“We think about engagement as being live, synchronous, video-based and moving away from [social media] handles into avatar creation, where people can reimagine themselves and engage in more personalized ways,” WMG chief digital officer & executive vp of business development Oana Ruxandra tells Billboard. “Avatars are a key part of that interaction, so we’re really excited about the Genies opportunity.” Ruxandra adds that as with many emerging technologies — from livestreaming to NFTs — the pandemic has accelerated both fans’ and artists’ interest in the avatar market, transforming what was once a futuristic niche into a viable and exciting offering for the masses. “It’s really gratifying to see fans digging in, artists digging in, a...
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Gustavo Caballero / Getty T-Pain put all racists playing Call of Duty on notice. The “Rappa Ternt Sanga” let them know if you gonna call him the n-word, you’re going to pay for it in the game. And he took it personally. All Black gamers experience racism when playing their favorite video games online, even celebrities. Call of Duty is notorious for racist trash talk from Caucasian gamers who become very brave and say many things they definitely wouldn’t say to a Black person’s face while playing online. T-Pain, an avid gamer for those who didn’t know, is no stranger to racism while gaming and experienced it during a recent match, and he handled it in the most satisfying way ever. In the video, his white opponents can clearly be heard saying “f*** Black li...
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Bernard Smalls / ANTA x HyperX Athletic wear and gaming have gone hand in hand as of late, so this latest collaboration between ANTA and HyperX makes all the sense in the world. The two companies have one thing in common, they both work with Boston Celtic forward Gordon Hayward, so the decision to work together on this limited-edition box was a no-brainer. It brings together the two things that Hayward love’s to do, and that is playing basketball and gaming. Source: Bernard Smalls / ANTA x HyperX Inside the box is a limited-edition pair of Hayward’s signature basketball sneakers from ANTA, the GH2 “HyperX” and HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headset. The sneakers feature some unique gaming-inspired details that help them easily stand out from other shoe silhoue...