i'm not a buisnessman....I'm a Business, Man!!!

"i'm not a buisnessman....I'm a Business, Man!!!" This is what Jayz-Z had to say the remix of Diamonds are forever with Kanye West. This lyrical statement shows that being involved in Hip-hop can be taken to a much higher level than just being an artist or a producer. Artists and producers such as Jay-Z, P. Diddy, 50 Cent (and the g-unit click), and many more artists have crossed the line of just being a businessman to making their name synomynous as being a full blown business in itself.
Let's look at some of the accomplishments of the artists listed above. Jay-Z was the head of Rockafella records, he is now a top the Def Jam lable, and he has his own line of shoes called the S . (dot) Carters. P. Diddy was known for being a producer and a successful artist and now he is the owner of Bad Boy entertainment, he has a very nice clothing line called Sean Jean, and not to mention that he is known for holding the most bad ass parties in the ring of celebrities in hollywood. Diddy also was a lead proponent for the Rock the Vote on Mtv with his slogan of "Vote or Die" and he has also dabbled his hand in the television industry with his show "making the band" 50 Cent has also made a name for himself as much more than just a rapper. He has made his own movie "Get Rich or Die Trying" and he is sure to star in many more films. With his group (G-Unit) , they have launched their own clothing line with the same name and they also have their own shoes.
The examples of these artists show that hip-hop is becoming an overwhelming force in Americas culture, but also in many cultures around the world. By making a name for themselves as a BUSINESS rather than just a buisnessman, they are able to gain more attention for their talent, intelligence, and what it means to be living the hip-hop lifestyle. It takes a lot more than just being a great artist to accomplish what these men have done. They continue to make a name for what they are doing and they evolve with what the people want to see.


Links:
http://www.seanjohn.com/ (P. Diddy's Clothing line)
http://g-unitclothing.com/ (50 Cent and G-Unit)