TrackRecord Names Jeff Ihaza Managing Editor
NEW YORK – JULY 7, 2016 – Fusion Media Group (FMG), the multi-platform destination for the rising American mainstream, today announced the launch of TrackRecord, a new English-language music vertical that covers stories at the intersection of music, identity, and issues of social justice. TrackRecord will publish daily news stories, in-depth and analytical features, profiles of diverse artists, franchise video series, events, and documentary projects–delivering a socially conscious and cross-demographic take on the music that moves us. TrackRecord lives natively on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, with TrackRecord.net serving as the digital hub for all its content. TrackRecord is a part of the expanding integrated music strategy driven by Univision Communications Inc.’s (UCI) new music division.
Jeff Ihaza has joined TrackRecord as managing editor. Jeff previously served as a host for Viceland and a contributor to a range of magazines including FADER, GQ, and Gawker among others. Jordi Oliveres, senior director of music at Univision, is overseeing the vertical.
“Our audience is curious about music and how it comes to shape our world. Music wields a lot of power, both emotionally and politically, and TrackRecord works to shed a light on how and why that happens,” said Jordi Oliveres.
“TrackRecord will focus on how in a world more connected than ever, music can serve as a tool for breaking down barriers,” said Jeff Ihaza. “Music, by virtue of its performers, is political. With the continued violence enacted on communities of color by police, Hip-Hop and R&B artists have once again become increasingly vocal about racial inequality. But music is fun, too and looking at the ways we have a good time listening to music can give us insight into truths about ourselves and our future.”
Leading up to launch TrackRecord held its first event, HipHop 4 Human Rights, to raise awareness about solitary confinement. The event, hosted in conjunction with FUSION, was a free hip-hop concert and speak-out near the steps of the Capitol building in Albany, NY. Watch here.
Early content includes:
- Other Music 360 Video Tour | Other Music, New York’s iconic East Village alternative record store, closed last week after more than twenty years of selling great records to New Yorkers. TrackRecord got an exclusive tour of the store just days before it closed and filmed it with a 360 camera. The result is one of TrackRecord’s first major video features: a 360 tour of the legendary store–and one last chance to look around a beloved New York music landmark.
- InstruMental Video Series | In the first episode of InstruMental, TrackRecord’s animated explainer series about the brain and music, we take a look at the role information other than sound plays in a musical experience. In other words, could how much you enjoy a musical performance depend on what you know about it–and can you be tricked into liking or disliking a song by what you think you know about the person performing it?
- History of Latin Americans in Hip Hop | Hip hop is mostly thought of as an African American musical and cultural movement, but there were several key players of Hispanic origin involved in the creation of the genre. This multimedia feature tells the story of hip hop’s diverse origins through interviews with some of its key Hispanic figures.
- Maluma and the evolution of Hispanic crossover artists | Maluma has had a meteoritic rise as a reggaeton artist in the last couple of years, primarily on social media, and is set to win big at Univision’s Premios Juventud this year, paving the way for a crossover into the American market. This story features a video interview and behind the scenes look at Maluma’s life on tour as well as an in-depth think piece on the evolution of Latin crossover artists.
- Bibi Bourelly interviewed by The Needle Drop’s Anthony Fantano | At only 21-years-old, Bibi Bourelly co-wrote Rhianna’s hit “Bitch Better Have My Money.” She recently released her first EP and all eyes are on her as the next rising pop star. In this video feature, Anthony Fantano, host of the popular YouTube channel The Needle Drop, talks to Bibi about her musical influences, while browsing through records in Brooklyn.
Media Contact:
David Ford
305-925-8882
david@fusion.net