Lex Borrero Partners with Tommy Mottola to Acquire Arro Media, Now to Be Called AM16

Lex Borrero is expanding his entertainment empire…

The Latino music executive and entrepreneur, the co-founder/CEO of Neon 16, has teamed up with Ntertain chairman Tommy Mottola  to acquire Arro Media, a music marketing and social media agency that boasts a roster of clients like Adidas, Red Bull, the NFL, Xbox, Bacardi, The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation and more.

Lex BorreroFounded by Cristina Arcay, the company will be rebranded as AM16.

“We have built a growing agency that will redefine how brands connect their marketing and advertising to the Latin culture because we live it day in and day out,” said Borrero and Mottola in a press release. “Our team has a finger on the pulse of trends, uniquely positioned to spot them before they happen, across music, television and film. Today’s announcement further differentiates our capabilities from competitors and will bring an even more comprehensive offering to our clients and partners.”

AM16 will find the intersection among music, entertainment and culture. Together, it will bring Arro’s capabilities with Neon16’s “innovative approach to cultural storytelling and experiential activations,” they said. The merger will include brand strategy and partnerships, product development, content production, music marketing, social media management, digital marketing, public relations, creative design services and experiential events.

“Launching AM16 agency represents an exhilarating new chapter in my career and the future of Arro,” said Arcay, who is appointed as co-president. “As a Latina entrepreneur, being able to lead and learn alongside our new partners represents a huge opportunity to reshape the industry by championing diversity, elevating ideas and fostering cultural movements that resonate with audiences worldwide.”

Chief marketing officer/co-president Gerry Rojas added, “I feel empowered and excited to be working in a Latino-owned agency where we’re reimagining how brands and artists tell their stories authentically, while raising the Latin cultural currency and creating a true, positive impact rooted in music and culture.”

Neon16 works with A-listers such as Tainy, Thalia, Juan Luis Guerra and Danna Paola.

Earlier this year, the company also played a key role in the Netflix Original series La Firma — a Latin music competition that sought to sign the next big Latin music star, featuring Borrero, Tainy, Rauw Alejandro and Nicki Nicole.

Borrero and Mottola also executive-produced Thalia’s music docuseries, Thalia’s Mixtape, via Ntertain on Paramount+.

Bad Bunny’s Fourth Take on Adidas’ Response CL Hitting Retail This Weekend

Bad Bunny’s latest Adidas shoe is coming out this week…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican three-time Grammy-winning superstar’s fourth take on the athletic brand’s Response CL arrives on Saturday, June 24.

Bad BunnyFollowing our first look at the pair last April via Cinema Con Las Vegas, the archival running solution inspired by Adidas’ early 2000s design ethos remains true to its pitch-dark allure.

Jet-black hues cure a dominant majority of the pair’s real estate, imbuing the mesh base, melted leather overlays, laces, tongue and EVA-cushioned midsole within the midnight aesthetic.

Bad Bunny x adidas Response CL “Black”The typical “Triple-Black” color blocking isn’t executed in full, as pops of indigo illuminate the mid-foot 3-Stripes, heel and section of the midsole.

Housed within a sleek Bad Bunny-branded tote, the artist’s “El Ojo” and bunny graphics close out the ensemble at the spine and insoles.

Bad Bunny x adidas Response CL “Black”The Bad Bunny x Adidas Response CL “Black” will retail for a price of $160.

Bad Bunny’s collaborative catalog with Adidas began in 2021.

Kid Cudi Reveals Track List for Upcoming Album “Entergalactic”

Kid Cudi is teasing his entergalactic work…

The 38-year-old hal;f-Mexican American rapper, singer and songwriter has revealed the full track list for his upcoming album Entergalactic.

Kid Cudi “#Entergalactic SEPT 30TH HERE WE GO B–!!” Kid Cudi captioned the post, signaling the LP’s release date set for this Friday via Republic Records.

The 14-track project will serve as a follow-up to Kid Cudi’s 2020 studio set Man on the Moon III: The Chosen and contains the singles “Do What I Want” and “Willing to Trust” featuring Ty Dolla $ign.

According to the track list, Entergalatic will also feature another Ty Dolla $ign collab (“Can’t Shake Her”) as well as the 2 Chainz-assisted “Can’t Believe It” and “Somewhere to Fly” featuring Don Toliver.

Bonus track “Burrow,” meanwhile, will feature Toliver, Steve Aoki and Dot Da Genius.

The album has been a long time coming, with Kid Cudi teasing its concept as far back as 2019, when he told Complex, “Entergalactic is a fantasy. It’s what I wish I had. I live a very lonely life, but I have hope I’ll find someone someday.”

Over the past couple of months, Cudi has opened up about his falling-out with onetime friend and mentor Kanye West, who blasted him (along with outgoing Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted) in a fake New York Times headline posted to Instagram in early September.

