Hip-Hop originally started with graffiti, break dancing, the
disc jockey, and rap. Like most African American founded music, it became a way
for blacks to be heard on a huge scale. On this journey of being heard
nationally, Hip-Hop artists have become much more than emcees. Hip-Hop has
given birth to a slue of business-oriented entrepreneurs and spokespersons, and
today I’d like to highlight some of these iconic artists.
In my opinion, Run DMC was one of the first in Hip-Hop
lineage to successfully endorse a consumer brand. The group was famous for
having great skills on the microphone, and wearing the name brand Adidas in the
process. At the time, Adidas was a brand that was associated with the drug dealers, and Run DMC was passionate about changing that stereotype. In fact, Adidas sweat suits and sneakers became a uniform for the
group, and they passed the trend on to their fans. Without any thoughts of
compensation, the group then came out with a song called “My Adidas”, which
made it hard for the corporate company to ignore the group. Run DMC ended up getting a million
dollar endorsement deal, paving the way for many more Hip-Hop artists to come.
Two decades later, we see Hip-Hop artist Rick Ross joining forces with famous sneaker brand Reebok, for a hefty endorsement deal. In the
past, Reebok has collaborated with Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz and 50 cent just to name
a few.
This is certainly a trend in the Hip-hop culture, and the
music business in general. As digital music continues to be popular, hard copy
albums are becoming a thing of the past. Artists can no longer rely on album sales and touring as a main source of income. It is important for
artists to get involved in endorsement deals and business ventures that will promote
them as an artist, and create more avenues of income.
Below are a few more Hip-hop artists and their various
business ventures.
Sean “Diddy” Combs- Sean John clothing line
- Enyce clothing line
- “Justin’s” up scale restaurant
- CEO of Bad Boy Records
- Pepsi, ProActiv, and Ciroc endorsements
- Blue Flame Marketing Firm
Sean “Jay-Z” Carter
- Co-Founder of Roc-A-Fella Records
- Stake holder for the Brooklyn Nets
- Bacardi endorsement
- Owner of the 40/40 club
- Rocawear Clothing line
- Active Rap career
