Recently, Jay-Z said he was boycotting Cristal at his clubs after the champagne company's president made comments the rapper called “racist.”
Do other high-end brands whose names constantly appear in rap lyrics love the free publicity or hate it? It depends on which company you ask.
Mercedes-Benz, the most-mentioned brand in last year's top songs, says the car's popularity in hip-hop circles certainly didn't hurt sales growth.
PHOTO: AP
Cadillac, which faded in the 1980s and 1990s, credits its turnaround partly to the popularity of the Escalade among rappers and other celebrities. Noel Hankin, vice president at Moet Hennessy USA, said of its affiliation with hip-hop, “We appreciate that business ... It's critical to our ... success.”
While some companies, like Cristal, may shy away from association with a culture criticized by some for what they call disrespect of women and an emphasis on violence, it is undeniable that hip-hop culture has a huge amount of power and influence.
Sometimes, hip-hop stars, like Jay-Z, turn on brands because of insults, real or perceived, to the culture.
In 2003, Pepsi pulled a commerical with hip-hop artist Ludacris after US news commentator Bill O'Reilly complained about his lyrics. Russell Simmons, Def Jam co-founder, was so angry that he threatened a boycott. Pepsi agreed to give US$3 million (NT$96.5 million) to charity to resolve the issue.
In The Economist, Frederic Rouzaud, the president of the company that makes Cristal, said, “We can't forbid people from buying (Cristal). I'm sure Dom Perignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business”.
Jay-Z, whose songs reference Cristal, pulled the champagne from his sports lounges, where it sold for up to US$600. At a recent concert, Jay-Z, the president of Def Jam Recordings, left out mentions of Cristal in his songs.(AP)
Cristal香檳酒的酒商總裁因言論不當遭Jay-Z封為「種族歧視者」後，Jay-Z說他最近已在自己的酒吧抵制這種酒。
至於時常出現在饒舌歌詞中的其他高級品牌，喜歡還是討厭這種免費宣傳呢？要看你問的是哪一家公司。
去年在暢銷歌曲中最常被提到的賓士車商表示，賓士在嘻哈圈的高知名度當然無損其銷售成長。
曾在一九八○、九○年代光芒褪色的凱迪拉克，認為其風光再現的原因有一部份要歸功於Escalade車款廣受嘻哈歌手與其他名人歡迎。美國莫耶軒尼詩集團的副總裁諾爾．漢金談及與嘻哈音樂合作時說︰「我們感謝這個產業‥‥‥，對於我們的成功，它功不可沒。」
儘管Cristal等企業可能會避免與遭批評不尊重女性、強調暴力的文化扯上關聯，不可否認嘻哈文化有強大影響力。
有時如Jay-Z等嘻哈明星會因為外界對嘻哈文化真實或想像中的汙辱，由支持轉而排拒一些品牌。
二○○三年，美國新聞評論家比爾．歐瑞利對嘻哈歌手Ludacris的歌詞有所微詞後，百事可樂就停播他拍的廣告。Def Jam唱片的創辦人之一羅素．西蒙斯相當生氣，揚言要抵制百事可樂。百事可樂最後同意捐出三百萬美元（新台幣九千六百五十萬元）做為慈善用途，事情才告落幕。
生產Cristal香檳酒的酒商總裁費德烈．盧薩德接受《經濟學人》訪問時表示︰「我們不能禁止民眾購買（Cristal香檳）。我確信Dom Perignon香檳或Krug香檳很高興有生意上門了。」
曾在歌曲中提到Cristal香檳酒的Jay-Z將一瓶要價六百美元的這款香檳酒從他的運動酒吧中下架。在近期一場演唱會中，身為Def Jam唱片總裁的Jay-Z讓「Cristal」的名字從他的歌中消失。
（美聯社/翻譯︰賴美君）
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