Uproxx

Last updated

Uproxx
Uproxx.svg
Type of site
Music and culture
Available inEnglish
Founded2008;17 years ago (2008)
Headquarters
Los Angeles, California
,
United States
Founder(s)
Key people
  • Jarret Myer (CEO)
  • Kristopher Maske (COO)
  • Rich Antoniello (executive chairman)
  • will.i.am (CVO)
URL uproxx.com

Uproxx Studios (stylized as UPROXX) is an American music, entertainment and popular culture website and content studio. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater. The website was acquired in 2014 by Woven Digital (which later changed its name to Uproxx Media Group). In August 2018, Uproxx Media Group was acquired by Warner Music Group, with Myer remaining in control of the company's operations as publisher. [1]

Contents

In April 2024, Myer partnered with Rich Antoniello and will.i.am to form an independent company, Uproxx Studios, after acquiring Uproxx along with HipHopDX and Dime Magazine from Warner Music Group.

History

Uproxx was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, who previously co-founded the hip hop label Rawkus Records in 1996. [2] [3]

In April 2014, Uproxx was acquired by Woven Digital, [4] an ad network company. [5] [6] In December 2014, Woven raised US$18 million in Series A funding with a portion of the capital allocated to growing Uproxx through staff hires and video development. [7]

Myer joined Woven Digital as general manager of publishing. [8] Uproxx was Woven Digital's largest brand, with a viewership of 40 million per month. [9] Then Headquartered in Culver City, [10] the company also had production facilities in New York City [11] and Chicago. [12] The Culver City offices housed a full production studio staffed by writers, illustrators, presenters and video editing staff; the company produced all of its own sponsored videos. [13]

In January 2015, Uproxx acquired Dime Magazine to expand its sports division. [14] Uproxx's coverage of film and TV was expanded with the acquisitions of HitFix in 2016. [10] Following these acquisitions, the company had 110 employees as of March 2017. [9] Benjamin Blank, who served as the chief creative officer, was also named CEO of the company in November 2016. [15]

In August 2018, Warner Music Group announced that it had acquired Uproxx and its properties. [16] While the acquisition was for an undisclosed sum, Uproxx had raised around $43 million (£33 million) from previous investment, possibly indicating the firm's valuation. [17]

In February 2024, Warner indicated its plan to sell its owned media assets, including Uproxx and HipHopDX, as part of a shift to focus on its music business. [18] Following this announcement, Myer partnered with Rich Antoniello and will.i.am to acquire Uproxx, HipHopDX, and Dime Magazine, bringing all three publications under an independent company named Uproxx Studios in April 2024. [19] [20] The new independent studio also reached a deal to represent Warner Music for all YouTube media sales in the United States. [19] Myer was named CEO, Antoniello served as partner and executive chairman, and will.i.am joined as partner, investor, and chief visionary officer. [20] [21] Elliott Wilson was also appointed editorial director of hip-hop journalism overseeing Uproxx, HipHopDX and Dime Magazine. [21]

Content

Uproxx covers entertainment and popular culture, including fashion, music, and sports. [22] Video makes up a significant portion of the site's content and Uproxx produces both original and sponsored video. [4] [23] After its acquisition by Woven, Uproxx placed more emphasis on video content and released several web series. [7] [24] It develops web originals, long- and short-form series and films. [25]

Luminaries, a show that profiled young scientists and inventors, was Uproxx’s first original series in January 2015. [26] The first two episodes of the series generated 18.5 million views within the first four months. [8] [27] Luminaries was nominated for a Webby Award in 2015. [28] Also in 2015, Uproxx launched several sponsored video series. Among these were Human, a video series about artisans and others who preserve traditional work, sponsored by Coors Banquet, [29] and Uncharted: Power of Dreams, a show that profiles rising musicians, with Honda, [30] Uncharted won a Clio Award in 2016. [9] In 2017, Uproxx created a piece of branded content for fast food chain Checkers featuring rapper Rick Ross. [31] [32]

In June 2021, Uproxx and Pilot Boy Productions produced the podcast People's Party with Talib Kweli, which was co-created by rapper Talib Kweli and Myer. The podcast was a weekly interview series featuring celebrity guests that aired on the podcast network Luminary. [33] In 2022, Uproxx released a new web series titled Fresh Pair hosted by hip-hop producer Just Blaze and sneaker designer Katty Customs. The series returned in 2023 for a second season. [34]

Uproxx Music Critics Poll

Since 2018, Uproxx has held the Uproxx Music Critics Poll, a poll which tabulates the submitted lists of invited music critics, similar to the discontinued Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll. The following albums and songs have topped the poll since its introduction:

