The director of Cristal, Frederic Rouzaud, when asked if he felt Cristal being a symbol of a flashy lifestyle was detrimental to the brand said: “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.
Jay-Z took this to mean he was against black people and in a statement to the Associated Press responded: “It has come to my attention that the managing director of Cristal, Frederic Rouzaud, views the ‘hip-hop’ culture as ‘unwelcome attention’. 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.”
I think this is being just a little bit ridiculous - I don’t see any relation to racism. Perhaps Cristal (who charge $200 a bottle) need to rethink their marketing strategy, and their target market - instead of offending their consumers.
http://www.thegrapevinegossip.com/2006/06/...ector-a-racist/