6.5: Corporate Sponsorship of Hip-Hop
- Page ID
- 292828
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)In what seemed to be an innocent elegy honoring their favorite sneakers, in Run-DMC’s (1986) My Adidas launched a culture of corporate endorsement in hip-hop. Since then, hip-hop artists will work a brand name label into their rap song aiming to secure a sponsorship agreement after it becomes a hit song. The current manifestation of hip-hop culture, a willingness to endorse anything from clothes, shoes, cars, alcohol, restaurants, clubs, even presidential candidates – but the earliest generation hip-hoppers would not have dreamed of allowing marketers to rent out their tunes for advertisement space. This would have been seen to be a detestable form of selling out because it used to be cool when Run-DMC rapped against expensive brands rhyming “Calvin Klein is no friend of mind”.
The vocal delivery of emotive expressivity is an artistic musical form known as a rap song, or rapping. The incorporation of common street vernacular is patterned in rhyme and performed to the musical accompaniment of a back beat. The components of rap include content, flow, and delivery.
These days, contemporary hip-hop musicians aggressively court the corporate marketers, “often using brand placement in their music as bait” (Kiley, 2005). It should be noted that formal contracts commissioning songs seeded with brand recognition is rare, but some rappers will mention brand names in their music, only to seek a deal after the fact (Kaufman, 2008). Nelly’s 2003 lyric homage to Nike's Air Force Ones landed him a shoe deal and the creation of his signature Nelly Nike shoe. “GM sought to capitalize on Jay-Z’s abilities as a tastemaker by actually working with the Brooklyn-bred MC and businessman to design the concept for a custom-made limited edition 2007 GMC Yukon Denali” (Peso, 2008). So, if cashing in now part of hip-hop culture, is hip-hop selling out?
(Petty Officer 2nd Class Jon Dasbach (20 April 2009). Hip Hop artist Yung Joc performs for hundreds of Sailors aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during a Navy Entertainment-sponsored concert. The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is underway for a regularly scheduled deployment in support of the on-going rotation of forward-deployed forces to support maritime security operations and operate in international waters across the globe. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yung_Joc_performs_on_USS_Dwight_D._Eisenhower_DVIDS167032.jpg)
“For the past half-decade, mainstream hip-hop has suffered from a dearth of originality… That’s because no one is taking creative risks, out of fear they might prove commercially unviable. Nothing drives hip-hop as much as money, hence there will inevitably be rap artists who jump at the chance to sell themselves – and their lyrics – to the highest bidder.” (Graham, 2005). Since the 1980s, hip-hop culture has expanded to represent not only urban youth, but rural, suburban, and global communities of all ages, genders, religions, economic classes and races can now call upon hip-hop to address their need for a resistance cry. But as hip-hop has become an international multibillion-dollar mega corporate industry, hip-hop “has virtually changed the nature of the music and entertainment industries” (Price, 2006, p. 1). Hip-Hop was a sub-culture, now mainstream for an entire generation. By endorsing everything and anything, has hip-hop abandoned the efficacious cultural function as a resistance movement?