Nicki Minaj Urges Michael B. Jordan to Rename His Rum Brand
Written by SOURCE on June 23, 2021
Nicki Minaj has weighed in on Michael B. Jordan’s appropriation controversy.
On Tuesday evening, the Trinidadian-born rapper shared an Instagram post calling on Jordan to rename his newly launched rum brand J’Ouvert. Nicki included a screenshot of another user’s “History Lesson” on the significance of J’Ouvert within Caribbean culture.
“I’m sure MBJ didn’t intentionally do anything he thought Caribbean ppl would find offensive,” Nicki captioned the post, “but now that you are aware, change the name & continue to flourish & prosper.”
Images of the J’Ouvert Rum began circulating on social media this week. Lori Harvey and actor Bryan Greenberg shared photos of the bottles as well as its packaging, which included a brief breakdown of J’Ouvert’s origins.
“Derived from the Antellian Creole French term meaning ‘daybreak,’ J’OUVERT originated in the pre-dawn streets of Trinidad, as celebration of emancipation combined with Carnival season to serve as the festival informal commencements,” a message inside the box reads. “Crafted on those same islands, J’OUVERT Rum is a tribute to the party start.”
Many accused the Black Panther star of trying to profit of a culture that he seemingly has no connection to. Others also expressed outrage over Jordan’s apparent attempt to trademark J’Ouvert—specifically slamming the portion of the application that read: “The wording “J’OUVERT” has no meaning in a foreign language.”
A Change.org petition is also attempting to block the the trademark of “J’Ouvert,” arguing the filing makes a “fraudulent and inaccurate statement” about the name.
“We are not a powerless people! We are a people rich in culture, history and love,” the petition reads. “It’s time we love ourselves enough to stop the sale of our culture to foreign entities that do not respect or value our global contributions, and who do not support and uphold our countries in respectful, long-lasting, tangible and verifiable ways!”
The petition has garnered more than 11,500 signatures as of Tuesday night. Jordan has yet to respond to the criticism.
