hollywood billionaire

Chapter 496 Foundation Management Team (Part 2)
"I know your team is full of stars."

Stephenie paused for a moment, then raised her index finger and said.

"I stumbled upon a news article online a few days ago, and someone shared it... Was it you? Madison, did you share it?"

“I don’t know which news article you’re referring to,” Madison tilted his head, “but if it’s related to HMG, then… it’s almost certainly something I forwarded.”

"It's about HMG's new CEO."

“Yes, it was me… or maybe Lana, I don’t know.” Madison paused, then explained, “Basically everyone shared that Variety article, everyone in the HMG circle.”

“You guys are a really cohesive group.” Stevie raised an eyebrow and smiled at Han Yi. “I have to admit that. You never see these kids… these singers, bands, or artists sharing any information about their record companies. They have a hard time taking their attention off themselves, and even if they wanted to, their management companies wouldn’t easily allow them to do so.”

"Perhaps it's not because of cohesion," Han Yi shrugged, jokingly. "There are two important reasons. First, the vast majority of artists signed by Han Music have also signed management and artist management contracts with us, so everyone in this industry chain has a real shared interest. And the second..."

“Every artist received a very sincere text message pleading with me. If the text message didn’t work, I would call them. I made many calls until they got tired of it and forwarded it to me.”

“That’s right.” Amid the laughter, Madison nodded seriously. “I retweeted this after he called seven times. Now he owes me about thirty-five dinners, that’s about it.”

"Clearly you got jokes."

Like everyone else present, Stevie chuckled softly in agreement. Her voice was somewhat hoarse with age, but her eyes stubbornly turned upwards thanks to the Botox, relentlessly battling the muscle laxity caused by natural aging, etching a deep line of time on her cheekbone.

The barely maintained remnants of youth, like her minimalist attire deliberately stripped of any trace of the times, all emphasize one fact—this elderly woman, born during President Truman's term and nearing seventy, refuses to accept the marks of time forcibly etched upon her body.

This rebellious spirit, full of rock and roll spirit, is exactly what Han Yi can exploit.

As Han Yi quietly observed Stevie, silently calculating in his mind, she was doing the same thing. Her gaze swept between Han Yi and Madison a few times before finally settling firmly on the former's face.

“I almost never look at things that are shared, and I never read those garbage articles on Variety. But that afternoon, a headline that appeared on my screen caught my attention.”

"What's the title?" Realizing that Stevie's conversation partner had shifted to him, Han Yi quickly caught the unfinished statement thrown at him, allowing the topic to continue on its current trajectory in a dynamic and organic way.

"The Rebel from Compton: How Dr. Dre Changed Music and How He Will Change Music Again," I forget the exact words, but that's roughly the gist.

“From becoming the first billionaire in the hip-hop world to taking office as CEO of Han Music Group this week, the legendary producer, rapper and entrepreneur whose real name is Andre Young can be summed up by the lyrics of his first solo single, ‘Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang,’ from which he has achieved his success and confidence.”

Madison, standing nearby, promptly pulled up the article shared on the platform and read aloud from her phone, "'Hip-hop music is the foundation of all Dre's creations and achievements. His legendary career has always been accompanied by bold confidence and a constant desire for innovation, filled with both the joy of victory and the hardships of adversity.'"

"My career has been traumatic, yet incredibly fortunate," Dre told Variety, "because for the past 30 years or so, I've been a rebel. Now, I'm taking that spirit of rebellion to the next place, to the next phase of my life. Soon you'll see an army of rebels, igniting an unquenchable wildfire in the music world, reclaiming the territory that has long been ours."

"And this is the most fitting description of the Han Music Group that Dr. Dre is about to take over."

“'A resistance army'.”

“Yes, this is one of the more interesting details in the whole article.” Hearing this, Stevie pointed to Madison’s phone. “What exactly are you rebelling against?”

“The wording in the article is a bit exaggerated. You should be familiar with Variety’s style—what they write is more like a story than news.” Han Yi’s voice was gentle and his words humble, a stark contrast to the aggressive Han Music Group described in the report. “And I heard… this doesn’t seem to be a PR piece from your side.” Lionel played with the silver pendant on his chest, licked his thick lips, and said with a smile, “It seems… Variety approached Dr. Dre themselves.”

"Yes."

Han Yi took a sip of iced tea and nodded slightly in response. Lionel Richie's words gave Han Yi plenty of face, but at the same time pointed out the essence of the manuscript.

