Los Angeles-Chairman of the LaRoda LTD, Barrett LaRoda has finalized a deal on behalf of Funko that will license celebrities as Hip Hop branded figures. Funko, one of the largest manufacturers of entertainment bobblehead products is the leader in bobbleheads, vinyl action figures, and plush toys.  LaRoda negotiated the licensing for Biggie and Tupac, making them the first two figures that will hit the market worldwide in early 2011. Biggie is celebrated as one of the greatest rap artists and is described as “the savior of East Coast hip-hop. Tupac Shakur has sold over seventy five million albums worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. 

LaRoda, a heavily respected licensing and intellectual property expert, is the exclusive licensor for superstar R & B legend Gladys Knight.  He recently facilitated a deal with fashion jewelry leader, Robert Rose to create a Gladys Knight branded jewelry line, which uses beads by the women of the Kumasi tribe in Africa. A portion of all sales goes to the women of the Kumasi tribe. LaRoda says, “Bobbleheads are the rite to passage into pop culture, and Hip Hop artists are the epitome of pop culture. It is only natural that Hip Hop artists and Funko come together because it’s a natural fit and I am sure the public will want to collect the entire line.”  LaRoda, a trailblazer in the entertainment industry and a savvy licensing deal maker and intellectual property expert, has targeted several other Hip Hop artists for the Funko Hip Hop product line. Funko President, Brian Mariotti says,” Traditional bobbleheads have always been caricatured and haven’t resembled the artist, whereas Funko has created a line that not only resembles the artist, but captures their swagger.” Laroda LTD President Mattin said, “Artist will be proud to be part of the Funko family of products.” This latest deal by LaRoda once again proves that LaRoda‘s expertise as a brand manager is parallel to none.

Chairman Barrett LaRoda is a well-established name in the entertainment industry, with expertise in developing and executing business strategies- including contract negotiation, and strategic alliance development.  His company LaRoda LTD, specializes in talent acquisition and is an executive producer of large scale events. LaRoda has also had the recent success of the Annual Plymouth Jazz Festival Tobago, with headline superstars such as Sir Elton John, Sting, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder and many other stars over the three day festival. The Annual THISDAY Music Festival, is one of the biggest and most successful concerts ever held on the continent of Africa with pass headliners Jay Z, Usher, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Diddy, Shakira and many others, now in its sixth year.  LaRoda is one of the industry’s ‘behind the scenes’ best kept secrets. LaRoda LTD, based in Los Angeles, CA, is a licensing, branding and intellectual properties company.

Funko is one of the largest manufacturers of entertainment-related bobbleheads today. Funko was founded in 1998 and its first product was the “Big Boy” restaurant icon, and it was their success from this product that led to the creation of the “Wacky Wobblers” line of bobbleheads. Since that time, they have sold over 1.5 million units worldwide. They hold licensing rights for many popular characters, such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Star Wars, The Simpsons, the Cartoon Network, Futurama, South Park, The Family Guy, Mr. Bean, Betty Boop, Marvel Comics, and many more. All of their products are built from durable PVC plastic and are brightly colored.

Follow these links for more information on LaRoda LTD and Funko:

http://www.funko.com/

http://www.laroda.com/larodasecurity/personnel-laroda-barrett.html