Livesteez 2.0's Newly Vamped up Site

As popular and high traffic as Bossip became over the past 4 + years, they somehow could not parlay that into a complete social networking site known as Livesteez so, they’re taking one more shot. I’m sure with a full staff and limit-less resources they had all the money to make it happen but, even I was surprised how a “semi-formal” news junket was too…err… much for their average reader? It seemed like it a perfect fit (as is), not too serious but informative enough for the readers to argue how much they understand. Could the restructing of their Livesteez, social networking site be the new precurosor to online media’s new competition: the actual readers, the big-business newswires, and Web 2.0? I’m actually rooting for this to work because there are not too many minority news sources online that are the start of a breaking gossip or legitimate news source in the urban media sector. (for the racially insecure, urban no longer means just Black in marketing…if you let White hipsters tell it.)

Even Bossip admited, facebook, twitter,etc has monolized people social networking time.

We Understand Your Addictions and We Embrace Them 
We know that you love twitter and you’re strung out on the social networking aspects of Facebook. And, of course, what would you do if you couldn’t frequently hook up with eerie strangers on Myspace. Well, LiveSteez has combined “certified hook ups,” news, entertainment, and the dire need to update your current status every five minutes, into one sleek new site. [via Bossip]

Just as newspapers faced an antiquated fate with blogs (ironically such as Bossip), the ability for everyone and anyone to share news, create a social networking site, via ning, facebook, twitter balances the media outlet even more. People, no matter how ill-informed, now have the power to post their own info…its just a matter of who they do it with. And if the associated press/commission image cache starts cracking down on pirated news and images, only those with direct access to celebrities will draw in visitors. 

As I never really attempted to contact celebs because I knew, readers don’t read what they need, they read what they can hate on and I post blogs on life they don’t even want to acknowledge. Its like a bill collector site lol. No one wants to discuss how bad they’re doing financially and if they do its all Bush’s fault. meh….its easier to just talk about hollywood. Ah, escapism, isnt’ it great? Hopefully the Web 2.0 standards don’t phase out this site by the end of the year, when people realize, like Livesteez, discussion, outside of who’s sleeping who will get real…real pretty soon.

If you don’t know about Web 2.0, its sorta of a congressional attempt to consolidate the web so that personal domains fall under commercial sectors….so this site would be charged a hell amount on usage, broadband..but I could just use the free and very censored…facebook, twitter, myspace….etc. You’ll realize it when all your booty pics and videos get erased.

In 50 fashion, its all about chopping you down to get the understanding that you’ll still be under his thumb. Unlike Diddy, his show runs more like a drug hustler format sans the shooting and possible arrest warrants.

Here is the show synapsis on MTV:

Now, 50 Cent’s looking to spread the love by handing over $100,000 of his hard-earned cash to someone he thinks will be the next big business mogul. But how’s he gonna find this person? Simple. He’s rounding up 14 of the country’s most ambitious young entrepreneurs who have a track record of being smart, savvy and successful at playing the game. Let the quest for The Money and the Power begin!
[MTV]

Check out the trailer now.

The show premieres on Nov. 6, Thursday at 10pm EST.

Sahara Media Holdings, Inc. [[SHHD]], a multimedia company that recently acquired Sahara Media Inc., appeared in leading New York business journal, Crain’s New York.
Titled “Sweet Read On The Web,” the article, which ran in the Sunday, October 19, 2008 print edition of Crain’s, details how Honey Magazine will soon enjoy a comeback as an online magazine and social media network…

“We are delighted to see the relaunch of Honey touted in the pages of Crain’s New York,” said Philmore Anderson, Founder and CEO of Sahara Media, Inc. “As we work to create a best-in-class digital experience for a prized demographic, it is especially rewarding to garner media attention of this stripe.” [Marketwatch]

It appears him and such board members like Denzel Washington are in makes to do what I had suggested someone do with BET, get a hollywood roster to showcase a channel. Well, this channel called Better Black Television, a competitor for BET. I saw competition bring out the best in everyone so, perfect Percy.

THe shows angle is to be a more positive depiction of Black and Brown people…sounds like HHN Live to me but here is the thing. Its not “Positive” images we need to see about Black and Brown people, its smart television. Things to make the view intrigue and think cause most entertainment is not positive for any color. I mean to me, CSI is negative…its a whole show on someone getting killed! But, people who watch become engaged and think, no matter how delusional it may make neo slueths.

Either way, let the challenge begin…kick kick. I know one thing, if P. Miller wants to be taken seiously, he NEEDs more press pictures of him without his Hip Hop kit couture.

*Update*: So far there is word of one in Orland Park, Iliinois…in the mainly White Suburb of Chicago.

Check out the official site [10 Cane Rum] and also check out their video marketing campaign directed by Dogmatic Productions:

10 Cane Rum ad spot about the World’s First Beach Croquet
Team, ha!:

For me, I get a sense of annoyance and have to walk away. Not because the show is crap but because, many of the cast members are people I have had to deal with in real life. I can say, none of it went well and surprisingly the chick from California on the Downtown Team was more or so my recent turning point for a solid business relationship. But that is actually only as late.

The big fat sassy chick, who’s title is “entrepreneur.” I have had many of shares or run its with that type. In Chicago, they are pretty rampant, that loud and think because they talk proper, their ways are not hood-ratish. I personally hate the term entrepreneur because it signals me as a bullshitter with no capital. She was overly confrontational and in her mind, she is something more than what the has to offer. My thing, will she talk back at a knee jerk like that to Diddy? Once its in you, its in you. We saw what happened to Laurie Ann. Being bossy, on a group effort makes good for one thing, being able to point out other people’s fault and that might be the only contrabution. When you are not truly responsible for a final, final word…your not the boss. To me, in a group its friggin sad and the raving of a loser.

