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Investing money

1:58 PM |

Investing money in the right business can turn someones life into a wealthy fairy tale. Here are two entrepreneurs who have invested their time and money wisely into products they believe in and successfully have been rewarded gracefully.



Warren Edward Buffet was born August 30, 1930 and is considered to be one of the most successful investors in the world based on the amount of capital he started with and what he was able to grow it into (collegeinvestor.com). At a young age Buffett was astonished with the business of making money work for him. At 6, he purchased 6-packs of Coca Cola form his grandfathers grocery store for twenty five cents and resold each of the bottles for a nickel, pocketing a five cent profit. At 11, Buffet bought three shares of Cities Services Preferred for $38 dollars. The shares dropped below what he paid and when they rebounded back up to $40 dollars Buffet made a bad decision and sold his shares; little did he know that the shares would continue to increase up to $200 dollars a share. This taught Buffet a basic lesson when investing: Patience is a virtue.


Buffet never intended on going to college, yet his father persuaded him to attend a business college. After attending a couple of colleges and receiving his degree within three years, Buffet was introduced to famed investors Ben Graham and David Dodd who taught him an experience that would forever change his life. Through the years Buffet has made over $60 billion dollars and is known as "Wizard of Omaha," for his investments. "Buffett’s investment focus is very simple…buying companies for a low price, improving them via management or other changes, and realizing long term improvements in stock prices. He looks for companies he understands and keeps it very simple. Many have criticized him for avoiding tech companies and other industries, but by sticking to what he knows, he has been able to realize amazing return," (collegeinvsetor.com).  




Daymond John is also a great entrepreneur who knew that investing money could increase his financial situation. He is best known as the founder, president and CEO of FUBU, and appears as an investor on ABC reality TV series Shark Tank . Daymond created distinctive and fashionable sportswear and a host of other related gear. FUBU’s phenomenal success made mainstream apparel companies realize the potential for fashionable sportswear that appeals not just to trendsetting urban youth but to mainstream teens as well (womensconference.com). Daymond and his mother mortgaged the home they collectively owned for $100,000 in start-up capital. Soon, the home was turned into a makeshift factory and office space. Daymond looks for the start-up cost when investing in a business. He determines if the business will progress in a fast manner to receive his funds back with interest. Daymond has invested the most money on ABC's Shark Tank and continues to invest in businesses he feels that will increase his revenue (brain.com). 


References:
http://www.glamoroustrash.com/2010/06/warren-buffett-youre-my-hero-again-you.html
http://goodmenproject.com/good-is-good/stop-coddling-billionaires-says-warren-buffet/
http://blogs.radiotown.com/timewithkim/2010/04/15/daymond-john-fubu-foundershark-on-abcs-shark-tank/
http://www.womensconference.org/daymond-john/

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Posted by Cliff

R.I.P. Heavy D

7:04 AM |

"R.I.P. heavy D" was what many people were saying when they found out that Dwight Arrington Myers, better known as Heavy D, had pasted away.


Heavy D was a rapper, singer, record producer, and someone who educated fans on Hip Hop. He loved his fashion to be different than most entertainers and had a great personality. He was best known for his hype and performances with his group Heavy D and the Boyz. They had a number of hits over the years, including “Now that we found love,” “Girlz, they love me,” and I got nothing but love.” Their breakout album came with 1989's "Big Tyme," which included the hits "Somebody for me" and "We got our own thang” (yahoo.com).

Heavy D gained even more fame by singing the theme song of the television program In Living Color and also MADtv. He enjoyed the cameras and took on acting in the 90’s as well. Heavy D appeared on shows, including “In Living Color” and “MADtv.” Here he caught the attention of viewers with his fresh smooth style of talking and his relaxing swagger. 

Heavy D had been out the Hip Hop game for a while and was beginning to make a musical comeback. After 15 years of hibernation, he had made his first live performance at a tribute concert for Michael Jackson in London (TMZ.com). Heavy D made his last televised performance October 1st when he performed at the B.E.T. Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta, Georgia (BET.com).

He was found unconscious in his Beverly Hills home on November eighth and pasted away an hour later at the hospital. Heavy D was a phenomenal performer and will live on through the eyes of Hip Hop forever.


You can watch his last live performance at the “BET Hip Hop Awards” below. R.I.P. Heavy D.  

References:
http://www.pjstar.com/free/x574912786/Heavy-D-dies-at-44?photo=0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g76_HlxV_GY



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Posted by Cliff

Girlfriends and Music

9:46 AM |

Is it cool to have a girlfriend in the industry? I think so... It's just hard. Many artist write from the affection that they have between a connection with another person. At the same time, many artist write about the break-up of a relationship and what they got out of the experience. Sometimes relationships can end in a good way were the two partners are still friends but, sometimes it can end with a lot of drama.

