, 112 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: we're building something in cannabis. Right now, we have something 113 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: else going for children that will be announcing very very soon. 114 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:18,279 Speaker 1: One of the things, I'm a father with two young girls, 115 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 1: and ever since I've been shopping for them, I haven't 116 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 1: found products that necessarily speak to my desires, interests, and 117 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: passions as a parent. So speaking to Nas, he has 118 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: this incredible song called I Know You Can, which is 119 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: a really really inspirational song just sort of telling kids 120 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:36,919 Speaker 1: like you can be anything you want to be, you 121 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: know in the hook. You should google the song out 122 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: there if you haven't heard. It's an incredible, really really 123 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: positive song. So I told him, I said, why isn't 124 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 1: there a children's book, Like the message behind the song 125 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: is so beautiful and it's just a really like it's 126 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: a song that will stand the test of time. But 127 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: it's just living as a song. There could be a 128 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: children's book, there could be an educational set like the song, 129 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: just that so many other places it can be manifested 130 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: for people that might not ever come across the song, 131 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: and just as a message the song is you know, 132 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 1: I know I can basically do what I want to 133 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: do if I work hard at it. Um. Sorry nas 134 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: for for puchering your puchering your song. Um, but the 135 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: message beyond the song is now being turned into the 136 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 1: sort of inspiration for an entire children's business that Mass 137 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: Appeals launching will be announcing it eleven. So UM. You know, 138 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: we have different products we're doing, we're building. Some of 139 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,239 Speaker 1: them are educational, some of them are more just cool, 140 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: sort of novelty things for for kids. But they're all 141 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: using sort of youth music culture and hip hop sort 142 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: of a driving inspiration. Um, just putting more diversity into 143 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: that market. There's not a lot of people who have 144 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: sort of looked at the children's market and put that perspective, 145 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: which is crazy knowing that hip hop, you know, is 146 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 1: a number one streamed genre music globally and the impact 147 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 1: it's had you're well into your second and third generation 148 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 1: of the listeners. There's a lot of parents, myself being 149 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: one of them, who grew up I didn't grow up 150 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: on led Zeppelin. I grew up on run DMC, your 151 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: nas or whatever. So I'm really excited about that business. 152 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 1: And again, the creative agency is sort of powering that 153 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: business as a venture. So that's that's how we're working. Um, 154 00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: it sounds I mean, it sounds like you've got a 155 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: lot of a lot of different balls in the air. 156 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: How would you say, at this moment, when there are 157 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: more avenues to get content and to be innovative than 158 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: ever before, how do you decide? How do you decide 159 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: what your focus at any given time should be. I 160 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 1: hire very good people who can sort of manage my 161 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: my creative craziness, because if it was up to me, 162 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: we be doing all these things at once. Um, we 163 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: have a bandwidth like any small growing company. So it's 164 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: more about where the opportunity is that we see. You know, 165 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:58,199 Speaker 1: mass appeal is building a business based on I P 166 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 1: We're not. The service business is great, but the three 167 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: other buckets of mass appeal the content, the music, and 168 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: the sort of digital adventures that's where we're going to 169 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,559 Speaker 1: build a long term value that will give mass appeal 170 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: to the ability to ultimately scale into the global you 171 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: know kind of platform we wanted to be for you know, 172 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:19,440 Speaker 1: urban culture. So the you know, like what can you 173 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 1: do with the given hours in a day. So whether 174 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: it's my head of strategy and operations or the finance 175 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 1: or some of my other business partners, we just have 176 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: to lay everything on the table and say what can 177 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: we do well, what can we do first? And what 178 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:34,560 Speaker 1: can we do with the quality level that we've sort 179 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 1: of become accustomed to doing stuff. And you are in 180 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:40,880 Speaker 1: the content arena, you are a little more traditional, and 181 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 1: you are making content and selling it to other platforms. 