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:

“Jay-Z Leads Cristal Boycott”

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 Cristal was originally made for Tsar Alexander II– I wonder what the original Roederers (the family that owns and produces Cristal) ever imagined that it would be celebrated in such a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.