Who do you know but Biggie that stays Coogi-ed down to the socks? In our celebrity-obsessed culture, we can’t help but to give in to trends set forth by the stylish modern day celebrities. Every trend we see is most likely breed by one celebrity or another, whether it’s by wearing the product or promoting it in a song, and brought to life by us.
Nowadays, clothing isn’t the main concern for endorsement by celebrities; liquor, acne products, and thousand dollar hair extensions are also on the list. Such promotions and a simple reference of a brand in a song; i.e. “I rock Versace and you know I ain’t pay for it” Lil Kim, persuades listeners to go out and buy, which is never bad news for the label. Honestly, I never knew about Grey Goose until it was mentioned on every other song on the radio. I knew it was a liquor brand, but I didn’t think of it as anything but that [liquor]. Now, artists are shouting it out in every other verse; “the Grey Goose got your girl feelin’ loose” (Fergie) and The Ying Yang Twins even boast a song titled “Grey Goose.” Grey Goose has swiftly become the drink of choice at all premier clubs, seeing bottle after bottle go in the VIP area, and the term ‘bottle service’ usually entails ‘Grey Goose bottle service.’
Nowadays, clothing isn’t the main concern for endorsement by celebrities; liquor, acne products, and thousand dollar hair extensions are also on the list. Such promotions and a simple reference of a brand in a song; i.e. “I rock Versace and you know I ain’t pay for it” Lil Kim, persuades listeners to go out and buy, which is never bad news for the label. Honestly, I never knew about Grey Goose until it was mentioned on every other song on the radio. I knew it was a liquor brand, but I didn’t think of it as anything but that [liquor]. Now, artists are shouting it out in every other verse; “the Grey Goose got your girl feelin’ loose” (Fergie) and The Ying Yang Twins even boast a song titled “Grey Goose.” Grey Goose has swiftly become the drink of choice at all premier clubs, seeing bottle after bottle go in the VIP area, and the term ‘bottle service’ usually entails ‘Grey Goose bottle service.’
Logos such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney, Versace, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, and so on are gloated upon in countless songs by countless artists. Jay-Z’s “La, La, La (Excuse Me Miss)” video depicts a gorgeous woman decked out in the finest while Jay-Z rolls down the street in his Maybach cooing, “Mami’s in Manolo bags by Chanel or Louis Vuitton logo’s.” After that, you couldn’t walk down the street without at least pointing out one woman with a logo Louis Vuitton bag, whether it’s bootleg or straight from the source. If fashion and liquor weren’t enough, celebrities are endorsing acne products as well! Jessica Simpson, Alicia Keys, and Sean ‘P.Diddy’ Combs are among the celebrities speaking out for ProActiv Solution. Ever since these promotions, ProActiv has climbed the charts and is rated number one selling acne treatment by Allure magazine.
Music and fashion have always gone hand in hand. A musician, for example Kanye West, is seen wearing a blazer and jeans in his video. Right there is the start of a trend and you can bet that someone, not bearing the title of ‘celebrity’, will be wearing it. The main question that arises out of artist promotion of brands and labels is: do they get paid to endorse such products?
The first example that pops into my head is Lil’ Kim. If Lil’ Kim was photographed at a fashion show, you can guarantee that Donatella Versace was standing by her side. Obviously, artists receive free clothing from designers’. “You rock Versace, you went out and bought. I rock Versace and you know I ain’t pay for it.” And, Lil’ Kim is damn right that we saved our hard earned cash and ran out and bought those seven hundred dollar Versace’s because they were the ‘it’ thing to buy according to celebrity culture (as much as we may deny it). Hip-hop has become more than just a genre it’s become an endorsement game. After all fashion and now, liquor and acne products, cannot survive without music.
Music and fashion have always gone hand in hand. A musician, for example Kanye West, is seen wearing a blazer and jeans in his video. Right there is the start of a trend and you can bet that someone, not bearing the title of ‘celebrity’, will be wearing it. The main question that arises out of artist promotion of brands and labels is: do they get paid to endorse such products?
The first example that pops into my head is Lil’ Kim. If Lil’ Kim was photographed at a fashion show, you can guarantee that Donatella Versace was standing by her side. Obviously, artists receive free clothing from designers’. “You rock Versace, you went out and bought. I rock Versace and you know I ain’t pay for it.” And, Lil’ Kim is damn right that we saved our hard earned cash and ran out and bought those seven hundred dollar Versace’s because they were the ‘it’ thing to buy according to celebrity culture (as much as we may deny it). Hip-hop has become more than just a genre it’s become an endorsement game. After all fashion and now, liquor and acne products, cannot survive without music.
Since 2005, Singersroom has been the voice of R&B around the world. Connect with us via social media below.