And just last week, the rapper was blown away when Martin Scorsese heaped praise on Pearl, the blood-soaked horror flick starring Mia Goth that he co-produced through his Mad Solar production company.

Bad Bunny Celebrating New Adidas Sneaker Launch with Special Fan Activation

Bad Bunny’s next shoe design is taking flight… And you could be too.

As part of their long-term partnership, the 28-year-old Puerto Rican superstar and Adidas will soon drop their next sneakers: the Adidas Originals Forum Buckle Low sneaker in baby blue.

Bad Bunny,To celebrate, Bad Bunny and the athletic brand have announced an activation that will allow lucky fans to experience a summer in Puerto Rico and later travel to New York for Bad Bunny’s World’s Hottest Tour pit stop on August 27.

In honor of the new kicks, fans will be flown in a custom-wrapped baby blue airplane, which, according to a press release, “symbolizes the power of Benito’s art, which manages to bring the essence of La Isla to the entire world, crossing all borders. It is an ode to summer, to play and experience the infinite possibilities that the universe offers us. To create and fly without limits, and express ourselves in total freedom.”

For a chance to win, fans can sign up on the Confirmed App here.

Bad Bunny Launching New Version of His Adidas Originals Sneakers “Bad Bunny Forum – Back to School”

Bad Bunny is kicks-ing things up in time for the new school year…

After launching his “First Cafe” and “Pink Easter Egg” shoes earlier this year, the 27-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer is back with a new version of his adidas Originals called “Bad Bunny Forum – Back to School.”

Bad Bunny

With the mission to empower individuality and encourage students to redefine and reimagine their everyday uniforms, the “Back to School” pair is a bold take on the classic court sneaker, featuring black leather, suede overlays, buckle fastening, polka-dot laces and co-branded sock-liners and outsole.

Bad Bunny x adidas

The campaign features young students, further proving that “the rebels of today are the leaders of tomorrow,” as noted in the official statement.

A sneakerhead at heart, Bad Bunny says the perfect shoe not only defines you but also brings people together.

Bad Bunny x adidas

“Ultimately, it’s what accompanies you and adds style as you walk the path you choose to take,” he said in a statement. “Today, it feels great to create my own design with people who share the same sentiment. It feels amazing knowing that my next steps will be in my own sneakers.”

Bad Bunny x adidas

The “Bad Bunny Forum – Back to School” shoes will be available starting Aug. 17 via adidas Confirmed app, in Puerto Rico via this website, and FRSH.

Bad Bunny to Release Pinktastic New Collaboration with Adidas on Easter Sunday

Things are looking rosy for Bad Bunny…

With Easter right around the corner, the 27-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning Latin trap and reggaeton star is getting into the springtime mood with a colorful new collaboration with Adidas.

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny’s “Easter Egg” Forum Low sneaker is a characteristically eccentric take on the classic Forum Low silhouette. The tonal pink premium leather upper is matched with suede overlays and a buckle fastening for a colorful streetwear look.

Bad Bunny x Adidas

Bad Bunny and Adidas previously collaborated on The First Café sneakers, a fittingly coffee-colored version of the Forum.

The Easter Egg Forum Lows will drop on Easter Sunday (April 4) on Adidas’ website here and at select retailers.

Bad Bunny Offers Sneak Peek at Adidas Sneaker Collaboration in “Yo Visto Así” Music Video

Bad Bunny is offering a sneak(er) peek…

The 26-year-old Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton singer offers a preview of what appears to be his upcoming collaboration with Adidas in the music video for his latest single, “Yo Visto Así.”

Bad Bunny

Several frames in the video show Bad Bunny wearing an unreleased version of the Adidas Forum sneaker while various skateboarders in the shots are seen rocking the Adidas Busenitz Vulc 2.0.

Bad Bunny’s Forum collaboration features a predominantly brown color scheme, unlike the cream-based colorway that surfaced last month.

Bad Bunny x Adidas

The forthcoming version introduces new details to the classic model, including the artist’s eye logo on the double-stacked tongue, a thicker ankle collar, and a toggle lacing setup at the heel.

Adidas has yet to officially reveal Bad Bunny’s Forum collaboration, but it’s expected to hit sneaker shelves sometime in 2021.

Bad Bunny x Adidas

Bad Bunny isn’t the only Latin artist releasing his own sneaker collaboration soon. Nike’s Jordan Brand has confirmed that J Balvin’s Air Jordan 1 High collaboration is being released on December 8, while Cardi B’s Reebok sneaker collaboration was released in October.

In September, his quirky glow-in-the-dark Crocs arrived — and quickly sold out.

The originally $60 Glow Up” Crocs featuring space-themed Jibbitz charms launched in limited quantities and pairs have since been reselling for upward of $200 on secondary market websites like StockX.

