Alcohol brands continue to play a role in hip-hop lyrics and videos, just name an artist, and he probably has a deal. Diddy has a role in Ciroc Vodka, Ludacris is the ambassador of Conjure Cognac. Don’t you wonder if a song like “Pass the Courvoisier” is organic or paid for?
Stefan Kalogridis, owner of Colvin Wine Merchants in Albany, N.Y., credits radio with putting some brands on the map. “Cristal became popular because of the rap industry. It became so popular that we couldn’t even get it in the store. And the price was sky high.”
