Steve Stoute is a former record executive who’s had a hand in launching the careers of rapper Nas, singer Mary J Blige and countless others.

After having success within the realm of music, Stoute left to create the advertising agency Translation. A marketing imprint who partners the top musicians (Jay-Z) and athletes (LeBron James) with well-known brands (Hewlett-Packard, McDonald’s), Translation has established themselves as a top tier company.

In his first book, The Tanning Of America, Stoute documents how the culture of hip-hop has transformed the way companies sell to young consumers. He sat down with theGrio to discuss who he feels in the current rap game be can marketed with relative ease and how he coined the word “Tanned”.

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