Pull up! In the first episode of the Cultural Leadership Fund’s Zone of Genius series, we sit down with leaders in music, Doug E. Fresh, Dre Lyon, Nicole Wyskoarko, and Piff Marti. We explore balancing artistry with “the machine,” the future of music as an asset class, AI as a creative copilot, technology’s role in producing the sounds we love, and maintaining authenticity as artists grow their brands. Plus, learn how Marvin Gaye’s record, What’s Going On? almost never happened. And did you know @DreDay3000 was in an R&B group?! Topics covered: 1:08: when each leader knew music was their calling 9:55: introducing brand new sounds and concepts to music and the parallels to building new businesses in tech 13:20: Doug E. Fresh’s views on being one of the most sampled artists of all time and the evolution of sampling and artist rights in the industry 16:30: the moment when Dre knew they had a hit in the studio 19:32: how technology advancements have impacted music production and the sounds we love 20:30: Dre’s first foray into music in an R&B group 22:25: the importance of being able to evolve with technology as trends in music and culture shift, including the original production story of “La Di Da Di” 27:43: Piff’s story of forging his own path as an independent artist in today’s content era 32:31: Dre’s views on catalog sales and valuing music as an asset class 39:43: Models for all players in the music industry to align incentives and win 44:52: How web3 is enabling an “industrial revolution” with new revenue, ownership, and marketing models for artists 48:50: Balancing your artistry and creative instincts with “the machine” of output, including how Marvin Gaye’s record, “What’s Going On?” almost never happened 1:00:58: The best ways for artists to build their brands for longevity 1:03:25: AI as a tool and creative copilot Stay updated: Find the Cultural Leadership Fund on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a16zclf/ Find the Cultural Leadership Fund on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zCLF/ Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Follow our guests: Doug E Fresh: https://www.instagram.com/therealdougefresh/ Dre Lyon: https://www.instagram.com/dreday3000 Nicole Wyskoarko: https://www.instagram.com/nicolew Piff Marti: https://www.instagram.com/piffmarti 🎵 by @PiffMartiTV The content here is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. Please note that a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed in this podcast. For more details, including a link to our investments, please see a16z.com/disclosures.