182 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 1: You're not trying to draw people to a website or 183 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: or a large social platform branded mass appeal. So up 184 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 1: until last year, we did have an oh no, we 185 00:09:52,559 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: had a traditional website. We were putting up you know 186 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: a few dozen pieces of content a week, and we 187 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 1: were much like an other website that you'd see out there. 188 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:05,200 Speaker 1: Um that business, as you well know, last year had 189 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: a really major correction with companies that were worth you know, 190 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: nine figures selling for pennies on the dollar and I 191 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:14,439 Speaker 1: think we got out of that business at the right 192 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: time and we focus on what massive it was really 193 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: great at, which is you know, premium storytelling. And for us, 194 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:25,559 Speaker 1: it wasn't about having it necessarily live on our channel. 195 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: We wanted to live where the most people are going 196 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: to experience it. So for us, it's more about ownership 197 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: creative control. So as long as we're co owning the 198 00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: content and we have control over it, I wanted to 199 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 1: live at the best place possible. So for Wu Tang 200 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: Showtime was the best place possible because they were going 201 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:43,680 Speaker 1: to get behind it in the way that you know 202 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: we needed um answers. Yeah, I mean to tell us 203 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: Wu Tang is obviously has had come out and like 204 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 1: you know, pretty much universal acclaim and you platform that 205 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: really interestingly, you took you know, what was envisioned as 206 00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 1: a documentary TV series and had a big screening at 207 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 1: Sundance and got it got attention for it, But it 208 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: was always envisioned as a television series. Correct, So this 209 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: has been like the Holy Grail story for us. I mean, 210 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: I can't tell you how much Wu Tang had an 211 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:18,360 Speaker 1: impact on myself and you know, most of the people 212 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 1: who work at Massapeal. Obviously we're just incredibly influenced by 213 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 1: what Wu Tang meant back in the nineties but still today. 214 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:28,719 Speaker 1: So it was it was a labor of love to 215 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: get this done, just you know, um getting them all 216 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: on board. I mean, people have been trying to make 217 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:37,840 Speaker 1: the Woutang doc for you know, ten ten years now 218 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 1: at least. Um. So when we finally got everybody unified 219 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: that like, this was the time to tell their story 220 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:47,040 Speaker 1: to us, the most important thing we could do was 221 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 1: make it deserving of what these guys have created globally. 222 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 1: So yes, we didn't want it to be a one 223 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: hour special. We wanted to be there's just there's you know, 224 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: there's ten voices in Wu Tang. So I mean there's 225 00:11:59,880 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: a people who have watched the four hours who were like, 226 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 1: give me another four you know. There's like we didn't 227 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: even get into the solo albums. We didn't get in 228 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: there's so many pieces of Wu Tang that you couldn't 229 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: talk about in four hours. It sounds like season two showtime. 230 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 1: But no, the the format that we ended up choosing, 231 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,840 Speaker 1: the four part felt really really um well suited for 232 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 1: the story, and we got you know, lucky with Sun Dance. 233 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I think it was a great union in 234 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 1: terms of them having the serialized sort of division of 235 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: Sun Dance where they're premiering multi part series. Um, you know, 236 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 1: getting Wu Tang to come to Sundance was a big draw. 237 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:40,959 Speaker 1: It's a little nerve racking because they hadn't seen the series. 238 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: They watched it in the theater with the crowd for 239 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:48,400 Speaker 1: the first time, which was you know a little intense 240 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:50,520 Speaker 1: for myself and Sasha, not knowing how they'd react because 241 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:53,960 Speaker 1: you know, if you haven't seen the series, encourage everybody 242 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 1: to please watch it. But when you do watch it, 243 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: and if you've seen it, they're very vulnerable in it. 244 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: You know, it's not like what you would think of 245 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:06,079 Speaker 1: with nine. You know, guys who live them very very 246 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: hard life coming from Staten Island. They really laid it 247 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 1: all out there. There wasn't a lot of um, you know, ego. 248 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:15,559 Speaker 1: It was just like, this is our chance to tell 249 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:17,319 Speaker 1: our story and we want to make sure it's told properly. 