The automotive industry owes more to Hip-Hop than it probably realizes, especially with all the free publicity rappers have given out over the years.
Similar to jewelry, girls, houses, alcohol, and even molly (for a little while), spitting on your car game is an easy way to fill up lyrical space and gloat about your status (or lack thereof).
As Hip-Hop has expanded over the last 40 years, so has the automotive industry. The marker of luxury has gone up thanks in part to the music game. If you think about it, rappers basically made TVs in cars a trend, and rims over 20 inches a “flyness” requirement, but they also introduced specific vehicles to an audience that may not have known much about them beforehand.
So exactly how much money is Hip-Hop owed for its car contribution? That figure will likely never be tallied, but there are plenty of examples of Hip-Hop’s contributions that go beyond Eminem’s Chrysler deal, or the creepy rapping hamsters in those Kia commercials.
Hit the gallery below to see 15 cars Hip-Hop made famous, and some accompanying lyrics.
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Photo: YouTube/Instagram/YouTube/DefJam/Mercedes/CarGurus
