Last night Steve Stoute was interviewed by James Andrews in the Library at The SoHo House in New York as part of the #ShiftNYC conference. Dim lighting and attendees sitting on couches and tables while sipping wine made for a cozy atmosphere that resembled a fireside chat. From the beginning it was clear that Steve and James had a very comfortable rapport due to a long friendship as well as a working relationship that included the time period when Steve was Nas’ manager and James was Nas’ product manager. Some of the highlights were Steve talking about the role the failure of his older brother played in his success and him developing a strong work ethic, the best way to articulate brand message, the difference in the role digital media and social media plays in tanning, his concerns that there aren’t strong enough controls around social media, and his dislike of reality TV.
After James opened it up for questions, Steve was asked about everything from the role entertainers will play in the upcoming presidential election to whether it was better to be digitally anonymous to how bands can effectively use social media. Of course a question about Steve’s dislike of reality TV was asked because there were actually a few attendees who worked on reality shows. Steve cited people being incentivized to do whatever to get famous and celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton being famous for being famous before moving into passionately speaking about the need to let go of ethnic-based names like the United Negro Fund and Black Entertainment Television. Steve ended the evening signing copies of The Tanning Of America.
