“My brands are an extension of me. They’re close to me. It’s not like running GM, where there’s no emotional attachment.”

– Jay-Z in an interview with Best Life magazine, April 2009

“They say that I’m in the way, they want me to sit for them/but what they should say/is that they don’t got sh-t for him”,

-Jay-Z on “Already Home”, Blueprint 3

Has Jay-Z lost a step or two (or a thousand) to the point where he is the artistic embodiment of General Motors? Is he comparable to the once-revered national treasure that has faltered and has been subjected to life support by a governing body? Actually, there are several commonalities that one can attribute to both GM and Jay-Z: extensive periods of market dominance, cultural relevance, successful and ubiquitous brand extensions, for starters. Both have experienced periods of gluttonous excess- the video for “Big Pimpin” is visually representative of what the Hummer represented in the early 2000s. GM’s rise to prominence occurred not only because of its product offerings (they’ve historically thwarted their competition and adjusted to changes in the market), but because of the ideals upon which it laid its hat. It sold vehicles that represented something to its consumers and to American culture- domestic pride, strength in industry.  Similarly, Jay-Z made music that chronicled the experience and ideals of the have-nots, the undercounted minorities disillusioned by the American Dream- the embodiment of a more opportunistic pursuit of happiness. “I tried to play the hand you dealt me/but you gave me five funnies/and sh*t/I was hungry, I needed ménage money”, he rapped on 1999’s Vol. 3: The Life And Times of S. Carter.

So are they two peas in a pod? To begin, we’ll quickly run through the unique phenomenon that Jay-Z (we’ll courteously refer to him throughout as “Brand Carter”) experienced as artisan, marketer, conduit of contemporary culture, and for this argument, masterbrand.

Brand Carter’s rise to market dominance in three distinct phases (to add some context):

1996- “Forced Entry”: Reasonable Doubt was Brand Carter’s (and Roc-A-Fella’s) valiant effort of entering a saturated marketplace- Nas, Mobb Deep, A Tribe Called Quest, Bad Boy Records, Wu-Tang Clan, The Fugees were some of the entities that comprised the barrier to entry at that time, and that’s just on the East Coast (hell, even Tracey Lee was getting spins!!). Armed with creative- but complex albeit intellectual- flows and rhyme schemes, and slang that spoke to a niche group of follow-the-code hustlers, it was difficult for Jay-Z to find something tangible to allow him a place the market the way he originally intended. What hardship did accomplish was the establishment of a core fanbase- a target consumer that would remain loyal and grow concurrently with the self-proclaimed “Iceberg Slim”.

1998- “Critical Mass”: After selling 5 million records, the album Vol.2: Hard Knock Life propelled an uber-confident Brand Carter and Roc-A-Fella’s into pop-cultural awareness. Goodbye DJ Clue? tapes, hello K-Mart. The world, not just the hip-hop community, now got to experience lifestyle through their unique lens and whether they truly related or not, lived vicariously through the lyrics. Brand love achieved, and consumer engagement was at an all-time high. As a byproduct of this era, new product extensions (Rocawear, Armadale, etc.) experienced enormous adoption rates due to the stratospheric credibility of the masterbrand.

Post-2003- “Assimilation”: During a brief “retirement” after an era-defining run, Brand Carter branched off into polishing other extensions of his brand by growing his global presence and sensibility. His moves generated significant interest from various media types, particularly because they were largely unprecedented: the minority-stake acquisition of the New Jersey Nets, growing the careers of today’s superstars during his stint as Def Jam’s president, partnerships with Steve Stoute and Interpublic, etc., all while continuing to be considered by most as one of the best creative entities-and entertainers- alive.

Which brings us to the present: the 39 year-old rapper’s (yes, even to me, the most open-minded and objective, that in itself is a paradox) latest offering, The Blueprint 3, which was released a few days ago, has been the cause of much speculation and scrutiny- usually the case with every album he puts out. To better illustrate the public consensus, this month’s XXL Magazine cover, which features Brand Carter, bears the audacious-yet-rightful question, “Is Jay-Z Bigger Than Hip-Hop?” The answer, in my humble opinion, is yes. But not in the sense (or to the extent) that he’s eclipsed the culture, he’s simply become its paradigm for opportunity, and rightfully so, as the Millennial generation’s quintessential opportunist.