The cornball aka the church boy, I have actually lost money with a dude like that because he lacks one important quality, listening. But not just not listening, arrogantly deciding for you when they are not in control of the final decision. I basically call it hard headed.

The real estate chick reminds me of a druggie I did business with. I can tell she’s that or an alcoholic party girl. Either way, she is not a roll up sleeve type of girl and would be just fine answering phones all day and reaping the benefits of being solely in the know and on the scene.

The dude who looks like Jackie (Serena’s old flame) he is the typical paint by numbers businessman. He saw someone he wanted to emulate and is flipping through pages. But, he actually helps make my point about one thing….dressing up don’t mean JACK, if you cant get the job done.

As a matter of fact, everyone is hella suited up. Which is fine when you have a desk job but even Diddy, while starting Bad Bo was fresh to def and doing it sneakers, jeans and a tee …in a nice way though.

As they tried to attempt task, they eventually had to roll up the sleeves. In the clips throughout the show, you will notice, all the heels and the ties and mess, goes out the window because, your an assistant and when you are not suppose to be in a formal attendance…and sometimes not even then, dressing up dont mean jack…cause its not about you.

Capricorn actually steps her dress game because now, she is on tv but, she is not running ragged like before. She is someone’s boss now. If you notice, Diddy would come in suited and tailored up on Making the Band..and she would be in the back with her hair in a bun, w a hat sometimes, a teeshirt and shorts…maybe flip flops/sneakers. Not a total mess but, Imma run to the store swag.

This show is definitely a good boss look on her.

Overall, having personal/business experiences with the archetypes of the show, it would be fair of me to know who is good enough to be an assistant but, then again, my experiences were not assistant/boss they were co-boss/startup/collab. I can tell you from experience there about 3 potentials with a good mindset. I wouldn’t be surprised that ended up for the final.

The ironic thing, outside the temper tantrums of Diddy, I sit every day thinking about how easy it is to get demanding when you can actually ask for a bottle of ketchup if you run out, at 2am. If I could, I can honestly say, yeah, go get it…the tabasco brand esp, especially if I’m paying good and its there for the asking,

You can catch the first show on VH1, on August 4, 2008 [VH1]

They finally let his liaison, Capricorn talk. In Making the Band, she was the blond, chick in the BAPE always in the background. She apparently is just as dope, business-wise as Diddy. The special also showcases his heavy numbered staff and how most people who last with him, leave off , more than likely with him as a VC to start their own businesses. I mean, following Diddy around with lip gloss may not be as business uplifting as Diddy putting you in a position to manage or VP one of his businesses, while knowing he has someone who he personally knows and has worked with and put his minority stake in. Who am I kidding, Diddy more than likely got Majority shareholder.

I Want To Work for Diddy is more so, the velvet rope of becoming apart of the tight nit business clique most try to unsuccessfully infiltrate with just a couple of albums. Working for Diddy is the best damn letter of reference for anyone in the party/entertainment industry. Getting cheese cake might be even better than writing a business plan but, it might be hella way harder.

Seeing the pre-show made me realize one thing, Diddy’s standards are hella high. He’s lived the highlife since 1993, and Diddy seems like poison as someone stated because, maybe and just maybe, the poison is HGH. The artists don’t have the stamina or consistent work ethic to work with his insight. You get in trouble for smoking so you think a weed head rapper would work? Why would a lazy female artists work? I’m just saying. He’s coming up on his 20 year anniversary as a mogul, I think we need to finally start looking at the artists and not him.

The WJS article does remind us that Translation was also responsible for putting the Justin Timberlake/Pharrell hit, “I’m Loving It” as the recent jingle for McDonalds. To be honest, I can’t even remember the one before then..now thats crazy.

Translation Advertising is a entity of Interpublic Group of Cos. [[IPG]]

According to a statement, the show “will use a mix of investigative reporting and one-on-one interviews with leading experts to review the week’s events and examine exactly what the top headlines mean for the Black community.”

They’re also planning to cover both the Democratic and Republican conventions — with more emphasis on the Democratic one: They’ll broadcast different specials each night, focusing on topics such as Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” (whose 45th anniversary coincides with Obama’s acceptance speech) and the disenfranchisement of ex-convicts. [Politico]

The show called the “The Truth” with Jeff Johnson…okay, let me be rurrrl honest. My business red flag-o-meter has taught me, anything or anyone that calls itself “The Truth” is usually anything else. The launch is an obvious ploy to make money off of hip hop’s evolution in politics and ratings blitz. If this show is not an EDUCATION of the many tall tales and misinterpretations of politics in the Black community, its just going to be a flopped show, with a lot of arguing and no one walking away with questions, thinking, what are our Alderman and local Black politicians “really” doing. And sadly most localized government is Black.

The biggest misperception, the hood is messed up because of BIG government and not local. That will more than likely be the push of the show, with off topic, arm waving arguments.

All ironic. Now when it comes to the potential of the network , I’m always in support for BET to become better. They realize their target audience is Pro-Obama so, cha-ching. For me, my beef is with the people who run BET. So, just like Hip Hop, Obama is another distained culture, BET plans to make money off of with no full personal investment. And once again, these are the Black suits, not the content providers. Its really hard to preach something you don’t full heartedly believe which is why BET continues to get the side from its viewers.