Since Hip Hop joined the mulit million status about 10 years ago, the usage of high brand, high quality products named in rhymes, used in the Hip Hop cultured went up 10 fold. Hip Hop’s community got offended when these brands started sending cease and deist on affiliating themselves with brands who’s sole goal is exclusivity. Of the most lash out was Crystal who made no secret about rappers destroying the integrity of the Crystal brand. One year, Crystal ran out of bottles for the super bowl because rappers were drinking it like those little 35 cent juice jugs. (I guess around 2000 – 02). The classic wealthy rappers got mad and uniformly supported “Armand de Brignac” by placing it in the videos. Most noted in Jay-Z’s Show Me What You Got.

Fair enough, self branding is something I felt more rappers should have been doing, if they had the resources. But once again, people got furious once again with T.I’s music video clash with Louis Vuitton and Gucci.

In an exclusive interview with Bossip’s Livesteez, T.I :

Rapper T.I. has been busy shooting multiple videos for new singles off his album Paper Trail, but one music video may not make it to your television screens, if it’s left up to Louis Vuitton and Gucci:

“We did it, and it came out hot,” Tip said of the video. “Louis Vuitton and Gucci started trippin’ about it. They were saying we were infringing, in one way or another. They weren’t happy about it. They didn’t want it to come out. But it’s hot, though.”[Read Full Interview]

From a hip hop perspective, the usage of samples, other people’s music and in some cases other people lyrics comes with the territory. “Borrowing” other people’s swag is apart of the culture. The fact these companies got mad, people saw it as a race thing, on some “They didn’t want Black people promoting the products.” We all remember the Tommy Hilfiger controversy. At that point, everyone was wearing Tommy and decided to “boycott” his brand. If you notice, Tommy Hilfiger is still selling clothes. Tommy is still making money. Ironically after this “boycott” his product value went up again and you saw less of his off brand products on resale racks.

Here is the truth, the Hip Hop community is making bank and at this point and with the help of companies like Translation, legitimate branding agreements for an entertainer is possible, if not needed to prevent a lawsuit. The random ganking of a product for a rapper making millions, that’s just not going to fly (anymore). Instead of getting insulted, rappers should be requesting payment WITH permission. If someone used their image or song, they’d want to get paid…right?

50 Cent and the Taco Bell name usage proved that point, earlier this year. He felt Taco Bell and 50 Cent tacos would weaken his image. The same applied with BAPE/BBC not wanting “wack” artists wearing the clothes in videos. I mean, this is an election year, would a rapper want John McCain hyping up a crowd, using their song?

It could be easliy seen as a racial thing but, its also permission thing and in the grander scheme, its a money thing. Like Frank Lucas (American Gangster) loosely said, “You take my name without permission and ruin the product, you ruin the brand.” I know most rappers wouldn’t like their lyrics used to make money on someone else’s album. If Always maxi pads took “Flap Yo Wing’s” I doubt Nelly would be pleased, if not pissed that A) His song was used and B) He didn’t a least get paid. I guess in the beginning it was innocent and cool to know that the hood makes a product a dream goal to obtain and name drop in a song. But, once rappers were able to obtain that wealth, and some how the hood came up with these items (don’t ask), they got worried. And professionally on the rapper’s end, it does come across as lazy.

We all hate to admit it, there are somethings that get cheapened once the hood touches its trend wand and vise verse when it goes corny. See: Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It. And we all remember the birth of the blurred out apparel in on MTV 10 years ago.

On the flip, upscale customers come in quality, not quantity. If Gucci has only 1000 people spending $350K a year, I doubt, there will be any tears about “losing business” against a competing 20,000 hood customers spending $300 (giving them business). These brands are only as expensive as the circulation. The more the product is on scene, the less valuable it becomes. In the end, all this fast food exposure, messes with the amount of money they can charge. It stops being exclusive. We see LV, we think hoodrat…by default. Not European jet setter. Hip Hop is too damn old to be getting offended by things they have the money to manipulate.

Seriously, all these talented people in the hood, why not put that talented purse maker in the hood on. Make someone’s product upscale. I have to give it to Atlanta for having that skill, I think they would win an award for doing that. So think about it. It’s cute to do fake ass boycott, but why not just build up a local brand and keep it moving.

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