“I don’t run rap no more/I run the map” –What We Talking About

Back to the issue at hand: by analyzing BP3’s content and delivery and using them as key performance indicators, the casual listener might notice a distinct shift in, well, operations. “He’s definitely on some other sh*t”, a friend of mine remarked with a hint of bewilderment in his voice after hearing a track from the album. However, to those who refuse to act “brand new”, and have followed his career, Brand Carter simply does here what he’s always done- offer a very unique and lens to the “state of the culture”. Despite slightly forcing the issue in some instances (“Off That” and “Reminder” fall short of “Imaginary Player” when it comes to dream shattering), he rests his hat on the fact that the zeitgeist of urban lifestyle needs to reflect change-which it does- and he does it in boisterous, thematic nature. What do you do when the market is faltering, both financially and creatively? You become the market, or to put it in his terms, “I used to beat that block/now I be’s the block”.  As a brand that’s gone up the proverbial layer cake and now lives in the stratosphere of active icon, Brand Carter is more comparable to say, Pepsi, than GM. By comparison, Pepsi (as masterbrand, not product) is ubiquitous, its palatability is consistent, yet it bears the ability to adapt to the volatility in popular culture. It’s believable, it’s reputable, translates well amongst various social circles (e.g. Mtn Dew’s “Green Label Sound” vs. Pepsi’s “Pepsi Smash” music initiative), and shows no signs of going anywhere.

Sure, with every generation, exist new competitors whose thought leadership, personalities, and optimized processes quickly establish the status quo- Drake being the most obvious example in hip-hop, the advent of FEVs like the SmartCar in the auto industry- and people will question the leader’s existence, undoubtedly. “Can he sustain?”, “Is he out of touch?” are a few of the questions speculators (and media) will ask. To address this, take a look at the charted course of the career of the hip-hop artist in 2009 as compared to 1999: it bears a new endpoint; one that Brand Carter has pioneered, setting the benchmark for both current industry stars like Lil’ Wayne, Young Jeezy, T.I., and Kanye West, and the next generation of artists.

In conclusion, GM is in dire need of reputation enhancement, and a collective rebranding/repositioning to enter the hearts of America 2010. Brand Carter does not. GM has been the victim of inefficiency; Brand Carter has embodied progression and found new ways to operate and create throughout his career, and communicate his brand message effectively across various mediums.

One view Rhapsody’s (via Droga 5) beautifully-crafted ad to announce the album’s release http://creativity-online.com/news/creativity-top-5-september-8/138874, should put things in perspective: Jay-Z has become one of urban culture’s iconographic heritage brands, not because of what he does, but more about why he does it, fulfilling the brand promise that for us, it’s always “On To The Next One”.

-Richie Cruz

Digital Strategist, AgencyNet

rcruz@agencynet.com

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2008 proved to be the beginning of the crossroad for two American brands that have created legacies ingrained inside of the public consciousness. These two underdog brands became the pacesetters for their respective industries during periods of rapid growth and increasing popularity. The above mentioned brands established market share, held off competition, and witnessed foreigners become the new underdogs. This piece will establish how two icons, General Motors (GM) and Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) are more similar than most would imagine.

For 77 years, GM, the world leader in automobile sales staked a reputation as a giant that could not fall. More than cars, it represented an ideal; an ideal predicated on America as the world’s model, and GM as the auto industry’s. However, as 2008 came to a close, people could no longer question the work ethic and creativity of the foreign competition. Toyota took over the throne along with the ideal that GM stood for. In comparison, the pacesetter for rap artists in the late 1990s and early 2000s had been Jay-Z. Jay-Z emerged from New York –the birth place and disputed home of rap. During this era the New York rap scene had become known for lyrical ability and reality raps. In comparison, throughout the 1990s the southern region of the U.S. struggled with gaining respect in the rap world because of a perceived lack of wordsmiths.

Due to advancement in production quality by foreigners the barriers to entry came crashing down. Like the automobile industry, rap became accessible to the masses, for the reason that foreigners began taking lead on technological advances.  This led to the rap and the automobile industries both going through phases of change that resulted in a new breed of rap artists and automobile companies. In regards to the rap industry, a young foreigner by way of New Orleans etched his name along with the critically acclaimed and successful. His pedigree undoubtedly rests upon the shoulders of Shawn Carter, so much so that they share a last name as well as a similar method of not writing down lyrics.

