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SELLING HIS T

TALENT BY TINA HART

ime was, artists could shout loud and proud about not “selling out”; avoiding all commercial opportunities safe in the

knowledge that his or her recorded revenues would top up the bank balance. These days, it’s nowhere near that easy. Just

like the labels that sign them, acts rely on a range of revenue streams to get by – from live to merch to syncs for products in far-flung places. If they are offered a commercial opportunity

with a brand that fits with their world view, it makes sense to snap it up, particularly in an era when brands themselves have shaped up – and approach artists with bona fide ‘partnerships’, rather than tacked- on attempts to beguile a performer’s audience. Some of the best examples of

these band-meets-brand team- ups have been demonstrated by Professor Green. The UK rapper has worked with the likes of Coca-Cola-owned energy drink Relentless, snack company Doritos and – in a long-term deal – leisurewear legends Puma. He was even recently

It just seems to be getting bigger and bigger doesn’t it? Completely. You look at what happened to drum and bass and jungle, it got commercialised, but it still exists in its original form now and then. It’s bubbling up again now. That’s because we’re coming of age. Everyone was listening to it back then, playing out. It’s kind of coming back around now in 2012.

“Puma’s always been

quite cool. It kind of sits well with me and also I actually wear the

trainers. I don’t have to

them for two years. PROFESSOR GREEN

approached by bespoke beer specialist Signature Brew to create his own ale, Remedy; handily coinciding with the single release of the same name. Music Week caught up with Pro Green – real

name Stephen Manderson – at the International Music Summit (IMS) in Ibiza to talk about his musical tastes and why, as such a strong-minded artist, he is happy to work so closely with commercial entities…

You’re known to dabble in dance music. Growing up, what was the first sub-genre of dance you listened to? Jungle. I’m showing my age now, innit. I grew up in East London. I’m 28 now but when I was nine or 10 I would play out on the estate. All the olders were coming out in their stolen cars, playing their jungle tapes. That was my first introduction to it and that was the first genre of music I got into.

What about nowadays: if you had to pick one sub-genre, what would it be...? Maybe dubstep. It’s probably what I’ve had the most fun with and it crosses over into my world as much as I cross over into its.

Do you think you’ll be doing more dubstep- leaning music yourself in the future? I’ll always do bits and bobs with it. You see loads of sub-genres that pop up and disappear. I think that dubstep will stick around.

I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do that if it wasn’t for doing that branding deal. For me that’s a big part of it. Even with the Puma thing, to do intimate gigs in places where I wouldn’t be able to normally; things like that I appreciate because it gives me a chance to strip the band back. Sometimes it’s just me, a DJ and backing

vocalist in a small club where people have to do things for tickets. They have to be fans, essentially. They don’t have to pay for the tickets but they have to do things and get involved.

be made to do it. It says a lot that I’ve worked with

When you said dubstep’s getting a bit commercialised you pulled a pained face. What’s the problem with commercialising it for you? I don’t think there is a particular problem - I think all music should have a chance to become popular. It’s when you start hearing dubstep influences in Britney Spears records and it’s a bit cringeworthy. You have people who have no understanding of the genre – they just put a wobbly bass in there because they think it sounds cool and they think it’s what people want to hear. But it’s not done for a real reason. I suppose people that

produce pop records will just work with whatever’s current.

Let’s talk about you teaming up with brands. I thought your partnership with Doritos on the interactive 360-degree video (below) a while back was really clever…

The UK rapper is a Puma brand ambassador and has teamed