An Abridged History Of Rapper-Endorsed Adult Beverages [PHOTOS/VIDEO] - Page 5

Rappers love getting paid, we know that. What do rappers love more than getting paid? They love getting paid to hock stuff that they would use anyway. 

As long as Hip-Hop has been profitable, there has been companies willing to throw money at rappers to say how much they love their products; especially liquor. As the financial boom in Hip-Hop exploded in the last decade, rappers even got into creating their own liquor an investing their own money into brands for maximum profits.

Nobody has done this better than Diddy, but Ludacris, Jay-Z, Ice Cube and more have all flipped their coins into some serious greenbacks by investing in that fire water. Other however, have not been so successful.

Today, Hip-Hop Wired gives you a concise look back at the history of rappers and liquor brands soaring and sinking their pockets by poppin’ their own bottles. Check it all out down below.

Diddy/Ciroc

You know the name. You know the mother f**kin name. Diddy took a little known vodka company and has turned it into the unofficial spirit of Hip-Hop. The greatest marketer in the game created the “Ciroc Boys” and with his Blue Flame Agency has turned Ciroc into a booming business all while keeping Puff at the top of the Forbes list year in and year out.

Ludacris/Conjure

Ludacris jumped into the liquor game by creating his answer to “that brown” with Conjure cognac. Probably the second most visible rapper endorsed liquor next to Ciroc, Conjure’s smooth taste has been a favorite. On the flip side, it’s hard to hear a Ludacris verse nowadays where he doesn’t name drop the brand.

Young Jeezy/Belvedere

Young Jeezy’s clean and crisp ads for Belvedere were shot by Terry Richardson and appeared in magazines everywhere. The time also coincided with the election of the first black president, Barack Obama. It’s tha world! 

Jay-Z/D’Usse

Although in it infancy, Jay-Z’s D’Usse liquor has grown in popularity with its super exclusive launch parties in New York City and just recently in Miami. However, if you haven’t caught a game at the Barclays Center or been to a 40-40 Club, you may not have seen it in your local liquor spot yet. But what’s Jay’s favorite line?

Ice Cube/ Coors Light

Ice Cube struck big with his huge endorsement deal with Coors Light. If you’ve watched an NFL game in the last three years, there is a good chance you’ve seen one of Cube’s spots about 3,068,937,046 times. But shout out to Deebo getting his shine on.

Little Johnathan Wineries 

Lil’ Jon makes wine. Color me surprised. You would think a guy who made an album called Crunk Juice would make something a little more, gee I don’t know, intense? You can’t get crunk with Pinot, Jon. What?!

Snoop Dogg/Blast

Back when Four Loko was all the rage, Snoop Dogg decided to link up with Colt 45 to create his answer to it with “Blast.” As Four Loko was weeded out for making you bats**t crazy, Blast followed suit.

The Diplomats/Sizzurp

Back when everything the Diplomats touched turned into gold, Killa Cam took his Houston inspired purple stuff and put it in a bottle to call it Sizzzurp. Although this was also short-lived, it was friggin delicious. It also gave us this classic Dipset cut. “That purple punch!”

Birdman/GTVodka

The YMCMB empire is more than music. Books, Films and yes Vodka is all under Birdman’s empire. Although a lot of us haven’t seen the GT Vodka in these streets yet, you best believe you will see it out there soon, playboy. Brrrrr.

Lil Flip/Lucky Nites

Lil Flip had a liquor once. It was called Lucky Nites. Much like his career, it was thrown into the bushes and never heard from again. 

Snoop Dogg & Tupac/ St. Ides

St. Ides might have cut more rapper’s checks than ASCAP. Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg were one of the first artist to hock the company’s Special Brew malt liquor.

Dame Dash/ Armadale

Nobody ever so Armadale on anybody but Dame Dash and in a classic Chapplle’s Show skit. However, Dash and Hov had Armadale poppin off during the Blueprint 2 era.

Kanye West – Hennessey

Sure Kanye West never officially endorsed Hennessey, but has the product ever gotten any bigger free publicity than when the rapper drunkenly stumbled across the Video Music Awards? We all know what happened after that.

Jay-Z/Budweiser

Jay-Z and Budweiser’s working relationship has been longstanding, even before his epic Made In America festival. Jigga and Budweiser famously let this ad loose during the Super Bowl with NFL coaching legend, Don Shula.

Nate Dogg/St. Ides

“Just hit the corner store, you know what I’m looking for? St. Ides!” Classic, just classic. 

Notorious B.I.G./ St. Ides

We did say that St. Ides cut more checks to rappers than ASCAP, right? Even the greatest of all-time, B.I.G., spit a sweet 16 to wax poetic about malt liquor.

Wu-Tang Clan/St. Ides

Probably the best St. Ides commercial, Ghostface, Raekwon and Method Man swarm like killer bees if you come near their 40 oz.