Tougher Than Leather

 

The icons that I selected are intentionally connected. To the hip-hop community, Run-DMC was the first group to truly commercialize a culture that was supposed to fade away shortly after its inception. Run-DMC was the voice of the projects, the voice of the streets. To all of the kids that looked up to the drug dealers and the flashy lifestyle that they lived, Run-DMC was the music equivalent, so many kids went from admiring drug dealers to admiring their favorite rap group and wanting to be just like them when they grew up. 

These icons are hip-hop mainstays. When you think about some of the pioneers of hip-hop and if you were a late 70’s or early 80’s baby, Run-DMC is more than likely who stuck out most. The cocky demeanor, the braggadocios rhymes, the leather clothes, the big gold chains, the unlaced Adidas; this was swag before that word was made popular by rappers in recent years. 

For me personal, Run-DMC represents hope. These guys grew up in the hood just like I did and they found a way out. I have been a rapper for the past six years and I would be lying if I said that Run-DMC did not influence my love for the art. They are arguably the most recognizable, influential, respected hip-hop collective of all time.

References:

http://92q.com/hottopics/davethewave/run-dmc-the-musical/

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adidas_Run_DMC_shoe.jpg

http://www.linkserving.com/IOG/template/product.php?pid=CH35

Weekly Written Analysis 1

Freddie Scott

Assignment 1-4

Weekly Written Analysis 1

HUMN341-F1WW

                Hip-Hop music was once considered a fad; a trend that would come and go similar to the disco era that lasted but a brief moment in musical history that many would rather forget than relish. Some thirty-one years later, hip-hop is responsible for generating revenue, marketing product with not direct association, and creating several multi-millionaires such as Jay-Z and 50 Cent.

                My earliest memory of hip-hop crossing over was a Sprite commercial done by rapper Kurtis Blow who was huge at the time. The year was 1986 and I was a naïve nine year old enjoying a commercial from one of my favorite artist at the time. Little did I know that this idea by Sprite to use hip-hop as a selling point would open the flood gates to products such are cars, cereal, fast food, and clothes being sold using similar tactics. Today, hip-hop is to popular culture what rock and roll was for decades. Many companies who have denounced the culture have profited nicely from the hip-hop culture. It has long been rumored that companies such as Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, and Cristal Champagne have spoken on their ill feelings towards the hip-hop community and its fans that endorsed these products and made them fashionable in the urban market.

                Through it all, hip-hop has persevered and given many businessmen seed money to fund other business ventures. Jay-Z is a minority owner of the New Jersey Nets basketball team, rapper Nelly is minority own of the Charlotte Bobcat basketball team, and 50 Cent had stake in Vitamin Water. Hip-hop is now commercial and by the looks of things, it is not going anywhere anytime soon.