Effect of Hip Hop on Youth Consumerism

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research Volume 8 Article 3 2020 Effect of Hip Hop on Youth Consumerism Joanna A. Cabalquinto Pepperdine University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/pjcr Part of the Communication Commons Recommended Citation Cabalquinto, Joanna A. (2020) "Effect of Hip Hop on Youth Consumerism," Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research: Vol. 8 , Article 3. Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/pjcr/vol8/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Communication at Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research by an authorized editor of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. 10 Eect of Hip Hop on Youth Consumerism Joanna A. Cabalquinto Written for COM 300: Media Research (Dr. Klive Oh) Introduction socio-political issues. Although its target Hip Hop is a genre that arose from adverse audience may be comprised o teenagers and environments, minority groups, and young adults, the music is universal and can underprivileged youth — mostly the black appeal to a global audience o any age — community and how they expressed evidenced by Hip Hop’s ability to remain on themselves through music. Since its origins, the U.S. Billboard Music Charts with songs Hip Hop has become one o the most consistently featured in the Hot 100. e protable businesses in the corporate world, Billboard Charts are ranked according to penetrating mainstream media. Its inuence sales, streams, or airplay and can be dedicated extends far beyond that o the music industry, to a specic genre or cover all genres to permeating various other areas o society like provide weekly chart updates in addition to fashion, politics, and even slang thus creating the Year End charts. e Hot 100 compiles all an entire culture surrounding Hip Hop. three data sets (sales, streams, and airplay) Examples o the synergy between these into a chart to gauge the relative popularity o seemingly separate industries are the “NBA a song or genre. Unleashed” Powerbeats Pro commercial which Audiences perceive celebrities to hold features “e Codes We Live By” by Travis certain meanings and the more they believe Scott and an AT&T Wireless commercial they are similar, the more persuasive the featuring a song by Dreamville, founded by celebrity’s message will be. Consumers who J.Cole. ese two commercials combine align themselves with the messages presented sports, music, and technology into one in such music are thus exposed to brand succinct 30 second money-making endorsements and product placements advertisement. associated with these artists in greater roughout the past 20 years, Hip volumes. is can cause young, Hop established its own reputation in the impressionable consumers, particularly media, being featured in lms, commercials, Millenials and Gen Z, to associate specic and other digital mediums like social media. brands and products with certain ideologies However, Hip Hop, like other forms o music, and personas causing a change in their buying cannot be understood without the frame o its habits. historical and social context. One key musical Hip Hop artists consider certain element o Hip Hop is Rap, the vocal delivery brands to be part o their identity and o rhythmic speech usually expressed over a incorporate them in their music, videos, and backing track, which has become one o the everyday lifestyle by verbally or visually most inuential commodities in mainstream showcasing them (Coveney, 2004). Artists music. Rap music reects its origin o young, oen “use brands as points o comparison — urban, working-class African-Americans whether to upli their own status or to which allows this otherwise underrepresented belittle the status o another” (de Gregorio, group to use their voice to call attention to Federico, and Yongjun Sung, 2009). Drake, a 11 four-time Grammy award-winning rapper to adapt to changes in the market due to new and founder o OVO Sound Record Label, means o distribution and listening platforms. and Pharrell, who is best known for his e power o music in regards to the youth is Grammy-winning work as a musician and important to many advertisers because today’s producer and hit song “Happy,” are just two consumers are becoming increasingly dicult o the industry’s leading artists in charge o to persuade through traditional marketing major pop-culture and fashion trends, yet tactics. erefore, brands are turning to more already amassed their own clothing lines and unobtrusive forms o advertising to reach partnerships. Others include A$AP Rocky's young consumers by integrating their content partnership with Under Armour and Kanye with mainstream media. West’s partnership with Adidas. Big brands Marketing and brand placement in are partnering with artists to release lines dierent areas o the entertainment industry associated with their image and cumulate allows audiences to “buy lifestyles and support from their already established experiences” to express a sense o sel by fanbases. Youths that idolize these artists may identifying with a particular artist they enjoy be inclined to purchase products they endorse (Burkhalter and ornton, 2014). Music plays in an eort to emulate them. As a result, an essential role in multiple cultures as a brand managers are adapting Hip Hop to mode o entertainment and means for advertise products and reach an extended conveying said culture. One study found that range o consumers, garnered through the 93% o the US population spends over 25 cross-over o other genres with Hip Hop. hours a week listening to songs making music In this study, a researcher from the most listened to form o media (Craig, Pepperdine University will be conducting Flynn, and Holody, 2017). It is a form o focus groups with a predetermined set o socialization that communicates values and uestions consisting o individuals who have expectations because o its ability to been recruited through a convenience sample. document cultural changes across time (Craig, e eects o Hip Hop culture on youth Flynn, and Holody, 2017). consumer behavior is important to note Young people tend to be more because most industries have been touched by susceptible to the consumption o goods or the inuence o Hip Hop culture which services that convey certain meanings because continues to shape behaviors o the youth they experience insecurities and use their beyond that o simply listening to music. symbolic properties to express themselves. With rapidly changing methods o e symbolic properties associated with such consumption, it is important to note ways brands and products signal a certain social advertisers have adapted this resilient genre position that allows young people to conform to the evolving consumerist industry. to group norms (Piacentini and Mailer, 2004). Products are social tools that allow Literature Review individuals to cultivate their identity and Music helps the youth create their make assumptions about the identities o identities by acting as a symbol that “anchors others based on their possessions. Parasocial youth subcultures” (Burkhalter and ornton, relationships that are formed by consumers 2014). Young audiences oen use music and its with artists through identication with corresponding content to establish themselves certain characteristics enhance the and learn about fashion, lifestyle choices, and eectiveness o branding through music as a even social issues. e music industry has had consumer’s desire to mirror what they see or 12 hear develops (Craig, Flynn, and Holody, Product placement allows an artist to 2017). Socially consumed products are heavily bring their personality to the product, and inuenced by luxury items that help project a more generally, to the brand, potentially certain image. Advertisers have recently creating positive associations for the capitalized on Hip Hop artists and their consumer between the brand and the artist. A tendency to reference such luxury goods to brand’s reputation can be reinforced or highlight their accomplishments with elevated by its exposure in popular products that are symbolic o the upper-class entertainment while giving entertainment a which was once elusive to them (Burkhalter more realistic feel. Ocial deals between and ornton, 2014). brands and artists are preferred to be kept Artists can make brand references for secret to assure credibility for both parties personal or artistic motivations. Mentioning involved. Corporations that use celebrity certain brands in song lyrics or showcasing endorsements to garner interest and increase them in videos may be a tribute or tactic to loyalty want consumers to think artists are enhance their status (Ferguson , 2015). ese incorporating brands into their art because mentions sometimes lead to endorsement they genuinely like them, not because they deals. For example, while Run DMC did not were paid endorsements (Craig, Flynn, and initially receive or seek out compensation for Holody, 2017). their hit “My Adidas” in which they ese paid endorsements have become mentioned the brand 22 times, they earned a increasingly appealing to brand managers as 1.5 million dollar endorsement contract television commercials are displaced by other following it (Bettig and Hall, 2012). So, means o streaming media. Billions o dollars although it may not be their initial intention, are invested

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