From Beyonce to Memphis Bleek, Music’s Strangest Corporate Partnerships Posted by Ru Porter on 06/17/13 | Filed under Humor, Opinion

The official announcement of Jay-Z's multi-million dollar partnership might have felt groundbreaking, but I also found it rather unusual considering the God MC starred in a Duracell Powermat commercial, while using an Apple iPhone back in July 2012. Just like in rap, when it comes to business there's no such thing as loyalty, just loyalty to the next check .

So with that in mind, I decided to look at some of the other most unusual advertising deals in hip-hop history. Enjoy....

Alicia Keys x Blackberry


In January when Blackberry announced that A. Keys signed on as “Global Creative Director”, my initial reaction was to quote Dan Charnas, author of “The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop”, who explicitly asked “What the f*ck does Alicia Keys have to do with Blackberry? And when has Alicia ever had the aesthetic to be a creative director of anything except an album? Especially since days later she was caught on Twitter tweeting from her iPhone.

Beyoncé x Pepsi


When Mrs. Carter revealed that she was expecting illuminati’s very youngest Blue Ivy at the 2011 VMAs, fans could hardly tell whether or not she was pregnant. And with a killer body like hers, I seriously doubt she reaches for Pepsi after some intense cardio in between commercials and photo shoots for the soda company.

Lil Wayne x Strapped Condoms


Before he was inking deals with Supra Footwear and TrukFit, Weezy F. Baby was promoting J. Prince’s Strapped Condoms, despite having a baby by a stripper from Cincinnati in 2008, followed by two consecutive births by Nivea and Lauren London (at the same damn time) in 2009. I’m guessing he’s either allergic to contraception, or he prefers the pull-out-method, which obviously didn’t work in his favor.

Memphis Bleek x Garnier Fructis


In what appears to be the longest, and most absurd Garnier Fructis ad ever, Jay-Z’s hypeman can be seen lending his talents (or lack thereof) for a shampoo-inspired music video back in ‘08. Feel free to skip to the 3:00 minute mark to see the f*ckery and leave a comment below.

Queen Latifah x Johnson & Johnson


I’ve never known of anyone who has allergies to think of excessive sneezing, itchy eyes and nasal drip to be cool, but apparently The Queen thought racking up on Zyrtec was the “it thing” to do in 2011, as part of a YouTube scavenger hunt for Johnson & Johnson. Watch the video after the jump.

Warren G x Affirm Male Enhancement


Remember when the Long Beach rapper made the ladies question whether or not he was still capable of regulating things in the sack back in 2011? No? Here’s the video for the 42-year old’s Affirm XL male enhancement deal.

FloRida x Gap


“Low” sold six million in digital sales, making it a hit worldwide and the longest running number-one single of 2008 in the United States. So can anyone explain the struggle in this Jingle Bells visual for Gap?

Jermaine Dupri x Tag Body Spray


I’ve never quite understood why Proctor & Gamble’s Tag Deodorant and Body Spray needed a record label – do you? Regardless, it worked out just about as well for everyone involved as you'd think.

See Also:  What the Jay-Z “Magna Carta” x Samsung Deal Means for the Future of Music
See Also:  Memphis Bleek Talks Garnier Fructis (& Discovering Rick Ross) With Combat Jack (Podcast)