Inseparable from hip-hop culture, brands are omnipresent in French rap. To further explore this link, BFMTV.com has compiled the brands most mentioned by French rappers on the 200 best-selling albums released between 2019 and 2023.
They are on album covers, in music videos and even in songs: brands are omnipresent in French rap today. Associated with a certain social status and synonymous with success, signs are an integral part of hip-hop culture, which pays particular attention to aesthetics, fashion and style and allows artists to express their identity.
These brands have also understood the commercial potential of the rap market – the most listened to music in France – and some no longer hesitate to get closer to artists, until then quite distant from their image, to carry out collaborations.
The latest example, the luxury brand Dior, which made Orelsan the face of his new campaign for the perfume Gris Dioralongside six other international stars such as actresses Jenna Ortega and Maya Hawke.
To further explore the relationship between brands and French rap, BFMTV.com has compiled the brands most cited – at least once – by French rappers on the 200 best-selling albums released between 2019 and 2023.
“We can suffer as much as honor it”
Audi is at the top of this ranking of the most cited brands in French rap. Mentioned at least once in 212 tracks, it is ahead of other major car brands such as Mercedes (66 tracks), Porsche (55 tracks or Ferrari (53 tracks).
Jul is the artist who most evokes the German manufacturer. In all of his discography released between 2019 and 2023 – i.e. 11 projects – the Marseille rapper mentions Audi in 31 songs.
“I put down the Audi, the weather is nice, I take the motorcycle. Ask Tchyko for metal in the car. Hide the weed, there are bruises in the retro”, raps Jul in his title Italia.
Contacted, however, the brand claims to be in no way responsible for this first place. “Today artists, whether musical or otherwise, refer to Audis in their clips or in their lyrics, mentions for which the brand has no connection and does not come to push this presence”, affirms Sabrina Nicolas , in charge of Audi press relations.
And to add: “At times we can tell ourselves that in one way or another it gives us a good image, but at other times, the image is a little tainted. We can suffer it as much as honor him.”
Omnipresence of luxury brands
Among the top 10 are many brands of ready-to-wear and luxury accessories: Gucci, Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Versace… cited respectively in 206, 137, 128, 79 and 72 pieces since 2019.
This observation is not insignificant and makes sense with the image conveyed by hip-hop culture according to the stylist Anne-Sophie Da Fonsecawho notably dressed rappers such as Ninho, Maes or Captain Roshi.
“In general, rappers come from difficult neighborhoods and have not necessarily known wealth. So when they access it, they realize their dream a little and can afford brands to which they did not necessarily have access”, explains the stylist.
“And since their texts generally talk about the evolution of their daily lives, it’s not surprising to find luxury brand names there”, continues Anne-Sophie Da Fonseca.
Outsiders
Far removed from the world of luxury brands, an outsider slips into our ranking. Quechua, a brand of products for nature and mountain hiking, is the 22nd most cited brand by French rappers since 2019.
Mentioned in 34 songs, Quechua, a French brand marketed by Decathlon, has risen between the manufacturer Honda and the Japanese motorcycle helmet brand, Araï.
“Put the Quechua in winter (Quechua in winter) You already know my universe (Already my universe) Put the bolide in the garage (The bolide in the garage) Take out the 9 and the Scénic (And the Scénic)”, raps Stavo in the song Quechua.
Cited in particular by Hamza, 13 Block or Jul who dedicate a song to it, the popularity of Quechua is reminiscent of the success of tracksuits by Kalenji (another brand sold by Decathlon), which had seen a resurgence in sales in 2019 in Marseille thanks to the one nicknamed the UFO.
Despite the publicity offered by rappers to luxury brands, like Gazo, which notably devoted a whole piece to his love for the sign Celineaccording to Anne-Sophie Da Fonseca, some fashion houses are still “cautious” about collaborating with rappers.
“There are signs that have a somewhat degrading image of rap and are afraid of perhaps losing their basic clientele. I can understand that a brand does not necessarily want to find itself in a city when they try to advocate luxury,” she says.
However, the stylist notes an improvement: “I have the impression that certain brands are more and more interested in rap because they know that it is one of the markets that brings in the most money in France and which is very influential.”
In addition to Dior with Orelsan, which also dressed the rapper on his Civilization tour, other brands such as Puma, with Alonzo in 2018, Cartier and Kenzo with S-Pri Noir in 2019 or Reebok with Jul in 2022 have started to bet on rap. to promote their products.
And these collaborations are not without results according to Anne-Sophie Da Fonseca. “When Gazo cites Céline, it brings new customers and a lot of sales to the brand,” she notes.
“Same goes for Ninho in his ‘All in Gucci’ music video. He’s dressed head to toe by the brand and the video has 112 million views. It’s a great ad for Gucci and it had an impact on Ninho’s listeners who wanted to replicate her look,” adds the stylist.
Now some artists are even moving up a gear and launching their own brands like Booba with Unküt, Jul with D’Or and Platine or Orelsan with Avnier. A way for these rappers to thumb their noses at the fashion world, which has long feared being associated with their universe.
“A few years ago you laughed at us, you took us for clowns and now everyone dresses like us,” Alonzo concludes in a interview at Booska-P.
