Centurion

Rapper and CEO of Def Jam Records Jay-Z decides to boycott Cristal



Rappers have long proclaimed their love for Cristal, frequently mentioning the high-end champagne in songs and popping the corks of the clear, gold-labeled bottles in music videos and at nightclubs.

But the makers of Cristal don't seem to feel the same way about hip-hop _ at least that's one rapper-turned-record executive Jay-Z sees it.

Now president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Records, the multiplatinum rapper has decided to boycott his once-beloved bubbly over comments from Frederic Rouzaud, managing director of Louis Roederer, the company that produces it.

In The Economist magazine, Rouzaud said the company viewed the affection for his company's champagne from rappers and their fans with "curiosity and serenity."

Asked by the magazine if the association between Cristal and the "bling lifestyle" could be detrimental, Rouzaud replied:

"That's a good question, but what can we do? We can't forbid people from buying it. I'm sure Dom Perignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business."

The comments left a bad taste in Jay-Z's mouth. The rapper said he would pull Cristal from his small chain of popular sports lounges _ where bottles of Cristal sell for $450 and $600 _ as well as from his personal flutes.

"It has come to my attention that the managing director of Cristal, Frederic Rouzaud views the `hip-hop' culture as 'unwelcome attention,'" Jay-Z said. "I view his comments as racist and will no longer support any of his products through any of my various brands including the 40/40 Club nor in my personal life."

Jay-Z plans to replace Cristal _ which a club spokesman said it could never stock enough of _ with Krug and Dom Perignon at the Manhattan and Atlantic City locations of his 40/40 Club. (There are plans for clubs in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong, according to the club's Web site.)

Rouzaud did not return a message seeking comment. But it was the writer of the article, and not Rouzaud, who used the phrase "unwelcome attention." After Rouzaud's comments about Dom Perignon and Krug, scribe Gideon Rachman wrote: "Both Dom Perignon and Krug have had their share of unwelcome attention, too."

Still, Jay-Z spokesman Ron Berkowitz said his client remains offended.

"They're trying to distance themselves from the hip-hop community," Berkowitz said. "The hip-hop world certainly helped elevate the presence of Cristal. At the end of the day isn't the goal for any company to sell bottles?"

Cristal, which Roederer considers its "jewel," began appearing on the lips of many hip-hop devotees following an onslaught of mentions in rap songs starting in the 1990s.

Jay-Z's adoration goes back to at least 1996, when he rhymed on the song "Can't Knock the Hustle": "My motto, stack rocks like Colorado/Auto off the champagne, Cristal's by the bottle."

Others with a fondness for Cristal include Sean "Diddy" Combs, Kanye West and Trina.

According to Agenda Inc., a brand strategy agency that tracks mentions in Billboard's top 20 songs, Cristal ranked No. 8 in 2005, behind brands such as Mercedes, Nike, Bentley and Rolls Royce.

Louis Roederer was founded in 1776 and is still family-owned, according to its Web site. Cristal was created in 1876 exclusively for Tsar Alexander II. Roederer stopped making the champagne after 1917 but started again in the 1940s.

Boycotts aren't new to hip-hop. In 2003, Pepsi agreed to give $3 million to charity after Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons threatened a boycott because the soda company canceled an endorsement deal with rapper Ludacris in the wake of complaints from commentator Bill O'Reilly.


Source: CBS News

Centurion

I find it very stupid to make negative remarks about an industry/culture which is one of the main consumers of your product. This will affect Cristal very negatively just like Tommy Hilfiger got hit pretty hard by the racists remarks which have according to rumors come out of his mouth.

Osnabrueck

It's an interesting quandry to find yourself in, when a brand that prides itself on sophistocation and prestige finds unsolicited success by way of street cred.

It's a blessing and a curse, but mostly it's a blessing. The regard with which Rap stars hold luxury brands is a barometer of their percieved value and "street adoption" requires you to do nothing new. If you're lucky enough to be part of that club (ie Bentley, Prada), it's because you've been identified as authentic, so there's no need to shift marketing plans or develop new product.

Even though there's a slew of Bentleys and RR Phantoms rolling on tacky aftermarket rims, their image as supremely desirable automobiles hasn't taken a hit. If anything it's made them more visible - and more profitable too.

I understand where Jay-Z is coming from. I think a Boycott is a bit extreme, but there's probably enough urban-types buying the stuff to make a serious dent in their bottom line.

The Artist

meh as long as someone buys my product i dont care who it is..or how he lives or makes cash..

Centurion

Yeah, Bentleys and RR's image hasn't taken a hit at all and neither has the brand Cristal, therefore I'm having a problem understand why Roederer is bitching. His brand is getting free advertisment that most of the worlds biggest companies can only dream about getting.
There are several high end luxury brand which I and many people encountered in hiphop/rap songs for the first time. Just look how the rap industry boosted the sales of the Escalade. It went from being a hill billy car to one of the most "popular" cars ever.
LMVH is probably one of the worlds most prestigious brand and just look at how haven't dicredited the industry. They have had a female rapper in one of their campaigns and most of all have they even let Mariah carey shot her latest video with snoop Dog and Pharell in the LV flagship store. Advertisements in popular songs is simply priceless.

kovachian

Jay-Z's club only needs four things:

Olde English
Colt 45
Newport
Black & Mild

And there you go. F**k Cristal, who needs that pisswater?

Mr. Mercedes

Really, what did he say? Was it substantiated or purely rumour?

Either way, Tommy has NOTHING on Ralph Lauren.

Centurion

I'm with Ralph Lauren aswell.

- ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER explains it all. There simply isn't any proff that he really made a racist remark. Either way it hit is reputation pretty badly.

BTW he also owns a Ferrari Enzo, which isn't that suprising since his company is the producer of the Ferrari teams gear.

drronh

Don't forget Thunderbird.

This won't stop me from taking my FEMA money this hurricaine season down to Hooter's and buying myself a bottle of Cristal.

SDNR

I don't think this is so much about racism -- afterall Hip hop is not just a black cultural phenomenon -- but the traditional French luxury brands can be very guarded and [perceived as] snobbish about their image. I honestly don't believe Monsieur Rouzaud was being racist, he probably doesn't even know who Jay-Z is.