Hip-Hop Fragrances, Review of Perfumes and Colognes from Rappers

Hip-hop advertising connoisseur Erin O. Patton outlined how influential hip-hop has been in the clothes, music, liquor and shoe industry in his book, "Under the Influence: Tracing the Hip-Hop Generation's Impact on Brands, Sports, & Pop Culture." But one product the Chicago native didn't write about that's sweeping the nation is fragrances. Hip-hop is representing in the cologne and perfume industry, and rap fans are taking notice. Instead of just being a face on a fragrance, they own these perfumes and colognes. And they're a hit!

Diddy: Super producer, owner of Sean John apparel and sometimes a rapper, too, Diddy has several fragances including Unforgivable for Men, Unforgivable for Women and I Am King cologne. I've tested all three out, and Diddy definitely does a better job with men's cologne than women's perfume. Both Unforgivable for Men and I Am King are delightfully manly scents, and I can't choose a favorite between the two. I wasn't surprised about Diddy picking great scents though considering he usually has that "so fresh, so clean" style going on.

Ingredients (Unforgivable for Men): Sicilian Lemon, Italian Bergamot, Green Mandarin, Moroccan Tangerine, Grapefruit, Juniper Leaves, Birch Leaves, Champagne Accord, Mediterranean Air Accord, Tuscan Basil, Florentine Iris, Clay Sage, Lavender, Cashmere Accord, Australian Sandalwood, Amber, Tonka Bean, Rum

Ingredients (Unforgivable for Women): Bergamot, Orange, Neroli, Cassis, Grapefruit, Apple, Cucumber, Piña Colada, Orange Flower, Jasmine, Violet, Muguet, Freesia, Cyclamen, Amber, Tonka Beans, Coco de Mer, Vanilla Tears, Cedar, Sandalwood, Oak Moss, Patchouli, Vetiver, Iris

Ingredients (I Am King): Tangerine, Cassis, Sea Water; Amalfi Lemon, French Labdanum, Cedar, Vetiver, Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Orange, Cranberry

Queen Latifah: She called herself a queen, sang about "U.N.I.T.Y." and can scat sing like nobody's business. A female hip-hop pioneer who is lyrically gifted on the mic, she was also one of the stars of the television show "Living Single," and has starred in several movies over the years. I've been a loyal Victoria's Secret perfume wearer for years. But when I checked out Queen by Queen Latifah in Macy's a couple of weeks before she visited Chicago, the perfume took me back to my days in church. There's something about the mixture of notes that reminds me of a cross between a powder room and those sistas who walk into church with big hats and bear hugs. The perfume is feminine and comforting at the same time. I abandoned my VS line for awhile to wear Queen by Queen Latifah perfume, and I'll more than likely do so again in the near future.

Ingredients: Italian Bergamot, Mediterranean mandarin, Baie Rose, Jasmine Noir, Cognac, Moroccan Coriander, Indonesian Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla Absolute

Jay-Z: I've watched Jay go from gold teeth and a high-top fade to suits and top hats. It's fascinating watching him mature and making hip-hop mature, too. He single-handedly got young men to start wearing button-down shirts when they were bumrushing stores for throwback jerseys. So I knew when he made a cologne, this was going to be big. I would've been so disappointed if I didn't like 9 IX, but fortunately I loved it. It's just sexy enough to wear on formal occasions but casual enough to wear on a leisurely day, which is pretty much Jay-Z's chameleon character. He can blend in anywhere, and so does his fragrance. How many people do you know who could get President Obama to brush his shoulders off? How many people could outshine Chicago singer R. Kelly in his own hometown during the "Best of Both Worlds" tour? Give the cologne a chance from those accomplishments alone.

Ingredients: Coriander, Mandarin, Melon (cantaloupe), Lavender, Geranium, Suede, Golden Amber, Musk, Timber Wood

Nelly: There's been endless drooling at Nelly posing for Sean John ads, which is Diddy's clothing line. We even scratched our heads when Flo Rida sang about "Apple Bottom jeans and the boots with the fur" on "Low," instead of Nelly, the clothing owner of Apple Bottom. Nelly has managed to dip in and out of different ventures and did it in a clever way. Girls heard Flo Rida's song and went out to buy Apple Bottom jeans. Women (and men) saw how good Nelly looked in Sean John wear, and best believe Nelly got paid right along with Diddy. But I'm not a fan of fruity fragrances so when Apple Bottom perfume came out, I wasn't interested. However, curiosity got the better of me and I checked it out. Apple Bottom predictably smells like apples, but what I like about the mixture is it's not overbearing like other fruity perfumes and scented lotions. With his own club, a city block in St. Louis, Pimp Juice energy drink, a clothing line and now a fragrance, he's quietly doing the Mono dance to the top of the business world.

Ingredients: Citrus Aromas, Pink Peony, Rose, Coconut, Sandalwood, Amber, Musk, Apple Scent

50 Cent: I'm not sure why, but 50 just looks like he smells nice to me. If you've seen him in a suit and tie or even in a wifebeater with jeans, he always looks well put together with or without the superhero body. Even running on the treadmill on "In Da Club" music video, I still got the impression he smelled well. So I rushed to Macy's to check out his exclusive Power by 50 cologne on its release day. Unfortunately like Diddy's Unforgiveable for Women, I wasn't thrilled with this scent. It does smell better when the air hits it, but I never wanted to revisit or buy the cologne again as a gift after trying it once. I'm sure 50 isn't going to stop with just this one cologne, but I hope he steps his fragrance up because this scent was a little too powerful and sour.

Ingredients: Lemon Leaves, Black Pepper, Artemisia, Dark Wood, Coriander, Nutmeg, Patchouli, Musk, Oak Musk

Check out the latest R&B fragrances here.

Additional Notes: This entry was published by the Chicago Fragrance Examiner. To check out her fragrance reviews, visit the Examiner link.