Rome Fortune Releases New App, New Record "Leaders"

On Monday (June 15), the business-minded Atlanta-based rapper Rome Fortune launched a free app (bearing his name), which reminds me a lot of the fan-inclusive app by Lady Gaga. The Italian-American superstar, who is now touring with fellow Italian-American icon Tony Bennett, launched her mobile app during a pivotal time in her career. It was the Summer of 2008, she was becoming a global sensation, and she was in the heat of a promotional season for The Fame album. Much like Fortunes’, on Gaga’s app, you could watch her Gigavision videos from YouTube, chat with her and other Monsters, and stay-up-to-date with just about everything Gaga, as it appeared in real-time.

On Rome’s app, fans can chat with the green-bearded rapper directly, watch behind-the-scenes footage of him on tour, buy merch and concert tickets. In addition, you can stream and download Rome’s records, buy physical copies, and in perfect Portlandia lingo, put a beard on it. I just downloaded it; you can too.

Don’t leave without hearing the new Four Tet-produced record below. It delivers an early 90’s-influenced New York sound, which championed the charts and was popularized on major television shows (“New York Undercover”, “Martin”) and blockbuster movies like “New Jack City” and “O.G. Original Gangster”: