Random Musicians Who Sold Ad Space in Their Lyrics (21 items)

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  (#1) Rihanna

  • R&B, Pop, Hip hop

  Rihanna's 2010 song "Cheers (Drink to That)" featured the lyric "Got my Ray-Bans on and I'm feelin' hella cool tonight, yeah." Rihanna was paid $150,000 as part of an endorsement deal with Ray-Ban sunglasses.
  
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  (#2) Sean Combs

  • Hip hop music, Synthpop, Pop music, Dance-pop, Contemporary R&B, Pop rap, Rhythm and blues, Funk

  Diddy because a brand ambassador for Ciroc vodka in 2007 and is the leader of a group of rappers, known as the Ciroc boys, who endorse the brand. Diddy entered into a 50-50 revenue split on the profits, and it was speculated at the time that Diddy could receive as much as $100 million for his participation in the deal. Diddy included the line "Hold up, I sip Ciroc like it's Moscato," in his remix of Wiz Khalifa's song "We Dem Boyz." 
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  (#3) Busta Rhymes

  • Hip hop music, Ragga, Dancehall, Hardcore hip hop, Pop music, East Coast hip hop, Gangsta rap

  Busta Rhymes was a pioneer of product placement back in the day. His 2001 hit “Pass the Courvoisier” may have been an artistic choice, but it did land him a deal with Courvoisier’s parent company, France’s Allied Domecq. Many credit Rhymes with showing how a product placement in a lyric can be lucrative for both the brand and the artist.
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  (#4) Lady Antebellum

  • Country, Pop

  Crown Royal isn't just a sponsor of the Country Music Awards, the whisky brand also sponsors individual artists. After partnering up with country music trio Lady Antebellum, the country group returned the favor by including the lyric "What I'm really needing now is a double shot of Crown," in their single "Bartender." Maybe that double shot will double Crown's sales.
  
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  (#5) Beyoncé Knowles

  • R&B, Pop, Hip hop

  Beyonce is a brand ambassador for Armand de Brignac Champagne. In her music video for "Feeling Myself," Beyonce pours a bottle of Armand de Brignac into a hot tub and if that isn't enough endorsement, she also included the line "Boy, I'm drinking, get my brain right. Armand de Brignac, gangster wife," in her 2014 single "Drunk in Love." Beyonce's husband, Jay-Z, owns a stake in the company, so many of the profits generated from the product placement will go directly to the Carter-Knowles family.
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  (#6) French Montana

  • Hip hop music, Hardcore hip hop, East Coast hip hop, Gangsta rap, Mafioso rap, Rhythm and blues

  French Montana is one of several rappers, known as the Ciroc Boyz, who endorse Ciroc vodka. As part of the deal, French Montana included the line "I won't let up, sippin' that Ciroc amaretto" in his song "Don't Panic."
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  (#7) Florida Georgia Line

  • Country pop

  Florida Georgia Line inked a deal with Fireball Whiskey after the country-duo publicly showed their admiration for the liquor. Their song "Round Here" features the line, "That Fireball whiskey whispers temptation in my ear." Sales of Fireball shot up 300% the month the song was released.
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  (#8) Jay-Z

  • Hip hop

  Jay-Z signed on with Hublot watches after previously designing a watch for their rival, Audemars Piguet. His song "Picasso Baby" features the lyric "I'm still the man to watch, Hublot, on my left hand or not." For Jay-Z's 43rd birthday, Beyonce got him a $5 million Hublot watch, made up of more than 1,000 diamonds. Jay-Z owns a large stake of Hubolt and earns royalties on every the sale of every watch. 
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  (#9) Snoop Dogg

  • Hip hop music, Pop music, Gangsta rap, G-funk, Reggae, Hyphy, Rhythm and blues, West Coast hip hop, Dub

  Snoop Dogg has been a brand ambassador for Colt 45 malt liquor since 2011. That same year, he released the song "Boom" featuring the lyric "Drunk offa love like a Colt 45." While it is unknown how much parent company Pabst paid Snoop for the endorsement, clearly it wasn't enough. Snoop sued Pabst for a share of the profits when they sold off the Colt 45 brand in 2015.
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  (#10) Jason Aldean

  • Country rock

  Country music star Jason Aldean scored the number one country single in 2014 with his song, "Burnin' It Down." He used the opportunity to give a shoutout to Jack Daniel's, a whiskey brand he had signed on to endorse earlier that year. The lyric is featured right in the chorus, as he sings, "We're just hanging around, burnin' it down, sippin' on some cold Jack Daniel's."
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  (#11) Will Smith

  • Urban contemporary, Hip hop music, Pop music, East Coast hip hop, Pop rap

  Ray-Bans inked a huge deal with Columbia Pictures when they became the featured sunglasses in the 1997 smash hit Men in Black. Will Smith also got in on the action, including the line "So don't blink be what was there is now gone, black suit with the black Ray-Bans on," in his own single "Men in Black" off the official movie soundtrack.
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  (#12) Pitbull

  • Latin pop, Hip hop, Reggaeton

  Rapper Pitbull considers himself to be an entrepreneur as much as he does a rapper, and has struck endorsement deals with Kodak, Dr. Pepper, and Sheets energy strips, among others. In his chart-topping 2011 single “Give Me Everything,” Pitbull included the line, "Me not working hard? Yeah, right! Picture that with a Kodak. Or, better yet, go to Times Square Take a picture of me with a Kodak."
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  (#13) Wiz Khalifa

  • Hip hop, Pop

  Rapper Wiz Khalifa is the founder of Talyor Gang Records, an independent record label and management company. Taylor Gang is endorsed by G Pen vaporizers, and as part of the deal, he included the line "G pen full of wax" in his song, "Maan! (Weedmix)."
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  (#14) Nicki Minaj

  • Hip hop, Pop, Contemporary R&B

  Rapper Nicki Minaj is a proud brand ambassador for Alexander McQueen clothing. To up sales, she rapped the line, "he live in a palace, bought me Alexander McQueen, he was keeping me stylish, now that's real, real, real," in her smash hit single "Anaconda."
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  (#15) Chris Brown

  • Contemporary R&B, Hip hop, Pop

  Chris Brown signed a deal with Wrigley's Double Mint Gum and included the line "Double your pleasure, double your fun" in of his 2007 single "Forever." The lyric seemed innocuous until Brown appeared in a Wrigley's commercial in 2008. It is unknown how much Brown made from the deal, but once Wrigley's dropped Brown after pleading guilty to assault, it was speculated that  Brown could lose over $1 million on the endorsement alone.
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  (#16) Luke Bryan

  • Country

  Luke Bryan, like many other musicians, signed on to endorse a liquor. Bryan is a brand ambassador for Bacardi rum, and included the line "Pushed it back, gave me a kiss, with Bacardi on her lips," on his 2014 single. "Roller Coaster."
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  (#17) Juicy J

  • Hip hop music, Horrorcore, Electro hop, Gangsta rap, Southern hip hop, Crunk

  Rapper Juicy J is co-owner of the of Taylor Gang Records, an independent record label and management company. Taylor Gang is endorsed by Trippy Stix vaporizers, and as part of the deal, Juicy J included the line "Trippy Stix, bong rips, blunt dip, I'm down to do whatever," on his verse in the Wiz Khalifa song "T.A.P."
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  (#18) Nelly

  • Hip hop music, Pop music, Contemporary R&B, Pop rap, Rhythm and blues, Country, Southern hip hop

  It's unknown whether Nelly was paid by Nike to write his 2009 song "Air Force Ones," a love song about the popular shoe, but either way Nelly's song landed him a big deal with the shoe and athletic company. Later that year Nike released their own line of Nelly-inspired shoes.
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  (#19) Petey Pablo

  • Hip hop music, Southern hip hop, Crunk

  Petey Pablo has one of the most blatant product endorsement lyrics of any rapper. In his biggest single, "Freak-A-Leak," Pablo included the line "Now I got to give a shoutout to Seagrams Gin 'cause I drink it, and they payin' me fo' it." Hey, at least he's honest.
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  (#20) Meek Mill

  • Hip hop music

  Meek Mill is one of several rappers, known as the Ciroc Boyz, who endorse Ciroc vodka. As part of the deal Meek Mill included the line, "Ciroc all on my table b****es in the living room" in his song "House Party."
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  (#21) Rick Ross

  • Hip hop music, Gangsta rap, Mafioso rap, Miami bass, Southern hip hop

  After appearing in Nike commercials, Rick Ross jumped ship and signed with Reebok in 2012. Ross released the track "Reebok Bak" was goes much further than a mere lyric in a song. The next year Reebok dropped Ross after he made controversial comments about rape. Ross was expected to lose between $3 and $5 million because of the comments.

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