For Instance, Nelly and Ashanti
Through out the years of hip-hop, people have been confused on whether these two were considered a couple. Even though they never said they were official, fans around the world believed that they had something going on. Both of them have made music about each other and are always seen out together having a great time. Now, rumor has it, Nelly and Ashanti were never officially together and only kept a platonic relationship between themselves. 


Usher and Chili were considered to be the best couple in the music industry. There love for each other was shown through out lyrics in each others music. But, when the break-up came, the music they shared with their fans changed. Usher came out with an album entitled Confessions, a cd that contained songs about his relationship with chili. One of the songs on the album entitled "Burn," opened up the eyes of fans as they were introduced to Usher not being faithful. Even though the relationship ended pretty rough, Ushers album became the second top best selling album of 2000's decade in the US (ushernow.com).
In my opinion, it just goes to show that relationships are very hard to control in the industry when your entire life is set on pleasing your audience. I believe that if you can find someone that is worth giving your all to, then take the time and build a strong relationship with them. if you can build a strong relationship, then nothing can come between the two of you. Below, are a few couples who are continuing to develop and build their relationship within the music industry.

Jay-Z & Beyonce (above)

Swiss Beats & Alicia Keys (to right)

Timbaland & Monique (bottom right)

Snoop Dogg & Shante (below)












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Posted by Cliff

Music vs. Love vs. life

3:08 AM |



Life has a way of changing for the good or bad. Through the years, I’ve learned that you have to be able to balance all three. I grew up with music. It’s been a part of my life since age two. The best Christmas present I’ve ever received from my father was a drum-set. Since then, I’ve created music to be my foundation of life. It has molded me into a positive, creative person who enjoys producing and recording music that listeners love. I value everyone I meet because they create music individually without even knowing it. Music helps get me through the good and bad times. I define music as the soul of my heart.  


Love…
I love music as if it were my wife. I see music as a dark-skinned beautiful woman, attractive to the eyes, crazy but sweet, and yet lovable even through the hard times. Music is hard to create at times. The wrong song can get on your nerves, but at the same time be the easiest song to remember. It also has a way of touching your heart with out doing anything except being unique. Its melody can be melodic and smooth like ocean waves that crescendo in your vanes. I define my love (my wife) for music as a dream that’s coming true.








Life...
Life has its ups and downs but you have to be willing to accomplish what you were set out to pursue. I feel that I am pushing towards putting all my goals in place. It’s very hard trying to stay motivated at times because I’m in Orlando with no family. I tend to procrastinate a lot, which causes me to fall short on my grades (sometimes). I am recreating how I advertise myself and hopefully it will pay off in due time. 

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Posted by Cliff

MUSIC is the new FASHION...(where's the money)

9:20 PM |

After fame in the music industry, artists tend to go into other industries such as real estate, acting, and fashion. Fashion plays an important role in making money for entrepreneurs who pursue this industry. There are many artists who are already successful and more to come. Here are two artists that I commend for their accomplishments and impact in the fashion industry.


Sean John Combs started his clothing line, Sean John Clothing Incorporated in 1998. Its clothing was focused on urban sportswear and reached out to the low, middle, and high class of fashion. Sean John has reached revenues that exceed over $100 million dollars per year and is often recognized at the award ceremony for the Council of Fashion Designers of America in New York. (Seancombs.com) Sean John also produced the first nationally televised runway show during Fall Fashion Week when it simultaneously aired live on E! Television and the Style Network. Sean John is also one of my favorite clothing lines to wear and I highly recommend his signature cologne, Unforgettable.


Shawn Corey Carter also known as Jay-Z is my favorite entrepreneur in the business industry.  He is one of the most financially successful hip-hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010. Jay-Z is part owner of the New Jersey Nets and also husband to R&B superstar Beyoncé, who also has her own clothing line Dereon. Jay-Z created Rocawear in 1999 and has exceeded revenues over $700 million. (Jay-Z.com) In March 2009, Rocawear launched its first social networking site, offering style news, music, fashion, and cultural connections. Jay-Z is one of my favorite artists because he grew up with a goal that he was going to be on top of hip-hop.



Overall, I feel that after my success in the music industry hits its peak, I will then want to pursue my career/name and other industries such as film, fashion, and more. I value making money and if my name or success helps me create a buzz in a different genre of trends, then I am willing to take that risk and pursue my passion at being successful in that field as well.  