Lionel Messi: The World’s Highest-Paid Latino on Forbes’ The Celebrity 100 List

Lionel Messi is kickin’ his way to the top of the earnings charts…

The 33-year-old Argentine soccer star, who plays for FC Barcelona, is the top-earning Latinx celebrity on Forbes’ recently released The Celebrity 100 list, which ranks the world’s highest-paid celebrities of 2020.

Lionel Messi

Messi, who has been awarded both FIFA’s Ballon d’Or and the European Golden Shoe for top scorer on the continent a record six times, comes in at No. 5 with earning of $104 million.

His current contract with Barcelona is through 2020-21 and pays him more than $80 million annually. He also has a lifelong deal with Adidas, and he launched his own clothing line and opened his first retail outlet, The Messi Store, in September 2019 in Barcelona.

The World Health Organization (WHO) tapped Messi in March 2020 to help lead a worldwide campaign aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nipping on Messi’s heels is another soccer star and his former teammate… Neymar.

The 28-year-old Brazilian soccer player comes in at No. 7 on the list with earning of $95.5 million.

Neymar is currently on a five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain through June 2022 worth $350 million in salary.

His transfer from Barcelona to PSG stands as the most expensive in the world at $263 million, which the French club paid in full ahead of his signing.

He’s the second most popular athlete on social media with a combined 244 million followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Nike‘s Jordan Brand signed Neymar as its first soccer ambassador in 2016. In March 2020 its film unit released a movie about his life.

Jennifer Lopez is this year’s highest-paid Latina on the list.

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican superstar comes in at No. 56 on the list with earnings of $47.5 million.

One of the more popular celebrities when it comes to endorsements, J.Lo has deals with Versace, DSW, Quay sunglasses and her own fragrance.

In 2018, she played her final shows at Las Vegas’ Zappos Theater, grossing more than $100 million in two years–the top Vegas residency by a Latin artist. She tacked on another $55 million in 2019 ticket sales for her ensuing world tour, which included stops in Egypt, Israel and Russia.

Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his first appearance on The Celebrity 100.

The 40-year-old Puerto Rican actor/rapper/lyricist/composer and Broadway star, the creator of the hit musical Hamilton, comes in at No. 62 with earning of $45.5 million.

Disney acquired worldwide rights to the film version of Hamilton in February 2020 for $75 million. And he helped create a $1 million emergency relief fund to benefit artists impacted by COVID-19 in Puerto Rico.

Other Latinx celebrities making the list include Howie Dorough (as a member of Backstreet Boys); Sofia Vergara, the world’s highest-paid actress; Robert Trujillo (as a member of Metallica); tennis star Rafael Nadal; and Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez.

Forbes’ list ranks “front of the camera” stars around the globe using pretax earnings from June 2019 through May 2020 before deducting fees for managers, lawyers and agents. Figures are based on information from Nielsen Music/MRC Data, Pollstar, IMDB, NPD BookScan and ComScore as well as interviews with industry experts and many of the stars themselves.

In total, the 100 celebrities racked in a total of $6.1 billion in pretax earnings, which took a $200 million dip from last year after the pandemic halted — or rather redirected — lots of business models.

Here’s a look at the Latino/a celebrities who made the list this year:

No. 5 Lionel Messi, 33, Argentina, Soccer, $104 million

No. 7 Neymar, 28, Brazil, Soccer, $95.5 million
No. 56 Jennifer Lopez, 51, USA (Puerto Rican), Entertainment, $47.5 million

No. 62 Lin-Manuel Miranda, 40, USA (Puerto Rican), Entertainment, $45.5 million
No. 64 Howie Dorough (Backstreet Boys), 47, USA (Half-Puerto Rican), Music, $45 million
No. 71 Sofia Vergara, 48, Colombia, Entertainment, $43 million

No. 78 Robert Trujillo (Metallica), 55, USA (Half-Mexican)Music, $40.5 million
No. 80 Rafael Nadal, 34, Spain, Tennis, $40 million
No. 91 Canelo Alvarez, 30, Mexico, Boxing, $37 million

Click here for the complete list.

JJ Soria to Star in Netflix’s 10-episode Half-Hour Latinx Dramedy “Gentefied”

JJ Soria is getting gentefied

The 32-year-old Mexican-American actor has been cast in the 10-episode half-hour Latinx dramedy Gentefied.

JJ Soria

Soria joins a main cast that includes Karrie MartinCarlos Santos and Joaquín Cosio.

The project hails from Gente-fied: The Digital Series creators Marvin Lemusand Linda Yvette Chávez, showrunner Monica MacerAmerica FerreraTeri Weinbergand Macro.

