How far the mighty have fallen. Well maybe “mighty” is too strong an adjective. It looks like the under-achieving and underwhelming career of one-time Jay-Z protege, Memphis Bleek has finally lead him to an endorsement. Perhaps not exactly the 50 Vitamin water deal however. He’s hocking shampoo….yep Garnier Fructis…you know that tall green bottle of fruity shampoo that your girl probably keeps in her shower.

Now Miss Info who first posted the commercial on her blog sees nothing wrong with Bleek’s sell out but I question it. Its not about undermining his street credibility because honestly who cares and his career was over before it started. Its the fact that it paints hip hop in a bad light. This isn’t some cheesy local cable spot this is national spot promoting a Proctor & Gamble product. As two bit a career as Bleek has been he was (and I guess still is) a major recording artist. What says Bleek about Apple flavored shampoo for color treated hair? This is another clear attempt by corporate America to rape Hip Hop’s sons and exploit the popularity of the bling bling attitude and boom bap drum patterns and we keep letting them by chasing the check. I realize everyone’s entitled to make a living and guaranteed the pursuit of happiness but if hip hop doesn’t raise the bar and quality on exploitation they’re willing to do, they’ll never be able to gain the respect or demand the money they deserve. That’s the problem with a culture that was born out of such meager beginnings.