The hip-hop music business is finding more opportunities to snag sponsors for their artists, but they are also very sensitive about creating partnerships that unleash the best for their artists. Ludacris is especially pleased to help promote the Pontiac Solstice, the type of car he loves, and partly because they needed visuals for a commercial, Pontiac funded a video.

BillboardBiz: Artists Finding ‘Authenticity’ In Brands, 2006-Sep-7, by Michael Paoletta

…Valerie Graves, chief creative officer of the Vigilante agency, which helmed the Solstice campaign, [says] “We’re living in an age of authenticity,” … “When you saw Ludacris in the Solstice commercial, you really saw Ludacris"…. Music World Entertainment founder/CEO Mathew Knowles… shared stories of his own dealings between brands… members of Destiny’s Child. Brand partnerships must be the right fit, Knowles said. During the early days of Destiny’s Child, he said he was bombarded with branding offers, the bulk of which he turned down. “You must always keep the artist’s reputation, image and credibility in mind when considering partnering with a brand.”