In 2004, Art, Beats + Lyrics was founded by Jabari Graham, who, having been laid off, aspired to carve out a niche for himself in the global landscape. Driven by a deep-seated dream, Graham sought to establish a platform that would highlight the talent of unrecognized urban artists.
Utilizing his personal resources, Graham initiated the first showcase, and it was during this time that he crossed paths with Dwayne “Dubelyoo” Wright. Leveraging Dubelyoo’s own artistic journey, they reimagined the events, leading to the birth of Art, Beats + Lyrics. The collaboration with Jack Daniels further propelled the project, culminating in Gentleman Jack Art, Beats + Lyrics. Recognizing the need for a more robust online presence to cater to a wider audience, Coalition Technologies was brought on board.
In June 2012, Studio Number One, a Los Angeles-based creative agency, engaged Coalition Technologies to develop a website aimed at promoting the upcoming Art Beats & Lyrics Fall Concert series, sponsored by Gentleman Jack. Coalition addressed key user experience challenges, seamlessly integrating a Drupal PHP project on a Windows 2008 R2 Server managed by Jack Daniels’ parent company.
For this initiative, Coalition engaged in user experience consulting to ensure an engaging and boredom-free experience for site visitors. This involved comprehensive website design and development, including the creation of three mobile landing pages, SMS text messaging system integration, Brown Foreman Web Services API integration for customer subscriptions and newsletters, video embedding, custom audio playback solutions, an event ticketing system, a custom age gate to restrict under-21 visitors, and more.
Despite a tight deadline and limited server access, Coalition navigated these challenges to deliver an aesthetically pleasing, feature-rich website.
The site now brims with information. For those interested in discovering new urban artists, or seeking details about the show and its partnership with Jack Daniels, the Gentleman Jack website is a treasure trove of information. Users can also explore past shows and current artists, check the calendar for local show dates, or sign up for alerts regarding upcoming events and artists.
