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Here, the "Rap"-per Makes the Difference

By Aisha Roper
Black College Wire

From clothing lines to potato chips-turned-Rapsnacks, it isn't hard to find some aspect of hip hop in wide swaths of American popular culture.

A new line of hip-hop condoms called "Jimmie Hatz," or "the official condom of the hip-hop kulture," is due to hit drug stores in early 2004, one of the latest additions to a market full of products influenced by hip hop.

The idea for a hip-hop condom came to creator Harry Terrell after he witnessed people in his own community being affected by HIV and AIDS.

A St. Louis native now living in California, Terrell became interested in AIDS activism in 1996 after learning that a baseball player on a high school team he coached had been infected. CEO of Common Ground USA, the condom's manufacturer, Terrell has said that the condoms are a "full- blown effort on our part to save our community."

The Jimmie Hatz Web site, www.jimmiehatz.com, states the staggering statistics: "The number of AIDS and HIV cases is increasing at an alarming rate and shows no sign of decline. African-Americans represent the highest number followed by Hispanics." Although the condoms are targeting the black and Latino communities, Jimmie Hatz are for anyone who wishes to practice safe sex.

Enclosed inside graffiti-styled artwork, the condoms are available as Great Dane (extra large), Mixed Breed (contoured with dotted and ribbed texture) and the Rottweiler (regular).

KRS-One, Queen Latifah and De La Soul have all recorded songs that use the phrase "jimmie hats" to refer to condoms. Quotes like "For Players Puttin in Real Work" and "Protect Ya Neck" are also scrawled on the wrapper. Packaging aside, the success of Jimmie Hatz depends on reactions from the younger consumers that the condom is targeting.

Some question whether the flashy wrappers will draw consumers.

Dr. Lynette Mundey, medical director for student health at Howard University, said that feedback from students would determine whether the school's health center would carry Jimmie Hatz.

"We get feedback from students all the time if we change the kind of condoms that we're carrying. If Jimmie Hatz prove to be as effective as other condoms and are in the same cost range, I don't see any reasons why students wouldn't be interested in using them," Mundey said. Nevertheless, she warns that the product risks rejection if it tries to be "too cool."

"We think we know what young adults want, only to find out that we've been fooled. The condoms make sense in theory, it's just getting people to use them," Mundey said.

To Brian McLaughlin, a 20 year-old junior Georgetown University student, Jimmie Hatz sound like a good idea if they encourage safe behavior.

"If Jimmie Hatz are something that makes people who wouldn't normally use condoms begin to use condoms, then it's definitely a positive thing," he said.

However, McLaughlin said that he'd be more apt to buy a condom that he was familiar with in terms of reputation and quality.

Jim Purcell, 20, said, "For me it's a matter of whether I trust the name or not. When I'm in the store, I'd go for the brand name rather than a cool design on the package."

He added that even though the condoms are a beneficial way to spread awareness about safe sex practices, the trendy packaging might be a little off-putting for the adult community.

"If Jimmie Hatz are aimed at younger people, and the younger people are inclined to buy them, then the goal has been met," Purcell said.

Aisha Roper, a student at Howard University, writes for The District Chronicles. She can be reached at [email protected]

Posted Jan. 5, 2004