Steve Stoute Learns The Tanning of America Is Headed to French-Speaking Markets

In a powerful and emotional moment at Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition event, where Black and Hispanic innovators are celebrated and empowered, Steve Stoute, CEO of UnitedMasters, learned live on stage that his influential book The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy is officially being translated into French.

The announcement came directly from Alexis Onestas, founder of OmaxBooks, a leading French publishing company dedicated to translating and elevating Afro-American voices for a global Francophone audience of more than 300 million French speakers.

OmaxBooks has become known for translating works from influential cultural leaders including 50 Cent, Issa Rae, Rick Ross, Taraji P. Henson, Common, Kanye West, and many others. But this particular translation carries a deeper meaning.

Onestas revealed that The Tanning of America was the first book he ever read in English, and it profoundly shaped the trajectory of his thinking, his career, and ultimately the creation of OmaxBooks itself. After years of publishing major Black American creators, he decided it was finally time to bring this foundational work to French readers.

“Steve’s book literally changed my life,” said Onestas. “It explained how culture moves, how hip-hop reshaped America, and how Black creativity transformed the global economy. It’s a classic—and French speakers deserve to access it.”

Stoute’s surprise and heartfelt reaction on stage captured the room. The book, widely regarded as a seminal text in urban economics, marketing, culture, and media, details how hip-hop and Black culture became central to the American mainstream—reshaping brands, business, and global culture. Its French edition will now introduce this history and perspective to a massive new international audience.

“Steve Stoute didn’t just document the culture,” said Onestas. “He helped change it.”