Kendrick Lamar is a ballsy choice for Chanel

I was just musing over the commentaries on Instagram-profile @diet_prada, regarding French fashion house Chanel’s decision to name the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar as one of their new brand ambassadors. People were making fun of an old European fashion house, whose eager pursuit of cultural relevance, chooses Lamar, who have been involved in a public rap-beef with the canadian rapper Drake for over a decade. Fans are even accusing him of doing the collab just to stick it to Drake, who have made several songs about the brand. It is funny, a bit ironic and most likely not true. Lamar’s longstanding appreciation for Chanel, evident in his fashion choices at events like the 2023 Met Gala and his presence at Chanel couture shows, underscores the authenticity of the partnership.

Traditionally associated with understated elegance, Chanel’s alignment with Lamar—a figure known for his incisive social commentary and influence in hip-hop signals a deliberate move to resonate with a younger, more diverse audience. A progressive shift in the luxury fashion industry’s engagement with contemporary culture. But collabs like this necessitates a careful navigation of the narratives and histories associated with both the Chanel brand, as well as the artist’s image and what he represents.

Not saying Lamar is a bad choice. Definately not a bad guy. Not at all. According to dr. Regina Bradley, professor of African American literature and hip-hop studies at the Hip-Hop Education Centre in America, Kendrick Lamar has helped carry the tradition of socially conscious rap, while pushing the genre forward. For this, he has also been awarded a Pulizer Prize in 2018 – a historical win for hip-hop. He is still a controversial choice. Take his public feud with the Canadian rapper Drake: a public mud-slinging that has captivated pop culture for years. The rigor with which the two have gone at each other has been so exceptional it could be mistaken for branding and peacocking, and has fascinated even people who are not die hard hip-hop fans. The rivalry, increasingly dark and personal, has involved serious accusations of sexual abuse, child abuse and domestic violence. Kendrick Lamar is not a misogynist, yet the feud is problematic, especially when accusations of violence and abuse are used as self-promotion, so well pointed out by journalist Tayo Bero in The Guardian last year. For Chanel, which primarily is a brand associated with femininity and female empowerment, this is not a good match.

Add the fact that the french fashion house have their own shady history to deal with, a history which gets brought up more and more frequently. Coco Chanel have been scrutinized for her activities during World War II: her attempts to betray her Jewish business partner Pierre Wertheimer, as well as her association with Nazi officials during the occupation is not forgotten. While Coco Chanel’s actions in the 1940s may have been driven by survival in a difficult political landscape, it is absolutely not good for a brand’s image, even though it happened a long time ago. The very least thing they want is to blend in a dose of contemporary scandal and controversy. In a world where consumers have become increasingly conscious of the values and heritage of the brands they support, the intersection of fashion, history and social issues have made marketing a delicate balancing act. So, is Lamar a good choice for Chanel? I guess we could also ask if Chanel is a good choice for Kendrick Lamar.