Albums
YearArtistAlbumRef.
2018 Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour [35]
2019 Lana Del Rey Norman Fucking Rockwell! [36]
2020 Fiona Apple Fetch the Bolt Cutters [37]
2021 Japanese Breakfast Jubilee [38]
2022 Beyoncé Renaissance [39]
2023 Boygenius The Record [40]
Songs
YearArtistAlbumRef.
2018 Ariana Grande "Thank U, Next" [41]
2019N/AN/AN/A
2020 Phoebe Bridgers "I Know the End" [42]
2021 Olivia Rodrigo "Good 4 U" [43]
2022 Beyoncé "Break My Soul" [44]
2023 Boygenius "Not Strong Enough" [45]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murs (rapper)</span> American rapper from California

Nicholas Neil Carter, better known by his stage name Murs, is an American rapper. His name is an acronym for which he himself has created multiple meanings, such as "Making the Universe Recognize and Submit" or "Making Underground Raw Shit."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Budden</span> American rapper (born 1980)

Joseph Anthony Budden II is an American broadcaster and rapper. He first gained recognition in the latter occupation with his 2003 single "Pump It Up", which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of his eponymous debut studio album (2003). Met with critical and commercial success, the album peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200, although it served as his only major label release for Def Jam Recordings; he thereafter released seven albums independently to continued critical praise. While doing so, he performed as a member of the hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, which were signed to Eminem's Shady Records in 2012; the group released two studio albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Complex Networks</span> American media and entertainment company

Complex Networks is an American media and entertainment company for youth culture, based in New York City. It was founded as a bi-monthly magazine, Complex, by fashion designer Marc (Ecko) Milecofsky. Complex Networks reports on popular and emerging trends in style, sneakers, food, music, sports and pop culture. Complex Networks reached over 90 million unique users per month in 2013 across its owned and operated and partner sites, socials and YouTube channels. The print magazine ceased publication with the December 2016/January 2017 issue. Complex currently has 6.02 million subscribers and 1.8 billion total views on YouTube. As of 2019, the company's yearly revenue was estimated to be US$200 million, 15% of which came from commerce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie Gibbs</span> American rapper (born 1982)

Fredrick Jamel Tipton, better known by his stage name Freddie Gibbs, is an American rapper and songwriter. He signed with Interscope Records in 2006 and recorded his debut album for the label; however, its release was cancelled and he was dropped from the label due to executive shakeups. Gibbs later signed with Young Jeezy's CTE World in 2011 and released a number of mixtapes through the label, including his highly acclaimed Baby Face Killa (2012).

Jarret Myer is an American media entrepreneur who co-founded the record label Rawkus Records, the YouTube talent company Big Frame, and the digital media brand Uproxx. Since the sale of Uproxx to Woven Digital in 2014, Myer has served as Woven Digital's general manager of publishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendrick Lamar</span> American rapper (born 1987)

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper. Regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists of his generation, and one of the greatest rappers of all time, he is known for his technical artistry and complex songwriting. He was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to receive the honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Action Bronson</span> American rapper (born 1983)

Ariyan Arslani, professionally known as Action Bronson, is an American rapper and television presenter. Born and raised in Queens, he released his debut mixtape Bon Appetit ..... Bitch!!!!! in January 2011 and independently released his debut album, Dr. Lecter, in March 2011. In August 2012, Arslani signed his first major-label deal with Warner Bros. Records, but was later moved to the Atlantic Records-distributed label Vice Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Currensy</span> American rapper (born 1981)

Shante Scott Franklin, better known by his stage name Currensy, is an American rapper. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, he signed with the regionally-based labels Cash Money Records and Young Money Entertainment in the mid-2000s, although he released no albums for both. He signed with DD172 to release four albums before signing with Warner Records to release his fifth album and major label debut, Weekend at Burnie's (2011). In February of that year, he founded the record label Jet Life Recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercy (Kanye West song)</span> 2012 single by Kanye West

"Mercy" is a song by American rapper Kanye West featuring fellow American rappers Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz. The song was released April 10, 2012 through GOOD Music and Def Jam as the lead single from the compilation album Cruel Summer (2012). The song's production was handled by Lifted, with additional production from West, Mike Dean, and Mike Will Made It, and additional instrumentation from Hudson Mohawke. The song heavily samples the dancehall song "Dust a Sound Boy" by Super Beagle. The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics who praised the bombastic production, the varying quality of the verses, and the wordplay of the individual rappers. The song was featured on the soundtrack for NBA 2K13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elliott Wilson (journalist)</span> American journalist, television producer and magazine editor

Elliott Wilson is an American journalist, television producer, and magazine editor. He is the founder and CEO of Rap Radar. In the past, he has worked as editor-in-chief of XXL Magazine. While there, he became known for his editorials under the nickname "YN".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skeme</span> American rapper (born 1990)

