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Premiere Of Lionsgate's 'All Eyez On Me' - Arrivals

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With over 20 years in the entertainment game and more than 20 albums to his portfolio, legendary west coast rapper/businessman Earl Stevens known by most as E-40, quietly ranks amongst the likes of rap world’s elites Dr. Dre, Diddy, Jay-Z and 50Cent. Well before the Fox television show Empire educated the streets on IPOs, E-40 had his hands in stock investments, restaurants, a slew of other products including Earl Steven Wine and his recent creation Slurricane; a new ready to drink 18% alcoholic beverage that not only taste great but packs a serious punch.  We got a chance to catch up with E-40 where he mapped out the power of technology and mastering social media in today’s digital age.

E-40’S WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION: 

Facebook: 1,562,930 Likes

Twitter:  515,000 Followers

YouTube:   60,485,497 Views / 156,122 Subscribers

Instagram:  369.7k Followers

Equivalent:  Electromagnetic Bomb

  1. Be Original

Try to do what everybody else won’t! There’s no originality in this “thang” no more, mane. Focus on doing what everybody else don’t. Your fans want to interact with a personable brand. They want to connect on a personal level. Fans care even more about having a sense of humor and being entertained. I make it my business to connect with my fans on a deeper level because of their truth, reliability and humor.

  1. Mobile is Everything

Everybody now a days is on baller gadgets (smartphones) and the majority of those that own ’em fall in the 18-34 range. The easiest way to start appealing to the youngsters is to reach out and touch ’em where they are.  People today have access to massive music libraries and information at their fingertips and it’s a big part of their day even more important it’s all accessible — on a mobile device.

  1. Social Media

Social Media is key, what’s beautiful is it’s free, you don’t have to pay for it; you can get paid from it! Power tools like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – are the main four things. Its free advertisement. Social media gives you a voice. They want you to be on Instagram saying your verbals. Instagram used to just be pictures now it’s a voice; people are gaining recognition by having a voice. Say what you want to say about life, create content, be how you want to be, be genuine and you can be star.

Don’t take the shotgun approach or “spray and pray.” As you start out, focus your efforts on where the audience that you are trying to reach is participating the most. Start there and build your way up.

  1. Listen to the Data  

Study your craft, continually conduct research to discover the trends in your fans, your customer base and where you need to make adjustments. Connecting with new youngsters is all about listening to the market and adjusting. A true player in the game of business is one who can change his “get down” with the times!

  1. Stay Relevant

Work hard, stay at it, consistency is everything. Consistency is everything, we all want to maintain for many moons. Put 100% in everything you do. Don’t rush anything, if you’re a music artist; don’t rely on the label you’re on. Expect for them to have your back but at the same time have your own back.

Just by his sheer numbers alone, we could learn a lot from E-40.  The effort he’s made to meet his fans where they are by making himself accessible to them, has worked like a charm.  Whether fan, friend or a start up brand , when E-40 speaks, posts, tweets or uploads, the masses are paying attention and if attention really is the new currency, he’s definitely Ballin’ out of Control!

By Mike Johns