Throughout the course of his tenure, Twitter’s CEO Dick Costolo took ample heat for not growing the business to the satisfaction of its investors. Now that he’s set to step down at the beginning of July, perhaps it is time, one hip-hop artist contends, to instate someone who knows a thing or two about heat. A person who, in fact, knows that sweat-inducing temperature quite well. A man—nay, an actor, a rapper, and an entrepreneur—who has been known, on occasion, to drop it like it’s hot.
After all, Costolo began his career as a comedian. Then he led Twitter (TWTR) for five years. So why not, say, Snoop Dogg (née Lion)? After the announcement that Costolo would step down, Snoop took to Twitter (already a good start!) to propose his candidacy.
Im ready to lead @twitter !! #SnoopforCEO
— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) June 11, 2015
The artist has already had plenty of experience in and out of the birdhouse. And he’s been very successful in his other endeavors to boot, including selling tens of millions of music albums and serving as the chairman of record label Priority. Indeed, in another tweet Snoop—born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.—made his business strategy known. And in less than 140 characters, too! Take that, Sacca. (One of Twitter’s earliest and biggest investors, Chris Sacca, recently wrote an 8,300-word manifesto on how he would rejuvenate the company.)
First order of Business! Get that Moolah! #SnoopforCEO @twitter
— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) June 11, 2015
So simple. Revenue has, of course, been a major sticking point for the company under Costolo; although Twitter raked in $1.4 billion last year, the company posted a loss $578 million. And the company’s stock still hasn’t recovered from the nosedive it took in April, dropping from the $50 per share range to around $35 per share after disappointing quarterly results. Imagine what an emphasis on “moolah” could do for the beleaguered, Facebook-battered social media platform?
@TheRealKSD @SnoopDogg got my mind on my fourth quarter earnings and my fourth quarter earnings on my mind
— Chris Taylor 🖋️ (@FutureBoy) June 11, 2015
Several people—including prominent execs—have taken to the network to voice their support as well. Box CEO Aaron Levie—a leader who can, as any CEO has sat in the saddle of a recently public Unicorn company might, empathize with Costolo—encouraged the appointment.
At a minimum Snoop should be chair of the audit committee. https://t.co/BbXOG5Aawh
— Aaron Levie (@levie) June 12, 2015
“I’m all about that cloud!” Snoop replied.
If billionaire investor and noted contrarian Peter Thiel is to be believed, Snoop would be in good company. In a CNBC interview last year, Thiel lambasted Twitter’s leadership, saying: “It’s a horribly mismanaged company,” adding that there’s “probably a lot of pot-smoking going on there.”
A corporate appointment for a hip-hop artist would be far from unprecedented. Dr. Dre is the resident “Dre” at Apple (AAPL). Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas serves as a business consultant to multinational corporations, ranging from Coca-Cola (KO) to Intel (INTC). Maybe it’s Snoop’s turn to have a go in a tech titan’s hot seat?
In the meantime, former Twitter CEO and current Square CEO Jack Dorsey will lead the company on an interim basis. You know what they say, Jack: When the pimp’s in the crib…
