The path followed by US rap’s history in the past twenty years has seen a constant softening of the industry’s main players, more and more inclined to choose luxury and the ostentation of a fairytale lifestyle over the brutality of gang-banging.

To understand this important trend change it’s essential to carry out an analysis of the hip-hop scene’s drinks of choice.

Long gone are the times when back in 1994, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre were celebrating LA’s thug life with Tanqueray and cheap beer. The ‘ghetto drinks’ were soon replaced by expensive champagne, the ultimate social status indicator: in the matter of seconds virtually every MC was getting papped amid huge and expensive magnum Cristal bottles and MF Doom was boasting to anyone who cared to listen that he started drinking Moët & Chandon as a toddler.

However,  hip-hop megastars’ attention has recently shifted towards the excellencies of Italian wines. Jay-Z and missus Beyoncè few years ago decided to spend a weekend in theLanghe region of Italy, visiting high calibre winemakers such as Vietti and Gaja, where they tasted some remarkable truffles accompanied by bottles of outstanding Barolo.

Apparently Frank Ocean has also developed a taste for fine Italian wines: on his Instagram account (currently unavailable) he often posted pictures of  Amarone Quintarelli bottles. But rappers’ most recent infatuation has been without a doubt with Moscato: the scene loved it so much that it quickly climbed the ‘most consumed beverages in the US’ list, recently ranking at sixth place, with Nicki Minajherself launching her very own Moscato range.

So what does the future have in store for us in terms of ever-changing drinking trends within the HH circuit? Who knows, maybe Drake will develop a crush on Nerello Mascalese andKendrick Lamar will get hooked onFranciacorta. Only time will tell.