The automobile is a marker of social distinction. In music, it is one of the major elements of the artist's figurative panoply. Because of its popular history, hip-hop and the automobile have often crossed paths. The low-rider movement, for example, is ultra present in the image of 90s gangsta rap. More recently, in the rap of the 2000s, supercars are the cornerstone of the triptych Pool, Ass, Car. The car is used as a means of establishing one's "street credibility".

With the rise of artists like Kendrick Lamar or Travis Scott at the turn of the 2010s, the way to impose one's street cred has been turned upside down. Where in the 2000s the hip-hop artist tried to show his social ascension with Ferraris and other cut-up Maybachs, the emerging artist of the 2010s seeks to establish his legitimacy on the basis of his proximity to his neighborhood, closer to the image of 90s hip-hop.

The e30 underwent more or less the same transition. It was a central part of the 90s hip-hop scene, but its rising popularity gradually gentrified its image, like the 205 gti before it, which in the 90s and early 2000s was a "Jacky" car, but which gradually went up the hill. The image of the e30 is now more associated with Cartier than the neighborhood.

The "end" of the hip-hop bling bling era and this return to the rap basics of the 90s make the e36 the perfect image car for the rapper of the 2010-2020s. Part of the reason for this choice is that this generation of the 3-series has a good balance between image and driving quality. The e36 has all the comforts (air conditioning, airbag, power windows) of a modern car while retaining the charm of an older car.

Also, where the world of tunnig in the 90's made the most of electronic music (we all remember Christophe making the watts spit out in "135.3 db"), today's car preparation (of which the e36 remains one of the favorite tools) mixes more easily with urban music.

If you too feel like a rapper or just want to look like one, consult our sales there is (usually) always an e36 for you on benzin.fr and it will be the star of your next video or simply your everyday car to drive in style.

Par @antrach96