In 2006, after Jay-Z and many other hip hop artists had made the champagne brand Cristal a symbol of luxury in the Black community during the previous decade, a manager at the champagne house that produced Cristal was asked by The Economist about rappers name-checking their brand. “We can’t forbid people from buying it” was his snide response. Both classist and racist, this comment was rightfully considered an insult by the hip hop community and denouncements were swift. