A Quick Word About "Branding" From The Hundreds

I was browsing my usual sites when I read this blog entry from the guys of The Hundreds. It’s about branding – something that is needed if you want to stand out and rise above…and that goes for music, clothing, art, writing, sports, etc. As an up and coming artist, do you hold the characteristics to make yourself in to a brand? Here’s their editorial:

“Branding” is such a hotbutton catchphrase these days, isn’t it? When I was growing up, it was all about advertising, and then marketing, and now? Branding. Now that corporate America has numbed our senses with an onslaught of smarmy sales pitches and obnoxious billboards, let’s get back to what’s real. What’s important. Connecting with the people (I really wish we had a sarcasm font)!

“Branding” is defined as the establishment of the personality that identifies a product. So it connotes an element of human relationship, connection, authenticity. So why are so many brands and companies fixated on branding themselves outside the context of their..selves?

When I spoke at the Action Sports Conference last week, I was asked something that usually comes up from inquisitive The Hundreds fans, fresh upstarts, and mega-conglomerate suits alike. How did The Hundreds garner such a vast audience? What kind of marketing did we do, what kind of branding strategies did we implement to draw exposure? Was it Twitter or Facebook or free lollipops or some other trendy of-the-moment social networking platform?

If you’re asking questions like these, you’re already far off the mark. Again, branding is about personality, and that is what The Hundreds has always understood. From the start, The Hundreds was formulated as a personal brand, an authentic and intimate lifestyle project. Meaning that everything you see from us, whether here on the website or in our print magazine, the shoes on your feet or the wallet in your back pocket, has been infused with our own story. We do, and make, what comes logically from us and our backgrounds and interests, and that complements the sensibility of the brand. That was never intentional or strategic, as it was natural and organic. We’re obviously the best at being us, why try to be something we’re not?

Twitter and Facebook and iPad apps aren’t the answer to your company’s brand awareness issues. These are just tools, they are NOT the solution! For example, if your company emphasizes community amongst its staff and customers, if the brand is identified around personality, then it might make sense to interact with your base through powerful social tools as these. But maybe you’re a high-end, exclusive mountain hiking brand that targets a sophisticated niche French clientele with expensive taste. Perhaps blasting product tweets to 13-year-old girls isn’t the best idea.

The secret to branding is staying authentic to your brand identity, and that comes from closely observing who you (the owners, architects, and staff) are as people, the philosophy by which you run your business, and the effect you want to impress upon your customer. And every step you make with your brand should go back to reinforcing that identity, whether it’s your website’s background color or the cut of your t-shirt. Now there’s your answer.

Just keepin’ it real,

by bobbyhundreds

Reese Witherspoon - hot kneecap chinned actor?

Reese Witherspoons chin is the size and shape of my kneecap. peep the evidence

REESE WITHERKNEE

REESE SKELESPOON

Aight, the house consensus is in. She does not rock the boat.

Phat Root Radio Episode 23 (August 5th) Official Tracklisting

The 5th Hour - YO!! my playlist is so underground i can't even find any videos to go along with the tracklist. haha, how is that for underground as fuck?

01. Jigmasters - Elevate ft. Angela Johnson

02. Ill Al Skratch

03. Rascalz - Cash Crop

04. Raw Breed - Problems

Commentary

05.Funky DL - All Night

06. Fu-Schnickens - Hi Lo

07. Scientifik - Lawtown

08. Saukrates - Ay Ay Studder

09. The Fugees - La La (Refugee Camp Remix)

10. Tha Mexicanz - Burnin Hot

Commentary

11. The Sweatshop Union - The Human Race

12. Edan - Rhymes for Napoleon

13. Milkbone - Ketchrek

14. North Scientifik - Saturday Afternoon (produced by 5th sequence)

15. L Pro - Walk of Life ft. Asa (produced by 5th Sequence)

The Ice Hour

Segment 1: J. Cole Tribute Mix

01. J. Cole – Show Me Something

02. J. Cole – I Really Mean It

03. J. Cole – Shook Ones Freestyle

04. J. Cole – Back To The Topic

05. J. Cole – Can I Live

Segment 2:

06. Jeru The Damaja – Come Clean

07. Top Quality – Graveyard Shift

08. Sha Stimuli – Blasphemy (Overtime)

Segment 3:

09. Philosophy – Philosophy Instrumental

10. Jake One ft. MF Doom – Trap Door

11. Ice Water ft. Raekwon – Hip Hop Tribute

12. Ace & Edo ft. Pos – Good Music

13. Apani ft. Jean Grae – The Epidemic

14. Fashawn – Midnight Groove

Segment 4: Baby Makin’ Music

15. DJ Premier – Blow Horn Joint Instrumental

16. Joe – Can’t Get Over You

17. Nujabes ft. Giovanca & Benny Sings – Kiss Of Life

18. Mary Jane Girls – All Night Long

Hilarious mtv raps 93 wutang

Yo, this is hilarious stuff from out the archives. ODB staring at the camera and ghostfaces mask is hilarious. Method man looks like he doesn't give a fuck. good watch though

Phat Root Radio Episode 22 (July 22nd) Tracklist

THE 5TH HOUR

Commentary (background instrumental by Dr. No)

01. Large Professor - it aint hard to tell remix

02. The Superfriends - vocal movement

03. Dilated Peoples - right and Exact

04. Supernatural - International

05. Shabaam Sahdeed - Side to Side

06. Common - Nothin to do

07. C- Rayz walz - Guns and butter

Commentary

08. Binary Star - The Masters of the universe

09. The Artifacts - This Is Da Way

10. Jurassic 5 - twelve

11. KRS - Higher Level

12. DJ Krush - 30 seconds of scratching from '95

13. Prefuse 73 - MF DOOM & Aesop Rock

14. Siah and Yesh da poed -

15. strange fruit project - eternally yours

16. Luck One- 80's back remix (remix by 5th Sequence)

THE ICE HOUR

SEGMENT 1:

01. Jungle Brothers ft. Q-tip – The Promo

02. Chali 2na – Comin’ Thru

03. Trends of Culture – Mad Flavor, Mad Style

04. Sleestack’z – Play The Victim

SEGMENT 2:

05. Large Professor – Secret Agent Instrumental

06. Horseshoe G.A.N.G. ft. Kid Vicious, Mykestro & Coniyac Da X.O – Cypher 1

07. Rhyme Asylum – Returmination

08. Special Ed – Just Like Dat

09. The High & Mighty – Hot Spittable

10. O.C. – Dr. Know-ego

11. Mos Def ft. Slick Rick – Auditorium

12. Funky D.L. – Hit Me

13. Blahzay Blahzay – Blah Blah Blah

SEGMENT 3:

14. Dwele – Give Me A Chance

15. Stevie Wonder – Mi Cherie Amore (K-salaam & Beatnik Remix)

16. Avant – Don’t Take Your Love Away

17. Raheem Devaughn – Bonita Applebum (Remix)

Thesaurus vs DirtBag Dan !!

Wow, what a dope battle. Just check this shit out. My favorite line was by Thesaurus

"you look like every dude on the scale of evolution, except the human"

PEEP!

Prefuse 73 Juggle & Scratch - by Troubl

This shit always gets me hyped to practice juggling. 'Nuff said.

ILL GRAFF

why the fuck not. I love graffiti and I know you do to portland. Peep these vids to hold you down!!





I don't speak russian, Artur translate!! haha... dope ass video though, have no idea what is being said here but graffiti skill is the real communication medium anyways...

Boogins The Baby B-Boy

Breakdancing at 2 years old !

Here's a follow up video 1 year later.

And 2 years later.

MORE Percee P

Aight soo... we got a 20 min battle from 1989 between Percee P and Lord Finesse. Funny how "battles" back then were rehearsed verses you can hear the crews doing voice overs... Note the transition of freestyling when cats would "call out writtens" and getting clowned for it.. to the present where we have written battle verses in Grindtime.

PEEP HISTORY

Ill line by Lord Finesse "I get punani AND keep the currency" - listen for it, ill how he sets it up.



Note at 2:19, Percee P forgets his stuff and Lord Finesse calls out "you can't be having your man help you remember shit".

Percee P rips the fuck out of this... peep

Aight so... Fat joe is dope... .and eminiem is tight, but Percee P is clearly a legend. Not sure what year this is, but note Eminems "Slim shady eminem tour" shirt to give a time perspective for this. ABSOLUTELY ILL.

Phat Root Radio Episode 21 (July 8th) Official Tracklist

THE 5th HOUR

01. Surreal - The recipe

02. Ohmega Watts - Model Citizen

03. ATCQ - Oh My God

04. Khondo - Microphone sans holdster

05. O.C. - The chosen

COMMENTARY

Superstition - Special Treatment (feat. Illmind)

ATCQ - Bonita Applebum

Bahamadia - Youknowhowedo

Moka Only - In a Dream

Busta Rhymes - Enjoy Da Ride

Chino XL - Don't Say A Word

Asheru - Live track

Deeandroid & Celskiii - Live @ the Vulcan

DAS FX - Rap Scholar

Pete Rock - Mind Blowin

Blaze vs Funkd'Void - Lovelee Home (off OM Summer Sessions 2)

THE ICE HOUR

SEGMENT 1:

01. Saukrates ft. Common – Play Dis (99 Sox Remix)

02. K-Otix – World Renown

03. Method Man ft. Redman – Big Dogs

04. Lost Boys – Summer Time

SEGMENT 2:

05. D.I.T.C. – Thick (Instrumental)

06. Siah & Yeshua DapoED – Gravity

07. The Arsonists – Shit Aint Sweet

08. Bahamadia – Serious Part II

09. A.D.O.R. – Enter The Center

SEGMENT 3:

10. Tek-9 – 7 Days (DJ Spinna Instrumental)

11. Zhigge – Born Black

12. Apani – Right The Wrongs

13. Reks ft. LMS & Saheed – Problems

SEGMENT 4 (Babie Makin’ Music)

14. Shonie – Can’t Let Go (Instrumental)

15. The O’Jays – Darlin Darlin

16. Raheem Devaughn – Bedroom

17. Wayne Brady – Sweetest Berry

18. Alicia Keys – How It Feels To Fly

19. Musiq Soulchild – Mary Go Round

Boondocks

you can watch the full episodes online for free if you google search "boondocks worldstar hip hop". Easy to find, enjoy!

Phat Root Radio Episode 20 (June 24th) Official Tracklisting

The 5th Hour:

01. Saukrates ft. Common – Play Dis Remix

This is the video to the original, we played the remix on the show though. both are hella dope! PEEP!!

02. Large Professor One Plus One ft. Nas

03. Lord Finesse – Soul Plan

04. Sound Providers – The Field

05. Jake One ft. Kutfather – No Introdeezy

06. Edo G – Boston (prod Pete Rock)

07. Rasco – Hip Hop

08. Dudley Perkins – Falling

09. The Supafriends – Questions

10. ATCQ – We Got The Jazz

11. Ahmad – Back in the day remix

12. Rakim – remember that

13. The Roots – Silent Treatment

14. ATCQ – Find a Way

15. Syntax ft. jade – hold on (prod by mphazes)

The Ice Hour:

SEGMENT 1:

01. Milkbone – Keep It Real

02. Masta Ace – Ghetto Like

03. Tab One – Vc Insd My Hd

04. Mystik Journeymen – Liquid Concrete

SEGMENT 2:

05. Cunninlynguists – To Be For Real Instrumental

06. Akrobatik – Say Yes, Say Word

07. Big L – Causalities Of A Dice Game

08. Mad Skillz & Mos Def – B-Boy Documents 99

09. Tha Alkaholiks – Let It Out

SEGMENT 3:

10. Statik Selektah – Hardcore (So You Wanna Be) Instrumental

11. Homeboy Sandman – Calm Tornados

12. Shad – We Are The Ones (Reservoir Poetry)

13. Top Quality – I Can’t Hear You

SEGMENT 4:

14. Jurassic 5 – Futuristic Sound Instrumental

15. Avant – You Got Me

16. Lyfe Jennings – Busy

17. Raheem Devaughn – Slow Love

18. Dru Hill - Beauty

Ski Beatz Performing "Dead Presidents"

Ski Dead Presidents from XXL Video on Vimeo.

This video is something everyone should enjoy... During Dame Dash’s BlueRoc Festival in Brooklyn last night, Ski Beatz performed a renditions of "Dead Presidents".

If you've never heard of Hip Hop Confessions, click play NOW!

Skillz presents: Hip-Hop Confessions ep. 6 from Visually Inklined on Vimeo.

this is what Hip Hop's all about... wise hip hop minds discussing what they love...

Lissie Covers Cudi

For all my Cudi fans... And for all fans of live music in general... This is a pretty moving cover of "Pursuit Of Happiness"

Fashawn - An Ode To Illmatic

I haven't had a chance to listen to this yet... but I know you know how classic Illmatic is... And you may know that Fashawn seems to put out some quality material... So I'll let you download it and make your own call about this tape... Leave your thoughts in the c-section...

DOWNLOAD

PHAT ROOT RADIO FAILS!

How you may ask? Well some of our more diehard fans may have be dismayed to discover we were not live on air last night from 10pm to 12am PST at www.radio23.org like we usually are every two weeks, and the staff here at Phat Root Radio apologizes for that... We messed up... You want to know why we weren't live? Well for that you'll have to head over to Twitter.com/phatrootradio where for the next few days we'll be posting as many hilarious reasons why we were unable to broadcast last night...

We will be back like normal on June 24th!

"The Mad Violinist" Covers "Unthinkable"

If you know me... DJ Icepick, you know I'm a sucka for live instrumentation... Covers with a violin, piano, drums, anything classical really just validate alot of hip hop... Here, the Ashanti Floyd "The Mad Violinist" covers Alicia Keys "Unthinkable ft. Drake"

Hear more from him at:

www.symphonycrack.com
www.twitter.com/themadviolinist

-Ice

Got To Celebrate One Of Our Own!

It's one of Phat Root's Celebrity DJ's Born Day today... 5th Sequence is 23, or 27, or one of those ages in between... If you know him personally, come by the house and get him a drink or something a little more potent which one smokes, or else just wish him the best in the comment section... You only get one (phat) b-day a year, so you know he's got to do it up big!