tuluum's Diaryland Diary
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Keep It Real!
Oh wow i'm #2 on MSN for my entry "Sluts In Santa Outfits" how cool is that? :)
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Hip-Hop Fad-Followers Missing The Whole Point
Music of individuality diluted by endorsements, corporate rip-offs
by Tonya Jameson
A couple of Christmases ago, my brother and I argued over boots. He
wears Timberlands. I wear Dr. Martens.
He challenged my blackness since I refused to spend $100 for
Timberlands, the brand of choice among many hip-hop fans. For me,
it's about durability and comfort; I paid $100 for Docs I'd worn
since 1993.
I explained that being black doesn't mean you have to be like other
hip-hop fans, that you have to wear Timberlands. Recent studies that
show more young African Americans are drinking champagne reminded me
of that Christmas argument.
Knowing my brother, if I show up at Christmas dinner with a bottle of
Veuve Clicquot, he will tell me I should drink Moet, Cristal or Dom
Perignon -- the preferred champagnes of Jay-Z, the late Notorious
B.I.G. and Sean Combs.
I love my younger brother, but I loathe the follower mentality that
oppresses many hip-hop fans. Hip-hop was a culture of individualism
and rebellion from the late '70s to the late '80s. Chuck D once
called rap "the CNN of black people."
Today, rap is the Home Shopping Network. Too many hip-hop fans
mindlessly flock from one brand name to another, trying to be like 50
Cent or whoever else graces the cover of The Source and Vibe
magazines.
The wine industry is the latest beneficiary of brand-obsessed rappers
who have traded in tales of street life to become living billboards
for luxury items. Impressionable fans follow their whims, drinking
Cristal and Moet, along with Courvoisier and Hypnotiq. They wear Air
Force Ones, a bland tennis shoe, and stuff by Gucci, Prada, Louis
Vuitton and Burberry.
"Black people want to associate themselves with class, with taste,
with wealth," said Atlanta rapper Cee-Lo. "That's why name brands are
important."
It's good to see young black celebrities enjoy the benefits of their
labors and expose others to the high life. However, most hip-hop fans
aren't millionaires and can't afford to waste money pretending to be
ballers. What's worse is that we're wasting our money on someone
else's fantasy: items mentioned in songs.
Name-checking brands started out innocently enough in the mid-'80s.
The biggest example was Run-DMC's "My Adidas," in which they use a
pair of tennis shoes to tell the story of all the places they've
been. It wasn't until Run-D.M.C. became famous that Adidas realized
it could make money off the group. The athletic company gave the trio
an endorsement deal.
By the time Busta Rhymes released "Pass the Courvoisier" in 2001,
mentioning products in songs felt fake. The cognac company didn't pay
Busta for the song, but it raised sales of the cognac in the United
States. The rapper's management company later signed a promotional
deal with Courvoisier's parent company. Same thing happened for
Nelly. His song "Air Force Ones" eventually landed him a signature
shoe with Nike.
Now, it's clearly calculated. Hip-hop is a $5 billion industry and
companies want to tap the loyal fan base. A study by New Media
Strategies found that 60 percent of consumers who consider themselves
to be hip-hop fans said they are more likely to see films or buy
products, clothes or video games if they feature their favorite hip-
hop artist.
Record companies know that many hip-hop fans are followers. Last
year, a Fortune magazine article noted an Epic Records memo that
offered to place products into the song lyrics of B2K and other pop
artists for a fee. A representative from another record company
recently told me her company's artists would no longer mention brand
names without a contract with the owner of the brand. (The
representative declined to be named.)
At this rate, name-checking products in songs will be as organic as
Kid Rock's rap phase. These days, fans don't know if they're
imitating artists' real tastes or if their blind loyalty is being
pimped to the highest bidder.
"Making the world go around with all that influence, and ain't going
nowhere," said Cee-Lo.
Hip-hop fans have the economic clout to shape communities, to
influence politics, but too many of us waste it trying to live in the
fantasy world of music videos. Wake up.
************************************************************************* CLIX MORE LOVE MY WAY! *************************************************************************
11:19 a.m. - Friday, Dec. 26, 2003
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