Internetworking - Online Hip-Hop Awards

Black Enterprise, Sept, 2000 by Carolyn M. Brown

Last year's awards show cost a little under $10,000 to produce; all of which was self-financed by Palmer and Samuel. The 2000 awards ceremony was sponsored by TWEC.com, the Arizona Jean Co., and Yahoo! Music. It was also broadcast on WQHT Hot 97 radio. "We have come a long way from last year; when I couldn't pay my mortgage, to this year," says Palmer, who raised $500,000 in sponsorship. "The bottom line is that there are only a few ways you can make money on the Web--advertising, sponsorship, and e-commerce"

SOHH had a major coup this year when it partnered with Urban Box Office (UBO) Network, a new media company that was co-founded by the late George Jackson, the former movie producer and CEO at Motown. UBO is a multimillion dollar venture catering to urban lifestyle and culture via a collection of sites covering music, animation, news, and entertainment. In addition, UBO offers free ISP, e-mail, personal homepages, and e-commerce solutions.

In exchange for a minority equity stake, UBO brought cash to the table--more than $2 million--office space, and access to high technology tools. In addition to a redesign, SOHH is taking advantage of new video capabilities. SOHH currently produces live animation and three 30-minute live action programs featuring artists working in the studio, perform, ing on stage, and coasting at home. There's also a 10-minute segment or close-up on artists and their latest albums. Palmer and Samuel now have their eyes set on a virtual mall, broadband distribution (i.e., cable modems), and wireless communications. Deals are in the works that will bring SOHH to cell phones, Palm organizers, and other hand-held devices.

"Online is becoming convergent with other media, so we are looking to create content that is also applicable to offline models," says Palmer. However, she insists that community is still the driving force.

Having just completed an 18-city promotional tour in conjunction with the Lyricist Lounge (MTV's hottest new program), SOHH is relying more on grass roots efforts and viral marketing--where others spread the word online and it catches on like a virus. "As the digital divide gap begins to close and more people access the Internet, there still needs to be a compelling reason for them to stay online," says Palmer. "In the end it is about giving people a reason to be on the Internet. That's what makes our site so important to our audience."