With the rise of the South, an increase in the number of product choices ballooned along with an overall drop in the quality of product. Just take a quick glance at sales in a time where the automobile and record industries have dipped into the ‘bloody red’. By now you know the New Orleans foreigner is Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. also known as Lil Wayne. In the early and mid 2000s Wayne established himself as the go-to ‘alien’ that fans and critics cannot get enough of. His Carter III was 2008′s highest selling album, certified 3x platinum, and a departure from recent mediocre rap sales. He became a superstar in an otherwise dimmed commercial sky, in turn helping to revitalize a struggling commercial rap industry. Moreover, in 2007 Billboard Magazine reported that, since 2000, rap sales dropped 44%, and declined to 10% of all music sales. The young rap star became an anomaly that was on the heels of season veteran, Jay-Z.

Jay-Z has had the longest and most heralded reign of any rap –dare I say, music– artist. He took a chunk of market-share after the untimely deaths of Tupac and Biggie Smalls, carrying a torch that most never expected him to carry for such an extended period of time. He released over 10 albums, won multiple Grammys, and became a global icon. In comparison, from 1931-2007 GM manufactured cars and trucks in 34 countries, sold automobiles in over 100 countries and employed over 200,000 workers. Subsequently the reach and power of Jay-Z and GM will be remembered for years to come. However, it is important to note that the public—not a brand– determines when the torch is to be passed. If 2008, was the crossroad for Jay-Z and GM, then 2009 is surely the mark of a new beginning.

So let us zone in on the entity that has become a recent mainstay on Twitter’s trending topics list. His new album, Blueprint III has officially hit (e)stores and comes smartly advertised with a Rhapsody commercial spot created by the ineffable Droga5– by way of Jonathan Mannion http://tinyurl.com/ktr84v.

So what remains for Jay-Z? Has he left a mark on culture that will keep his brand and legacy alive for decades? From a 2009 Best Life cover story, Jay-Z declared, “The clothes are an extension of me. The music is an extension of me. All my businesses are part of the culture, so I have to stay true to whatever I’m feeling at the time, whatever direction I’m heading in. And hopefully, everyone follows.” Culture is defined as “the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.” I am making a statement that the institution that he once fought against is that very institution that he now calls ‘home’.

The urban culture that raised Jay-Z has become replaced with a corporate culture that praises the bottom-line. Staying true and evolving are difficult things to balance. Over the years GM evolved into a company with many sub-brands, brands which became multiple personalities that the masterbrand was forced to balance. Remember Hummer? Remember Carter Faculty? At one point, GM was an underdog in the early 1900s while Ford was the market-share leader. However, as Ford allowed crucial mistakes to undermine its dominance, GM rose to the occasion and established a dynasty that has only recently come crashing down.

The corporate culture that Jay-Z lives in is known to devour its own, especially when something or someone new seems more lucrative, e.g. Lil Wayne. Lil Wayne and Toyota are far from the legendary status that the two main topics of this article occupy, however, they are examples of what can happen when reigns come to an end. Looking back to 2007, then VP of U.S. Marketing and Advertising for GM, Mike Jackson interjects, “What we (GM) really needed to worry about was connecting emotionally with our consumers.” This is a dilemma that Jay-Z faces today. Years ago, Jay-Z teamed with a marketing maverick named Steve Stoute, together they made history branding products with a unique urban touch. Interestingly enough, Stoute brought Jay-Z to his industry a-alike in order to inject some ‘cool’ into the GM DNA. The outcome was Jay-Z blue, an electric blue that was made available on the GMC Yukon. At the time of the announcement Jay-Z had spent over 10 years associating himself with luxury vehicles such as Bentley. This move showed to be a compromise that would later prove to be life imitating art err branding. In his defense, Steve Stoute helped turn Jay-Z into a brand that could resonate with mainstream America without compromising his earned street credibility. Nevertheless times changed, people evolved, and consumers demanded new voices to represent their culture.

Like the fall of the Ming or GM being owned by the U.S. Government, err the American people, Jay-Z stands at a crossroad of whether to a) accept his role in a culture that he does not lead anymore or b) continue to live vicariously through artists that consider him #1. GM was forced to realize on their knees, let’s hope Jay can pass the torch with Hip Hop class. Courtesy of his ’09 Best Life feature, Jay-Z points out “My brands are an extension of me. They’re close to me. It’s not like running GM, where there’s no emotional attachment.” What a difference two years can make.

As Jay looks around at his brand extensions does he come to the realization that the emotion left a couple of years ago? Those close to Jay-Z would do best to put aside their fear and advise Jay-Z that falling back from a culture that he does not represent any longer is an honest reflection of the torch being passed. We all would love to live forever young but the people will always grow old…

-Kenji Summers

Digital Strategist, OMD

kenji.summers@omd.com