Actor Michael B. Jordan unveiled his J’Ouvert rum brand over the weekend and claims of cultural appropriation began to bubble on social media from the Caribbean community.
Nicki Minaj, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago, took to Instagram on Tuesday (June 22) with a message for the superstar actor suggesting he change the name of his rum. J’Ouvert is a festival celebrating Caribbean culture that’s held annually in Trinidad, Tobago and Grenada during Carnival.
“I’m sure MBJ didn’t intentionally do anything he thought Caribbean ppl would find offensive— but now that you are aware, change the name & continue to flourish & prosper,” she wrote.
Some took to social media to voice their frustration with Michael B. Jordan trademarking the name last September and questioned his Trini roots.
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With the pressure mounting, the Creed actor and his team acted swiftly in issuing an apology late Tuesday and shared they were in the process of changing the name from J’Ouvert.
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“I just wanna say on behalf of myself & my partners, our intention was never to offend or hurt a culture we love and respect & hoped to celebrate & shine a positive light on,” MBJ explained. “The last few days has been a lot of listening. A lot of learning and engaging in countless community conversations.
“We hear you, I hear you and want to be clear that we’re in the process of renaming. We sincerely apologize and look forward to introducing a brand we can all be proud of.”
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It remains to be seen exactly what the Black Panther star plans to rename his rum brand to.
