Birmingham, AL — Hip Hop artist and entrepreneur, Drizzy “Press/ Play” D.R.O. is more than just a rapper. He’s an innovator. He’s a birthday present. He’s a superhero. And he might just be the hardest-working man in the rap game today.
He had no idea that within a year he would become a viral marketing sensation.
All you have to do is call (205) 617-9166, and ask him to spit on any subject – a person’s name to a Ming vase to Jabba the Hutt – and he’ll freestyle on demand, free of charge. Through The Press/Play Hotline, Drizzy has reinvented the grind, and it’s won him supporters across the globe – he’s got upwards of 50,000 fans in more than 45 states and three different countries. Most recently, word of Drizzy’s hotline reached the UK through Planet London Radio where producers Esse.B and Hicks were listening, and were so taken with his talent as an MC that they reached out to him and began collaborating with him on his next album / mixtape. So Potent Volume 5: The UK Edition is quickly becoming an underground hip hop classic.
Through the magic of music and improvisation, Drizzy morphs into someone larger than life. Callers don’t just appreciate his marriage of Dirty South grit to silky flow; they call because that magic is contagious. They call because for a few minutes of their lives, they share a direct connection to a pure lifeline of music with someone who couldn’t be happier to rhyme for them. Drizzy builds on these relationships by following up each call with a text message guiding callers to his website, mobile app and social media sites.
It’s not just Drizzy’s charisma and charm that wins callers over, it’s the fact that each call is a unique, special connection. Whether you need a birthday present or a pick-me-up, Drizzy’s always waiting in the 205. Since it’s inception, Drizzy has been filming his journey with the hope of one day producing a full-feature documentary about the amazing story of The Press/Play Hotline.
Ultimately, his goal isn’t to sign a major label record deal or have his music heard on mainstream radio….although he isn’t opposed to either…Drizzy’s goal is to create a new music business model, one where he isn’t so reliant on record sales or publishing as a primary source of revenue. Nope. He believes the attention the hotline gets will give him a unique opportunity to market and sell his own signature phone.
Complete with a suite of exclusive apps The Drizzle’s phone will come stocked with essential tools that musicians and artists can use to more effectively create, collaborate, share, market, and distribute their music to fans as well as through various industry channels. “Each one of us carries around a powerful tool in our pockets. It’s time we realize it’s power, and start using it to connect and create with others.” He compares this concept to Nike’s Air Jordan. “If professional athletes can have signature shoes… why can’t musicians, artists and celebrities have their own signature cell-phones?” It’s gotta be the phone…right?
Drizzy’s wants to align with a mobile carrier who sees his vision and is interested in implementing a new and innovative marketing campaign. “It’s the future,” Drizzy says. “I believe that the market will be more receptive to brands who create compelling stories and nurture relationships with their potential customers rather than beating them over the head with advertising. My story, for example, has allowed me to build a global community of fans by creating personalized experiences… and my fans have eaten it up. I sincerely appreciate them and they can sense it….they can’t wait to tell everyone they know about the hotline.”
Why is this important? The Internet has created an attention economy, where distribution is easy but attention is scarce. Success is now determined by the strength of an artist’s connection to their audience. Drizzy and his management team, Figure2, have assembled an all-star cast of data scientists, social media mavens, and software engineers to handle the artists’ disruptive engagement strategy. They’ve partnered with Magic City Analytics, LLC who is helping him build a software application that will help artists establish lasting and meaningful relationships with their fans, communicate with them around the web, and sell far higher-value products in return.
At a time when the biggest rappers of the world are more interested in Versace sofas than the struggle of just getting by in a world that seems to get scarier by the day, hiphop needs people like Drizzy. It needs people who understand the daily grind, as well as rappers who can transport people to something they dream of. As Derek Davis and as Drizzy D.R.O., this man understands both. He’s got magic on demand. Just press play.
Press/Play Links
* Drizzy D.R.O : Press Kit
* Drizzy D.R.O : So Potent Volume 5 (UK Edition)
* The Press/Play Hotline : 205-617-9166
* 205-617-9166 : BhamRocks.com Interview
* The Press/Play Hotline Facebook
* @drizzydro
About Magic City Analytics,LLC
Magic City Analytics, LLC is a full-service data driven marketing agency specializing in using big data to connect artist with opportunities. We believe that Music is the one universal media that connects the world, and I feel that big data is the key to unlock the full financial potential for artists. Not only does data have the potential to make up for the revenue lost from physical sales, it can actually surpass it. Through ad tech and social media, music can leverage a much larger, data-driven digital advertising market and join the global trend toward collaborative marketing and mobile engagement for brands. For more details, visit www.magiccityanalytics.com
PRESS CONTACT:
Marcus Turner
Figure2 Management
205-572-2263 (c)
205-810-9555 (o)
marcus@magiccityanalytics.com