Mass Appeal (media)

Mass Appeal
Limited liability company
Industry Mass media
Founded 1996 (1996)
Headquarters New York City, New York, United States
Subsidiaries Mass Appeal magazine
Mass Appeal Records
Decon
Website Official website

Mass Appeal is an American media and content company based in New York City. The company was founded in 1996 as a graffiti fanzine and since has grown to encompass a magazine, website, film, television, a music label and a creative agency.[1]

History

Mass Appeal published their first issue of Mass Appeal magazine in the year 1996. Initially, it covered a wide variety of pop culture topics ranging from graffiti culture, hip hop music, video games, cars and movies. It often provided coverage of young artists and performers that contributed to, and shaped, contemporary hip-hop culture. The magazine included columnists such as R.A. the Rugged Man, Matt Goias, Mister Cartoon, Estevan Oriol and Reas.

Mass Appeal launched a spin-off called Missbehave in 2006 and suspended publication in 2008.[2] In 2013 Mass Appeal relaunched and resumed print with Earl Sweatshirt and Blake Anderson on the cover of Issue 52.[3]

On April 10, 2013, Mass Appeal was revived when a group of investors, including American rapper Nas decided to relaunch and expand the Mass Appeal brand. On the Mass Appeal deal, he was joined by creative firm Decon and White Owl Capital Partners, an early stage investment firm with business interests in technology, media and energy located in North America, Europe and China.[1][4][5]

Projects

Records

Mass Appeal Records is an American independent record label founded in 2014 by Mass Appeal. It is an urban alternative focused label with a roster of almost a dozen artists. The first project to be released on the label was Run The Jewels 2. The album received global critical acclaim and earned #1 spot at Pitchfork.[6] Since the success of RTJ2, the label has went on to release music from artists including Nas, Run the Jewels, Fashawn, Bishop Nehru, Boldy James, J Dilla, Dave East, Mannie Fresh and DJ Shadow.[7][8][9][10][11]

Film / TV / Digital video

In 2013, Mass Appeal entered in a production partnership with CNN Films to produce a documentary, entitled Fresh Dressed, about hip-hop and fashion.[12] The documentary was accepted in the prestigious Sundance Film Festival where it was sold to Samuel Goldwyn Films and StyleHaul.[13]

Mass Appeal is producing digital video series including WATCHxWITNESS,[14] its premiere photographic documentary series, Rhythm Roulette,[15] an innovative look into spontaneous beat making and producer culture which has featured artists such as Mac Miller, 9th Wonder, El-P, Black Milk and more. On The Grind, which examines the intersection of skate and creativity.[16] Time Pieces, short films that has featured Pharrell Williams, Jay Electronica, Too Short and others and Off Tha' Wall, its comedic interview series.[17][18]

TBS division of Turner, has collaborated with Mass Appeal and greenlit Storyville, a new digital animated series. The top-rated network is also in development on Think B.I.G., a scripted series based loosely on lyrics by the late, great Notorious B.I.G. The two projects are the first to emerge from a new strategic content partnership between TBS & TNT and New York-based content and media organization Mass Appeal.[19][20]

Creative Agency

The agency division of Decon was relaunched under the Mass Appeal banner in 2013. The agency's clients include, Sprite, HBO and Under Armour.[21] In 2016, Mass Appeal partnered with HBO to launch a campaign for the 6th Season of Game of Thrones entitled Art the Throne.[22]

Decon

Decon continues to operate as the commercial production division of Mass Appeal. Currently, the roster includes a diverse selection of directors including, JEAN, Tj O'Grady, Jason Goldwatch, 13th Witness, Marcus Clarke and Steven Caple.[23] Jason Goldwatch was hired to direct Season 3 of famed Chef Eric Ripert's show Avec Eric for the Cooking Channel. The twelve season show aired in Spring 2015,and footage from the season was featured in a campaign for Squarespace.[24]

In 2015, comedy directing collective JEAN joined the roster and announced the partnership bycreating an advertisement and running it during 3am Everybody Loves Raymond re-runs. That same year, Decon expanded its director roster to include TJ O'Grady and Marcus Clarke. Clarke's work as part of the Snicker's campaign "What's Up With Marcia" earned two Bronze Cannes Lions.[23]

MassAppeal.com

MassAppeal.com is an outlet for youth-spawned urban culture. The site features daily original video and also publishes social content direct to various platforms.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Mass Appeal on Forbes. Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  2. ↑ Mass Appeal Marks Decade in Business with Launch of Spinoff Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  3. ↑ Mass Appeal issue #52 with Earl Sweatshirt and Sagan Lockhart Retrieved on 14 July 2016
  4. ↑ Nas Invests Six-Figure Sum In Mass Appeal Magazine Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  5. ↑ Nas to Record On Mass Appeal Records; Will Release 'Lost Tapes 2' & Posthumous Pimp C Album (Billboard) Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  6. ↑ Pitchfork: 50 best albums of 2014 Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  7. ↑ Nas teams up with Mass Appeal Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  8. ↑ Fashawn's The Ecology on Mass Appeal Records Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  9. ↑ Mass Appeal released J Dilla's The Diary Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  10. ↑ DJ Shadows: 'The Mountain Will Fall' on Chicago Tribune Retrieved on 14 July 2016
  11. ↑ Nas launches Mass Appeal Records, readies release of Lost Tapes 2 and all-star compilation Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  12. ↑ CNN Films Gets FRESH DRESSED For Fall Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  13. ↑ Sundance Docu ‘Fresh Dressed’ Sells To Samuel Goldwyn & StyleHaul Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  14. ↑ 2015 Capsule Collection Lookbook by WATCHxWITNESS (Jason Goldwatch & 13thWitness) Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  15. ↑ Ski Beatz Flips A Squeeze LP On Mass Appeal's ‘Rhythm Roulette’ Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  16. ↑ On The Grind w Quim Cardona via Mass Appeal (2014) Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  17. ↑ "Time Pieces" series of short videos from Jason Goldwatch on techcrunch Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  18. ↑ Pharrell Williams and Karolina Kurkova on "Time Pieces" Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  19. ↑ Notorious B.I.G. Scripted Series in the Works at TBS Retrieved on 4 August 2016
  20. ↑ TBS Greenlights Digital Animated Series Storyville And Begins Development on Notorious B.I.G.-Inspired Series Retrieved on 4 August 2016.
  21. ↑ Mass Appeal Launches ‘Charged By Belief’ for Under Armour. Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  22. ↑ Artists Recreate Pivotal Game of Thrones Scenes to Celebrate Its Sixth Season (Adweek) Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  23. 1 2 Directors at Decon Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
  24. ↑ Chef Eric Ripert Serves Up Zen, Food Porn for Squarespace Retrieved on 14 July 2016.
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