In addition to taking over Han Music Group, Dr. Dre is currently preparing another project – a four-part documentary, "The Rebels," directed by Alan Hughes, which will premiere on HBO in 2017. The documentary will mainly tell the story of his career and working relationship with Jimmy Jovin, the two co-founders of Beats.

This is Dr. Dre's first biographical documentary, and another excellent opportunity for him to build his personal brand through mass media, following his 2015 release of *Straight Outta Compton*. More importantly, the documentary will be broadcast on HBO, the world's leading cable television network. For figures in the arts, having a documentary about them broadcast on HBO is akin to having a library built in their name by a US president—the highest level of social honor one can receive after achieving great success.

Therefore, Dr. Dre's dedication to this documentary is self-evident. Before Han Music Group even officially announced the appointment, Dr. Dre's PR team had already finalized a press release personally crafted by AD Amoroussi, a renowned editor from Variety magazine.

The article essentially gilded Dr. Dre's already illustrious image—reviewing his legendary musical career, praising his foresight as "the first billionaire in the hip-hop music industry," envisioning his brilliant future in the record industry, and seemingly casually mentioning his currently in-production film, "The Rebel," at the end of the article.

"An army of rebels is stirring up an inextinguishable wildfire in the music industry, seizing the territory that should have been ours long ago." This ambitious slogan is suitable as lyrics for the debut song of a new generation rapper, but not so suitable for Han Music, which should be keeping a low profile, building its strength steadily, and challenging the leaders after consolidating its own strength.

But this is the most realistic side of Hollywood; everyone has their own calculations, especially a big shot like Dr. Dre who has been famous for many years and has a deep-rooted network of connections in the industry. Even if they are on the same side, he still needs to ensure that his personal brand and projects get the maximum exposure and the best narrative angle.

However, Han Yi took this in stride. Everything has its good and bad sides. Just as if you want to sign Kanye West, a man with countless masterpieces, you have to accept Ye, who might post swastikas on Twitter at any moment. Since Han Yi chose Andre Young, an industry legend who could help him quickly expand his network and establish himself, he shouldn't have too many complaints about Dr. Dre, who prioritized his personal image over the group's interests, made boastful statements in global media, and attracted unnecessary hostility to Han Music Group.

After all, setting aside the aura of a music entrepreneur, Dr. Dre's most identifiable identity is that of an artist. And this Variety article is merely a classic example of the self-centered public relations tactics commonly employed by big-name celebrities.

"The rebel is an important part of Dre's personal career, and he needs this dramatic label, which is understandable."

Han Yi put down his cup, and the water droplets that had condensed on the cup left a dark dot on the tablecloth.

“So, when you ask me what exactly Han Music is rebelling against…” Han Yi stared intently at Stevie, “what I want to say is that I like the word ‘rebellion,’ but I wouldn’t use it myself. The word is full of legendary and individual heroism—it’s very ‘Dre,’ and it fits the media’s need to create stories. But it’s not, or rather, not entirely the core principle of our entire Han Music Group’s current actions.”

"Oh?" Stevie tapped her index finger lightly on the edge of the table, making a barely audible tapping sound, showing that her interest had been truly piqued. "So, what is your core principle? Or rather, in your view, what are you actually doing?"

"It's about rebuilding order." Han Yi's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear, each word like a pebble thrown into calm water, "rather than simple destruction or confrontation."

"reconstruction?"

“That’s right.” Han Yi nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. “The music industry is sick, everyone knows that. The old giants’ model—over-reliance on a few superstars, exploitative contracts for artists, neglect of the rights of newcomers and creators, sluggishness in adapting to the changes of the streaming era, arrogance towards data and user needs…all of this has led to the distortion of values ​​and the deterioration of the ecosystem. Artists are bound by unequal contracts, their creativity is squeezed; newcomers struggle to rise to prominence and lack fair opportunities; users seem to have more choices, but truly high-quality and diverse content discovery mechanisms are still lacking.”

“My presence is not to start a ‘war’ against a specific opponent, or to 'seize territory' with shouts of violence.” Han Yi deliberately downplayed the gunpowder tone in Dre’s original words. “Our goal is to build a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable music ecosystem. This requires fundamentally changing some things.”

"And that is the goal that the Wave Music Foundation wants to achieve."

"This is also the future we would like to invite you to create with us."

(End of this chapter)