I caught this video on Kix and the City yesterday.

Few things I found interesting. MJ was playing for the Bulls before he officially finished college. Mike had a LOT of endorsements early in career, and there’s a LOT of politics in the endorsement world, as you can see by watching this clip.

And I don’t know who’s Mikes stylist was but that patent leather jump suit is Ugggggly!

If you haven’t seen this it’s worth you taking time out of your day to check the facts and draw YOUR OWN  conclusion…

Wait so we don’t have to pay taxes legally? Hold up…

In a new business venture, Artist / Actor Ludacris has a new brand of cognac that just hit the market called Conjure. I’ve had the privilege of trying it out, and so far it appears to taste great when mixed with Apple Juice. There’s also a drink me and the homie 4-Ize came up with called the “Classic Example” (In honor of the song “Classic Example” and Dj Rasta Root’s radio show) which is a glass Conjure Cognac mixed with Coke-Cola.

Try it out for yourself. Check out ConjureCognac.com for more info.

Now you can drink Luda’s liquor, in your home while listening to Luda’s music, watching movies that Luda has acted in. … Branding at it’s best, I Love It!

1. It is better to be first than it is to be better.
2. If you can’t be first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in.
3. It is better to be first in the mind than to be first in the marketplace.
4. Marketing is not a battle of products, it’s a battle of perceptions.
5. The most powerful concept in marketing is owning a word in the prospect’s mind.
6. Two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect’s mind.
7. The strategy to use depends on which rung you occupy on the ladder.
8. In the long run, every market becomes a two horse race.
9. If you are shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader.
10. Over time, a category will divide and become two or more categories.
11. Marketing effects take place over an extended period of time.
12. There is an irresistible pressure to extend the equity of the brand.
13. You have to give up something to get something.
14. For every attribute, there is an opposite, effective attribute.
15. When you admit a negative, the prospect will give you a positive.
16. In each situation, only one move will produce substantial results.
17. Unless you write your competitor’s plans, you can’t predict the future.
18. Success often leads to arrogance, and arrogance to failure.
19. Failure is to be expected and accepted.
20. The situation is often the opposite of the way it appears in the press.
21. Successful programs are not built on fads, they’re built on trends.
22. Without adequate funding, an idea won’t get off the ground.

Today December 1st, marks World AIDS Day.

A lot of you may be familiar with the Nike brand, but who, what is (RED)?

(RED) is a business model created to raise awareness and money for the Global Fund by teaming up with the world’s most iconic brands to produce (PRODUCT) RED branded products. A portion of profits from each (PRODUCT) RED product sold goes directly to the Global Fund to invest in African AIDS programs, with a focus on women and children.

With that said… Nike & (RED) = Lace Up and Save Lives!

This unique partnership delivers a two-pronged approach to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa by delivering funds to support programs that offer education and medication on the ground and will harness the power of sport to engage youth around the world in the fight against AIDS in Africa.

In making the partnership announcement, Mark Parker, President and CEO of NIKE, Inc., Susan Smith Ellis, CEO, (RED) and Professor Michel D. Kazatchkine Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS , Tuberculosis and Malaria were joined by footballers from around the world and U2 vocalist and (RED) co-founder Bono, to emphasize the need for global action and participation to eliminate AIDS in Africa.

“The fight against AIDS in Africa needs great brands to drive awareness and engagement,” said Susan Smith Ellis, CEO, (RED). “Nike is the right partner to connect education with sport, and in so doing help drive social change, prevention and understanding of HIV/AIDS. We are thrilled to have them with us.”

The Nike and (RED) concept is a simple one that invites people to “Lace Up. Save Lives” by purchasing a pair of NIKE (PRODUCT)RED™ laces. One hundred percent of the profits from (NIKE)RED laces will be split equally between The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which funds AIDS programs that provide medicine for those living with HIV, and football-based community initiatives that deliver education and understanding around HIV/AIDS prevention. This unique partnership delivers programs that both medicate and educate.

Words taken from press release. For more info on the Nike x (RED) campaign Click Here

So I decided to check my e-mail one last time before I try to get some sleep, and this was waiting at the top for me to open. Bobby Creekwater’s new song “THE DAY I GOT DROPPED”, which is the official single off of his upcoming EP “THE DAY IT ALL MADE $ENSE” that drops AUGUST 31st. Woooord up. Kinda reminds of me of that J Live song “The Day I Fell Off”

Click Here To Download – Bobby Creekwater – The Day I Got Dropped

Also if you’ve been under a rock, you might of missed this. Bobby Creekwater announced via Maurice Garland about 2 weeks ago that he was no longer an artist on Shady Records.

Shady is doing ATL dirty. First Stat Quo now Bobby Creekwater.

Me and Dj Enchantd had a convo earlier about how major labels aren’t even relevant any more. They don’t even have the marketing dollars to put behind artists like they used too. More importantly a lot of them have lost the connection with the general public. I blame setting fans get ahold of Sound Scan. There was a point and time where we didn’t care how many copies a record sold, if it was good, we bought it and jammed too it. Then the labels start letting sound scan get to the general public. Now even the fans are determining an albums success based off units and not the music. I honestly feel the era of the Mega Star is over.

BUT.. this isn’t about how I feel. Check out Bobby Creekwater below explaining why he left Shady Records.

Chris Anderson is the EIC (editor in chief) for WIRED Magazine. I am currently reading his previous book THE LONG TAIL (review coming soon). I find his insight nothing short of brilliant. In looking for him on twitter today I found that he released a new book right underneath my nose! FREE – The Future of a Radical Price. The concept is:

“Chris Anderson demonstrated how the online marketplace creates niche markets, allowing products and consumers to connect in a way that has never been possible before. Now, in FREE he makes the compelling case that in many instances businesses can profit more from giving things away than they can by charging for them. Far more than a promotional gimmick, FREE is a business strategy that may well be essential to a company’s survival.”

I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy and digest it. Once I do you know I’ll share my review with you but in the meantime if you can’t wait for my review go ahead and get your copy by clicking the link below.

http://www.thelongtail.com/

www.twitter.com/chr1sa