Consequently, it has historically been relegated to the periphery or
misunderstood and misrepresented, not least in its portrayal in the media. Media
channels have either regrettably fixated on the negative manifestations of hiphop
culture: violence, misogyny and profanity or have sought to parody hip-hop
for comic effect. We would argue this presents a grossly distorted picture of hiphop
and dismisses – failing to account for – hip-hop’s ubiquity, enduring
popularity and multi-facetedness. This can also lead to superficial treatments of
hip-hop in communication which fail to resonate with the consumer. Marketers
are now faced with a challenge - how to unlock the potential of hip-hop culture
to speak relevantly to young people.