ETP.RECORDS, ETP.RADIO AND e2pA ARE THE BRAINCHILDREN OF QWEHLO FOLLOWING HIS RESIGNATION AT NIKE INC. AS A NIKE SPORTSWEAR AND NRG MARKETER IN 2018.
AFTER WORKING ON PROJECTS LIKE TOM SACHS’ “SPACE CAMP,” VIRGIL ABLOH’S “THE TEN,” COMME DES GARCONS’ “VAPORMAX,” AND A$AP BARI’S “VLONE” AIR FORCE 1 COUPLED WITH CLIENTS LIKE STOCKX, GRAILED, OTIS WEALTH AND CASH APP IN THE YEARS AFTER — IT BECAME APPARENT TO QWEHLO THAT THERE WAS A COMMON THREAD THROUGH FASHION, MUSIC AND TECHNOLOGY THAT HE WANTED TO HONE IN ON.
IN THE SUMMER OF 2020, JAMES LEE OF CASH APP, APPROACHED QWEHLO TO ASK IF HE HAD THE AVAILABILITY TO HELP CASH APP WITH THEIR AMBITIONS OF BECOMING MORE INGRATIATED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY — ONCE MEETING WITH THE EXECUTIVES AT CASH APP, A DEAL WAS DONE SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, AND HE FULLY COMMITTED TO WORKING IN THE MUSIC AND TECHNOLOGY SPACE.
TO COMMEMORATE CASH APP COMMITTING TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, AND HE TO TECHNOLOGY –– QWEHLO RELEASED A LIMITED EDITION AIR FORCE 1 TO SIGNIFY THE THREE WORLDS OF FASHION, MUSIC AND TECHNOLOGY COMING TOGETHER UNDER THE “ETP.RECORDS” UMBRELLA. THE AIR FORCE 1 NOW COMMANDS A RESALE VALUE WELL OVER $1000.
AFTER WORKING WITH BLOCKCHAIN AND WEB3 TECHNOLOGY AT BOTH, A Y COMBINATOR AND AN A16Z COMPANY OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS, QWEHLO IS NOW COMMITTED TO UTILIZING ETP.MEDIA (ETP.RECORDS, ETP.RADIO AND e2pA) AS A VEHICLE TO INNOVATE THE WAY THAT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IS VALUED ACROSS FASHION, MUSIC AND TECHNOLOGY.
The Aim
SINCE LEAVING NIKE SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I SOMEHOW ENDED UP IN THE FASHION-TECH/FINTECH SPACE, AND BECAME CONSUMED WITH THOROUGHLY UNDERSTANDING HOW TECHNOLOGY IS USED TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THOSE CONSUMING GOODS AND SERVICES. I’VE ALSO BEEN KEEN ON LISTENING TO MUSICIANS AND THEIR GRIPES ABOUT THE ECOSYSTEM THEY’RE FORCED TO OPERATE WITHIN.
THE LIMITATIONS OF ANTIQUATED SYSTEMS/MODELS HAVE BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED AS THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ATTEMPTS TO ASSIMILATE IN THIS EVER-CHANGING DIGITAL LANDSCAPE — AS A CONSEQUENCE, THERE’S DIMINISHING RETURNS ON THE IP BECAUSE MUSIC ISN’T BEING POSITIONED AND VALUED PROPERLY IN THE MARKET (WHAT’S THE TRUE INTRINSIC + EXTRINSIC VALUE OF A STREAM?), AND YOU, AS THE CONSUMER, HAVE A LESS ENJOYABLE LISTENING EXPERIENCE WHETHER YOU REALIZE IT OR NOT. WOULD YOU LOVE YOUR FAVORITE RECORD MORE IF THE INDEPENDENT ARTIST HAD THE ABILITY TO INVEST MORE INTO THE FORMULATION OF THE RECORD? MAYBE, MAYBE NOT, BUT THE VIABILITY OF THE IP ON THE BACKEND SHOULD AFFORD THEM A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF CREATIVE FREEDOM AND LIQUIDITY ON THE FRONTEND. AND BEING A “VIRAL TIKTOK SENSATION” SHOULDN’T BE A PREREQUISITE FOR AN ARTIST TO BE DEEMED WORTHY OF INVESTING INTO ON THE FRONTEND.
OVER THE SPAN OF A FEW YEARS, I’VE BEEN THINKING THROUGH HOW TO APPROACH THE PROBLEM OF MEANINGFUL, VIABLE OWNERSHIP WHILE NAVIGATING THE EVER-CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF TECHNOLOGY, AND IT’S STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE OVERZEALOUSLY PURSUING WAYS TO CUT COSTS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE ART FORM BY USING POTENTIALLY PROBLEMATIC TECHNOLOGY, E.G.; AI/AGI, RIGID DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS, AND OTHER FORMS OF SOFTWARE THAT CAN RESULT IN MAKING THE HUMAN/ARTIST OBSOLETE. TECHNOLOGY ISN’T THE PROBLEM — THE PHILOSOPHY OF SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS UTILIZING THE TECHNOLOGY IS THE PROBLEM.
THAT SAID, THE TEAM AND I HAVE DECIDED THAT THIS IS THE PROBLEM WE’RE GOING TO HELP SOLVE FOR AN ART FORM THAT WE LOVE BY APPLYING FINTECH SOLUTIONS I’VE HAD SUCCESS WITH WHILE WORKING IN OTHER INDUSTRIES OVER THE YEARS, TO ULTIMATELY HELP INCREASE THE VALUE OF AN ARTIST’S IP IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
GENERAL INQUIRIES: INQUIRY@ETP.XYZ