Hip hop as a fashion barometer – what do song lyrics reveal about the success of luxury brands?

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 08. 18. 11:46

If there were a job requirement that required listening to hip-hop every day, it would certainly apply to those working in the marketing and sales teams of major fashion houses. And not just any hip-hop: only the latest songs. According to a Bloomberg analysis, brand names appearing in rap and R&B hits are a good measure of the fashion zeitgeist – and with it, the business performance of luxury brands, writes Telex.

It’s not that people buy Rolex, Gucci or Hermès solely because their favorite artist mentions them in a song. But statistics show that there is a close relationship between musical mentions and sales figures. Anyone who has paid attention to rap lyrics in recent years will not be surprised by the recent decline in the luxury fashion market. However, the trend varies from brand to brand: some have slipped off the charts, while others, on the contrary, are soaring.

Bloomberg researchers examined the lyrics of songs on Billboard’s hip-hop and R&B charts between 1995 and 2025. The mention of luxury brands peaked between 2020 and 2023, coinciding with the unprecedented economic successes of Louis Vuitton and Gucci. It’s no coincidence: since the late 2010s, many luxury brands have consciously opened up to wealthy, but not super-rich, young people. However, the post-pandemic consumption boom, followed by inflation and the economic slowdown, put an end to this period. The young audience has restrained their purchases, and brands have once again turned to more conservative, “old money” buyers.

Few brands have shown such a dramatic correlation between song lyrics and revenue as Gucci. Gucci Gang, made world-famous by Lil Pump, has become almost a symbol of the era when the brand name dominated the charts. In 2018–2019, it was mentioned in an average of five hip-hop hits per week, and its revenue grew by 21 percent per year between 2017 and 2020. After 2022, however, both rapper interest and purchases declined: since then, the brand’s revenue has shrunk by 7.3 percent.

At the other extreme, the story of Hermès is emerging. The iconic Birkin and Kelly bags have increasingly been included in song lyrics in recent years, especially since Cardi B’s 2021 hit “Up.” This musical presence correlates well with economic data: between 2020 and 2025, the company’s revenue grew by 14.4 percent, faster than in the previous five years. Today, Hermès has become the world’s most valuable luxury fashion brand.

Fashion houses have recognized the connection and are consciously building a relationship with hip-hop. LVMH appointed Pharrell Williams as Louis Vuitton’s creative director in 2023, succeeding Virgil Abloh, also associated with hip-hop. While Louis Vuitton was unable to completely halt its post-2022 decline, the relationship has survived – and could provide a foundation for a future recovery if young audiences return to luxury consumption.
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