Ballin PR is a Beverly Hills-based print and online pr company dedicated to hip-hop and electronic artists, authors, and filmmakers. Founded by Nicole Balin, Ballin offers both emerging and established artists a rare combination of aggressive marketing and concern for artistic integrity.

Our primary aim is to secure media exposure and create a buzz about your product.  Our campaigns target hundreds of music journalists and taste makers worldwide, including national print outlets, websites, blogs, social media platforms, and TV in an effort to secure reviews, features, and show coverage.

The press landscape—and the music business—is vastly different today. “The Internet was once considered an artist’s worst enemy,” notes Balin who’s become one of the most recognized hip-hop publicists since starting her own company in 2001. “Today, it can be your greatest weapon, if you know how to use it to your advantage.”

Ballin has built a client roster that includes the Grammy-Award winning group Linkin Park, Too $hort, Paris, Aceyalone, Kool Keith, Motion Man, The Grouch, Guru, Kool G. Rap, Us3, Hieroglyphics, Roots Manuva, Zion-I, Z-Trip, People Under the Stairs, Big Freedia, and many others. What’s more, Ballin has worked with the National Hip-Hop Political Convention and Rap Sessions and on films like ‘Soundz of Spirit,’ the Too $hort documentary ‘Life Is,’ along with books such as Bakari Kitwana’s Why White Kids Love Hip-Hop, MK Asante’s It’s Bigger than Hip-Hop (St Martin’s Press), and Justin BUA’s The Beat of Urban Art and The Legends of Hip-Hop (HarperCollins).

Balin is a seasoned veteran of the business and has been immersed in hip-hop her whole life. She was the publicity director at the independent label collective Nu Gruv Alliance (Stones Throw, GoodVibe, Funky-Ass) from 1998-1999 and went on to serve as an editor at The Source, the premiere magazine of hip-hop music, culture, and politics from 1999-2001. Balin has an advanced Social Media Marketing certificate from the University of San Francisco.

In 2008, Current TV showcased Ballin PR in an episode called ‘Hyping Indie Hype’. And as one of the most recognizable names in hip-hop pr, Balin has been interviewed and featured in media outlets from the Village Voice, East Bay Express, Stash.

Past Ballin PR clients: Prince Paul,  Serengeti, Yak Ballz, Phat Kat, Breakestra, Crown City Rockers, Rasco, Motion Man, The Rondo Brothers, Cali-Agents, Pigeon John, Raashan Ahmad, Kutmasta Kurt, Paris, Phat Kat, Yak Ballz, Cap D, Rita J, Raydar Ellis, Myka 9, Awol One, Factor, Azeem, Esham, Us3, Main Flow, Somobe, Moka Only, Azeem, and Ceschi & Fake Four Records, M9 Entertainment, Basement Records, NinjaTune.