John Legend Wants to Go 'Mainstream'. We Can Help.

Apparently, John Legend is more than willing to give away whatever soul he had left. Seriously. According to Billboard.com, the Grammy winner has been meeting with several advertising firms to discuss promotional strategies for his upcoming project, feeling the need to go "mainstream" with his music. "I want to go beyond what the label machine always does and think of some cool ideas," Legend said recently. He feels that working with a label restricts his marketability, saying that he wants an ad firm that "launches other products to use their knowledge to launch my music."  Wow. You mean the relationships with Baileys, Verizon, Lexus, Tide, GQ, The Gap, Target and American Express isn't enough?!?!?  Nice. 

Stating that he thought his 2006 release Once Again was "difficult for people to digest because it wasn't any one radio format", JL has decided to go for a more pop feel, forgoing live instruments this time around in favor of 808 drums and futuristic synthesizers. Well, far be it from us here at SBHQ to hate on a brother for wanting to get more commercial. Quite possibly by doing more commercials.  Whatever.  We won't hate on John, instead invoking the huge home improvement chain that says, John, "you can do it. We can help." And help we will. Below are five suggestions that JL can use for his mainstream madness:

•  Before you continue on the new project, strike a deal with Microsoft and their fledgling music product, making a remix called "Save Room (For My Zune)".

• We hear there's a song on your upcoming release called "No Other Love." Scratch that. STAT. In the spirit of your relationship with Target and the products they carry, adjust that title and call it "No Other Dove."
• Tell The Gap that you'd like them to re-release your debut CD with a new title as an ode to their in-store activity: Get Shop-Lifted.
• Strike up a deal with Webster's so that now and forevermore, your face and bio will appear next to the word "sellout" in all of their dictionaries. With a copyright, even.
• And, of course, the obvious partnership that is years in the making--change teams, crossing over from Lexus and inking a lifetime contract with Acura that will place your face on the bumpers of all of their Legend models. This way, we can always remember you as the ass fool you're being right now.

Anyone else have suggestions? Please, feel free to leave them in the comments section.