Hip-Hop and Hyper-Commercialism - 2053 Words

Hip-Hop and Hyper-commercialism Simple beat, simple rhyme scheme, strong message. Vans dont cost Gs, real niggaz wear these Ââ€" Vans, says a member of The Pack in the music video aptly titled Vans. You may be asking yourself, So, whats the big deal? The big, highly lucrative deal is the marriage between big name corporations and their partnership with hip-hop. Its nothing new: Run-DMC had My adiddas, LL Cool J wore Kangol hats, and even Jay-Z incorporated drinking Cristal into his lyrics for a long period of time. With that being said, the new hip-hop generation of today faces many adversities from years and years of subliminal marketing within their own sub-culture. The effects of hyper-commercialism are evident in American†¦show more content†¦This same idea can be applied to the rap artists who get paid by the sponsors that endorse them. These artists are making millions off these companies who are mainly there to use the artists image as a way to connect their product with his or her fan base. The sad thing is, when an artist talks about Glocks or Smith and Wessons like he is endorsing the product, confused kids buy into it. When I got a little bit older, a littler bit smarter, and a little bit wiser, I started to question myself and my identity, as well as Hip-Hop and the identity portrayed within the mainstream media. It seemed as though everything had to have a hardcore exterior. To be understanding, sensitive, or romantic seemed to be weak, while credibility was earned by talking about guns, drugs, pimping women, and dirty money. In an article regarding two underground DVDs called Straight Outta Hunters Point and Hood 2 Hood, Darren Keast put this idea best, The storytellers are driven by the same motivation Ââ€" proving that their block is the hardest, and that they are the hardest on the block. This is precisely what is portrayed in most mainstream rap Ââ€" a market flood of bragging and boasting about doing illegal or despicable activities. Yet, I see todays youth confused. You are not respected if you are not outfitted in the latest