250 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: And it's just to hear the maturity of these voices 251 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 1: that have always been so strong and always had a 252 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: lot to say, but to hear them now as mature 253 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:28,840 Speaker 1: men reflecting on that time and their careers and where 254 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 1: they are. I think that's one of the things, maybe 255 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: to the more casual viewer that really stands out, that 256 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: really was so well captured in the piece. Yeah, I 257 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: mean Nas, whom you know, we're very lucky to have 258 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 1: as one of our business partners at Mass Appeal. He 259 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 1: said it so eloquently. He's like, I would have killed 260 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 1: killed him if I was in that group twenty five years. Like, 261 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:50,680 Speaker 1: I don't know how they didn't, how they're still together. 262 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 1: I mean, just imagine how many friends do you have 263 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 1: that you've known for twenty five years that you're still 264 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,559 Speaker 1: that close with ten years later. So it's amazing what 265 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 1: they have, um, what they've achieved. I mean, Sasha says this, 266 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:08,000 Speaker 1: you know, He's like, think about you know, nine, ten. 267 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 1: I always say ten because o dB is no longer 268 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 1: with us in terms of shooting the dock. But I 269 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: think about ten ten people who came from those circumstances 270 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: who have achieved that level of success and fame. I mean, 271 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: I can't think of ten other people in the history 272 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:23,360 Speaker 1: of time that have sort of a risen to that 273 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: level of success coming from those circumstances, So it's just 274 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: great that they're still together, they're touring, they're making money, 275 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: they're still revered. We built a museum to them. One 276 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 1: of the one of the great parts about Wu Tang, 277 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: and this is one of the things that I think 278 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 1: makes mass Appeal so special, is that we didn't just 279 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 1: produce the content. We put out a soundtrack. We put 280 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: out a Wu Tang original EP on our record label. 281 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,480 Speaker 1: Show Tom hired us as the creative agency, so Mass 282 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 1: Appeal designed the key art. We built an entire museum 283 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 1: in partnership with Dolby called the Womuseum, which was in 284 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: saying twenty square foot experience space where we recreated Rizz's bedroom, 285 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 1: and we had a tribute room to O. D B 286 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: and all this incredible projection mapping, and UM had this 287 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:13,880 Speaker 1: art gallery where Sessed, the Gaffiti artist, just recreated the 288 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: Woutang logo and all these different iterations. So tell us 289 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:20,080 Speaker 1: us about building like a universe to celebrate Woutang, not 290 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 1: just a piece of content. Did you finance the initial UM, 291 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: initial production, the initial hours that screened at Sundance? Did 292 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 1: you finance those yourselves before you had before showtime was 293 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: on board. UM. We actually partnered with Endeavor Content, so 294 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: we're represented by William Morris. We brought them. They actually 295 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 1: helped packages, so they represent Rizza. So about two years 296 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: ago Jadum over there was one of our agents was like, 297 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 1: Rizza is ready to really tell the Woutang story. And 298 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: we've been sniffing around the story, as I mentioned, for 299 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 1: quite some time, but it never felt like the timing 300 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:56,360 Speaker 1: was right. So Rizza took a meeting with Sasha. Sasha's 301 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: um you may have seen in the dock put Wu 302 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: Tang on the first magazine car they ever had back 303 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 1: in the nineties. There was this really long circular kind 304 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: of relationship that that came to fruition through the series UH. 305 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: And we were about to take it out to the market. 306 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: We're about to go shop it, just like you know 307 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 1: any other project, like let's set up the pitches and 308 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 1: Endeavor Content was just launching and they said, nope, we're 309 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: going to fund this one. We think this is too 310 00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: special of a project. So that kind of rechanged Massi 311 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: Pipel's business model. UM. Up until then, a lot of 312 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 1: the projects we've done had been more traditional, like we 313 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:34,239 Speaker 1: sell the content whoever pays for it. Owns the copyright. 314 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 1: We have some type of residual profit participation, you know, 315 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 1: as we're building the brand. Wu Tang was a sort 316 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: of major change in how we look at Mass Appeal 317 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:48,840 Speaker 1: in our I P so we co own um, you know, 318 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 1: the Utang copyright with with Endeavor and Utang Utang as 319 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: profits on at Mass Appeal. So it was a much 320 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: better deal for Woutang obviously much better deal for us 321 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: and the best part forget the the financial benefits of it. 322 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:04,920 Speaker 1: Endeavor really didn't get in our hands like a network. 