Flower power: Rapper <PERSON> irritates compatriots with sneaker brand misnomer · Global Voices
Trinidadian-American rapper <PERSON>, performing at 2013's Under The Influence Tour in Toronto, Canada. Photo by The Come Up Show on Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0.
United States-based Trinidadian-American rapper <PERSON>, probably best known for his 2012 debut single “All Gold Everything” (as well as a writing credit on <PERSON> Grammy-winning song “Uptown Funk“), is the latest in a list of celebrities finding themselves in disfavour with Trinidad and Tobago social media users.
On the heels of <PERSON> “J'ouvert” rum brand and <PERSON> vaccine misinformation, came <PERSON>’ October 4 tweet that his new sneaker line “look[ed] to the hibiscus flower for inspiration, the national flower of his hometown, Trinidad and Tobago.”
Trinidad and Tobago is a country, not a town, and its national flower is the Chaconia.
Once the online backlash started, the rapper deleted the tweet, but screenshots were already being shared liberally. On Facebook, Trinidadian netizen <PERSON> lamented:
I’m so tired of these <PERSON> adjacents. <PERSON>.
On Monday morning, <PERSON> announced a sneaker collab with Saucony, ironically under his label called “HOMMEWRK” yet he would have failed this homework assignment. Why?
Because he named the line after our national flower – the…HIBISCUS??????
A LITERAL GOOGLE SEARCH SIR. It’s the kissmehass Chaconia!
Keep we name out allyuh mouth [if] y’all gonna keep dragging the flag. PLEASE. […]
I am truly TIRED of the bastardization of mockery of all things 868. We are not a friggin commodity for you to, not only use any how you feel, but to not be held to account when you get it SO wrong. 550
Enough. […]
I am TIRED.
Her compatriot <PERSON> added:
Total Disrespect!! Your research team SUCKS!!! […] Saucony – what the royal pack of nonsense are you promoting here? Is there no due diligence? What kind of marketing people you got working for you?
<PERSON> you all really listened to someone like <PERSON> fell for this? ?
He doesn't even know what the National flower is. Isn't not a hibiscus, it's a Chaconia. A simple google search would have saved you this pic.twitter.com/eptv7nonkk
— Check Ting ?? (@checktingtt) October 6, 2021
One Twitter user quipped:
my take away from this is Trinidad <PERSON> is actually more Trini than I thought
— <PERSON> (@ZakiyaC_) October 5, 2021
In what came across to many as a half-hearted mea culpa, the rapper posted a photo on Instagram of the sneaker design, which was embroidered with a hibiscus flower, thanking his “Trinis all around the internet who brought [his] ‘Mistake’ to [his] knowledge.” It was accompanied by several different video clips of his apology.
For the most part, however, Trinbagonians were having none of it, with many of them expressing amazement at the fact that he could even remember how to speak with a Trinidadian accent:
Aye yo, I never knew he could speak with a trini accent ??????. He didn’t sound like this on CNN https://t.co/89kQrQlj0l
— RIP <PERSON> ? (@NamikazeSheed) October 6, 2021
His apology landed him in more hot water after he said that hibiscus was used to make sorrel, his favourite local drink.
While the sorrel plant is part of the Hibiscus sabdariffa family, it is quite different from the hibiscus flower displayed on the sneaker, which does not yield sorrel. <PERSON> responded to this distinction by saying:
It's a sneaker not a book we making. The hibiscus flower that they use to make sorrel is the same colour. The hibiscus is a way more beautiful flower than the sorrel plant. That's why we market that flower that grow in Trinidad. Respectfully relax. 142