Lonnie Kimble, better known by his stage name Skeme, is an American rapper from Inglewood, California. Skeme has collaborated with various West Coast rappers such as the group Black Hippy, Bizzy Bone, The Game, Dom Kennedy, Nipsey Hussle, E-40, Casey Veggies and Problem among others. In 2012, Skeme released his debut studio album Alive & Living under RBC Records. His second studio album Ingleworld was released in 2013 by MADE Headlines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bas (rapper)</span> Sudanese-American rapper from New York

Abbas Hamad, known professionally as Bas, is a French-born Sudanese-American rapper. He signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, Last Winter (2014). It was met with positive critical reception and entered the Billboard 200, along with his second and third albums, Too High to Riot (2016) and Milky Way (2018). His fourth album, We Only Talk About Real Shit When We're Fucked Up (2023) was met with continued praise despite failing to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I (Kendrick Lamar song)</span> 2014 single by Kendrick Lamar featuring Ronald Isley

"I" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar featuring Ronald Isley of The Isley Brothers. It was released on September 23, 2014 as the lead single from Lamar's third studio album To Pimp a Butterfly. The song uses music from "That Lady", written by and originally performed by R&B group The Isley Brothers, elements from which were re-recorded rather than being directly sampled from the original record. It won two awards at the 2015 Grammy Awards: Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Eyes on You</span> 2015 single by Meek Mill featuring Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj

"All Eyes on You" is a song by American rapper Meek Mill, released as the second single from his second studio album Dreams Worth More Than Money, on June 26, 2015. The song features Nicki Minaj with additional vocals from Chris Brown. It is a hip hop and R&B song, produced by Danny Morris, Alex Delicata, and co-produced by the Monarch, Kevin Cossom and DJ Khaled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talib Kweli</span> American rapper (born 1975)

Talib Kweli Greene is an American rapper. He earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with solo success including collaborations with producers and rappers Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Pharrell Williams. In 2011, Kweli founded his own record label, Javotti Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teyana Taylor discography</span>

American singer Teyana Taylor has released three studio albums, one compilation album, three mixtapes, and fifteen singles. In 2009, Taylor released her first mixtape, From a Planet Called Harlem, which included her debut single "Google Me". It debuted at its peak of number ninety on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Around this time, Taylor featured on songs with the likes of Trey Songz, Missy Elliott, and Kanye West. Taylor has spoken about her inspiration from fellow female musician Lauryn Hill, which was noted with the release of her second mixtape in 2012. The mixtape, entitled The Misunderstanding of Teyana Taylor, takes its name from Hill's album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

<i>HipHopDX</i> Online music magazine

HipHopDX is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. HipHopDX has over 3.5M monthly readers, the website encompassing hip hop news, interviews, music, and reviews. The website's founder and CEO is Sharath Cherian and the Head of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. HipHopDX is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group. HipHopDX can be found on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

<i>Top Boy</i> (A Selection of Music Inspired by the Series) 2019 soundtrack album by Various artists

Top Boy (A Selection of Music Inspired by the Series) is an original soundtrack album for the British television series Top Boy. It was released digitally on 13 September 2019 by OVO Sound and Warner. The soundtrack includes appearances from OVO's Drake, Baka Not Nice, and Popcaan and British artists AJ Tracey, Avelino, Dave, Fredo, Ghetts, Headie One, Little Simz, M Huncho, Nafe Smallz and SL.

"Big Time" is a song by American producer DJ Khaled featuring American rappers Future and Lil Baby. It was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on November 1, 2022, as the second single from the Khaled's thirteenth studio album God Did (2022).

