Steve Stoute, the former music executive, has long played matchmaker between the popular culture and corporative America. He launched Translation Consultation & Brad Imaging in 2004, and linked Justin Timberlake to McDonald's for the fast-food chain's "I'm Loving It" campaign, helped seal Lebron James' partnership with State Farm Insurance, Gwen Stefani's pact with Hewlett-Packard, Lady Gaga's deal with MAC Cosmetics, and Jay-Z's exclusive line with Reebok.

Stoute - never at a loss for words - is also debuting a new book, "The Tanning of America: How the Culture of Hip-Hop Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy," out this week. To coincide with "Tanning," he is developing a video series, "The Tanning Effect" with AOL HuffPost Media Group. Check out the exclusive trailer above, featuring Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams, Lady Gaga, and music industry impresario Jimmy Iovine.