Opposition is and always will be dedicated to growing hip hop’s digital presence, especially with up-and-coming artists, labels and brands that are looking to find success online. So this year, we hosted a SXSW conference panel, “The Blueprint: Digital Video Strategies in Hip-Hop,” led by Opposition’s very own Shane Gill. Shane was joined on stage by Lyrical Lemonade’s owner and founder, Cole Bennett, Jay - Content Director at WorldstarHipHop, and Harrison Corwin - Director of Digital Video at Mass Appeal. The panel was a huge success with over 100 attendees and more viewers watching the livestream through Opposition’s Instagram. Discussing their own successes and how the rap game is evolving to music going digital, all panelists offered some great thoughts:

“Networking and gaining trust from the right people was key to my success, like Famous Dex trusting me to film in the early days” - Cole Bennett, Lyrical Lemonade

“With YouTube you see people grow and grow with them. Their is beauty in the struggle at the beginning. Look at how much Gucci Mane and Cole have grown from their early content” - Jay, WorldstarHipHop

“You have to stay on your toes, Things change so rapidly in this industry. You have to be ready to make the necessary changes without too much hesitation” - Harrison Corwin, Mass Appeal