As the market has become seemingly over saturated with talent, hip hop artists have begun following in the steps of icons such as Will Smith, LL Cool J, and Jay-Z, and now do more than simply churn out music. Rappers today are as focused on creating a brand for themselves, as they are in dropping a banging LP. Putting their personalities on display has become a fixture in furthering their careers, and it’s become more common to see rappers differentiate themselves from the crowd by promoting through personal fashion and labels, and putting their charisma on display with feature film and television appearances. It’s the foray into non-scripted fan interaction that gives fans a candid look at their favorite artist’s personality.
While artists have made a name for themselves by appearing on scripted television, where their personas are clearly evident, its unscripted programming that gives a glimpse into a rapper’s personality. A show such as Hip Hop Squares offers a chance to see a hip hop artist mingling, letting loose, and basically partying while taking part. Fans can see usually reserved rappers like Ghostface Killah and Fat Joe, give their unfiltered thoughts on various topics, and just be themselves. You can see rapper turned stand-up comic, Childish Gambino slay with his wit, and see the always overly energetic, Machine Gun Kelly get wild in his square - all for the viewer’s consumption.
Seeing well known rappers express themselves outside of their lyrical craft, by making a statement through fashion, or being a character on film and television that draws from their own personality, is exciting for a fan. Nothing can replace seeing an artist you follow relaxed, surrounded by peers, and interacting with fans with off-the-cuff responses.
To get a taste of a performer’s true “brand”, and personality, check them out on the hilarious unscripted show; Hip Hop Squares which kicks off its Second Season Tuesday, October 23 at 11:00pm (EST). These first two episodes feature Fat Joe, DJ Khaled, Ghostface Killah, Tech N9ne, MGK, Mac Miller, Common, Childish Gambino, and a slew of talented comedians and performers such as Donnell Rawlings, and Kat Graham.
