I never really paid any attention to Armand de Brignac (aka "Ace of Spades")...well, not until Armand CEO Brett Berish jumped up and down in excitement, following the calculative product placement (word to Clyde) in Jay-Z's new video for "Show Me What You Got."

"We're delighted to have someone of Jay-Z's stature include Armand de Brignac in the first video for his new album," said Armand de Brignac President/CEO Brett Berish. "Jay-Z has always demonstrated the highest standards and finest taste, and we're honored to see Armand make an appearance in 'Show Me What You Got.' Armand's unmatched taste and package are a perfect fit for the video."

Like most things Jay-Z-related, the net has been ablaze with this news for the past four days. What's really mind-boggling is that this same Shawn who was all teary-eyed over the gravity of world water crisis, is cosigning a ridiculously expensive liquor on the other hand. How important is champagne to the kids who buy his records? Is that what the average black youth really needs? Who gives a flying f*ck about what Hov is sippin' on when he's on a yacht with his opulent friends, while there are bigger problems facing our community as we speak? Funny thing is, he seems to agree with me:

"F*ck cristal, so they ask me what we drinking/I thought dude's remarks was rude, okay/ So I moved on to Don, Krug, (??)/And it's much bigger issues in the world, I know/ But I first had to take care of the world I know..." (Jay-Z, "Kingdom Come)

How tame.














Let the craze begin, though. According to Armand's press release, demand for their product has skyrocketed since Jay-Z's video. The video debuted on October 16th. The press statement, probably written on the 17th or earlier, came to light on the 18th. So, when did demands triple? Let me guess, folks watched the video once or twice and then quickly got on the phone the same day like "Yo, lemme get 2 gazillion bottles of that Ace of Spades featured in Jay's video."

Negro, please.

Anyhow, I'm not a "big drinker", and I ain't about to start just because Jay-Z said "Gold Bottles" is that next shit. If demand for this illogically exorbitant brew has truly tripled based on Jay's video alone, it just goes to show how counterproductive our community has become. It's a sad day in hip-hop when we allow ourselves to be subdued by the same tentacles we've been trying to bolt from. The new negro drink should be coffee, if you ask me, because we could really use a wake-up call.