Episode 13 - Aspirational Marketing Featuring Coltrane Curtis

On episode 13 of Lemme Ask You This with Talib Kweli and Tef Poe, the guest is Coltrane Curtis from Team Epiphany. The conversation starts with Talib asking Coltrane about his recent international trip and how America is viewed overseas in the MAGA era. Coltrane talks about the challenges of explaining fascism to his children. Coltrane talks about how partying in NYC led to the formation of his marketing company, Team Epiphany. Talib asks Coltrane about lessons he learned from his father. Coltrane talks about how celebrity is engineered and explains how his team came up with the term "influencer." Tef asks Coltrane about niche marketing and the conversation turns to the cultural currency of Future's Dirty Sprite Ballet. Talib asks about focus groups and Coltrane talks about how his team created a way to use data to measure cultural currency. Talib shares his experience with working on the Getting Up video game and thanks Coltrane for the work they did together with Marc Eckō. Tef brings up how popular G Unit gear was and Coltrane breaks down how when people stole those clothes it made the brand cool. The conversation turns towards Coltrane's time at Ralph Lauren and the legacy of the Lo Lifes. Talib asks why rappers didn't wear their own brands. Coltrane tells stories about his dad and explains the need for having hard skills. Coltrane explains why Team Ephipany hires writers and the importance of the book Positioning. Coltrane thanks his family for putting him in the right positions. Tef breaks down the Pooh Shiesty/Gucci Mane situation. Talib asks Coltrane about his college years in Atlanta and about the importance of HBCUs. Coltrane talks about how COVID impacted his business. Tef asks Coltrane about the challenges of being a marketing person with morals. Talib asks Coltrane about his time as a host on MTV, which leads to a conversation about the challenges of being seen at a Kanye West show. Talib brings up the Jay Z GQ interview, which leads to a discussion about the tactical nature of magazines and the importance of reading. Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast