When did Lexus (and to a lesser extent, Acura) fall out of favor with Hip Hop?

[Feed-Me]

Hip hop went International. Who's claiming a Honda or Toyota?

 

[critical_temp]

Jaguar too. They used to love mentioning a Jag

 

[Whips-n-Chains]

96’

Snoop was the first one I remember. He was already posted up with a Bentley on the sleeve of Tha Doggfather album cover

Then Jay-Z on the cover of Vol. 2 in 98’

96 was the beginning of the end, but Lex was still being dropped in songs. Biggie was the most popular rapper on the planet in 97 and LAD had more than one line about Lexus

 

[Whips-n-Chains]

Jaguar too. They used to love mentioning a Jag

I remember multiple lines about the "jag truck" that I don't think even existed

 

[Mowgli]

They still rap about Beamers and Benz tho. Granted they're not talking about 3 Series and E Class, but you year plenty of references to BMW & Mercedes.

E class if ya didn't knew
Big business minus the business suot

 

[who_better_than_me]

Cause they're middle class whips now and not baller status

Now was that really necessary

 

[King Poetic]

I think the last time i remember seeing a lexus was JayZ video dead presidents video

 

[Whips-n-Chains]

I think the last time i remember seeing a lexus was JayZ video dead presidents video

I think that might've been the last...I think maybe a No Limit or Cash Money video from 98 or so too? Maybe?

 

[WIA20XX]

Keith Murray stomping on this Lexus...iconic



So was this

 

[Mike the Executioner]

Athletes and rappers were much more modest then…probably people in general.

U was doing it in your Tommy Hilfiger rugby and Guess jeans and Timbos driving a Lexus gold chain on.

That ain’t shyt no more. Tommy and Guess is cheap shyt and Lexus a middle class whip. Gold ain’t enough you gotta be iced out.

These drill rappers wearing $400 hoodies with $1200 jeans and $800 kicks in Maybach rentals with diamond chains

Run from Run-D.M.C. told the story about how he realized how meaningless it was to live in excess. He was trying to beat LL to the presidential suite at this hotel in Los Angeles, and it had a jacuzzi. He also had an interview with Rolling Stone that day, so he told the interviewer to come to the room. The barber? Come to the room. The weed guy? Come to the room? The girl? Come to the room. He also ordered French toast, so he's sitting there crying in the jacuzzi with the weed and the French toast falling inside, and everybody's at the door waiting for him to let them in.

If a rapper did that today, other rappers would be looking at them like "That's it?"

 

[Spacejam23]

That sounds right to me too. The Hype Williams era too, has to be bigger and more grandiose. Like videos like Hypotize, Can't Nobody Hold Me Down, (Rolls) Hate Me Now, were really raising the bar on flossing. Jay had the Bentley couple in 1998 right? I had that poster on my wall in 98. He and JD were rolling in something dope in the Money Ain't A Thang video.

Jay had that Maybach line as far back as 2002 right? Yeah, early 2000's. For rappers like Jay and Nas, in like 1995, that Lex was a big deal. But, post Puff Daddy era, it wasn't anymore. Status and taste and culture all change too, as you get more money. Higher status means you can't follow the trends, you have to dictate them. I just read a book on all that shyt for forgive the academic knowledge.

Whats the name of that book

 

[re'up]

Whats the name of that book

Status and Culture: How our desire for social rank creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change

W. David Marx

book actually mentions Jay and Nas

 

[Bolzmark]

When they stopped making these it was the beginning of the end of the fascination with Acura and Lexus.

But probably even more than that, one of the aspects of the hip hop culture is it's fascination with ultra-luxury. No one is fascinated with $50K cars anymore. Its all about Bentleys, Lambos, Rolls, etc. If the whip ain't at least $250K, ain't nobody gonna rap about it. It's the same with clothing, jewelry etc.

Old heads remember a time when if you had one of these you was the SH!T!!!

Pull up in a Nissan now and it's

 

[Bolzmark]

Remember when Jay dropped his "you got a 4.0, you better get your change" line? This niqqa actually made dudes feel bad about having a $55K car

 

[Art Barr]

At the end of the day.

A toyota crown is still crushing shyt.


Why would you listen to rappers talk about cars from that era.
When all them ho ass nikkaz never earned a luxury car legally.
Without a loan.

I was first emcee with a luxury car .that did not come from a loan.
From real success as a black man in corporate. Really making shyt pop that would change the world.

I would clown them weak ass nikkaz on the mic and the streets.


Stop believe'n these flaug' loan dodge'n failures.


Them nikkaz loan dodgers.
Ol romancing the stone ass nikkaz who never really were successful. They just buddied up to get a loan.

Believe the lies if you want.

nikkaz talking bout Bentleys and shyt.
Drug dealer rappers too...weak as fukk without crack. Plus was weak as fukk before crack too.
Stop believe'n these loan dodgers and nikkaz who act so tough.

Yet their scary ass never left the house.
to rhyme nowhere frfr.


Real talk.

nikkaz lucky the pedigree of where I came from.
Put Wendy day on the map.
Real talk
Would not be none of the bullshyt out there fake flossing in rap.

Stop believe'nh scary ass hustler rappers.

They were not on shyt frfr and they was too p*ssy to rhyme anywhere and kill shyt.
They got a loan to save them.


Art Barr