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Rapper's drug lyrics scare corporate America
12/08/2006 7:44 PM, Reuters
Young Jeezy, born Jay Jenkins,
originally planned to be a businessman instead of a rapper.
Before he signed with Def Jam in 2004, he had already built
a brand: Two mixtapes and his independently released 2003 album
"Come With Me" made him a celebrity at home in Atlanta, across
the South and elsewhere.
"I was getting booked for shows at 20,000-, 30,000-seaters
in Detroit and (Washington) D.C., places I'd never been, but my
mixtapes made it there," he says.
A few years down the line, his 2005 Def Jam debut, "Let's
Get It: Thug Motivation 101," has sold 1.7 million copies,
according to Nielsen SoundScan, and currently sits at No. 55 on
Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart after 18 months. His
follow-up, "The Inspiration," comes out December 12.
Despite Jeezy's evident marketing savvy, would-be corporate
sponsors are not exactly lining up at his door. It seems some
companies are gun-shy when it comes to seeking endorsements
from a guy who raps about selling cocaine.
"People come to me about clothing or movies because I'm
hot," Jeezy says. "And then when they do the background check,
they're like, 'Oh, s---,' and call my manager ... 'I don't
think we're going be able to work this out."'
In summer of 2005, with his core fan base and radio
solidified, the rapper's second single from "Let's Get It" --
"Soul Survivor" featuring Akon -- climbed to No. 4 on
Billboard's Hot 100. Meanwhile, promotional T-shirts depicting
his snowman cartoon spread across the country. When a November
2005 CNN report deciphered the snowman as a coke-peddling
symbol, Jeezy found himself at the center of a firestorm that
forced him to repeatedly explain his "dope boy" lyrics.
While his drug-slinging remains apparent on "The
Inspiration," songs like the synthy "3 A.M." might make you
think of Justin Timberlake.
"Dreamin'," featuring Keyshia Cole, betrays an
introspective Jeezy. Rhyming about his mother's addiction, the
song ends celebrating that he and his mother have left the drug
game.
Maybe the song will cause some to rethink their perceptions
of the rapper. But so far, Young Jeezy has only minimally
dabbled in corporate partnerships. In December, his 8732
clothing line (formerly called USDA, or United Streets and
D-Boys of America, "but the government was tripping," Jeezy
says) will debut with a full holiday campaign, including print
ads and placements in department stores like Macy's.
One brand that has noticed his success is wireless company
Boost Mobile. Joining its 2005 campaign as a performer, Jeezy
participated in the company's recent RockCorps concert series
that exchanged concert tickets for community service in New
York and Atlanta.
"When he performed at our NBA All-Star weekend party, I
knew that we wanted to use him for a campaign," says Lisa
Spiritus, Boost Mobile director of entertainment marketing.
"Every time we've done focus groups Jeezy's tested very well.
And in each market, whenever the kids ask me who they're going
to see at their reward concert, I list Fabolous, T.I. and
Ludacris, but they're always most excited when I say Jeezy."
Spiritus has now partnered with Jeezy for an exclusive
national marketing campaign, for which they recently finished
the photo shoot.
"He's done a great job of establishing himself as a brand,
and our merger is going to result in sales," Spiritus adds.
"I'm confident that he'll have a positive impact on our brand
come the end of the fourth quarter."
Other branding partners haven't been so sure. But given
Jeezy's proven link to youth culture, marketing guru Steve
Stoute of Translation Marketing is stepping in. Famous for
linking major brands like Hewlett-Packard with Jay-Z, Stoute is
in talks with Chevrolet to include Jeezy in a commercial using
T.I.'s "Top Back" remix featuring Jeezy as its soundtrack.
"He brings the authentic voice of young hip-hop fans,"
Stoute says. "The key to his whole thing is credibility, and as
long as we don't screw that up by going too far, we'll be fine.
We're just concentrating on bringing brands closer to him."
Reuters/Billboard
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