LATINOS ARE HIP HOP'S BIGGEST SUPPORTERS
by Davey D
The largest purchasers of rap music in the US are Hispanic/Latinos.
This revelation was made last Wednesday [Jan 15th] in NY during the Media and Advertising panel at Jesse Jackson's 6th Annual Wall Street Project. This was a well attended panel that featured a number of distinguished guests who are at the top of their field like: former Vibe Magazine CEO Keith Clinkscales of Vanguarde Media, Carol H Williams of Carol H Williams Advertising, Thomas Burrell of Burrell Communications, Samuel Chisholm of the Chisholm Group, James L Winston of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters and Daisy Exposito-Ulla of the Bravo Group which is the country's largest marketing and communications group that targets the Hispanic/Latino market.
The main focus of the panel was 'exploring ways in which minority
owned business can best leverage advertising dollars earmarked for broadcast media to achieve their bottom line. Within the context of that discussion was a break down of the role and market share held by various subgroups and ethnic minorities. When Ms Exposito-Ulla of the Bravo Group spoke about the growing importance and the purchasing power of Latinos that her revelations about the Latino community purchasing more rap records than both whites and African Americans were made. She noted that her firm had done research and came to that conclusion.
Because this wasn't a Hip Hop panel, Ms Exposito-Ulla's remarks were not met with much fanfare and hoopla, but nevertheless they are significant on many levels. To start, as the word gets out about the purchasing power of Latinos with regards to Hip Hop may lead record companies, radio stations and other media outlets to refocus, redouble or completely rethink their marketing campaigns. Unfortunately, in many circles, large parts of the Latino community have been stereotyped as only being into dance, house and freestyle music and not rap. Even sadder is the fact that far too often folks overlook the pioneering role many Latino's in particular Puerto Ricans played in the evolution of Hip Hop. DJ Charlie Chase, Whipper Whip, Rocksteady Crew, TBB, Tony G are a few people and crews that immediately come to mind.
As the Bravo Group's findings become more widespread, this could mean everything from seeing an increase in street team campaigns to the barrios and other large Latino neighborhoods. It could result in companies placing a greater importance on marketing Hip Hop in large Latino urban centers that we hardly ever associate with rap and Hip Hop like Phoenix Arizona, Modesto California, San Antonio Texas or Albuquerque New Mexico to start. Of course alot of 'underground Hip Hop artist already know the deal and have been aggressively touching
down in such areas for years...As the music industry attempts to
resurrect its economic slump, it will be interesting to see if major
labels devote extra resources to push to popular Latino Hip Hop
artists like Fat Joe who was just nominated for a Grammy, Tony Touch, The Arsonist, Angie Martinez, The Beatnuts, or Frost.
Long time activist and KPFA radio host Miguel Molina of the popular low rider show La Onda Bajita noted that he wasn't surprised by the findings. He explained that there is along history of Latinos embracing and supporting Funk and soul music. He explained that many of the 'old school' acts that fit these genres have known for years that probably their biggest fan base and support has been within the Latino community. He pointed out the music make up of his show and explained how OGs from the barrio have always listened to old school funk and soul. Hence he was not surprised to see the trend continue with Hip Hop. The sad part is that far too often this hasn't been openly spoken about and recognized. He also noted that outside
factors in particular the music industry itself has done things in the
area of marketing to create the illusion that Latinos and African
Americans are somehow separate.
It will also be interesting to see if major labels and commercial
radio continue their nasty practice of racial separation. I always
remind people that once upon a time Hip Hop was together with all its participants under one umbrella. In the mid 80s you started to see a separation when industry folks started labeling uptempo Hip Hop as 'Latin Freestyle' even though most of it would've come under the umbrella of what Afrika Bambaataa originally called Electro-Funk. Suddenly this music genre along with popular groundbreaking deejays like the Latin Rascals weren't seen as being part of Hip Hop.
Because of this industry inspired separation many of us have forgotten that in many parts of the country 'Latin Freestyle' music was listened to and enjoyed by both African American and Latino audiences. Joyce Sims, Shannon, Hashim, Debbie Deb, Freestyle, Lisette Melindez, Lisa Lisa, TKA, K-7 are some of the artist I routinely heard in both Black and Latino niteclubs as well as urban radio stations that reached both communities. We even forget that many opf these artists and their records were staple items in the crates of all Hip Hop deejays. A quick listen to some old New Music Seminar tapes from the mid 80s during the Deejay Battles for World Supremacy easily bear this out.
by Davey D
The largest purchasers of rap music in the US are Hispanic/Latinos.
