Why Revolt TV has the opportunity to make history and money, but more importantly… History.
While thinking of this piece I sat down and listened to every Diddy track ever created. My Spotify music history can attest to that. As a child of the internet and hip-hop, I can’t begin to tell you how much influence Sean Combs had on my childhood. I remember vividly dancing in all of my friends pretend rap videos and trying to place aluminum foil on my bubble jacket so I can look like him and Mase in the Mo Money, Mo Problems video. Diddy is arguably a centerpiece in what is hip-hop culture today and is well deserved to be so. He helped usher hip-hop into a new era, multiple times. He taught us class, excellence, style, hustle, he even taught us that carrying toothpicks can be rather useful. Today’s hip-hop is a completely different genre without Bad Boy records, and in my opinion tomorrow’s hip-hop and history is completely different without Revolt TV.
This is a special time in history. Hip-hop is going through a large shift, it’s has become a part of American culture and is slowly becoming a part of our global culture. It’s shaping the way people express themselves globally and the alumni of hip-hop are becoming the influencers to millions around the world. The time is now, it is time to document our history so that those who come after us can understand the building blocks of hip-hop. The ability for us to find and consume new content today is unprecedented. Revolt TV has barely scratched the surface on the web and has significant influence on our culture. By introducing us to new music, it has the ability to make or break musical careers, fashion styles, define whats cool, and what isn’t. If this platform has such an ability to influence millions and change perception, why not solidify itself as a cornerstone of hip-hop? Why not tell the story of hip-hop from the beginning, and continue to do so forever?
The Proposition
In today’s society, information is coming at us so rapidly and from so many different platforms, reading (in-depth) just becomes more and more difficult. If you know me personally, you’ve probably heard me mention on a few occasions that documentaries have become the new non-fiction books. It’s seems as if we retain information better when its in video form than in literature. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, its just that the most valuable information in our society is stored in books and not in videos. At least not yet. As a sports enthusiast, I thoroughly enjoy watching ESPN 30 for 30's. If you haven’t watched any, I strongly urge you to do so. Pick any documentary and watch, you will instantly fall in love. What makes these documentaries special is their in-depth analysis of very important moments in sports history. From the creation of fantasy sports leagues, to the Michigan Fab 5, each documentary provides an account of all of the subject with real people who actually lived through these moments. Watching ESPN 30 for 30's makes you feel as if you were there living in the moment of sports history. This my friends is the opportunity Revolt TV has. This platform has the ability to tell hip-hop history through the horses mouth. There are so many hip-hop musicians, writers, historians, and people alive to tell the tale. Yes, I’m aware that VH1 behind the music exists, but the angle we’re reaching here isn’t simply about the artist. It’s about organizations, discoveries, entities, people who have played important roles behind the scenes. Imagine watching an in-depth analysis on Bad Boy Records, straight from not only Diddy, but from people who actually worked there. Imagine finding out why the kingdom of Rocafella Records really fell apart, from a person familiar with the matter? What if we were able to fully understand the pressure, trials, and talks of the hip-hop summit of 2001? Imagine finding out what truly began Rap Genius and how it has changed the way people connect with hip-hop culture around the world? It would be so great to understand the genius of Hype Williams, and why he chose to film, edit, and produce his videos in such a way that changed our perception of music videos forever. Tidbits of history such as an accidental hiccup in the studio that may have changed or altered the sound of an artist and influenced an entire generation of people.
The possibilities are endless, and Revolt TV has the capacity to play the role of hip-hop historian. Revolt Films has already played a vital role in releasing the movie Lawless and has already put out a documentary focusing on Diddy and his escapades in Ibiza. Of course this isn’t just wishful thinking and no math. The ability to make money here is plentiful. Let’s say Revolt Films decided to release “Bad Boy: I thought I told you that we won’t stop” as a documentary on Revolt TV’s website. That in its own right can drive up advertising revenue for the site. It will increase user engagement and drastically lower the bounce rate on an overall level for the Revolt TV website. Another way is just capitalizing on the distribution channels that currently exist. We’re talking Netflix, Hulu, MTV, VH1, to name a few. By owning the rights to these documentaries, Revolt TV can sell them in packages, to institutions, to customers and they would be eligible for numerous awards and would pave the way for other web platforms to do the same in so many different arenas. This would also give Revolt the opportunity to work with amazing film makers, writers, directors and producers of our history and today to help tell the tale of hip-hop.
I hope you enjoyed my little ramble, I would love your feedback! Keep strategizing friends!
A short link to the ESPN 30 for 30 write up by the New York Times this past march.
Carl
Instagram/Twitter: CJoeBlack
Facebook/LinkedIn: Carl H. Joseph-Black
Email: CarlJoeBlack@gmail.com