References

  1. ↑ "WMG Acquires UPROXX". RAMP – Radio and Music Pros. August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  2. ↑ Mao, Chairman (June–July 1998). "Bring Da Rawkus". Vibe : 64–65. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  3. ↑ Varian, Ethan (July 11, 2017). "Uproxx Media works with brands to make ads millennials actually want to watch". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Spangler, Todd (April 17, 2014). "Showbiz Site Uproxx Acquired by Guy-Focused Digital Media Firm Woven". Variety . Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  5. ↑ Shields, Mike (June 30, 2016). "Male-Oriented Web Publisher Woven Digital Raises $18.5 Million". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  6. ↑ Kozlowski, Lori. "Woven: Creating A Digital Network For Young Men". Forbes . Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  7. 1 2 Ha, Anthony (December 11, 2014). "Advertising Tech Woven Digital, Owner Of Uproxx And Brobible, Raises $18M". TechCrunch . Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  8. 1 2 Brouwer, Bree (April 22, 2015). "UPROXX Launches Documentary Series With Three-Part Piece On Guns N' Roses". Tubefilter . Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 Spangler, Todd (March 3, 2017). "Woven Digital Changes Name to Uproxx Media". Variety . Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  10. 1 2 Spangler, Todd (April 19, 2016). "Woven Digital Acquires HitFix". Variety . Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  11. ↑ Jarvey, Natalie (August 18, 2015). "Uproxx-Owner Woven Digital Sees CEO Shakeup (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Company Overview of Woven Digital, Inc". Bloomberg Businessweek . Bloomberg . Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  13. ↑ Varian, Ethan (July 11, 2017). "Uproxx Media works with brands to make ads millennials actually want to watch". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  14. ↑ Yang, Melissah (January 22, 2015). "Woven Digital Scores Dime Magazine". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  15. ↑ Spangler, Todd (November 1, 2016). "Woven Digital Names Benjamin Blank CEO in Latest Exec Shuffle". Variety . Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  16. ↑ Halperin, Shirley (August 2, 2018). "Warner Music Group Acquires UPROXX". Variety . Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  17. ↑ Maytom, Tim (August 3, 2018). "Uproxx Media Group Acquired by Warner Music Group". Mobile Marketing Magazine. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  18. ↑ Aswad, Jem (February 7, 2024). "Warner Music to Lay Off 10% of Staff in Effort to 'Double Down on Core Business'". Variety . Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  19. 1 2 Paine, Andre (April 24, 2024). "Warner Music Group sells Uproxx and other media assets to independent company including Will.i.am". Music Week . Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  20. 1 2 Huston, Caitlin (April 24, 2024). "Will.i.am, Jarret Myer, Rich Antoniello Acquire Uproxx, HipHopDX and More to Form New Studio". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  21. 1 2 Saponara, Michael (April 24, 2024). "Elliott Wilson Named Editorial Director of UPROXX, HipHopDX & Dime Magazine as Brands Come Under New Ownership". Billboard . Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  22. ↑ Steele, Anne; Mullin, Benjamin (August 2, 2018). "Warner Music Pursues Young, Digital Audience With Purchase of Uproxx". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  23. ↑ Shields, Mike (April 17, 2014). "The Edgy Male-Targeted Digital Media Company Woven Acquires Uproxx". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  24. ↑ Jarvey, Natalie (March 16, 2015). "Uproxx Launches Daily News Show 'The Desk' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  25. ↑ Guaglione, Sara (March 2, 2017). "Woven Digital Rebrands, Pushes Uproxx's Longer Content". MediaPost Communications. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  26. ↑ Gutelle, Sam (January 16, 2015). "Uproxx Debuts 'Luminaries', Its First Original Web Series". Tubefilter . Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  27. ↑ Shields, Mike (April 17, 2015). "Here's How Fast a Web Series Can Take Off on Facebook". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  28. ↑ "This Teen Created The World's Safest Gun: Luminaries". NepHub. May 21, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  29. ↑ Baysinger, Tim (August 4, 2015). "How a Web Series About Tradition Helped a Beer Brand Reach Millennials". AdWeek . Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  30. ↑ Baysinger, Tim (September 24, 2015). "This Uproxx Series Will Spot Emerging Stars for Honda: 10 episodes bring new music to Honda Stage". AdWeek . Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  31. ↑ Natividad, Angela (January 12, 2017). "This Documentary About Rick Ross Is Actually a Pretty Impressive Ad for Checkers". Adweek . Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  32. ↑ Schonbrun, Zach (January 8, 2017). "Rick Ross Documentary Video Doubles as Ad for Checkers". The New York Times . Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  33. ↑ White, Peter (June 14, 2021). "Dave Chappelle's Pilot Boy Prods Boards 'People's Party With Talib Kweli' As Podcast Moves To Luminary". Deadline . Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  34. ↑ Jones, Okla (August 14, 2023). "Just Blaze And Katty Customs Talk Sneaker Culture And Season Two Of UPROXX's 'Fresh Pair'". Essence . Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  35. ↑ "Uproxx Music Critics Poll 2018: Albums". UPROXX. January 9, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  36. ↑ "The 2019 Uproxx Music Critics Poll". UPROXX. December 19, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  37. ↑ "The 2020 Uproxx Music Critics Poll". UPROXX. December 15, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Uproxx Music Critics Poll 2021: Albums". UPROXX. December 10, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Uproxx Music Critics Poll 2022: Albums". UPROXX. December 6, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Uproxx Music Critics Poll 2023: Albums". UPROXX. December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Uproxx Music Critics Poll 2018: Songs". UPROXX. January 10, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  42. ↑ "The 2020 Uproxx Music Critics Poll: The Best Songs Of The Year". UPROXX. December 15, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  43. ↑ "Uproxx Music Critics Poll 2021: Songs". UPROXX. December 10, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  44. ↑ "Uproxx Music Critics Poll 2022: Songs". UPROXX. December 6, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Uproxx Music Critics Poll 2023: Songs". UPROXX. December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.