12 Alcohol Brands Associated With Hip Hop Stars
Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre have a new collaboration ready to drop, but it doesn’t include dope beats. The longtime friends and business partners are set to release a new alcoholic drink called Gin & Juice. A release date hasn’t been announced yet, but we do know it will be available in melon, apricot, citrus, and passion fruit flavors.
Snoop and Dre are by far not the only hip hop personalities to have dabbled in the booze business. In fact, it’s hard not to miss Snoop’s wine blends released by 19 Crimes Wines at your local party store or grocery. Check out this list of grown-folks drinks associated with hip hop celebs that you may or may not have known about.
50 Cent celebrates with EFFEN Vodka at a Playboy party.
50 Cent – Effen Vodka
“Effen” is the dutch word for “smooth”. This vodka from Holland was founded in 2002 and 50 Cent partnered with the brand holding Effen parties and featuring them in his music videos for “I’m The Man” and “Bring My Bottles”.
Diddy announces his partnership with Ciroc vodka. The company and Diddy parted ways last year.
Diddy – Ciroc Vodka
Although he ended his partnership with Diageo, the makers of Ciroc, last year, Diddy was the brand ambassador for this vodka since 2007. He reportedly ended their deal when Diageo wouldn’t agree to give him equity in the company.
Travis Scott’s foray into the world of hard seltzers only lasted a year.
Travis Scott – Cacti Spiked Seltzer
In 2021, Travis Scott jumped on the spiked seltzer train as brands like White Claw were flying of store shelves. He teamed with Anheuser-Busch to release Cacti, available in pineapple, lime and strawberry. Unfortunately, the drink was short-lived. After the tragic deaths that occurred Scott’s Astroworld music festival, Anheuser-Busch decided to stop all production and brand development for Cacti.
Belaire. The official drink of Rick Ross.
Rick Ross – Belaire Sparkling Wine
Rick Ross became a brand ambassador for the French wine company, Belaire, after they released their rose blend. He name dropped them so much in his song lyrics that most people probably thought he owned the company.
D’usse was Jay-Z’s way of breaking into the cognac market.
Jay-Z – D’usse Cognac
Jay-Z invested in Armand de Brignac Champagne in 2006 and worked with their owners, Sovereign Brands, to develop the D’usse Cognac brand. D’usse was sold to Bacardi and Jay shares ownership of the brand with them.
Drake takes a shot of Virginia Black Whiskey to celebrate winning the Billboard Artist of the Year Award.
Drake – Virginia Black American Whiskey
A partnership between Drake and liquor entrepreneur Brent Hocking resulted in the debut of Virginia Black in 2016. Drake voiced commercials for the whiskey that also featured his dad, Dennis Graham, and celebrated with the octagon-shaped bottles onstage at the Billboard Music Awards.
Cam’ron & Dipset tried bringing a cough syrup-free version of Sizzurp to the masses.
Dipset – Sizzurp Cocktail
This mix of cognac, vodka and natural fruit flavors sold in a purple bottle was developed to (legally) capitalize on the popularity of the “purple drank”. It’s long-gone from store shelves so consider yourself lucky if you were able to sample some back in the day.
Nicki Minaj loves her some Myx Moscato.
Nicki Minaj – Myx Moscato Wine
Plenty of alcohol brands wanted Nicki Minaj to sign up with them, but she insisted that she represent something that she would actually drink. Myx is a Moscato wine mixed with fruit juice and other flavors and can still be found in stores.
He tried to shoot his shot with a dessert vodka, but Pharrell ended up hitting the rim and only lasted a year.
Pharrell – Qream Milky Vodka
Pharrell launched the desert-inspired Qream vodka in 2011. It was available in strawberry and peach crème flavors and the marketing was directed toward women. But it didn’t exactly become a best seller. After only a year, the company that produced Qream, Diageo, decided to discontinue production.
Lil Wayne has an almost 20 year relationship with Bumbu Rum.
Lil Wayne – Bumbu Rum
Owned by Sovereign Brands, Bumbu’s first-ever marketing campaign was endorsed by Weezy, who still has a relationship with the brand. Bumbu is Caribbean rum, blended with sugar cane from 8 different countries and aged up to 15 years in American oak barrels used for bourbon.
A$AP Rocky Global Brand Equities and E. & J. Gallo to create Mercer + Prince whiskey.
A$AP Rocky – Mercer + Prince Whiskey
A$AP Rocky launched Mercer + Prince in 2022 and named the brand after the cross streets in the SoHo neighborhood in Downtown Manhattan. In an interview with Vogue, Rocky boasted about the flavorful whiskey saying, “You don’t even need anything to drink it with—you can just drink it neat. Instant gratification.”
Get the party started like Cardi B with Whipshots.
Cardi B – Whipshots Vodka-Infused Whip Cream
This one’s not a drink, but a drink enhancer. Cardi created this whip cream, available in vanilla, mocha and caramel flavors, in 2021 as a “party starter”. Unfortunately, it will take some effort for us here in Michigan to give it a try. Whipshots is only available in select liquor stores in California, Colorado, Washington, and Florida.
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