Zone of Genius

Evolve or Die: The Future of the Creative Process, Artist Authenticity, and the Value of the Music

a16z CLF

Posted August 22, 2023

In the first episode of the Cultural Leadership Fund’s Zone of Genius series, we sit down with leaders in music, Doug E. Fresh, Dre Lyon, Nicole Wyskoarko, and Piff Marti. We explore balancing artistry with “the machine,” the future of music as an asset class, AI as a creative copilot, technology’s role in producing the sounds we love, and maintaining authenticity as artists grow their brands.

Plus, learn how Marvin Gaye’s record, What’s Going On? almost never happened. And did you know Dre was in an R&B group?!

Topics covered:
1:08: when each leader knew music was their calling
9:55: introducing brand new sounds and concepts to music and the parallels to building new businesses in tech
13:20: Doug E. Fresh’s views on being one of the most sampled artists of all time and the evolution of sampling and artist rights in the industry
16:30: the moment when Dre knew they had a hit in the studio
19:32: how technology advancements have impacted music production and the sounds we love
20:30: Dre’s first foray into music in an R&B group
22:25: the importance of being able to evolve with technology as trends in music and culture shift, including the original production story of “La Di Da Di”
27:43: Piff’s story of forging his own path as an independent artist in today’s content era
32:31: Dre’s views on catalog sales and valuing music as an asset class
39:43: Models for all players in the music industry to align incentives and win
44:52: How web3 is enabling an “industrial revolution” with new revenue, ownership, and marketing models for artists
48:50: Balancing your artistry and creative instincts with “the machine” of output, including how Marvin Gaye’s record, “What’s Going On?” almost never happened
1:00:58: The best ways for artists to build their brands for longevity
1:03:25: AI as a tool and creative copilot

Contributor

  • a16z CLF

More From this Contributor

The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. In addition, this content may include third-party advertisements; a16z has not reviewed such advertisements and does not endorse any advertising content contained therein.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by a16z. (An offering to invest in an a16z fund will be made only by the private placement memorandum, subscription agreement, and other relevant documentation of any such fund and should be read in their entirety.) Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by a16z, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Andreessen Horowitz (excluding investments for which the issuer has not provided permission for a16z to disclose publicly as well as unannounced investments in publicly traded digital assets) is available at https://a16z.com/investments/.

Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see https://a16z.com/disclosures for additional important information.

More About This Podcast

Zone of Genius is a special, 3-part summer series bringing you exclusive conversations with cultural leaders across sports, music and food.

Learn More
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
go to top