Cadillac

Cadillac’s Evolution: How Southern Hip-Hop Reshaped Its Legacy

OutKast’s iconic lines, “Me & you, yo momma and yo cousin too. Rollin’ down the strip on vogues, coming up slammin’ Cadillac doors,” from their classic track “Elevators,” perfectly capture the Southern reverence for a beloved car. In this song, Big Boi and André 3000 celebrate the Cadillac, a vehicle that has long held a special place in the hearts of Southern rappers.

HISTORY LESSON

In 1902, Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motors, had a major disagreement with some of his investors, leading to his departure from the company. However, a few key partners decided to stay, and the remaining investors brought in engineer Henry Leland to evaluate the plant and its assets. Instead of selling off everything, Leland persuaded them to remain in the automobile industry. They decided to rename the company “Cadillac” after Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, the French explorer who founded Detroit in 1701. This marked the birth of a new automotive brand.

However, things took a turn for the worse around 1928. If you remember your history lessons about the Roaring Twenties, you’ll recall that it was a tumultuous time in the U.S., largely due to the Great Depression. The widespread economic downturn hit the auto industry particularly hard.

Despite Cadillac’s earlier success, the company was severely impacted by the Depression. By the early 1930s, sales had plummeted by over 80%, and Cadillac was on the brink of closure. Then, something miraculous happened.

Nick Dreystadt, the head of Cadillac’s service department, approached the board with an idea. While traveling the country visiting dealerships, he noticed something surprising: Black people were regularly getting their Cadillacs serviced at these locations.

This was odd because Cadillac had an unwritten policy against selling to Black customers. Black Americans who wanted a Cadillac had to ask a white friend or acquaintance to purchase the car for them. This policy meant Cadillac was missing out on a significant market segment that could bring in substantial revenue.

Nick urged Cadillac dealerships nationwide to eliminate this discriminatory policy and start selling directly to Black customers. The result was astonishing—sales soared, surpassing even their toughest competitors. The Black community had effectively saved Cadillac from collapse.

Dreystadt’s insight was that Cadillacs were a status symbol for wealthy Black people, much like today’s luxury cars. The prestige associated with owning a Cadillac, especially given the extra effort required for a Black person to acquire one, was immense.

By the 1950s, affluent Black individuals, including business professionals and sports stars, were proudly purchasing Cadillacs. A notable example is a photograph of boxing star Sugar Ray Leonard posing with his pink Cadillac in Harlem, showcasing the car’s significance.

Let’s explore this further

Fast forward to the 1970s, when the Eldorado became one of Cadillac’s most sought-after models, as seen in the earlier picture of Sugar Ray. The love for the Eldorado surged in the 1970s, largely due to the influence of Blaxploitation films.

Blaxploitation was a genre of movies in the ’70s that produced many Black film stars. Although many of these films focused on characters like pimps and hustlers, iconic figures such as Willie Dynamite and Goldie from “Return of the Mack” were known for driving Cadillacs.

Specifically, these characters were famous for cruising around in Fleetwood Eldorados, affectionately known as “El Dogs.”

Old-school Cadillacs became the standard for playas and pimps during the 1970s. Around the same time that Blaxploitation films were flourishing, hip-hop was gradually emerging onto the scene. As technology advanced, SUVs began to replace old-school Cadillacs as cultural status symbols. Consequently, Cadillac’s brand equity shifted from classic models to newer ones.

THE ESCALADE

In 1999, Cadillac made its first significant foray into the SUV market with the introduction of the Escalade, which quickly solidified the brand’s presence in this segment.

The Escalade was Cadillac’s response to the rising demand for luxury SUVs, and it swiftly became a favorite, particularly among the rap community. Many rappers featured Escalades in their music videos, making it the preferred SUV for those who wanted to travel in grand style.

While the Escalade was already a success, hip-hop culture elevated its sales to new heights. According to Ad Age, sales of the Escalade increased by 84% in 2002 because of Hip-hop.

If you ever hear brands talk about “The Hip-hop Effect”, that’s what it is in a nutshell.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SOUTH, SPECIFICALLY?

I’m happy you asked

Southern hip-hop stars have been the biggest champions of Cadillacs since the early ’90s, and likely even the ’80s. The culture that began during the Blaxploitation era of the ’70s continued to influence the music scene, with hip-hop’s most prominent Southern artists proudly driving old-school Cadillacs.

In the 90s, Hip-hop duos like OutKast, UGK, 8Ball & MJG, Three-Six Mafia, and The Big Tymers hit the scene.

They each had their own sounds, and regional influences but when it came to cars they all had an affinity for Cadillacs.

OutKast’s debut album was entitled southerplayalisticcadillacmusic.

Birdman told you “don’t tangle & twist it when comes to these cars I am that hitta”

Pimp C of UGK said he loves flatback because he’s a cadillac-er

In the mid-2000s, Texas rap began to make a significant impact on the mainstream. The car culture in Texas is so strong that their love for old-school cars, known as Slabs, started to dominate the scene.

A standout track from this era is “Still Tippin” by Mike Jones. Pay close attention to the cars in the video, and you’ll see them swangin’—a practice still common on Texas highways today.

Slab culture runs deep, and the video features a variety of cars, from Escalades to old-school classics.

Around the same time as the Texas rap surge, Alabama rapper Rich Boy emerged onto the scene with a significant contribution to Cadillac culture: his hit song “Throw Some D’s.” Even today, it remains a favorite among fans.

In the song’s hook, Rich Boy proudly declares his recent acquisition of a Cadillac—a statement reinforced by the accompanying music video.

Big K.R.I.T., a rapper hailing from Mississippi, gained prominence during the Blog Era of hip-hop. For K.R.I.T., the Cadillac serves as a distinctive symbol of his brand identity. Each of his early albums consistently incorporated references to old-school Cadillacs, with his debut album even featuring artwork depicting a Cadillac crashing from outer space—an innovative and captivating concept.

Further cementing his connection to Cadillac culture, K.R.I.T. titled his second album “Cadillactica.”

CADILLAC TODAY

Cadillac’s connection with hip-hop remains robust and has evolved into more overt collaborations. Recently, the brand has fully embraced its hip-hop heritage by teaming up with Killer Mike in 2022 and more recently, Big Boi this year.

In the case of Killer Mike, Cadillac aimed to promote their new Escalade V through this partnership. It involved creating a dedicated microsite featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes content. Additionally, the collaboration included the announcement of Cadillac’s “Rising Icon,” highlighting their joint efforts to celebrate and support emerging talents in music and culture.

This year, Cadillac has come full circle by collaborating with Big Boi, half of the iconic duo OutKast, who has been a longstanding advocate for the Cadillac brand throughout his career.

In their latest campaign, featuring music produced by Organized Noize, Cadillac unveils their latest innovation: the all-new electric edition of the Escalade named the IQ.

The cultural significance of Cadillac in the South spans decades, solidifying its status as a symbolic icon. Remarkably, Cadillacs are once again becoming a familiar sight, a testament to the effectiveness of their marketing efforts in re-establishing their presence.