“Box Chevy V” by Yelawolf. “My Camaro” by Young Jeezy. “Chevy” Trick Daddy. These are just a few of the songs, that rap artists have made with the title car brand, Chevrolet. There are numerous songs from artists such as Rick Ross, Travis Porter and Yelawolf, who has made a series of songs about box Chevys. What makes the bow tie so popular amongst rap artists. Is it the fact that the image of certain rappers, is that of men that deal in narcotics or is it just the fact that the Caprice, Impala, Tahoe, Suburban and other vehicles look so good with rather large wheels on them? Well, this post discusses the relationship with Hip Hop and the bow tie.
In Young Jeezy’s “My Camaro,” the brands muscle car is the highlight. When his mixtape Trap or Die 2, was produced, the Camaro was year into its rebirth. His was “all black with the blue stripes.” In Yelawolf’s “Box Chevy V,” his weapon of choice is the “box” Chevy, mainly referring to the G-Body Chevys (Caprice, Impala, Monte Carlo etc…). Trick Daddy’s “Chevy,” highlights his love for the classic 70s model Caprice and Impala. In order to fully understand the union of Hip Hop and Chevrolet, you’ve got to get the scope of the culture. A culture where being flashy, is key and Chevy dominates, without including the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis.
First of all, in a culture where certain people made money in highly questionable ways or grew up around this culture, the way to show off, was to have the nicest ride. Chevrolet was the easiest to come by. So while guys on the West Coast took their 64 Impalas and fitted Hydraulics, the boys down South took theirs and fitted massive wheels, sound systems, engines etc… It was a way to show off without doing too much. Think about it.
Even though the most decked out cars were dead give aways to the legality of income, wouldn’t it raise more “unwanted” attention if the same guy pulled up in a AMG Mercedes. While I personally know guys who build their rides from the ground up, while working 12HR shifts, the general assumption people make when seeing such rides, is that the owner sells drugs. Like I said, I personally know people who don’t, but unfortunately society is programmed this way and that’s another post for another blog.
Granted the designers of various Chevrolets never intended for a brand new Tahoe or the throwback, 92 Caprice Classic to be put on 30 inch rims, the style caught on for a while. They divided these custom rides into a couple of categories. Donk, Box, Bubble. These don’t include muscle, SUVs or trucks. These are more or less the full sized Chevy sedans. Real quick, Donks where mainly the full sized Caprice and Impala (70s), Box were G-Body (the 80s), and Bubble was the Caprice and Impala in the early 90s.
That only explains part of the story. The other part is that Chevrolet’s reach extends beyond just one niche. Chevrolet makes cars for everybody. From the farmer moving bales of hay, to the college student delivering pizzas, to the retiree searching for his dream car. Parts can be easily sourced and modifications can be done without an act of congress.
The main fact is this. Chevrolet, like I mentioned before, makes cars for everyone. So, I could either a) hunt down an expensive foreign car or b)buy a Chevrolet and still have money to make it my own. Not knocking foreign cars or saying Chevrolets are garbage, I’m just saying that someone, like a rapper paying for studio time amongst other things, might not have the funds to get a brand new AMG Benz. At the same time, to portray a realistic image, the Caprice on 28 inch rims, or the Tahoe on 30s, is more realistic.
While a foreign car shows off success, the classic Chevrolet or a modern Camaro, Impala, and/or SS, shows the journey to success. So, someone who is an up and coming rapper, would be better of flaunting his modded Chevrolet during the start of his career, than driving in a $100k car with just having one single out. Not saying it’s impossible to have a $100k car that early on, it’s just more believable with a $3500 Chevrolet with $20k in it.
Whether its riding in a box Chevy, power shifting in a SS, or cruising in an old school, the ride of choice for an up and coming rap artist is a Chevrolet. It’s almost a rite of passage. Chevrolet marks the transition from up and coming artist to established artist. That’s why so many songs reference the bow tie brand, Chevrolet.
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