Hip-Hop – Good and Bad?

As mentioned before, hip-hop is not inherently bad, and the integration of hip-hop into the NBA dates back to the days of Michael Jordan. Interestingly, Jordan ushered in the end of “regular” shorts, did Nike commercials with hip-hop artists, and wore shoes that were banned because of their color violations.

From a marketing standpoint, you’d be hard pressed to find a better coupling of a music genre/culture and professional sports. In fact, the two have become so intertwined that one essentially promotes the other.  The problem lies in the fact that this is a union of outlandish individuality co-mingled with team sports.

You don’t have to look far to see this “me” attitude affecting the sport. For instance, last year basketball commissioner David Stern laid down the law on hip-hop style by instituting an NBA dress code. Stern said, "Some of my (team) owners are hip-hop, but they dress in a different fashion. Hip-hop doesn't mean sloppy."

Banned under the new dress code were headphones, chains, shorts, sleeveless shirts, indoor sunglasses, T-shirts and jerseys and headwear such as baseball caps.  Stern was adamant that the new dress code be followed for public appearances, including arriving at and departing arenas and sitting on the bench out of uniform.

Ironically, hip-hop artists often sport licensed clothing and gear of NBA teams while in the public eye as well as in music videos and on album covers. This is further evidence that the hip-hop culture has fully embraced the NBA — hip-hop has, in many respects, become an iconic representation of the sport. Unfortunately, focus on the negative aspects of hip-hop and the NBA undermines the positive multicultural aspects of the union.

We Can Work It Out

Charlotte Bobcats owner, Robert L. Johnson, who is also founder of the Black Entertainment Television network, is the first African American owner of a professional team and co-owns the team with hip-hop artist Nelly. According to Johnson, "Multiculturalism is a part of America that is going to impact our images and our cultural experiences from now on."

Those with a cynical perspective would, undoubtedly, point to the fact that the money earning potential of the NBA using hip hop and vice versa is astronomical but players and artists believe there is a deeper connection. For many young players coming up from the streets, hip-hop allows them to exhibit pride and showcase their roots. And for artists like Nelly and Jay-Z, achieving a level of success that would grant them the ability to not only associate with these athletes but to be co-owners of a team, is a prime example of the entrepreneurial spirit that built this country.

Summarizing the raw emotion, perhaps even the love, that these two cultures share, hip hop artist Nelly observed, [ESPN Mag on Hip-Hop in the NBA, by Chris Broussardi], “There's a lot of love between rappers and players. When we see each other, we're both in awe. And rappers love making music for the guys to get hyped to before the game. I'm telling you, when you're in the booth making a record, you're like, 'Oh, somebody’s gonna rock to this. Somebody’s gonna come out and get it started because of this joint.'”