323 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: Like if we had sold it to Showtime, and I 324 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:09,800 Speaker 1: love Vinnie and he's been our biggest supporter from from 325 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:12,520 Speaker 1: the jump, they would have wanted to see edits. There 326 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,680 Speaker 1: would have been notes, and even if they maybe weren't intrusive, 327 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,679 Speaker 1: the project was made on such an accelerated time time table, 328 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: we just had to go. So the fact we didn't 329 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:24,879 Speaker 1: have all the trappings of a traditional network made it 330 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:27,639 Speaker 1: so that we could actually deliver Wutang you know, at 331 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:31,400 Speaker 1: the at the quality we wanted. UM. You know, there's 332 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:34,040 Speaker 1: a lot of scrutiny right now in the marketplace of 333 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 1: the relationship and the you know, the financial and the 334 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:44,400 Speaker 1: business relationships between artists, representatives, talent agencies, and related production companies. 335 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:48,159 Speaker 1: You just described a very positive experience with endeavor content. 336 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:50,679 Speaker 1: I mean, based on what your experience, would you do 337 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 1: more with endeavor content? Yeah, we're talking to about more 338 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 1: projects now. UM. You know, fortunately, after the success of Utang, 339 00:17:58,040 --> 00:17:59,640 Speaker 1: with a lot of people hitting us up and bringing 340 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 1: us a out of great I p The thing about 341 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,399 Speaker 1: Wu Tang that I think also was really great is 342 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:08,159 Speaker 1: at Showtime. If you notice in any of the outdoor 343 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 1: the trailer, the mass Appeal logo sits side by side 344 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 1: with Showtime. That was the first time that had ever 345 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:17,119 Speaker 1: happened in the history of Showtime. Was that negotiated. It 346 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: was negotiated intensely. UM. But I think when we finally 347 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 1: sat down with Showtime when we were doing the deal, 348 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: we explained to them that mass Appeal brings a certain 349 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: level of authenticity. We bring an audience and having our brand, 350 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:35,160 Speaker 1: which was important to Wou Tang um side by side 351 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,399 Speaker 1: with Showtime and it wasn't everywhere, but it was in 352 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,720 Speaker 1: most of the key places. UM was actually going to 353 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: add more credibility to the project. And you know, we 354 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 1: killed ourselves making this. We didn't make a lot of 355 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 1: money on the production of Wu Tang. It's more about 356 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: the the value it's driving for our brand and the 357 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: library content. So Woutang was the first for the business 358 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 1: in a lot of ways, just the business model, the branding. 359 00:18:57,320 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: So now we've set sort of a new benchmark of 360 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:01,919 Speaker 1: how we want to you know, do deals in the future. 361 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 1: And the response, it sounds like um from the creative 362 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: community has been strong, incredible people. You know, Sasha has 363 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:13,480 Speaker 1: always been uh, you know, a very sort of sought 364 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: after voice in urban culture and just the space, whether 365 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:19,359 Speaker 1: it was a journalist with the books he was writing, 366 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:23,840 Speaker 1: or as you know obviously ah, you know, just a voice. 367 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: But now as he's built his name as a director 368 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: through through mass appeal. It started with a project Fresh Dressed, 369 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 1: which Vinnie when he was at CNN sort of supported 370 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 1: Vinnie Malhotra, who is the head of documentaries for Showtime 371 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: exactly m Vinnie was the first to sort of step 372 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 1: out and see Sasha's talent. We made that movie. It 373 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:44,879 Speaker 1: took us to Sundance. It was our first film partnership 374 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 1: with CNN, a film wanted to become very successful. And 375 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 1: then from there Sasha was he got the directing bug, 376 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:56,160 Speaker 1: and you know, ten projects later, he's got ten more 377 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 1: than he wants to do. So we're really lucky to 378 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:03,719 Speaker 1: have the support of uh, you know, William Morris and 379 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:06,359 Speaker 1: people like Vinny and obviously Sasha is now set up 380 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:09,640 Speaker 1: where a lot of people want to have his brand 381 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 1: and mass Pills brand, so it feels good. You mentioned, 382 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 1: of course, the importance of authenticity and the Massive Hill 383 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:19,919 Speaker 1: brand was that it was important that Mass Appeal be 384 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: affiliated with the Wu Tang documentary in order to just 385 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: to signal a kind of a perspective and a point 386 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,240 Speaker 1: of view in the in the production, to the to 387 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: the you know, it was important that Mass Appeal have 388 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:36,240 Speaker 1: have a logo presence in the documentary to signal to 389 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:39,399 Speaker 1: the sort of hardcore Woo tank fan that this was 390 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:43,399 Speaker 1: coming from somebody with a perspective to really tell this story. Trusted, 391 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:48,240 Speaker 1: trusted voice. How