Amazing look at Hennessy and Nas co-branding

One of the many songs where Nas mentions Hennessy. His shout outs to the brand go back to songs like Memory Lane which dropped on Illmatic on April 19th 1994.

The connection between Hennessy and Hip-Hop is so old its hard to say what rap record shouted it out first (I will look into that).

But since it did, man, nobody ever looked back. I feel deeply conlficted because on one hand alcohol abuse is so rapant in urban communities. On the other it is impressive to see somone like Nas, who truly started from the bottom get the attention of brands like Hennessy and see them acknowledge his role in the growth of their brand.

Keep in mind, many MANY brands have gotten huge jumps in brand awareness, positioning, penetration, retention etc. from rappers loving their products they they NEVER batted an eye. I know this sounds silly, but, I'm happy for both of them.

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Carla Fendi Dies in Rome

One of the true queens of fashion has passed. VOGUE: O ne of the five formidable Fendi sisters (Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla and Alda), who inherited their family's fashion house - has died in Rome, aged 79. FULL STORY Many people forget that the Fendi brand permeated Hip-Hop heavily in its formative years. Rap icons EPMD had a dancer named FENDI.... A lot of people forget that in the early rap days, a lot of rappers were teamed with dancers, and DJ's as crews to help get the party going. Fendi was a Hip-Hop dance pioneer. He was not a bboy. I am not a dance historian but his moves seemed to be a blend of strutting, locking and a little vogue dancing. Here is a slightly grainy clip FENDI DANCING

Souls of Mischief CLASSIC Used in Gatorade Ad w/ Paul George

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MMA Brand News: Sinister Brand Clothing gets shout out from real rappers

I've always loves Sinister Brand fight wear. You've seen some of the biggest UFC stars wear their shirts into the cage. These guys have made quality stuff for years. Recently I heard a track from the upcoming album by Rakaa Iriscience from the trio Dilated Peoples. Outside of his devastating rhymes, he's one of the first rappers to train in Gracie Jiu Jitsu. His new solo album Crown of Thorns drops July 20th 2010. Anyway in one of his songs he says "Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Sinister Brand Sponsored/ You ain't fit, you old aerobics like Jane Fonda!" I love it. So many rappers reference MMA and UFC related themes in their music. This one is by far one of the best. Expect to hear more stuff like that in the coming years. If you ain't up on Dilated Peoples you are probably living under a rock. Here are two videos I suggest you peep. You will see Ralek, Ryron and Renner Gracie in a cameo This Way feat. Kanye West

Beyond Urban Branding

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