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| | village voice > news > Hip-Hop Goes Commercial by Erik Parker |
 | | In 1979, seven years earlier, when the Sugarhill Gang bragged about their "Lincoln Continental and sunroof Cadillac," the idea that rap artists could land an endorsement deal for a mainstream product was unthinkable. |
 | | On any given week, Billboard's Hot Rap Tracks chart is filled with songs that serve as lyrical consumer reports for what are, or will be, the trendiest alcohol, automobile, and fashion brands. |
 | | And they've learned a lesson from artists like Grand Puba, frontman for New Rochelle-based rap outfit Brand Nubian, who is widely recognized to have single-handedly rocketed the cachet of the Tommy Hilfiger clothing line in the mid '90s. |
| www.villagevoice.com /issues/0237/parker.php (1540 words) |
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