in a business that is that that 392 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:52,439 Speaker 1: trades on the strength of your creatives and the voice 393 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 1: and the authenticity that a more traditional media company, you know, 394 00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: a Warner Brothers or a Fox might would not bring, 395 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 1: would bring the same level to a project. How do you, 396 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 1: I guess, how do you how do you stay on 397 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:06,840 Speaker 1: the cutting edge. That seems like a really a real 398 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,440 Speaker 1: challenge for companies as they start to grow in scale 399 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:13,159 Speaker 1: and work with work with brands, and work in the 400 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 1: you know, in the working in you know, dank comedy 401 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 1: clubs and music venues. Like, how do you balance the 402 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,399 Speaker 1: need to be you know, to be a profitable business, 403 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:27,680 Speaker 1: a successful business working in a lot of different areas 404 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: with keeping that sort of street cred that got you there. 405 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: It's a it's a daily, daily conversation in the offices, uh, 406 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: in our office. Um. You know, we're fortunate to have 407 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:41,120 Speaker 1: iconic artists like a Nas. We're doing a new album 408 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: with day Law Soul that's being half produced by DJ 409 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 1: Premiere and half produced by Pete Rock. That's a name 410 00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 1: from the past. It is a name from the past. 411 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 1: And you know, we have incredibly established artists, whether it's 412 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:56,240 Speaker 1: like I said, a day Law and Nas whomever, who 413 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: give us one perspective, and then we're also working with 414 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,200 Speaker 1: a lot of very young talent who give us a 415 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: completely different perspective. So that balance, I think keeps us 416 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:07,479 Speaker 1: feeling really connected to what's important and what raised us, 417 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 1: but then also what's what's really now. Um. And then 418 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:13,560 Speaker 1: we're not We're not sprinting. We're going for the marathon, 419 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 1: you know. So it's not like we take every opportunity 420 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,119 Speaker 1: that comes into our our path where you really have 421 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 1: to evaluate. We have to evaluate from a bandwidth, from 422 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 1: a brand standpoint. So to us, it's not you know, 423 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: making money is that. You know, we're a business and 424 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:34,679 Speaker 1: we have to do that for our shareholders and for ourselves. 425 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 1: But I would rather have a business in five years 426 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 1: that's got integrity and maybe has a little bit less 427 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: money because we made the right decisions, because I know 428 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 1: in the long run, if we operate the business with 429 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 1: that sort of ethos, we will stand the test of time. 430 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: A lot of the businesses, you know, last year that 431 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:56,439 Speaker 1: aren't here at the moment, they got caught up in 432 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:59,720 Speaker 1: the clickbait, you know, kind of news cycle and it 433 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: was just volume, go go, go, go go, and they 434 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:06,480 Speaker 1: got these incredibly inflated valuations, and you know, the media 435 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: business got very, very saturated with a lot of money 436 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,920 Speaker 1: and a lot of a lot of bad decisions. I 437 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,040 Speaker 1: guess it's the best way to put it. Um. Unfortunately, 438 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:19,520 Speaker 1: there was a correction in that business, and I think 439 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: the reason massive feels stronger now than we ever have been. 440 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 1: Is because we sort of stayed true, Like we never said, 441 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:31,119 Speaker 1: let's let's do the projects that can make us a 442 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 1: ton of money today, but we're gonna look back in 443 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:35,480 Speaker 1: five years and be regretting, like, oh god, that's like 444 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:39,440 Speaker 1: a little blip on our on our timeline. Um wootang 445 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:43,120 Speaker 1: is something that you know, for the rest of my life, 446 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 1: I will be able to very proudly say that I 447 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 1: was part of making the Woo tank doc. So, I mean, 448 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: let me ask you kind of bluntly, do you see 449 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:55,120 Speaker 1: Vice Media and its trajectory as a cautionary tale as 450 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 1: you grow? Yeah, I mean they're one of many cautionary tales. 451 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: I mean I think what they've built is beyond impressive. 452 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: You know, as a business, we've only raised you know, 453 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:09,959 Speaker 1: we did our first seed round when we bought mass Appeal. 454 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 1: You know, we raised a million dollars. In seventeen we 455 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:18,680 Speaker 1: raised six million dollars. So we've raised seven million dollars 456 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,879 Speaker 1: in about seven years. And what we've built, in my opinion, 457 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:26,359 Speaker 1: is incredibly efficient and very very differentiated in the market. 458 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:29,120 Speaker 1: If you look advice, I don't know what they've raised, 459 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: but it's a billion plus dollars in a similar time period. 