Approach pitching a reporter like any business act, with purpose. I gave an updated version of a presentation I’ve given before on how to get your business media attention, with my continuing to evolve thoughts about the process, as an editor and reporter, to a Small Bytes entrepreneurship conference at MIT in February. But the keynote was rapper turned actor Ice T and proved interesting to be sure.
He was funny, smart and, truly, actually fairly insightful. He knew who he was and was playful about that but he had a long life of experience. It made me think about how valuable time-developed wisdom is. Pop culture or not, he had some wonderful stories with practical thoughts.
Maybe the personally most amusing part was that because I spoke right before Ice T, he watched my talk and referenced it a few times, referring to me as “the reporter.” I will smile for years in the future whenever I think of Ice T saying, after I addressed the crowd and told them that the media doesn’t owe anyone any favors: “Like the reporter said, no one gives a fuck about you.”
Though I was expecting to mostly just be amused, instead, I found myself jotting down a few notes worth remembering. Find them below.
- “Don’t fuck with the president” — Is all press, good press? Ice T remembered then Vice President Dan Quayle using his music as an example of what was wrong with the industry and it lost him contracts, business and career progress.
- “I don’t give a fuck about kids in Somalia” — Ice pushed on the idea that those pitching a business need to focus on profit first, particularly when pitching investors. “Is your work a business or a charity?” he asked repeatedly. Philanthropy is fine, he said, but that’s a different thing than a business.
- “Every reality show is a commercial” — In describing product placement in his popular reality show. “If you’re on one for the fuck of it, you’re an idiot.” he continued.
“Coco ain’t no celebrity, she just got a big booty” - “Nobody can stop a hit record” – Of the democratic nature of the creative arts.
- “Building a business is just rearranging all the fuck ups from your team” — He described the experience of trying to make money with inexperienced partners around him.
- “How do you stay innovative? Keep a group of kids around you.” — He said that there is value in keeping teenagers (or 20-somethings) as interns or a focus group if you’re trying to be cool. You have your core group and you get older, forgetting that what is new changes.
- “You only lose by fighting the future” — Ice said Quincy Jones said this.
- People hate up. Hate is a product of love, anyone who is truly loved will have someone who hates them, just ask Jesus,” he said.
- Put money on the table to cut the deal — A lot of talk about partnering doesn’t go anywhere. All parties should put money on the table and see if it goes somewhere.
- His investment strategy: Choose people first. Are you a winner, a loser or a faker? Never invest in something easy because it’s a scam
- If you can’t walk into his house and open his fridge, then he’s not your friend, he’s a business associate. So don’t trust in someone who wouldn’t feel comfortable doing so.
- Fame comes quick but respect lasts — He spoke about transitioning his career from rapping to acting and how many of his fans have aged with him. It’s hard to have longevity, he said.
- Any real life criminal don’t hate the cops, they’re just the opponent in the game you want to win. Hate is just an act.
Please please please find video of this. “Like the reporter said, …” — so awesome!