While Beyoncé’s shout out to Red Lobster in “Formation” was hard to miss, product placement in rap & hip hop music is often more subtle — but no less pervasive. From Run-DMC’s influential track “My Adidas” and Golden Age hip-hop’s fascination with Cristal champagne to Jay Z’s incessant name-dropping of fashion designer Tom Ford, marketing agencies got nothing on hip-hop’s biggest artists when it comes to clever and persistent product references.
From luxury cars and Air Jordan sneakers to chain restaurants and brands of fancy alcohol, check out these blatant brand product endorsements from both big-name rappers and lesser-known acts alike.
