Our homies over at Jump Off TV sent us this video and we were instantly hooked. Footage taken from a barber shop in Queens where the debate jumps off about who has more influence in popular culture, rappers or athletes? Specifically Jay-Z or Kobe? This barbershop needs a weekly online show…very entertaining. Who do you guys think has more influence? Hip-hop ballers or real b-ballers?
Kobe gets this one. Hip hop is stereotypically younger and African American. Sports is far more universal, spanning different ages and races. These cats in the barbershop know both of them, but they don't represent most of the population. My parents and all my aunts and uncles know who Kobe is, but they'd never be able to recognize Jay-Z. Jay may be on more, but it's a smaller niche that pays attention. There's a reason Kobe is recognized all over the world and that his jersey outsells anyone else's in China.
Global influence is one thing – since everyone knows hiphop influence outside of the US is limited. But he talking specifically the streets here in the US – then HANDS DOWN its hiphop and Jay-Z. No one cares what Kobe wears or what car he drives but the moment Jay does something, the streets react.
I suppose it's different types of influence. You're right on with the face that no one cares what Kobe wears off the court, but what if we're talking about sending some off the wall message. Recycling. Neither of these guys have a hand in that, but I would argue that Kobe reaches a broader audience and is still more marketable. In fashion I'll give that to Jay, but overall it's an athlete's world.
Rappers on the streets have the real power. Streets. Hoods. Barber shops. Everyelse, maybe MAINSTREAM culture it's the athletes.
Want to see some real POWER on the STREETS? Go see Notorious!!!
Already saw it! Gonna go see it again!
I have to agree with you on this Terry. On the street level it's all about hip-hop culture but on a broader base it is the athletes.
When Kobe holds a press conference with a mayor of a major city or the Secretary General of the United Nations to kick off a program athletes will have it. Until then, Jay (perhaps by himself) gets this.
Rappers have always been able to use their medium to sell political messages, Grand Master Flash, Nas, Public Enemy, etc… Athletes get paid to do the old time equivalent of field work. No one cares about what they have to say unless they've really established themselves as being extraordinary.
But of course, negroes never really want to hear things as they are, which is why they often fail to get “ahead”.