460 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 1: And now they have the business that has all kinds 461 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 1: of very well documented issues. Um, they still have a 462 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 1: robust business, and you know, hopefully Nancy can continue to 463 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: get that business back on track, which I think she can. Um, 464 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:51,280 Speaker 1: there's less about any specific business. It's more about businesses 465 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:54,639 Speaker 1: that sort of got over their skis, as you might say. 466 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 1: And um, I think a lot of these companies got 467 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 1: caught up in valuations and all this stuff and they 468 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:02,119 Speaker 1: lost like what made them want to get into business 469 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 1: in the first place. So hopefully that's that's not ever 470 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:08,600 Speaker 1: gonna happen to us. And tell us, let's take a 471 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,720 Speaker 1: step back and remind us kind of the origin story. 472 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 1: Mass Appeal started out in the mid nineties as a 473 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,719 Speaker 1: print maker, as a print fan zine started out as 474 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:21,479 Speaker 1: a graffiti zine in by two guys named Patrick Elastic 475 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:25,600 Speaker 1: and Adrian Moehler. They're graffiti graffiti artists who just had 476 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: a sort of passion. They built the brand from a 477 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:34,159 Speaker 1: graffiti magazine into sort of culture publication that was focused 478 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: on hip hop graffiti, just street culture, youth culture. And 479 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 1: in the nineties, you know, to basically two thousand eight, 480 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,000 Speaker 1: when the brand kind of went dormant for a few 481 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:49,679 Speaker 1: years because one of the founders passed away. Unfortunately, that 482 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:51,679 Speaker 1: was like the bible of culture, you know, if you 483 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,399 Speaker 1: were somewhat cool and you wanted to stay in the know. 484 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 1: There was a handful of other magazines, but Mass Appeal 485 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:00,680 Speaker 1: was like the one that everybody looked to, like we 486 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:02,320 Speaker 1: were sort of setting the trends. I can't even say 487 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 1: we because I was just simply reading it at that point. 488 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:08,920 Speaker 1: But yeah, the brand was great when we were able 489 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:11,240 Speaker 1: to buy it and relaunch it because even though the 490 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,119 Speaker 1: brand had been dormant from two thousand and eight to 491 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:16,360 Speaker 1: two thousand, twelves had been publishing. It had so much 492 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 1: equity in the name that when we decided to bring 493 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:20,920 Speaker 1: it back, all these people would come up to me 494 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: and say, oh my god, it's so great that you 495 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 1: and Sasha and Nas. You know, you're taking Mass Appeal. 496 00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:28,399 Speaker 1: But honestly, I didn't even know what everyone out of business, 497 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: you know, like, it just felt like it was omnipresent. 498 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:34,919 Speaker 1: So you, Sasha and Nas teamed and a handful of 499 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:38,080 Speaker 1: other investors, people weresters, operators of the business and you. 500 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:40,800 Speaker 1: So it was a basically dormant I p and you 501 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: bought it from them and then you revived it as 502 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:48,800 Speaker 1: with this very content focused strategy. So initially I had 503 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 1: a previous company named Deacon. That company was a microcosm 504 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:55,199 Speaker 1: of what Mass Appeal has now grown into become. The 505 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:57,560 Speaker 1: company had a record label, had a creative arm, and 506 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:00,879 Speaker 1: had a production arm. It was cool, but it was 507 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 1: really less about IP ownership and more about service. So 508 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 1: that was you know, music videos, it was documentaries. It 509 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:12,879 Speaker 1: was putting out albums from like my favorite you know, 510 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:15,399 Speaker 1: backpack hip hop artists, but that I absolutely loved, and 511 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: then ultimately graduating to put out you know, I'll push 512 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 1: a T or a drastic five. But in the in 513 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:24,439 Speaker 1: the early days, you know, we were working with some 514 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:26,960 Speaker 1: of the golden era hip hop artists that I just idolized, 515 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,159 Speaker 1: you know, whether it's a c Alone or you know, 516 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:33,280 Speaker 1: hieroglyphics or whomever. Um. But the business wasn't really building 517 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:37,359 Speaker 1: any value. It was more about just keeping keeping me 518 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:39,320 Speaker 1: really busy and doing a lot of cool stuff that 519 00:27:39,359 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 1: I was proud of. When we had the opportunity to 520 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:44,359 Speaker 1: buy Mass Appeal, it kind of took all the learnings 521 00:27:44,359 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: that we had a Deacon and gave us a give 522 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 1: a face to the business because Deacon was more behind 523 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,440 Speaker 1: the scenes and Mass Appeal became more of a consumer brand, 524 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 1: so very quickly massive it went from being a dormant 525 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 1: what was historically just a magazine to having an agency, 526 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:02,680 Speaker 1: having a record label, having a product, an arm um. So, yeah, 527 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:06,919 Speaker 1: it was and you've funded your growth with it sounds 528 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 1: like relatively little investment money. You're kind of growing on 529 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: your own steam. Is that fair to say? Yeah, we've been. 530 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:17,400 Speaker 1: You know, we probably would have been benefited to raise 531 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:20,720 Speaker 1: you know, this series A you know, a few years early, 532 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:22,960 Speaker 1: we probably could have gotten a little further along. But 533 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:25,359 Speaker 1: you know, when you're doing as many things as we 534 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: do a mass Appela every day, you know, if we 535 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:28,920 Speaker 1: had just wanted to be a record label or just 536 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:32,400 Speaker 1: wanted to be a content studio or you know, an agency, 537 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:34,879 Speaker 1: we could have built one of those businesses pretty scaled, 538 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 1: probably with focused investment. But I have a bigger vision 539 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 1: for Mass Appeal and as the Sasha of this global 540 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 1: uh you know, global brand that's really like the voice 541 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: of urban culture. So for us, it was like baby 542 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,720 Speaker 1: steps in a lot of places at once, improving the model. 543 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:56,720 Speaker 1: So when we got the series A, it's just turbo 544 00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:00,800 Speaker 1: charged and everything. Universal has been a phenomenal partner. Um. 545 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:02,720 Speaker 1: They're funding a lot of content for us right now. 546 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:06,480 Speaker 1: They obviously gave us the record label to you. Um so, yeah, 547 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:08,280 Speaker 1: that was a pivotal moment for the company. Do you 548 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 1: put on physical, physical recordings or is it is it 549 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: is strictly a digital Yeah, I can send you a 550 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: box of vinyl right now. I love I am a 551 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 1: big I was one of my uh I don't wanna 552 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 1: say saddest moments of Mass Appeal, but you know, the 553 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: magazine is a very very hard business. We don't have 554 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 1: a sales staff Mass Appeals whole business. We're hiring one 555 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 1: at the moment, but up until recently, our whole business 556 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 1: has been word of mouth and repeat business. So when 557 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 1: you have a magazine that is not heavily circulated, you know, 558 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 1: even if you have low five digit circulation, you know 559 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 1: it's not huge. Ads are not really paying for, you know, 560 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 1: the production that they're not paying. If they're not paying, 561 00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 1: they're not paying for it's a big business card basically, um. 562 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:53,320 Speaker 1: And it was a beautiful business card. But about a 563 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:56,440 Speaker 1: year ago we put a temporary pause. I'm not saying 564 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 1: Massive Pill won't publish again, but we had things in 565 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 1: front of us that felt more opportunity, more like a 566 00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 1: real opportunity, whether it was the Wu Tangs of the 567 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:08,360 Speaker 1: world are building the record label. Um. But yes, I 568 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: love physical stuff personally, I am. I am a big 569 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 1: proponent of making things, and I love the fact that 570 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 1: vinyl is having a huge resurgence right now. It's amazing 571 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 1: to me to go into urban outfitters or you know, 572 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:22,800 Speaker 1: I get to travel quite often for for work, and 573 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:24,880 Speaker 1: I go into the record stores and random parts of 574 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 1: the world and to see the vinyl section like exploding 575 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 1: is just so exciting, and you know, it's amazing like 576 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 1: when we put out a DJ Shadow album or a 577 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:37,840 Speaker 1: Run the Jewels or NAS. These aren't just have these 578 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 1: cult incredibly incredibly loyal fan bases that you know, you 579 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 1: can make five of these pretty elaborate bundles, you know, 580 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 1: and people will go clamoring for it. Um. So yes, 581 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 1: we're still you know, NAS is putting out Lost Tapes 582 00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 1: to UH in the near future, which is a project 583 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:00,840 Speaker 1: that's been a long time in the works, and we're 584 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: working on a big clothing collection with a very very 585 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:06,480 Speaker 1: exciting like fashion brand. I don't even call them street 586 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:09,440 Speaker 1: where there's something there's something different than that. UM, we're 587 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 1: building a whole experience space. We're hiding songs with brands 588 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:16,560 Speaker 1: and different products and all these different things we're doing. UM. 589 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 1: But a lot of it is giving people a real 590 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:22,200 Speaker 1: tangible experience. You know, digital and streaming will continue to 591 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:27,960 Speaker 1: drive the business. But for those people that buy the vinyl, 592 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:31,640 Speaker 1: they get to see the whole experience of the photography, 593 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:37,280 Speaker 1: the liner notes, the graphic design, the sonic quality of it. UM. 594 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,239 Speaker 1: I hope that doesn't ever go away. Personally, how do 595 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:43,480 Speaker 1: you do you do much in the way of of research, 596 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 1: focus groups? How do you keep tabs on what is 597 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:48,600 Speaker 1: you know, the cutting edge in the in this in 598 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:51,720 Speaker 1: this sort of culture that is known for its fast changing. 