Read deeply-researched essays full of lessons to apply to your own business. It’s a fresh perspective on some of the biggest hip-hop business trends of yesterday and today. I write at least one essay every month.
If you’re new to Trapital, start with these two essays featured below. I love them both, and readers do too. You can also dig through the archives.
Got a topic in mind? I've probably covered it. Search for it here:
How More TikTok Stars Can Succeed in the Music Industry
How Ringtone Rap Influenced Modern Hip-Hop
How Apple Music Fell Behind in Digital Streaming
Netflix’s Strong Black Lead Strategy, Explained
Why Hip-Hop’s Indie Economy Has Taken Off
How Tyler, The Creator Built a Cult-Like Following
The Hip-Hop Touring Business is Broken, Part II
What Hip-Hop Gets Wrong About Young Thug
Why Kanye West’s Gap Deal is a Risk to Yeezy
Why Ownership Matters More in Hip-Hop
Why Hip-Hop Fans Miss the Blog Era
Why Hip-Hop Philanthropy is Hard to Get Right
Why Hip-Hop and Gaming are Still Scratching the Surface
How Issa Rae Became the Modern Mogul
Why Instagram is Hip-Hop’s Quarantine Destination
Beyoncé’s Streaming Strategy, Revisited
How The Weeknd Mastered his Brand
How Hip-Hop Helped Cash App Grow Faster
What Megan Thee Stallion’s Lawsuit Won’t Solve
How ‘Watch The Throne’ Still Impacts Hip-Hop
How Kendrick Lamar Plays the Long Game
How Travis Scott Growth Hacked Hip-Hop
Why Hamilton Partnered with Disney
One Year Full-Time on Trapital!
Why Apple Should Spinoff Beats by Dre
A Complicated Legacy: How Drake’s OVO Sound Will Influence Hip-Hop
So you want to be a music mogul: The future of fantasy record labels
The Hip-Hop Touring Business is Broken
Why Hip-Hop’s Lean Problem is Deeply Rooted
Maybach Music Group Didn’t Live Up to its Potential
Jay Z’s Cell Phone Partnership Strategy, Explained
The Globalization of Hip-Hop, Part II
The Globalization of Hip-Hop, Part I
How 50 Cent and Lil’ Wayne’s Mixtapes Disrupted Hip-Hop
The 10 Most Influential Hip-Hop Business Moves of the 2010s
How Tyler Perry Built a Customer-Centric Empire
Why Kanye West’s Sunday Service Has Limited Power
Why Rihanna Partnered With Amazon
How Megan Thee Stallion Grew Her Fanbase
Why 50 Cent Hasn’t Been Canceled
What Chance the Rapper Gets Wrong About Ownership
How Political Hip-Hop Has Evolved Over Time
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