STEVE STOUTE

HE MADE JAY–Z WEAR REEBOKS AND JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE LOVE MICKEY D’S. MEET THE MAN WHO CONVERTS URBAN ENTERTAINMENT INTO CORPORATE DOLLARS>

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO CONVEY YOUR MESSAGE TO FORTUNE 500 EXECS?

Steve Stoute: The biggest misconception people have is that Fortune 500 companies are waiting with open arms. They’re not waiting with open arms. It’s a very tough thing to put together ideas in which a Fortune 500 company can be true to who they are and yet still embrace and work with the hip–hop culture. You have to package it right. I have relationships with artists, producers, record companies, promotion and distribution outlets, Fortune 500 companies, and in fashion. I think in order to speak to the powers–that–be that run particular industries, you need to be able to have that sphere of influence.

NAS NICKNAMED YOU “THE COMMISSIONER” OF THE RAP INDUSTRY. DO YOU HAVE TO SWITCH CODES IN THE BOARDROOM?

Steve Stoute: It’s like Jay–Z said: No matter where you go, you are who you are, player. People can try to change, but that’s just the top layer. I’m not like that. I am who I am, and I understand an idea, whether it comes from an artist or a Fortune 500 company. They’re not paying for me to be like them; they’re paying so they can understand the stuff that I’m familiar with.

WHEN PITCHING DEALS, WHICH POINT DO YOU EMPHASIZE—CULTURAL IMPACT OR PROFIT?

Steve Stoute: It’s not about how much money because not everything is about money. It’s more how brands and companies can really have an opportunity to be an option to a consumer that’s hard to speak to. What I do is put together a communications strategy to speak to that hard–to–reach, hard–to–convince, hard–to–get–any–type–of–loyalty–out–of consumer. Reebok was wack, man. They could have made a hot sneaker and niggas wouldn’t have fucked with it because it was wack. So they had to put together a communications strategy for the last three years so people could say, “You know what? I might buy them Reeboks.” The way consumers are, if it ain’t hot, you can’t rock it. It’s about having the opportunity to be a part of these new consumers’ options.

SPEAKING OF REEBOK, WHY DID YOU HOOK JAY–Z UP WITH THEM INSTEAD OF NIKE?

Steve Stoute: It wasn’t Jigga and Nike because Jay–Z and I have a relationship that’s really strong. He knew if I was working with Reebok, I was going to make it really hot, make sure his image was protected and it was going to be something that was going to be important and different. He bet on me and on the company. That’s the kind of guy he is.

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