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Dialogues@RU is published
annually by the
Writing Program at
Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey

Volume Two
Spring 2003

Response

Anthony Lopez

When I first sat down to write this essay, I knew that it would be a difficult task to put into focus the broad and contemporary subject that hip-hop is. Its presence not only correlates directly and indirectly into dollars for record companies, but is also now an inevitable part of our culture, sometimes prostituted, sometimes overused by corporate America in order to sell products. We have come to the point in society where rappers such as Method Man and Redman are in commercials promoting Right Guard; record labels such as Def Jam are putting out their own videogames; and even women such as Queen Latifah are nominated for Oscars. In the months following since I've written my essay, rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z has put out his own shoe with Reebok, amassing tremendous sales to date, and further supporting the claim that hip-hop culture is not a fleeting trend. Observing the success that that venture produced, fellow rappers such as 50 Cent and Nelly have parlayed their similar popularity to also sign distinct deals with shoe companies, Reebok and Nike, respectively, using their images to add more dollar signs next to their names. In my estimation, these transactions, which were once considered subtle "disruptions" that I mentioned in my paper, are now are no longer anomalies but common events in the scheme of this liaison. One of the primary things I sought to make outstanding in the essay was the process and the ascension of hip-hop throughout the fashion world, with the shoes acting more as a vehicle to illuminate the societal and marketable interactions that America has had with hip-hop, and I think I accomplished that.

As Baria points out, my essay is a bit one-sided and needs to be more universal. The chief reason for my lack of perspective does not lie in my aloofness or irresponsibility towards high-end fashion, but can be blamed on the fact that I am in all accounts a hip-hop lifer. The music, the lifestyle, and the celebratory glow it has brought me throughout my young life has made me who I am. Therefore, in instances such as these, where you have to be economical in your writing, and where the facets of society, culture, and the state of the music, artists and entertainment are all balls that need to be juggled equally, my loyalties and my excitement towards trying to cover all branches often left me lost in my own writing. When you read the paper, there is a gamut of subtopics and ideas that could have formulated into papers of their own, and as a result of me compiling such an intriguing list of these ideas, I maybe tried too hard to encompass them all in some shape or form, which may have deterred it in some respects.

I do agree that it is unfair that these companies do not receive compensation for the use of their emblems and monograms, but in the end I believe everything is residual and they still will remain staples and receive notoriety, no matter how their goods are disseminated. Bootlegging, replicating materials, and the purchase of these items should never be considered the most viable forms of making a living or making a fashion statement, but it is part of our society and, ethics or integrity aside, it is one of those creative aspects of our world that every consumer has tried or contributed to discreetly at one point or another. Overall, this paper was enjoyable to write and research and is a testament to the notion that writing about what you love and writing what you know can often produce your best work. Though it could have been more polished, I hope that I upheld the aesthetics of fashion and hip-hop and provided a piece of writing that will stimulate minds and act as an innovative spin on a fresh subject.

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