The 10 Worst Rapper Commercials Of All Time
“Memph Bleek is…Reinforced Active Fruit Concentrate.”
Perhaps it’s a sign of web video overload that the release of last week’s hilariously awful Garner Fructis shampoo ad with Memphis Bleek went largely unnoticed'either that, or Bleek really is that irrelevant these days.
But in his defense, you can’t really eat off the rap game any more. And besides, Memph man is far from the first rapper to embarrass himself while endorsing a product (he is the first MC to shill for women’s shampoo, so throw up the Roc for that). We went deep into the archives to dig up the worst-ever ads featuring rappers. See our cringe-inducing collection, as well as Bleek’s awesome ad, below
RAPPER: THE FAT BOYS
PRODUCT: SWATCH
YEAR: 1985
Funny how our oldest ad is probably the least offensive. It’s also funny how the “stiff=white; fun=black” tropes haven’t changed much over the last 20 years.
RAPPER: KID ‘N PLAY
PRODUCT: SPRITE
YEAR: 1991
All we can say is: Damn, these muthafuckas are hyped for some muthafuckin’ Sprite. Give ‘em a two-liter bottle, they’re liable to start French-kissing each other.
RAPPER: MC HAMMER
PRODUCT: KFC POPCORN CHICKEN
YEAR: 1992
Seriously, who directed this ad? David Duke?
RAPPER: CHICKEN MCNUGGETS
PRODUCT: MCDONALD’S
YEAR: EARLY ‘90S
Damn, never thought we’d see the day. Those McNuggets fucking sold out, big-time.
RAPPER: REDMAN
PRODUCT: KARL KANI
YEAR: MID ‘90S
This is actually dope'we just wanted to put an example of a rapper ad done right. “Old folks put a ‘K’ on their pacemaker.” Props also go to the St. Ides collection and the mid-’90s Sprite classics.
RAPPER: SIR MIX-A-LOT
PRODUCT: TARGET
YEAR: 2005
Just goes to show that you can live off one gimmick song for the rest of your life. In other words, get ready for a “Super Glue that hooooooole” ad in about 20 years.
RAPPER: FAT JOE
PRODUCT: EASTERN MOTORS
YEAR: 2006
Here’s the equivalent of George Clooney doing a TV ad in Japan. Don’t think we weren’t gonna find this, Joey! We actually have mad love for Eastern Motors and their awesome jingle. This is worth a look for Joe’s awesome acting skills.
RAPPER: DIDDY
PRODUCT: SEAN JOHN UNFORGIVABLE COLOGNE
YEAR: 2007
What’s worse: (1) how seriously Diddy takes himself in his cologne ads, or (2) how flagrantly Ryan Leslie has swagger-jacked Puff’s whole steez. We’ll go with number two.
RAPPER: KANYE WEST
PRODUCT: ABSOLUT VODKA
YEAR: 2008
This shit is so aggressively “hip” that it’s aggressively wack. You know this ad took the brainpower of 16 white people in khaki pants, along with two “urban” kids hired to consult them. Viral our ass!
RAPPER: MEMPHIS BLEEK
PRODUCT: GARNIER FRUCTIS
YEAR: 2008
Bleek can’t be struggling for money (Hov!), so we wonder how this collabo was born. Our best guess is that Bleek was drunk and high at a club and unwittingly signed on as some balding ad exec pitched him while dancing awkwardly to “Big Pimpin.’” Something like that.
pancakes August 7, 2008 at 5:19 pm
sprite stay eatin’ off black people (KOBE!)
Goods August 7, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Memph Bleek is…
trouble-child August 7, 2008 at 7:42 pm
well he gotta do something beside picking up jay-z dry cleaning
Frank Dolla August 7, 2008 at 10:17 pm
LMAO at bleek.. this dude rock a Du-rag year round WTF he doin a shampoo (thats only really used by white women) commercial any way? and that Car commercial reminds me of my old ass uncles tryna stay hip.. Lol. at this list
JDK August 8, 2008 at 7:39 am
How can you not include the RedMan / MethodMan Deoderant commercials. Those were bogus as hell.
Steely D August 8, 2008 at 8:12 am
ahahahahahahahahahaha!!! sigh…that fructis commercial is just wrong! so wrong!
th!z August 8, 2008 at 9:54 am
@ JDK
the red and meth power stripe commercials were fuckin FIRE son u buggin. i kno i went and copped right after and never smelled fresher
Koe August 8, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Wut abt the KRS commercials that kicked off the debate on whether hip hop was selling out – going corporate? Seemed like a few years later it was acceptable.
@th!z, that’s hilarious.
http://www.TechMediums.com
MixHeat.com August 8, 2008 at 8:42 pm
That Bleek commercial is funny, but hey gotta pay them bills.
MixHeat #1 Hip Hop Blog, Period
James King August 9, 2008 at 6:03 am
You cant front it does ‘replenish yo glow’…..LMAO!!! Ah man the entire Roc-A-Fella takes an ‘L’ on this Dame Dash must be turning in his grave…tell bleek I feel sorry for his mama,shame…
paychexx August 10, 2008 at 11:15 am
i understand you gotta get some money, but there some things you gotta say no to. like 50 is product whore but to his own shit, so when taco bell came with that bullshit, he sued they ass. im not hatin on bleek, but that brother aint even got no hair in the first place. so either he got a real big ass check or all them hoes in the video agree to have sex with him.
peace.
TRiP August 10, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Kats kinda hated on the Kid N Play joint..Dat Shit was tight..lol..Specially fa back then & that party music they was making anyway. Shit the Fat Boys joint & da Kid N Play joints were actually both hella impressive at the time..
DP August 11, 2008 at 10:32 pm
anyone rmember the Method Man Redman right guard xtreme power stripe commercial? SMFH
kolord97@gmail.com February 12, 2009 at 8:52 pm
s its ever worst exploitation.