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Posted by Cliff

Attorney Shannon Ligon

4:37 AM |



Attorney Shannon Ligon is a wonderful woman whom I met at a Black Student Union meeting on campus when I first began my education at Full Sail. Her law firm Ligon LawGroup is based through out Florida. Ligon was very inspirational when coming to talk to our group on campus and created a positive mindset for how successful I would want my career to be. I had the pleasure of interviewing and getting to know Ligon on a personal level.
            Attorney Ligon received her Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Florida State University. While doing this, she also studied International Business abroad at the Universidad de Valencia in Valencia, Spain. She also received her certification in Television & Radio Broadcasting from CSB School of Broadcasting back in 2004. Ligon has worked in the Entertainment field for almost a decade. She has worked in the entertainment and sports industry for the past 8 years and has been involved in managing artist and athletes, A & R’s, as well as collecting numerous trusted networking contacts throughout the past 9+ years.
            When interviewing Attorney Ligon, she broke down how she handles contracts within her company. Whether it was upholding the law and duties as an attorney, acquiring endorsements from her clients, (artist and athletes), or copyright infringement, Ligon says she has experienced it all. As a musician and producer, I asked Ligon has there ever been a situation where a beat or song was either stolen or borrowed from someone without them knowing and if so, did they ever find out?
            Ligon brought up a story about her working with Richard DeLuca of Integrated Sports Management Company. She explained that working with DeLuca opened her eyes to new endorsements deals and how she had to negotiate for her clients based on their needs as well as acquire the needs of the companies that were being endorsed.
“Copyright infringement can be a very slippery slope. Take for example, a beat is mixed and used, the beat is not making any money. You may send a cease & desist letter rather than suing the individual. One of the ways you can ensure there is no “bad blood” or “black balling” is to consider using that individuals beats in the future. Just because someone may possibly infringe on your intellectual property doesn’t mean that you, (the artist or producer), wont want to work with them again; you just want to be recognized for your work and/or compensated. Always be careful “who” you decide to sue; you never want to rub the “right person” the wrong way.”
 She also stated that there are plenty of times when major artists find a beat and want to use it, but cannot find the originator of the created beat. The producer is then not found until they possibly hear their beat/s on an album.
Attorney Shannon Ligon is a great person to listen to and has motivated me to learn more about the law, therefore knowing how to protect myself in certain situations. I am very pleased in meeting Ligon and hope she continues to pursue her career at a high level in the Entertainment Law field.

             

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Posted by Cliff

Rappers in trouble with the law

1:58 PM |

Artist, musicians, and entertainers throughout the industry never think about legal issues until something happens and they're sitting in court defending themselves. Lawsuits can make or break a successful business/artist and recreate the direction they are pursuing. 



There are so many rappers in trouble with the law. In October of 2010, promoter Carl Davis filed a lawsuit against rapper Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., better known by his stage name T.I. It was explained that Davis and Jervon Morgan, T.I.'s first cousin and agent, had put together an agreement for a welcome back party for the artist who had been in prison on weapon charges the previous year. Davis also met with Jason Geter, CEO of Grand hustle LLC, and made a payment of $50,000 into a bank account held by the rapper. Davis said he made the payment even though the rapper, T.I., was on 3 years of home confinement. Later that month after T.I. went on a radio broadcast station stating that he would not be performing at the upcoming welcome back party, Davis suffered a financial lost due to sells, emotional distress, and hospitalization. Davis is suing for misrepresentation, promissory fraud, conspiracy, unjust enrichment, and breach of contract. In this case, if I were the artist I would apologize and offer to reschedule the concert and hopefully work out things in a more professional manner.




Snoop Dogg, (Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr) is usually known for going to court on procession of illegal substances, but in 2005 he appeared in a California court for assault and battery on an audience member at one of his concerts. Richard Moore says he was hit with a microphone and brutally beaten behind stage after he jumped on stage to touch the rapper. Jurors were also shown a videotape of the incident. In defense the artist, (Snoop Dogg) stated that he felt he was being attacked when the man suddenly jumped on stage and reacted quickly to the situation. Lawyers also claim Monroe Jr.'s alleged injuries were not "evidence of someone who was savagely beaten." In the end, Richard was suing for $22 million dollars for damages and punitive penalties, but due to no real evidence of the situation, received $440,000 for injuries. I would agree that Snoop's attorney made a great case in explaining how the artist felt that it was a self defense situation and he was only defending himself.





In late news, Lil Wayne is being sued for stealing the "How to Love" beat from rapper Rick Ross, who bought the owner rights of the instrumental from rapper and producers Drummer Boyz. In addition, Rick Ross is also suing Drummer Boyz for going behind his back and pitching the song to Lil Wayne. This lawsuit is based on who owns the rights to the beat whether it be a written or oral contract. Even if Rick Ross doesn't have a written contract for the sale of the master recordings, there's still a chance that he will prevail in this case. In my opinion I feel that it's best a producer remember to include a contract with everything being produced or sold. Therefore, when a situation like this arises, the producer has the proper resources to show who owns the intellectual property. 

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Posted by Cliff
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