Amaar Burton
Houston rapper Travis Scott has been making major moves. Beyond the music, Cactus Jack has expanded his brand and is getting paid by everyone from fast food giant McDonald's to sports apparel powerhouse Nike and Sony PlayStation.
Travis Scott Featured In Forbes
Scott is featured on Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30” special issue, which focused on his business ventures (Scott is working on a new hard seltzer drink, for example) and unique method of branding. The overall theme is that whereas most celebrities are told what to say by the companies they endorse, Travis Scott tells those companies what to say.
“Tomorrow, the 10th annual #ForbesUnder30 comes out. Fronting the issue: Travis Scott, who originally made the list based on his music credentials, but now helps major companies rethink their brands—and changing how celebrities and corporations interact http://on.forbes.com/6018HKVo0”
Scott’s New Album Due In 2021
The Forbes piece also mentions Scott’s next album, tentatively titled Utopia, is due to drop next year.
“I don’t think utopia is about high currency with everything being, like, a money thing,” Scott said in the interview. “I think it’s about people being naturally happy. The society we’re living in right now, it’s super-depressing in a sense of everything that’s happening in the world.”
TikTok Levels Up With Travis Scott + Lil Nas X’s Record Label
Digital giant TikTok’s popularity continues to grow. The massive social media platform announced an agreement with Sony Music Entertainment, ultimately giving users the ability to make songs from one of the biggest music companies in the world.
According to the announcement, with this deal, the TikTok creator community will have access to sound clips from Sony Music’s giant catalog of songs. TikTok and Sony Music will work together to support greater levels of TikTok user personalization and creativity on the platform, and “drive new and forward-looking opportunities for fan engagement” with SME’s artists and music. TikTok will also partner with Sony Music in promoting artists on the platform. (Variety)
“We are thrilled to enter in to this agreement with Sony Music so that we can continue to work together to connect the incredible roster of Sony artists in the US and across the globe to new audiences and harness the power of TikTok.”- Ole Obermann Global Head of Music for TikTok
Sony Music Artists Now Have Huge Social Media Presence
To make the deal even sweeter, artists already signed to Sony Music Entertainment are expected to naturally have a larger online presence as a result of the licensing deal. Artists are also expected to receive some serious promotion across TikTok.
TikTok is paying “a significant increase” over its previous licensing deal, according to Bloomberg. The companies are also supposed to work together on ways to promote Sony artists and “greater levels of TikTok user personalization.” Sony and its labels have had some huge wins, thanks to TikTok. Lil Nas X, whose song “Old Town Road” soared in popularity on the app, is signed to Columbia, a Sony label. And Jason Derulo’s “Savage Love,” which is unavoidable both on the app and in grocery stores (or whatever other physical locations you’re still visiting these days), was also released via Columbia. (The Verge)
