Steve Stoute’s 27 Keys

I recently caught an interview Steve “The Commissioner” Stoute did on Rap Radar with Elliot Wilson and B Dot.  I’m glad I did because Stoute laid out some solid gold keys I thought were worth collecting and sharing.  Keys that can help us become (or stay) smart, aggressive, and successful!  I know the term aggressive is a no-no in our community, but in this case, I take aggressive to mean tenacious and ferocious about our goals and the way we pursue them.  A lot of what Stoute talks about and refers to in the interview is the music business, specifically Hip Hop – the business he’s masterfully “commissioned” himself in over the past three decades (or 30 summers if you will).  However, I think these Hip Hop keys can be applied to just about any goal or endeavor.  Because again, it’s about the way you approach your work and business.

If you’re not familiar with Steve Stoute, he’s an advertising and marketing executive who started his career as a record executive in the then-newly emerging industry of Hip Hop.  Most notably he managed the careers of Nas, Mary J. Blige, and Will Smith. Well-respected by his peers and clients, he’s considered the change agent in Hip Hop. In 2004 he founded Translation, a creative solutions company that “reimagines how brands and artists tell their story, create value, and push culture forward,” where he serves as CEO today. He’s also the founder and CEO of UnitedMasters, a music distribution company that positions independent artists to scale their art and brand.  In 2020, Disney enlisted Translation to “help brand partners become part of cultural conversations and ultimately create innovative branded entertainment.”

Stoute also authored a book I’ve been wanting to check out for the longest (and now will), The Tanning of America. According to Americans For the Arts, the book “traces how the “tanning” phenomenon raised a generation of black, Hispanic, white, and Asian consumers who have the same “mental complexion” based on shared experiences and values, rather than the increasingly irrelevant demographic boxes that have been used to a fault by corporate America.”  It goes on to say “Stoute presents an insider’s view of how the transcendent power of popular culture is helping reinvigorate and revitalize the American dream.”

Surprisingly Steve Stoute was also the Managing Director and CEO of Carol’s Daughter, the natural hair and body care company founded by Lisa Price.  He partnered with some real heavy hitters to globally expand the brand.  I’m talking Lebron James, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, and Jay Z.  If that isn’t enough, there’s a whole host of other projects and campaigns Steve Stoute has launched and spearheaded (did I mention he created the annual Grandmasters Awards along with Nas and Ben and Felicia Horowitz??).  No question, Steve Stoute is rightly named, The Commissioner!

“He’s the conduit between corporate America and rap and the street, and the music industry generally…he speaks both languages” – Jay-Z 

Disclaimer: some of the keys may seem repetitive, and they are.  But I think it bears repeating and emphasizing.  Especially when you think of them in the context of Hip Hop and respecting and preserving the culture.  The point is worth emphasizing.  Considering the way the culture is continually under siege of culture vultures, always lurking and flying about.

Stoute’s 27 Keys

To Being Smart, Aggressive, and Successful

1. Do the work
2. Make it important
3. Make it impactful
4. Invest in yourself, and reap the reward
5. Stick to your knitting – Jimmy Iovine
6. Talk when there’s something to talk about; if you have nothing to say, say nothing
7. Don’t do things for the wrong reason
8. Be honest with people
9. Be around people who expect you to be extremely candid and honest with them
10. Challenge + Respect : How can you say the most difficult thing in the most respectful way?
11. Care about the culture (if you’re going to be apart of it)
12. Invest in the culture (in your business, yourself and in others) (just because. “The tide lifts all boats”)
13. Appreciate the culture
14. Move the culture forward
15. Always create
16. Put out what you create
17. Don’t keep that shit in!
18. Don’t ever let anyone make you not create or put out what you create
19. Understand : words really do matter
20. Value knowledge
21. Have enough confidence to follow your gut instinct
22. Be willing to leave certain things behind as you grow and move on
23. Fuck with people whose values have value
24. Don’t put yourself in situations that could pull you back (to what you leveled up from)
25. Do what you say
26. Stick to your knitting!
27. Push the culture forward

Watch interview here