1	Hip Hop Research Project Larry P. Student Mr. Waldman’s Advisory
2	My Essential Question How has Michael Jordan’s popular Nike shoe design become a part of the current hip hop culture?
3	Answer to my Research Question Michael Jordan’s career started in 1982, and he quickly became a cultural icon because of his success in the NBA.(Boyd 2003) He was the first black athlete to have significant impact on the marketing of sports equipment to the mainstream (white) culture (Boyd 2003) His image, and therefore his shoe design, became synonymous with black success in the 1980s (Kid 2004). Shortly thereafter all ethnic groups embraced this black man’s image and sense of success by wearing his shoe designs (Kid 2004).
4	"Nike quickly emerged as the..." Nike quickly emerged as the popular shoe of choice by everyone trying to portray an urban image by the late 1980s (Mahmutovic 2004). By the mid 1990s, Air Jordan shoes showed up regularly in rap and R&B videos, and was permanently established as a way to identify oneself as part of the hip hop trendy culture (Associated Press 2004). Even now in the 21^st Century when Michael Jordan no longer plays professional basketball, his shoe designs are a major part of the fashion scene that is hip hop throughout the U.S. and around the world (Kid 2005)
5	Air Jordans are everywhere!
6	Resources Art.com. "Michael Jordan Posters and Prints at Art.com." Art.com. 2006. 2 Apr. 2006 <http://www.art.com/asp/display-asp/_/id--10810/Michael_Jordan.htm>. Associated Press. "French Love U.S. Culture, Hate Its Government." Fox News. 19 Oct. 2004. 2 Apr. 2006 <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,135971,00.html>. Boyd, Todd. Preface. Young Black Rich and Famous. By Boyd. N.p.: Doubleday, 2003. Kid, Vintage. "Nike Air Jordan - a Shoe Story." Hoops Vibe. 27 Nov. 2004. 2 Apr. 2006 <http://www.hoopsvibe.com/nike-air-jordan---a-shoe-story-ar1073.html>. Kid, Vintage. "Why Are the Retros Nike Sneakers so in Fashion Today ?" Hoops Vibe. 27 Nov. 2004 <http://www.hoopsvibe.com/retro_basketball/why_are_the_retros_nike_sneakers_so_in_fashion_today-ar1381.html>. Mahmutovic, Danina. "Diamonds - a Contradiction for American Rappers." Flow Magazine 1999-2005. 2005. 2 Apr. 2006 <http://www.flowmagazine.net/read.php?id=55>.