Hip-Hop is no stranger to trying any and everything to switch up the game. Many different products, fashion trends, television shows, and movies have all been inspired by Hip-Hop and has played a major role in our lives.
However, there are times where Hip-Hop has put out some questionable things that have easily raised a few eye brows. While some events like scratching on a turn table may have led to over 40 years of inspirational music, these ideas weren’t as lucky.
10. LL Cool J’s Children Books
In LL’s book, And the Winner Is…, a young basketball player learns the importance of sportsmanship and how its okay to lose once in awhile.
However, it’s hard for anyone to take this advice from a guy who named himself “Ladies Love Cool James,” and once rapped: ” Mama said knock you out.”
This hip-hop crossover proves that good intentions don’t necessarily make much of a difference.
9. Lil’ Romeo Markets Shoes And Snacks
Romeo tried to follow in his father’s footsteps and did it in a horrible way.
He struck a deal with Keds to make shoes featuring his shirtless picture on top, which makes you wonder who in the world would wear a shirtless teenage boy on their kicks?
Then he bought the company Rap Snacks, which makes hip-hop inspired treats like “Yung Joc” Honey Dew Cheese Curls and “Romeo” Back at the Ranch Chips. Although it’s nice to see a young man trying to be an entrepreneur, this is a couple of moves Hip-Hop could of been without.
8. 50 Cent’s Magic Stick Condoms
50 Cent decided to focus on the other end. He’s teaming with Durex to release his own brand of condoms called Magic Stick.
50 cent has actually had one of the most successful crossover deals with Vitamin water, so when you hear something like this it makes you question what rappers WON’T do for me. You don’t see J.Cole selling lighters yelling “B*tch I got that flame!”
So why do some rappers feel the need to try to bank in products off of the success of one single. Don’t worry, you’ll see another one later down the list.
7. Method Man and Red Man’s T.V. Show
Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of things Meth and Red do, but this was not one of them.
Although a Meth and Red show may of sounded nice, realistically putting it on FOX network with a predominately white audience, may not of been the best idea.
Method Man, who was the writer, producer and creator of the series, blamed its failure on the bad editing and laugh track FOX put in. Of course, it couldn’t be the overacting or cheesy jokes that centered around the premise: “Did you know white people are different than black people?”
6. Nelly’s Pimp Juice Energy Drink
Just like the parody drink Booty Sweat in Tropic Thunder, this energy drink sounds straight gross.
Although it has had success as well as Lil Jon’s “Crunk Juice,” the moral of the story is it is till a ridiculous marketing plan for Hip-Hop.
However, isn’t that what Hip-Hop does? Take something that was a hit and squeeze as much as money out of it as possible.
5. Skinny Jeans
We went from “looking like a fool with our pants on the ground, “to skinny jeans, jeans that are so tight that you kill sperm count just by trying to put them on.
However, a lot of rappers have managed to make something awful look worst by wearing baggy skinny jeans.
People like Lil Wayne have exposed their bottoms to the whole world while rocking the skinny baggy jeans, and it feels like the more we progress into the future, the style seems to be getting tighter and more exposing.
4. Porn Stars Rapping
Just because you look like Loyd Banks, doesn’t mean you’ll be able to rap like him.
Brain Pumper is just one of the few porn stars who have tried to crossover into the rap game and have failed miserably. Along with the popular porn star “Pinky,” both of these porn stars lead the pron/rap crossover thanks to diss tracks against Nicki MInaj and Jay-Z.
3. Glow In The Dark Tattoos
Cmon son….for real?
It’s bad enough that your father has a giant Patrick Starfish tattoo on the top of his head, and now you are going to get glow in the dark ones? Thankfully no rappers outside of Cash Money and Wayne stans decided to tag a long with the idea and it’s easy to see why.
People usually get tattoos to be able to show others right? You shouldn’t have to get one that comes with a black-light flashlight, I would rather be able to show my homies my tattoos during the day time like everyone else.
2. Wearing Pink
Only a couple of rappers started doing this, but for awhile it looked like it could of turned into a bigger problem. Mostly thanks to New York Emcee Cam’ron, a lot of dudes in my middle school started walking around wearing pink polos while saying “No Homo.”
Although many people think pink may be their color it’s not… In fact, it’s hard to take any man wearing pink serious, whether he’s a rapper or just a normal person.
However, for you to be talking about killing people, selling drugs, and chopping down some h*es all while wearing pink, “That is so not gangsta Gangstalicious!”
1. Autotune
I’ll be the first one to admit, I thought autotune was actually kind of cool when T-Pain brought it to mainstream. I thought that it would be a good tool to help bring Hip-Hop to a crossover with pop music which would bring the game more money and a bigger fan base.
However, you give Hip-Hop an inch and they’ll take it for a mile. It feels like every other song within the past 2 years has had auto-tune in it, and thanks to the success of the software, EVERY rapper thinks they can save themselves a feature check and can sing on their own song.
Even after Jay-Z put out a “Death To Auto-tune” song, it somehow still is lingering and is still living like a cockroach.
