Blog Spotlight - Konsole Kingz, An Urban Gaming Brand




CJ Peters, CEO Konsole Kingz

Have you ever walked into a situation thinking that it would be one way, and it ended up being totally different?  Such was the case with my interview with CJ Peters aka “King Soul” founder and creator of Konsole Kingz.

Driving down I85 on my way to the interview, my pre-rehearsed questions were still swirling around in my head.  His staff consists of a partner, a graphic designer and contractors, and putting on my business hat, I wanted to know exactly what Konsole Kingz is and how revenue is generated from this type of industry.  Clearly I was single minded.

As I pulled into the office complex located on North Avenue, it was just as I imagined it would look.  The buildings are very modern structures.   You know the type of place someone creative would work. Score one for me!  Having met Cj before, he was as I remembered, calm in demeanor, relaxed and approachable.  Score two for me…I was on a roll.

After some small talk, we finally settled down to the heart of the interview.

ARL:  So, what is Konsole Kingz and what do you do?
King SOUL: I like to describe Konsole Kingz as the MTV of the gaming industry.
ARL: Huh?
KING SOUL:  MTV was the vehicle in which music, videos, documentaries concerts, etc.. was introduced to the masses.  BUT…
ARL: MTV didn’t make music
KING SOUL:  Exactly, MTV didn’t make the music, but became known for music and so much more through their play of music videos.  Konsole Kingz doesn’t make video games, but is known for the playing of video games and so much more.  Through our gaming and entertainment vehicles, gamers can access the latest gaming news and releases, attend celebrity gaming events, and can play and interact with other gamers across the country.  Through two avenues, content and experimental, online scheduled “game nights” events are held where gamers can play the latest Xbox or PlayStation games with members of our team and other gamers.  Off line, we hold the same type of events on our own and for video game vendors.  For instance if a new game is being rolled out for Xbox games, or if a specific game is being marketed, and a celebrity look is needed, the video company will hire us to host their event.

Another part of our content that’s found on Xbox is called “Virtual Goods” in the form of gamer picks.  A gamer pick is an icon that is designed for the gamer to purchase for his /her gamming profile.  We also have a store in the avatar market place called “Ultrafresh” where our clothing brand, LRG is sold.   We also create stores for popular urban lifestyle brands
ARL:  So the avatar comes with the game, but you provide the clothing for a gamer to dress it?
KING SOUL: Yes, the avatar comes with the game, and the gamer chooses an avatar. If the gamer wants to customize their avatar with clothing, (i.e. pants, shorts, tee shirts, headgear and jewelry), they access the avatar market place and choose a store.  There are other stores to choose from, but for our store, you would choose Ultrafresh.  For Play Station, we create dynamic themes (wallpapers). This content is sold for the gamers use.

ARL:  Social media is such an integral part of a company’s marketing strategy, what role does your website, Twitter, IG, Facebook, and You Tube play in receiving feedback from your population?

KING SOUL:  Our website is not really used that much, but for legitimacy purposes we have one.  Social media is one of the main forms of engagement for our business.  Due to quicker response time for questions and information, gamers engage with us more through social platforms than our website. 

ARL: Very interesting. I looked you up on You Tube and found that you do a lot of interviews with up and coming hip-hop performers here in Atlanta.  Is this where the hip-hop element comes into play?  And better yet…Why Hip-hop???

KING SOUL:  I AM HIP-HOP!
ARL:  Wow, what a bold statement…you are hip-hop, explain what that has to do with the gaming industry.
KING SOUL: (Laughing) It has to do with me. It’s what I have been listening to since I was six years old.  I was a DJ in high school and college.  I also had a radio show in college where I played underground hip-hop music.  It’s a lifestyle, my lifestyle and my background.  Let’s say you have super tech geeky dudes that may not hang out with hip hop gamers, they speak their own language, and play games, and then you have hip-hop individuals with their own language, likes and dislike and in addition to that, they like gaming.  It’s a huge cross section of people who share a similar lifestyle.
ARL:  So your business is just a reflection of your lifestyle.
KING SOUL:  It’s a reflection of my lifestyle and everything that I like.

 Being that large populations of hip-hop artist are gamers, Konsole Kingz is always searching for what is new and hot in the hip-hop world.  As Cj puts it “ there are plenty of people who like to play games and listen to hip-hop music, but for this cross section of individuals, hip-hop is the essence inside of us. Long after a game has been played or maybe waiting for the next game to start (referred to as “party”), we are talking about the music”. They are not only talking about it, they are bringing up and coming Atlanta hip-hop artists to the forefront.

 To see who is up and coming on the hip hop scene, and to view Konsole Kingz celebrity interviews, check out Konsole Kingz artist interviews on You Tube.com.

As we went deeper into this conversation I couldn’t help but wonder …why Atlanta?

ARL:  Why be headquartered in Atlanta?
KING SOUL:  As OutKast once said…Atlanta is the Motown of the South (laughing). At least that what I heard when I was in college.
ARL:  So, when you were at LSU, you knew that you were coming to the Atlanta? (Laughing)
KING SOUL: I didn’t know that per se.  I had a choice; I could go to Kentucky, Houston or Atlanta because I had job offers in the web/tech field in all three cities. The Atlanta job was more creative and I am a creative person…and it also helped that OutKast said that Atlanta was the Motown of the South.  
ARL:  So do you believe that Atlanta is the Motown of the South?
KING SOUL: Yep
ARL:  Do you think that we’ve peaked, or we are peaking musically?
KING SOUL:  We have not peaked, but we have established ourselves to be beyond the beginning phases.  And now that people are creating more content here via movies, and television shows, it’s fueling it even more.  There was a Canadian study conducted which stated that when any type of popular music breaks in Atlanta, it will go more than likely go national.
ARL:  I can’t wait to see what our city does next.
KING SOUL:  There will be a lot more content coming out of Atlanta.

 Konsole Kingz is a company where the gaming and entertainment worlds coexist, so that anyone, even a newbie like myself, can access the latest gaming news and releases, play and interact with other gamers across the country, attend celebrity gaming events, and  listen to what’s hot in hip-hop. Expect to see more innovative ideas from this Atlanta based company.

 There is a lot that can be said about what motivates a person.  As I learned from Cj, it’s not only the right music that moves him but also his appreciation for what it takes for an artist to create and to distribute their art.  From Cj, I learned that it’s not only about generating revenue; it’s also about creating your business so that it is an extension of yourself.  From the outside looking in, his business model is simple "find what you love and build everything else around it”.  That’s easier said than done, but for Cj Peters, aka King Soul, it’s a winning combination, and through his life reflections and everything that he likes, gamers and hip-hop lovers across the country can do what they love too.

 Until next time…Peace and Blessings,

Phaedra

https://www.facebook.com/phaedra.saunders