When Rémy Martin Cognac partnered with rapper Clifford "T.I." Harris, the luxury spirits brand already knew what it had on its hands: a felon. After serving his jail sentence for federal weapons charges and being released from a halfway house on probation last March, T.I. signed on with Rémy Martin to become its global creative consultant. But T.I.'s unlawful behavior may help Rémy Martin stand out, experts believe. James Hunt, associate professor of marketing in Temple's Fox School of Business, cites T.I.'s criminal background as a plus for Rémy Martin. "Hip-hoppers [view] themselves as being tough and savvy, so for consumers, it's more of the same," Hunt said. "In some strange way, [T.I.'s arrest] could cement this brand with the hip-hop lifestyle."