599 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:54,480 Speaker 1: You know, there's a new artist, a new a new sound, 600 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:57,960 Speaker 1: a new a new sense of the vanguard. You know, 601 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:01,200 Speaker 1: every couple of months, every couple of weeks. I'm still 602 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:04,000 Speaker 1: trying to get a sense of like how you how 603 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:07,480 Speaker 1: you keep tabs on the culture that you're trying to reflect. UM. 604 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:11,480 Speaker 1: We're fortunately a very young, vibrant staff, so we have 605 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:14,560 Speaker 1: a lot of voices in the office. Um, you know, 606 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:18,600 Speaker 1: we have our upper management. There's not a ton of middleman. 607 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 1: There's there's really hard working, connected young people who feed 608 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:27,920 Speaker 1: us a lot of their energy and their perspectives. Um. 609 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:29,960 Speaker 1: But yeah, for for example, for like the kids brand 610 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 1: that we're launching, We're doing a whole focus group next week. 611 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:35,040 Speaker 1: We're bringing in forty or fifty people. Some of them 612 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:39,479 Speaker 1: are super uber cool, you know, the Instagram influencer parents, 613 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:41,600 Speaker 1: and some of them are just people that we love 614 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 1: and respect their opinions. So yeah, we definitely crowdsource. We 615 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:48,800 Speaker 1: definitely bring another perspectives. But I think we give enough 616 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:52,960 Speaker 1: autonomy and support to sort of the younger staff or 617 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 1: if they think we're making decision that doesn't feel representative 618 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:58,280 Speaker 1: of Mass Appeal, they'll raise their hand and be like, 619 00:32:59,240 --> 00:33:01,680 Speaker 1: I don't think that's cool. You know, whether we decided 620 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:05,600 Speaker 1: to follow their advice or not. But yeah, you have that, 621 00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:08,800 Speaker 1: you have that in house vote, and they'll they'll slap 622 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:11,479 Speaker 1: I risked. Um. Let me ask you, when you were 623 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:14,640 Speaker 1: at college student reading Mass Appeal print magazine, did you 624 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:17,360 Speaker 1: ever imagine yourself in the position of a CEO? How 625 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 1: did you get on the Entrepreneur track. I definitely always 626 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:23,560 Speaker 1: wanted to be an entrepreneur. Both my parents were entrepreneurs, 627 00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:25,720 Speaker 1: so I think it was in my blood. Um actually 628 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:28,640 Speaker 1: went to restaurant management school, so I had a whole 629 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:32,000 Speaker 1: different I was at culinary school. I was at n 630 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:34,720 Speaker 1: y U for hospitality tours and management. So when I 631 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:36,400 Speaker 1: tell people I went to n y U, now they 632 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:39,360 Speaker 1: assume it was tishe for film school, and I'm like, no, 633 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:41,080 Speaker 1: I was in culinary school. I was a kid coming 634 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:43,600 Speaker 1: back from culinary school at eleven o'clock at night to 635 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,920 Speaker 1: the dorm rooms and the you know, it was the 636 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:48,400 Speaker 1: best kid on the floor because I'd bring all the 637 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,200 Speaker 1: food from my cooking class um to feed all my 638 00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:55,000 Speaker 1: Stone friends. Um. But no, I always wanted to have 639 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:58,280 Speaker 1: my own business. I always had ideas. I always was 640 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 1: heavily influenced by hip hop. I never saw the mass 641 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 1: appeal thing coming. But very quickly out of college I 642 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 1: started working with some of my favorite artists, whether it 643 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:10,480 Speaker 1: was you know Farrell or whomever. Um. I got very 644 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:13,440 Speaker 1: lucky in terms of just meeting people and you know, 645 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:16,080 Speaker 1: you do good work. It was a smaller world back then, 646 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:19,800 Speaker 1: so like, oh this this this project was dope. You 647 00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:23,440 Speaker 1: should hit up Peter or whatever. Um but no, the 648 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:27,759 Speaker 1: masscule thing when it came to fruition was so immediate 649 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:30,480 Speaker 1: and fast. It moved so quickly because I feel like 650 00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 1: it was just sort of one of those things that 651 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:35,840 Speaker 1: sort of meant to happen. Um but no. But I 652 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:39,440 Speaker 1: still have a lot of my old mastercules, so collector's 653 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:42,120 Speaker 1: items collectors, I am sure. Old Peter, thank you so 654 00:34:42,200 --> 00:34:44,000 Speaker 1: much for coming and talking to us about your company. 655 00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:46,520 Speaker 1: Will be definitely be paying attention to all your many 656 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:49,600 Speaker 1: flights that are spinning in the air and uh and 657 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:54,880 Speaker 1: good luck to you. Thank you so much, thanks for listening. 658 00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:57,600 Speaker 1: Be sure to tune in next week for another episode 659 00:34:57,600 --> 00:34:58,359 Speaker 1: of Strictly busin