Combining the poker industry with hip hop makes Cali Jen a happy girl! Looks like PokerStars has been working on product placement with none other than hip hop star Fabolous. His new video “It’s My Time” begins with Fab and friends playing poker on a table with the PS logo right in the middle of the poker table.

Most of the poker industry are feeling the harsh realities of the recession, which is evident in fewer companies sending reporters to the WSOP, major media outlets sending less reporters and cutting wages, poker magazines cutting pages due to advertising cutbacks, and reports of various online poker sites having severe financial problems. But PokerStars, on the other hand, seems to be thriving enough to handle product placement endeavors. Getting the PS logo into a Fabolous video might not sound like a big deal to some, but Fabolous is one of THE most popular and well-respected rap stars in the biz.

Not sure what this partnership might have cost, but the audience it will reach is a target demographic that many in the poker industry seem afraid to go after but could prove to be a very lucrative one. Why was Nelly paid by PokerStars to travel to Monte Carlo, one of the most expensive locales in the world, for the EPT Grand Final? There’s a market to reach, and it seems that PokerStars is the only company with the funds to pursue it.

Side note: A song titled “It’s My Time” has a nice ring to it for any poker player, huh? As in a theme song…?