This revelation was made last Wednesday [Jan 15th] in NY during the Media and Advertising panel at Jesse Jackson's 6th Annual Wall Street Project. This was a well attended panel that featured a number of distinguished guests who are at the top of their field like: former Vibe Magazine CEO Keith Clinkscales of Vanguarde Media, Carol H Williams of Carol H Williams Advertising, Thomas Burrell of Burrell Communications, Samuel Chisholm of the Chisholm Group, James L Winston of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters and Daisy Exposito-Ulla of the Bravo Group which is the country's largest marketing and communications group that targets the Hispanic/Latino market.
The main focus of the panel was 'exploring ways in which minority
owned business can best leverage advertising dollars earmarked for broadcast media to achieve their bottom line. Within the context of that discussion was a break down of the role and market share held by various subgroups and ethnic minorities. When Ms Exposito-Ulla of the Bravo Group spoke about the growing importance and the purchasing power of Latinos that her revelations about the Latino community purchasing more rap records than both whites and African Americans were made. She noted that her firm had done research and came to that conclusion.
Because this wasn't a Hip Hop panel, Ms Exposito-Ulla's remarks were not met with much fanfare and hoopla, but nevertheless they are significant on many levels. To start, as the word gets out about the purchasing power of Latinos with regards to Hip Hop may lead record companies, radio stations and other media outlets to refocus, redouble or completely rethink their marketing campaigns. Unfortunately, in many circles, large parts of the Latino community have been stereotyped as only being into dance, house and freestyle music and not rap. Even sadder is the fact that far too often folks overlook the pioneering role many Latino's in particular Puerto Ricans played in the evolution of Hip Hop. DJ Charlie Chase, Whipper Whip, Rocksteady Crew, TBB, Tony G are a few people and crews that immediately come to mind.
As the Bravo Group's findings become more widespread, this could mean everything from seeing an increase in street team campaigns to the barrios and other large Latino neighborhoods. It could result in companies placing a greater importance on marketing Hip Hop in large Latino urban centers that we hardly ever associate with rap and Hip Hop like Phoenix Arizona, Modesto California, San Antonio Texas or Albuquerque New Mexico to start. Of course alot of 'underground Hip Hop artist already know the deal and have been aggressively touching
down in such areas for years...As the music industry attempts to
resurrect its economic slump, it will be interesting to see if major
labels devote extra resources to push to popular Latino Hip Hop
artists like Fat Joe who was just nominated for a Grammy, Tony Touch, The Arsonist, Angie Martinez, The Beatnuts, or Frost.
Long time activist and KPFA radio host Miguel Molina of the popular low rider show La Onda Bajita noted that he wasn't surprised by the findings. He explained that there is along history of Latinos embracing and supporting Funk and soul music. He explained that many of the 'old school' acts that fit these genres have known for years that probably their biggest fan base and support has been within the Latino community. He pointed out the music make up of his show and explained how OGs from the barrio have always listened to old school funk and soul. Hence he was not surprised to see the trend continue with Hip Hop. The sad part is that far too often this hasn't been openly spoken about and recognized. He also noted that outside
factors in particular the music industry itself has done things in the
area of marketing to create the illusion that Latinos and African
Americans are somehow separate.
It will also be interesting to see if major labels and commercial
radio continue their nasty practice of racial separation. I always
remind people that once upon a time Hip Hop was together with all its participants under one umbrella. In the mid 80s you started to see a separation when industry folks started labeling uptempo Hip Hop as 'Latin Freestyle' even though most of it would've come under the umbrella of what Afrika Bambaataa originally called Electro-Funk. Suddenly this music genre along with popular groundbreaking deejays like the Latin Rascals weren't seen as being part of Hip Hop.
Because of this industry inspired separation many of us have forgotten that in many parts of the country 'Latin Freestyle' music was listened to and enjoyed by both African American and Latino audiences. Joyce Sims, Shannon, Hashim, Debbie Deb, Freestyle, Lisette Melindez, Lisa Lisa, TKA, K-7 are some of the artist I routinely heard in both Black and Latino niteclubs as well as urban radio stations that reached both communities. We even forget that many opf these artists and their records were staple items in the crates of all Hip Hop deejays. A quick listen to some old New Music Seminar tapes from the mid 80s during the Deejay Battles for World Supremacy easily bear this out.
