Gangsta rappers boycott Cristal

[Jims5543]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/15/jayz.cristal.ap/index.html

In a special summer issue of The Economist magazine, Frederic Rouzaud, managing director of Louis Roederer, 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 (€357) and $600 (€476) -- as well as from his personal flutes.

[VINMAN]

I'm sure Cristal is very upset about losing the endorsements of this fine upstanding group of young men.

[Jims5543]

Kinda what I was thining.

[mschuep]

They could get a whole bunch of mums instead!

[Jeff Higgins]

Wonder if they'll ever boycot the crystal meth. That would have an impact.

[nostatic]

back to a 40...

[slakjaw]

lol

[lendaddy]

I always pour out the top of my fahwties in memory of my dead homies. Mad respect.

[juanbenae]

Originally posted by lendaddy
I always pour out the top of my fahwties in memory of my dead homies. Mad respect.

that would be "mad props" there len. you are soo white bread.

[lendaddy]

Mad props????

[Ed Bighi]

Remember Fila? Heck, even Hilfiger. Hip hop is good for business. But only for the short term. Once hip hop culture gets ahold of whatever you are selling, you better milk every penny out of it since after a while your product will be stigmatized. You make hordes of money for a few years. Then none. I guess the chairman of Crystal might as well keep his mouth shut since not only can he do nothing about it, but they should make the most of it while they can before their product becomes "rapper champagne." Actually, it already is.

I bet that right at this moment whoever runs Lacoste is secretly hoping that the rappers don't start wearing their shirts. The last thing they want is to go through a cheapening of their brand all over again after spending years re-cultivating it.

While the politically correct might cringe at the mere mention of this, there is a certain "poverty/ghetto/I-am-rich-now-so-kiss-my-ass" stigma that comes with hip hop. This has a tendency to alienate a substantial number of people don't really care for spending a lot of money on premium products bought by folks who feel a need to advertise their newfound wealth. They don't talk about it, but they don't buy either. Keep in mind that high end champagne isn't exactly a middle class product. And the established upper class is a very fickle market. Just ask anybody in the watch business.

Frederic Rouzaud should just keep quiet and milk every penny in anticipation of the inevitable tough times.

[scottmandue]

Am I the only one that doesn't see that what Louis Roederer said was much of an insult?

Alls he said was they can't control who buys their product and their competitors would love to have the business.

How many home boys can afford $300 champagne anyway

[RallyJon]

Let's guess what percentage of Roederer's Cristal sales are to true champagne aficionados? 2%? 3%? Come on, that brand is already completely burned among anyone who's not spending money just to show they have lots of it.

[jorian]

Too bad hip-hop doesn't boycott the planet.

[scottmandue]

Originally posted by RallyJon
Let's guess what percentage of Roederer's Cristal sales are to true champagne aficionados? 2%? 3%? Come on, that brand is already completely burned among anyone who's not spending money just to show they have lots of it.

I honesly don't know, how popular was Cristal before the rappers got a hold of it?

[speeder]

Originally posted by scottmandue
I honesly don't know, how popular was Cristal before the rappers got a hold of it?

Exactly. Who in the world drinks expensive Champaigne, (other than at weddings, etc..), besides rappers and others aping their lifestyle?

John Cramer is right, as usual, only an absolute imbecile insults any of their customers, much less their biggest ones. Where in the world would Cadillac be w/o the "urban" crowd buying their horseschit vehicles?

[slakjaw]

yo

[dafischer]

Originally posted by slakjaw




yo

word

[Scooter]

Originally posted by nostatic
back to a 40...

You mean "fo d" right?

[bigchillcar]

lash night..drank too much mubfukin' gin...got full, yo..aight?