The music genre germinated 50 years ago as an escape from the poverty and violence of New York City's most distressed borough, the Bronx, where few wanted to invest in its businesses or its people. Out of that adversity blossomed an authentic style of expression, one that connected with the city's underserved Black and Latino teens and young adults, and filtered through to graffiti, dance and fashion.As hip-hop spread throughout New York, so did a culture.
Hip-hop artists have achieved that level of success because they are much more than their music. They are tastemakers and trendsetters in lifestyle-defining products from fashion to high-end champagne. "In America, in a capitalist society, how else do you show you've made it?" Krishnamurthy said. "One thing I kind of joke about is: People can't see your mortgage. But they can see a nice chain. They can see the clothes that you have on. That is an immediate signal.""You have a genre that historically has a lot of people who grew up with little to nothing," Krishnamurthy said. "The aspiration is inherent.
Even though the company had seen an unusual spike in sales of its Superstar shoes in the Northeast in 1986, it wasn't ready to attribute that to rap group Run-D.M.C. and their hit "My Adidas." These days, singer-and-sometimes-rapper Rihanna has a deal with Puma. Travis Scott has his line of Nikes with a backward swoosh. And Cardi B has her line of Reeboks.
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