Jay-Z to boycott Cristal

by Nick Vagnoni, Posted Jun 21st 2006 @ 7:08PM

Rapper and Def Jam Records CEO Jay-Z has announced a boycott of Cristal Champagne in response to an Economist article that used the phrase "unwelcome attention" when it referred to the bubbly's popularity in the rap community. Although Jay-Z cited comments made by Louis Roederer Cristal's managing director Frederic Rouzaud as his reason for pulling Cristal from his 40/40 sports lounges, the "unwelcome attention" phrase was actually not a quote, but rather text from the article's author Gideon Rachman (or possibly an Economist editor). The AP quoted Jay-Z: "I view [Rouzaud's] 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." XXL's blog features some commentary, pointing back to the Economist article, and not Cristal's Rouzaud, who said that Cristal views the rap industry's embrace with "curiosity and serenity." An article on Pitchfork features a link to a short mix of various Jay-Z rhymes about Cristal. Amuse Bouche also chimes in, wondering when grower champagne will hit it big with the rap world.

Filed Under: Business, Magazines, Newspapers, On the Blogs, Drink Recipes
Tags: article, boycott, champagne, cristal, economist, jay-z

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

6-22-2006 @2:42AM Berkana said... What an asshole. Serious crybaby. "Oh, no, I'm offended by other people's discomfort with my lifestyle! They're racist! Boo hoo!".

Blacks should boycot Jay-Z because he calls them "niggas" in his music. Women should boycot Jay-Z because he calls them "bitches" and "hos" and has videos that degrade and objectify women (see some of Jay-Z's videos, such as "Big Pimpin'", where he and his home boys chill on a yachet pouring champagne and booze on binkini clad women shaking their asses and throwing money.)

Seriously, that comment was totally inocuous. Jay-Z should boycot himself. What a ridiculous way to take offense!
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6-22-2006 @3:46AM Alex said... Jay-Z has just made himself look like an idiot who can't read.
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6-22-2006 @5:43AM Helen said... Duh. Maybe he should encourage people to boycott the Economist...
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6-22-2006 @8:42AM Fash said... Now he has 100 problems.
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6-22-2006 @12:52PM guest1234567 said... ....Jean-Claude Rouzaud, who managed the Louis Roederer winery until his retirement earlier this year, once said: “We make our champagne for that 3-5% of consumers who really know wine, and who take the time to taste it correctly.”....

I guess it's easier to call someone racist than it is to look in the mirror and admit that just because you have money to throw around, doesn't make you part of their prime demographic.
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6-22-2006 @1:16PM moocow said... Boycotting is exactly what they want. Jay-Z should actually encourage people to drink it if he wants to make his point.
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6-23-2006 @12:35PM rich said... Just the other day I was out looking to buy a bottle of Cognac (as a father's day gift). I found myself passing over a lot of the established brands (Hennessey, Courvoisier) because they're slowly turning into everyman's drink. Perfectly good to drink, but not so much of a gift anymore. Premium and popular don't coexist well.
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6-24-2006 @2:28AM Will Press said... I'm with you Jay! If they want our business......O well!
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6-26-2006 @4:16AM Michael said... What's worrying is the total misrepresentation of the issue on the web. Lazy editorialists have been quick to jump on this as an example of latent racism, not having read the article themselves. It has also revealed a surrising degree of anti-French sentiment in many quarters. Not sure how I'd handle this if I was the House of Roederer!
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7-09-2006 @8:43PM Annette said... Rather it was misread or not, one thing for sure is that Frederic Rouzaud did not disagree with the comment that it was "unwelcome attention". Jay-Z has money, power and brains. Racism is still alive in America. Let's call it as we see it and remember the definition of a "Racist" as Jay Z put it.
Racist: a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.
GO JAY-Z~~~~BOYCOTT CRISTAL
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