Rap songs have popularized multiple hip-hop brands that we see today. Hip-hop culture, on its own, has attributed a lot of success to big corporations and reshaped the image of their brands.
When I thought about it, there are two common questions that are commonly asked by most of my peers and hip-hop heads: What brands are hype right now? and what brands do rappers wear?
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The Contribution of Hip-hop to Brands:
The world of influencer marketing helped redefine the image of streetwear brands like Nike, Timbaland, Gucci, and so forth. Due to the constant name-dropping (marketing) of these giants, rappers were able to make them an essential part of hip-hop.
...With that being said, here’s a list of 5 of the most name-dropped brands in rap songs.
Oh, and they will be explained in the format as follows:
Founded
Original Influence
Background Story
Most Popular influences
1. Gucci:
Founded:
In 1921 by Guccio Gucci in Florence, Italy.
Original Influence:
Dapper Dan, a hip-hop fashion designer.
Background Story:
During the 1970s, the explosive popularity of Gucci turned the brand into a prime target of the counterfeiting industry.
Then, in 1982, a Harlem-based tailor and designer named Dapper Dan opened up a boutique shop. He mixed streetwear with high-end fashion. His designs were made with cuts and splices from Louis Vitton, Versace, and even Gucci itself. He then used influencer marketing to popularize his designs. His first clients include:
Eric B. & Rakim
Salt-N-Pepa
LL Cool J
Jay-Z.
Dapper Dan was able to connect hip-hop’s relationship to luxury. His designs blew up in the streets of Harlem. In some cases, Gucci has been accused of plagiarising designs from Dapper Dan himself.
This is where Gucci saw an opportunity and formed a partnership with Dapper Dan. Gucci has been trending since.
Most Popular Influencers:
Nas
Gucci Mane
Jay-Z
Kanye West
2. Timbaland:
Founded:
In 1952 by Nathan Swartz in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Original Influence
New York Drug Dealers.
Background Story:
The waterproof, 6-inch Nubuck leather boot, first made its appearance in the streets of New York. The company never intended for their boots to be worn by rappers. Originally, they were created for New England construction workers.
The boot was tough, waterproof, and most importantly, durable.
In his book, Buying In, consumer journalist Rob Walker says that the first urban buyers of Timberland were New York, drug dealers. Drug dealers were the original style influencers back then and they set the trend for the all-mighty Timbs.
The shoe was simply comfortable and warm enough for the A.M hustlers of New York, who had to withstand the cold of the streets during their hustle.
Most Popular Influences:
Wu-Tang
Tupac
Biggie
Mobb Deep
3. Nike Air Force 1.
Founded:
In 1964 by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight in Oregon, USA.
Original Influence:
Nelly’s hit song, Air Force One’s.
Background Story:
If you’re a real hip-hop head, then you definitely heard of the Nike Air Force 1 kicks. This sneaker was born during the infancy of hip-hop. To be fair, it was a popular shoe amongst basketballers and athletes. Its popularity is not only attributed to rappers.
One thing that ballers and athletes have in common is hip-hop music, this is why it became very significant in hip-hop fashion culture. It hit the market in 1982 and has been around for over 37 years.
The single design has sold several hundreds of millions of pairs since its inception.
With Michael Jordan’s connection to the hip-hop culture, the sneaker became a crucial aspect of hip-hop. The shoe has promoted itself lyrically or even visually.
The beauty of this is that the design is still successful in the market today.
Most Popular Influences:
Jay-Z
Fat Joe
DJ Clark Kent
Eminem
Travis Scott
4. Versace:
Founded:
In 1978 by Gianni Versace in Milan, Italy.
Original Influence:
The Fall/Winter 1996 show in Milan, where Tupac was given custom-tailored clothes and exclusive show invites. Although he wasn’t the only one to immortalize the brand, he played an important role in its legacy.
Background Story
There is a reason why the 90s scene was a golden era for hip-hop. It wasn’t only the music that made it golden but it was also the fashion and trends that created such a vibrant era of the culture. Hip-hop artists had more consumers, more money, more clout, and more luxury than ever before.
“Helping to create a “blinged-out” era in hip-hop culture, from the shout-outs in infamous lyrics to the appearances at the brand’s fashion shows, Versace found the ultimate fan base with the ’90s rap icons,...” says Vogue Magazine.
The genuine foundation story behind its prominence was its ability to dress musicians in relation to their artistry.
With hip-hop on the rise (during the 90s) and its powerful influence on youth culture, Versace successfully tapped into a Big market. Even during the feud between Pac and Biggie, there was underlying competition, not only of music but also of fashion.
"Now it’s all about Versace/You copied my style.”
-Tupac, Hit ‘Em Up
Today, Versace and hip-hop have a generational love affair with each other.
Most Popular Influencers:
Tupac
Notorious B.I.G
Lil-Kim
P.Diddy
Missy Elliot
Kanye West
5. Hennessy
Founded:
In 1765 by Richard Hennessy in Cognac, France.
Original Influence:
The Black Community.
Background Story:
Hennessy, also known as Henny, is a very well-established cognac brand, responsible for almost half of global cognac sales. Unlike the above-mentioned brands, Hennessy wasn’t an accident. The company intended to tap into a very broad market.
It was already a household name amongst the Black-American culture. They placed their ads in black-owned magazines such as Jet and Ebony, working also with black actors and actresses in their ads.
Consequentially, the brand represents a distinct African-American lifestyle that is associated with luxury and having good times.
What made it unique is its approach. Luxury, for African-Americans at the time, was a lifestyle that was far-fetched from their reality. It became a symbol of luxury that was entitled to black culture only.
By the time hip-hop was on its rise, Hennessy was already a commoner amongst Black America. It is like Black Label beer to black South Africans, although with a different narrative. When hip-hop came along with its cultural impact, rappers had already aspired to it due to its OG influence in the hood. Hip-hop simply adopted it the same way it adopted various traits of the black community. From the drug dealing fashionistas, all the way down to the Henny.
We only shifted its image from an old luxury for old heads and gave it a youthful image. A necessary luxury, especially for young black consumers. Just like a lot of things, hip-hop reinvented its image.
Most Popular Influences:
Jet
Ebony
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