I love Jay-Z. Plain and simple. I’m one of the people who WILL NOT download his music, nor will I accept downloaded copies from anyone else. I’m at the midnight sales for his albums, or at the local Best Buy on the first day the album is released so that I can continue to show my support. Jay-Z and I have had the longest standing rap relationship, starting back when I was in 9th grade and my best friend Amy (who, ironically enough) was white bought me “In My Lifetime- Volume 1” for Christmas. Since then…we’ve been 2 peas in a pod…
Today while reading CNN, I found this article:
So apparently, Jay-Z feels that comments made by the managing director of Cristal were racist, and he has vowed to stop purchasing Cristal for his own personal use, as well for use in his establishments (The 40/40 Club). And with Jay-Z now serving as president and CEO of Def Jam Records, I’m sure that this boycott could have a trickle down effect.
It is no secret that a lot of companies don’t identify and/or support the hip-hop lifestyle in which they are celebrated in. Cristal was originally made for Tsar Alexander II– I wonder what the original Roederers (the family that owns and produces Cristal) ever imagined that it would be celebrated in such a way. Similarly, does anyone remember when Busta Rhymes boycotted Burberry because they said that he didn’t support the image for which Burberry was created?
While I think that this could cause a major impact on the Roederer company, I imagine that it won’t. Think of what could happen if ALL rappers/people who spend extreme amounts of money on Cristal backed Jay-Z up on his boycott? That would definitely send a message to the company; however, I think that there would be too much discord- or too many people saying “it didn’t happen to me, so that can’t possibly be how it is”…
At any rate, in the event that I were to purchase and/or consume champagne, it WOULD NOT be Cristal…partially because I can’t afford it…and partially because my affinity and allegiance has always been to cheap champagne. Perhaps one day when my feelings about the consumption of alcohol change, as well as the depths of my bank account, I’d reconsider. Or maybe not.
life beyond the well... 
June 16, 2006 at 2:12 pm
i’ve never bought alcohol so i will continue to not support them…
June 16, 2006 at 7:04 pm
I think Jay-Z misinterpreted the dude’s comments. I read the article before Jay commented on it and the dude was pretty much saying that he doesn’t understand the connection between hip hop and Cristal, but would like to (“curiosity”), but even if he doesn’t ever get it, that’s cool with him (“serenity”). The truth is he probably GENUINELY does not understand. He probably grew up middle- to upper-class in Europe. If he likes “Hard Knock Life,” it’s probably because he saw Annie on Broadway. I think Jay may have jumped to a conclusion. And even if he didn’t. Can he seriously doubt why a company would not want to be affiliated with Def Jam?! *another discusssion*
Furthermore, I may be wrong, but I’m not certain that Jay-Z’s fans were consuming Cristal in such large quantities that the company is going to feel Jay’s boycott. I can’t count the number of folks I know with Jay-Z albums. I ain’t never seen one of them mofo’s sippin’ Cris! Come to think of it, I aint never seen one of them even tip they forty for a homie who ain’t make it! But anyway, I think this boycott is going to be like hip hop artists’ attack against Oprah – as if dudes were actually scheduling their freestyle battles around the Queen of Talk’s show in the first place – I may have to eat my words, but some things are just unstoppable. Oprah, Cristal and McDonald’s (“Supersize Me” had very little affect) may be some of those things.
June 16, 2006 at 9:22 pm
Quite frankly…who can blame the gentleman for his ill contempt for the connection of his product with the hip hop community? Let’s think about what generally is represented by the hip hop community…glorification of a life that few make it out of alive. The disrespect of women and the investments in arbitrary materials that will soon loose value and leave the consumer with financially less than what he/she invested. Toooooo many times I think minorities, dare I go out on a limb and say African Americans, think that whenever a CEO says that they don’t want their product connected with the hip hop community that they are truly saying that they don’t want their product used by African Americans…WE are not rap….our community is made up of so much more than a mc and a dj. Now I will not be naive and refute that many companies would rather middle class white America use their products and I will not be naive and not recognize that all hip-hop is not negative BUT>>>> the truth is the truth….if I was cristal I wouldn’t be fond of today’s famous rappers spitting my champagne out in videos just to show that they can afford it. While simultaneously being grinded on by some attractive young woman…I just wouldn’t want that image….Jay-Z is definitely over reacting in this instance. Instead of boycotting Cristal… a champagne that the average American isn’t buying (the shit is! expensive)…how about boycotting negative images in hip hop or as Jay said “he knows the difference between a bitch and a B”…how about starting there. because sadly I don’t think many of today’s youth nor rappers can discern the difference between the two…maybe it’s wishful thinking to hope that hip hop would recognize it’s power over the youth and become a Mecca of consciousness and a resource of knowledge and opportunity …seemingly cristal is more important…
June 16, 2006 at 9:24 pm
Quite frankly…who can blame the gentleman for his ill contempt for the connection of his product with the hip hop community? Let’s think about what generally is represented by the hip hop community…glorification of a life that few make it out of alive. The disrespect of women and the investments in arbitrary materials that will soon loose value and leave the consumer with financially less than what he/she invested. Toooooo many times I think minorities, dare I go out on a limb and say African Americans, think that whenever a CEO says that they don’t want their product connected with the hip hop community that they are truly saying that they don’t want their product used by African Americans…WE are not rap….our community is made up of so much more than a mc and a dj. Now I will not be naive and refute that many companies would rather middle class white America use their products and I will not be naive and not recognize that all hip-hop is not negative BUT>>>> the truth is the truth….if I was cristal I wouldn’t be fond of today’s famous rappers spitting my champagne out in videos just to show that they can afford it. While simultaneously being grinded on by some attractive young woman…I just wouldn’t want that image….Jay-Z is definitely over reacting in this instance. Instead of boycotting Cristal… a champagne that the average American isn’t buying (the shit is! expensive)…how about boycotting negative images in hip hop or as Jay said “he knows the difference between a bitch and a B”…how about starting there. because sadly I don’t think many of today’s youth nor rappers can discern the difference between the two…maybe it’s wishful thinking to hope that hip hop would recognize it’s power over the youth and become a Mecca of consciousness and a resource of knowledge and opportunity …seemingly cristal is more important…
June 16, 2006 at 11:12 pm
My favorite line of the day:
“WE are not rap.”
Good lookin, Kyle.