C21 MEDIA, 12 October 2107 -- Rapper and entrepreneur Lupe Fiasco has teamed up with a Hong Kong-based marketing and media executive to set up a new studio.

LA-based Lupe (real name Wasalu Jaco), best known for tracks such as The Show Goes On and Kick Push, has launched Studio SV with Bonnie Chan Woo, the former CEO of marketing firm Icicle Group.

Studio SV will operate out of Hong Kong and LA and is described as a hybrid production, development and financing studio focusing on cross-cultural, cross-platform content for global audiences.

The first project to come out of the company will be China-set martial arts docuseries Beat n Path.

The show will follow Lupe Fiasco as he embarks on a cross-cultural journey across China while taking part in martial arts by practicing with kung fu masters and also exploring the country’s burgeoning hip-hop scene.

The company is seeking to work with “inspirational celebrities and influencers” and is aiming to create a slate of 10 original titles over the next three to five years, beginning with three titles planned for completion in 2018. Budgets will vary depending on the size and scope of the project, and the studio is open to coproductions in APAC.

Studio SV, which is being financed independently by Fiasco and Chan Woo, will make its debut appearance at Mipcom in Cannes next week to begin discussions with global distributors and platforms.

“As we examined our combined resources, and the landscape of the entertainment industry, we saw a tremendous opportunity for a new approach to content creation and an opportunity to apply a successful business model within this ecosystem,” said Chan Woo.

Lupe Fiasco added: “At our core, we seek to nurture and champion creative talent who have likeminded visions of creating exceptional cross-cultural content that can be enjoyed universally, not just in specific countries or regions.”

Originally published in C21 Media