• The Public Enemy street wear collection
• A look at the entire UNDRCRWN “Mos Def Collection”
• Sears launches LL Cool J Clothing marketing campaign
• PICS: Pharrell’s BBC releases three Blueprint 3 Jay-Z t-shirts
• Exclusive Q-Tip “The Renaissance” tee

We have been covering VERY closely the relationship that Bill Gates has formed with the hip-hop community though his Microsoft Zune marketing campaigns. While Steve Jobs and Apple have done relatively little with hip-hop promotions, Gates and the Zune have gone full force signing everyone from Bun B, Keri Hilson, Common, N.E.R.D., Nelly and Kidz in the Hall with deals ranging from concert promotions to TV commercials. Here is an overall look at these Zune hip-hop promotions and ad campaigns.

So how has the aggressive marketing and campaigning worked out for Zune? Has the millions of dollars spent against the “urban”/hip-hop fan paid off? Well let’s put it this way…Microsoft’s latest report shows Zune dropped an astounding 54% last quarter. In response to the drastic fall in sales, Zune marketing head Adam Zohn states:

“Everyone knows that the economy is not what it was a year ago and that is hurting some folks. We are in a position where the category is also shrinking. So I think those are things that affected everybody’s sales, including Apple.”

If that were the case, then why did Apple and iPod sales only drop 16%? Clearly someone is at the losing end here and it’s sure not Apple. So is it hip-hop’s fault? No. Too often marketers assume that they can capture this lucrative urban market just by paying a bunch of hip-hop artists to promote their product and everyone will follow suit. Problem is “we” are a lot smarter than most companies think. Or I’d like to think we are. Let’s just be glad those Kanye shutter shades were only cool for about two weeks.

Until then, Microsoft should probably hold back on those Zune hip-hop marketing dollars and maybe create a t-shirt line with artists instead. Wait…they already did that too. When will they learn?

• Video: Microsoft goes hip-hop, signs Common to promo deal
• Zune and New Era team up with Nelly and N.E.R.D.
• Video: Kidz in the Hall’s Microsoft Zune trailer
• Microsoft releases limited edition Wale Zune player
• Video: Keri Hilson’s Microsoft Zune TV ad

Houston bred Bun B has been an avid supporter of the street wear movement including collabs with Greedy Genius. Now he has teamed with L.A. based The Hundreds for the release of an exclusive tee that just hit the streets this past week.

Check more pics of the exclusive tee

Inspired by the old Houston Astros logo, this Bun B x The Hundreds collab tee is limited to just 150. They should be on E-bay by now.

Are these limited run artist t-shirt collabs with street wear companies a thing of the past or Trendz Report worthy? Vote it now.

• Bun B’s launches new sneakers w/ Greedy Genius
• New “Trendz Report” measures what’s hot and not in the inudstry
• ?uestlove x UNDFTD “in-the-club” tee
• The Ghostface Killah $155 t-shirt
• Mariah Carey’s new movie poster to “Tennessee”

• Bun B, Scarface, BG to star in online quiz games
• Soulja Boy signs Xbox 360 video game deal
• Video: Clips of Afro-Samurai video game w/ RZA soundtrack
• Exclusive: Dr. Dre endorses DJ Hero video game
• MUSIC VIDEO: Queen Latifah’s “Fast Car”

Microsoft has recently reached out to the hip-hop community including Pharrell for it’s “I’m a PC” ad campaign, Bun B as an official sponsor of the Zune, and now Common has joined the Microsoft gang and will promote the Zune with his upcoming album “Universal Mind Control” due out on December 9th. The Common/Microsoft partnership is already visible in Common’s recently released video to his single “Universal Mind Control” where a Zune is shown in the first couple seconds of the video.

In a recent interview with Ad Age, Common reveals why he decided to work with Microsoft and the Zune. “The Zune is something that I’ve been confident about associating myself with, because I think it’s got a fly presentation to it. It is truly about music lovers, for me,” Common stated. “I know that Microsoft has been around for 20 years, they established themselves in the mid-’80s, and since then they’ve progressed. Microsoft is classy, it’s a timeless brand, and it means something to the world, internationally, and I felt like that’s the direction of what I want Common to be, to be honest.”

Zune promo video with Common

Universal Mind Control video with Zune player in first 3 seconds

• Common officially introduces Softwear clothing
• MUSIC VIDEO: Common’s “Make My Day”
• Mircosoft makes custom “VH-1 Hip-Hop Honors” Zune
• Video: Common launches “Softwear” clothing line with Microsoft
• Video: Kidz in the Hall’s Microsoft Zune trailer

Asylum Records artists such as B.G., Lil Boosie, Bun B and Scarface will be featured in a series of online games due to a recent partnership between Asylum Records and online video quiz game company PopJax. According to Billboard, the games will feature video and trivia questions and will be available on Asylumrecords.com, PopJax.com and MySpace Music.

“PopJax gives us a new way to use all this great video that’s available online and package it for all of our fans. Asylum is keen on deploying new technology to deliver a rich content experience for both the fans and our artist partners,” said Todd Moscowitz, president Asylum Records.

• Introducing the Bun B, Scarface DIRTY SOUTH trivia game
• Video: Gatorade “G” goes after hip-hop with fancy gifts
• Jermaine Dupri launches official TAG Records site
• Video: TAG Records artist Q debuts new TV ad with JD
• The Dream lands dream job as Exec VP of Island Records

Zune even helped Bun B launch his last album. “The collaboration with Zune has been full force on both sides. They promote [II Trill], my music, my movement, as well as me being out on the road, helping to promote them. Fifteen years ago, when I started rappin’, I never thought any corporation would want to do business with two boys from Port Arthur, Texas. Now, you’re looking at Zune’s MP3 division, of the biggest corporations on the planet, it’s just a credit to hard work that Pimp C and I put forth.”

• Video: Microsoft goes hip-hop, signs Common to promo deal
• Video: Kidz in the Hall’s Microsoft Zune trailer
• Microsoft releases limited edition Wale Zune player
• Zune and New Era team up with Nelly and N.E.R.D.
• Video: Keri Hilson’s Microsoft Zune TV ad

• Bun B’s launches new sneakers w/ Greedy Genius
• Lupe Fiasco teams up w/ Greedy Genius for sneaker design
• Bun B collaborates with The Hundreds for t-shirt
• The Wu-Tang Clan x Dekline sneaker
• I Want That: UNCRWN’s De La Soul & ATCQ tees

• Video: Bun B’s promo video for his Greedy Genius sneakers
• The Wu-Tang Clan x Dekline sneaker
• VIDEO: Raekwon’s Asics Shoes promo
• The $7,500 Wu-Tang Clan shoe
• PICS: Diddy’s Day 26 designs high heel shoe line