The Tanning of America (45 page)

Thank you to the handful of extraordinary individuals who have offered their ears, instincts, love, and friendship to me over the course of the past three years. Jay-Z, you've been a friend since our early days in the record business and never wavered despite the fact that I'm a little rough around the edges. You were there for me. You understood me and you watched me venture into the advertising business. You were one of the few people who believed in me early on and trusted me to work with you and the brand you were building as an artist. Fifteen years later you are still there for me, inspiring me with your work and providing love and support. This book pays tribute to all of the discussions we've had and the insights we've shared with each other—it captures all of that. This book is for the culture, let's keep pushing forward.

Jimmy Iovine—my mentor—the first person to show me patience, a teacher who found the time to explain the realities that exist in the world today. You've taught me so much. You took me through those critical years of twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty . . . guided me through all of the hurdles and pitfalls that appear when you think you already know it all. You've helped me become the man that I am today. With everything I do and accomplish in this lifetime, know that you have played an integral role in shaping that man. Thank you.

The Fark—Andrew Farkas—from the day we met in Sag Harbor, we've just been best friends. You've always been so understanding and a friend who taught me which obstacles to watch out for as I moved forward in life. Your advice has been very kind, very honest, and much appreciated. I know how much you want me to win. You and your beautiful family—Sandi, George, Arielle, and Nicole—have supported me through thick and thin. With this book, I know how proud you are that on the list of accomplishments we can now add “author.” . . .

Will Smith, you had insight into the concept of tanning before anybody else did. You were on it and understood it so early on that people misunderstood your path. Your respect for your art and the innumerable things that you've selflessly done to help move our culture forward weren't acknowledged when they should have been. I've learned so much from watching you handle and work through those issues to become the most important actor and entrepreneur of our time and generation. Your work ethic and the path that you laid out before us is one of the guiding lights I have used throughout my career. I am thankful for your friendship and I will continue to keep learning from your journey.

Samuel Barnes, thank you for your friendship, your trust, and for believing in me to help manage your music career. All of the hits and time we worked together will never be forgotten. These memories are a key part of what inspired me to write this book. I remember always telling you that if we don't have another hit on the charts once a month, something is wrong. And you delivered every single time. Those are the moments I miss the most—the two of us, in the studio late at night, making hit records. We were trying to make the industry take notice that we were doing something different, and together as a team, we were one of the best in music production. You've always been such a great friend to me, and you are a very big part of all that's transpired in my life to get me to where I am today.

To my friends who I have relied on to critique various drafts of this manuscript as we went through the dizzying stages of development, thank you. As a result of your input,
The Tanning of America
is exactly what I envisioned it would be. SLS, thanks for being there for me when I needed it the most, when gathering my thoughts to write this book needed support and clarity. Ms. Lauren Branche, thanks for keeping me focused and not letting the noise interfere with what matters most.

To the great men and women that I've interviewed during the writing of
The Tanning of America
, thank you for your brilliance, personal anecdotes, and examples that helped enrich my narrative, and thank you for indulging my free-ranging curiosity: Russell Simmons, LL Cool J, Tommy Hilfiger, John Dempsey, Van Toffler, Ralph McDaniels, Hype Williams, Andre Harrell, Geoff Mayfield, Mitch Modell, Paul Fireman, Kim Brink, and Mike Bentley. Thank you also to those who took my phone calls just to answer a pressing question in the middle of your busy day: Lyor Cohen, Steve Berman, Darryl Cobbin, Kanye West, Sean Combs, Daymond John, and Adam Silver. Special thanks go to Fab Five Freddy for shedding light on so many turns in the tanning journey. We all owe you a debt of gratitude.

Over the years, several people I've quoted or noted in the text have been pivotal in my growth and learning with respect to my subject matter—some directly and others by inspiration and example. I'd like to express my profound (possibly belated) thanks to all of you: Tommy Mottola, Doug Morris, Bill Lamar, Pam El, Ashley Fox, Darren Orlando, Jacob Arabov, Noah Teppenberg, Don Thompson, James Lassiter, LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Larry Light, David Stern, Larry Bird, Allen Iverson, Rick Rubin, Cyndi Lauper, Beyoncé Knowles, Nas, Justin Timberlake, Bono, 50 Cent, Gwen Stefani, Eminem, Paul Rosenberg, Antonio Reid, Mariah Carey, Dr. Dre, Mark Eastmond, Sunika Sanchez, Chuck D, Ice Cube, Scarface, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, and all the other great artists and executives who have inspired me, who believed in themselves and took their talents to an art form that was newly developing. Special thanks must also go to Roger Moore—yes, James Bond. And, of course, I must once more acknowledge Sir Sidney Poitier. You embody the power of tanning and the reality that through culture, we rise together as one. Thank you.

Many current and former clients have been extraordinarily gracious in their support of this book. That list includes the marketing teams at Reebok, GM, Estée Lauder Companies, McDonald's, Target, Hewlett-Packard, Wrigley, Tommy Hilfiger, Verizon, State Farm, Samsung, Crest, and Bing. Thank you also to the pioneers of advertising who have kept pace with tanning and been courageous enough to drop the old divisions based on color and ethnicity.

Early on,
The Tanning of America
was the beneficiary of Brett Pulley and Johnnie Roberts, who spearheaded research on my behalf—thank you. Thank you to the authors of
Can't Stop Won't Stop
(Jeff Chang),
Decoded
(Shawn Carter), and
The Big Payback
(Dan Charnas) for elevating the discussion about hip-hop culture to its rightful stature. Thanks to David Plouffe for
The Audacity to Win
and for sharing some of the iconic marketing strategies of Obama's historic 2008 presidential campaign; Larry Light and his groundbreaking writing on brand journalism; Florida State University's Spencer Overton for the analysis of the Florida vote in the 2000 election; and Christopher John Farley for the
Time
piece “Hip-Hop Nation: After 20 Years—How It's Changed America.” While I didn't know it at the time, I think my book was born after I read your cover feature. I'm also grateful to the periodicals, Web sites, and blogs that cover pop culture in all respects.

There are a few different groups who truly make up my extended family. To Mary J. Blige, Madeline Nelson, and everyone at the Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN), I am thankful to partner with you on one of the most meaningful endeavors of my life. Mary, in such a short time I have watched the incredible unfolding of your dream to give women the means for self-empowerment and confidence whether through college scholarships, job training, or counseling. Wow! I want to also thank all of our supporters who have invested in the dream and been instrumental in giving it lift-off.

And to my other amazing partner, Lisa Price, and everyone at Carol's Daughter, I have to acknowledge all that you do to continually expand the vision of our brand while staying true to its original values. Thank you for passionately guarding the heritage while respectfully and laboriously catering to the needs of a diversity of skins that make up the tapestry of our world.

Thank you to the team at Translation, especially the guys who have been with me since day one: Charles Wright, John McBride, Lisa Musich, and Lauren Schwartz. It's been an incredible journey working with you professionals and watching us build this company brick-by-brick and client-by-client. To have this opportunity to share with the world the cultural journey I've been on and intersect that with what we've done as a team—putting our work out in the world—is such a special thing. This book is for all of you guys.

Finally, to my parents, Angela and Steve Stoute. The hardships you survived to pursue the dream of a better life in America and raise our family, while working two and three different jobs, is the work ethic I carry with me to this day. Your love and patience with me through my years of “figuring it out” was the support I needed in order to find my voice. You gave me the confidence to believe that anything and everything is possible no matter what the circumstances are. I will take those learnings and raise my family with these same values, as I know that without the faith and support of your loved ones, talent and dreams get lost.