Written by Lemus and Chávez, Gentefied is adapted from the web series which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival

Described as a badass bilingual series about family, community, brown love, and the displacement that disrupts it all, Gentefiedis about three Mexican-American cousins (Martin, Soria, Santos) who struggle to chase the American Dream, even while that same dream threatens the things they hold most dear: their neighborhood, their immigrant grandfather (Cosio), and the family taco shop. Set in a rapidly changing Los Angeles, the Spanglish dramedy will navigate important themes like identity, class, and balancing insta-fame with translating memes for their parents. But most importantly,Gentefiedwill settle once and for all how to pronounce Latinx.

Martin will play Ana Morales, a sarcastic, woke, blunt, and endearing, queer artist. Ana is a Chicana who leads with her heart and fights for her art with untethered conviction. She loves her abuelo and her entire family almost to a fault.

Soria will portray Erik, a wisecracking, well-read, charismatic, but tough homie with a heart of gold. He’s a high school dropout, but there isn’t a book in the local library Erik hasn’t read. He’s a reluctant dreamer trying to find his way back to himself. But his loyalty to his grandfather who took him in keeps him from putting time into himself or Lidia, the love of his life.

Santos is Chris, the prodigal grandson, a fun-loving, know-it-all, chef-in-training. Chris is a homegrown Boyle Heights boy who moved to Idaho at a young age and was abruptly introduced to Weezer and cow-tipping. His cousins call him guero for acting and looking like a white boy, which always leaves him wondering if he’ll ever be Mexican enough for anyone.

Cosio is Pop, a hard-working, stoic, but warm, old-fashioned ranchero and the rock of the Morales family. Though gruff with his Tejanaand potty-mouth (“cabron” is his favorite word!), Pop has a huge heart, but that also means a lot of heartache trying to protect them.

“We are thrilled to have gathered a lead cast that captures the unique nuance of the chisme, chistes, and chingaderas that we grew up with in our multi-generational, bilingual, immigrant families,” said Lemus and Chavez. “Joaquin, JJ, Carlos, and Karrie are the abuelo, primos, y prima we shot the shit with as kids, the cousins we partied with, and the grandpa we cried with. They are the Morales family and we can’t wait for everyone to start sending them invites to the carne asada!”

Lemus directs the Netflix production.

A love letter to the Latinx and Boyle Heights communities, creators Lemus and Chavez hope Gentefiedwill let their little cousins rocking Adidas, hoops, and big dreams see themselves on the big screen in ways they only dreamed of growing up.

Martin has co-starred on shows like Pretty Little LiarsThe ArrangementThe Purgeand will soon be appearing in David Ayer’s film The Tax Collector

Soria most recently appeared in the series regular role of Pete Ramos on Crackle series The Oath, and has recurred on TNT’s Animal Kingdom and Freeform’s The Fosters. On the film side, Soria can next be seen in the indie John Henry alongside Terry Crews

CBS Diversity Showcase alum Santos has appeared on CBS’ 2 Broke GirlstruTV’s Adam Ruins Everything and Seeso’s Bajillion Dollar Properties. He also was the lead in the 2013 Slamdance comedy horror feature Ghost Team One and guest-starred on Fox’s The Last Man on Earth

Cosio’s credits include the role of Angel de Plata on FX’s The Strain and Don Neto in Narcos: Mexico.He’s returning for Season 2 of Narcos: Mexicoand will be seen in a starring role in Amazon’s new series CDMX.On the film side, he’ll next be seen in Emilio Portes’ horror thriller Beelzebuth,as well as the sequel to Matando Cabos, where he’ll return to portray the title character. 

Netflix Green Lights the America Ferrera-Executive Produced Series “Gentefied”

America Ferrerais getting Gentefied

Netflix has given the green light to Gentefied, a half-hour bilingual dramedy executive produced by the 34-year-old Honduran American actress and former Ugly Betty star.

America Ferrera

The project hails from Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chávez, the creators of Gente-fied: The Digital Series, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festivalin 2017. 

Ferrera is executive-producing alongside Teri Weinbergvia their production company. Netflix is the studio.

Described as a badass Spanglish series about family, community, brown love and the displacement that disrupts it all, Gentefied follows three Mexican-American cousins and their struggle to chase the American Dream, even while that same dream threatens the things they hold most dear: their neighborhood, their immigrant grandfather and the family taco shop. Set in a rapidly changing Los Angeles, the series will navigate important themes such as identity, class and balancing insta-fame with translating memes for their parents. And it will settle once and for all how to pronounce Latinx, Netflix notes.

Co-creators Lemus and Chávez will write and co-exec produce the 10-episode series, with Lemus also directing.

Lemus and Chávez call Gentefied a love letter to the Latinx and Boyle Heightscommunities and hope the series will let their little cousins rocking Adidas, hoops and big dreams see themselves on the big screen in ways they themselves only dreamed of growing up.