Two words that any hip-hop lover should know: Lyrical Lemonade. Lyrical Lemonade, a native Chicago multimedia company centered around the rap game, has been booming in many facets of the music industry. Ranging from music videos to live events to merchandise, Lyrical Lemonade has collaborated with many of the big names you see today. The famous brand has been notorious for bringing up and coming artists to the mainstream scene. If you’ve never heard of Lyrical Lemonade, you’re in luck. Welcome to Lyrical Lemonade 101.
THE ROOTS: The massive company started out as a vision by Cole Bennett, the CEO. It all began in the small town of Plano, Illinois, about an hour outside of Chicago. The idea came to Bennett at 15 with what can only be referred to as a divine intervention, where he began writing a blog and shooting low budget music videos centered around Chicago’s underground music scene that would soon grow into a million-dollar company. Working with limited supplies all throughout high school, the CEO grew a signature style that used animation and brought a fresh style to the videography scene. Bennett’s big break can be traced to one artist that we all know and love: Lil Uzi Vert. Cole Bennett had been booking small artists at venues, but Uzi was his first mainstream artist that skyrocketed his company and all its parts to notoriety.
Since 2015, the company has grown tremendously and Bennett now has a net worth of 2 million. Many businesses have made offers for purchase, but Cole Bennett refuses to sell his baby. In reaction to these asks, Bennett said, “I was offered 30 million for Lyrical Lemonade around a year ago. It was the most refreshing feeling to decline that and stay true to myself.”
THE BLOG: Not only is the company focused on production, but also reporting on the latest news in the music industry. Interviewing famous artists and getting the inside scoop, lyricallemonade.com is one of the best places to find music news (second to Intersect Magazine, of course).
THE VIDEOS: Bennett has remained a consistent videographer throughout the years, but we can all agree that he has journeyed a long way from the teenager making music videos with his friends. Now, the entrepreneur has made videos featuring Kanye West, Juice Wrld, and more ("Out of Luck" Video with Lil Tecca pictured above). His "Lucid Dreams" video with Juice Wrld now has 420 million views. Bennett caught the attention of rappers looking to bring a fresh perspective to the music industry, matching their energy with his out-of-the-box music videos. Using animation and unique videography, Lyrical Lemonade’s music videos are something of a creative genius. Check out Lyrical Lemonade’s recent videos on their website or on their youtube channel.
THE EVENTS: Lyrical Lemonade would not be complete without their poppin' concerts, featuring some of the best artists in the game. Lyrical Lemonade has been notorious for sold-out concerts at bomb venues, with artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Mosey, Juice Wrld, Trippie Redd, Smokepurpp, and more for surprisingly low prices. Having attended some of these concerts myself, I can truly say they are some of the best in terms of venue, scheduling, openers, and aesthetics (except for that one time Trippie Redd came out 3 hours late). In addition to individual concerts, Lyrical Lemonade has been hosting the annual Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash in Douglas Park, Chicago. The festival is every hip-hop lover’s dream (Check out Drew Townsel’s Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash 2019 Review). Every music lover should experience a Lyrical Lemonade concert, including you!
Keep an eye on Cole Bennett at lyricallemonade.com.
Comments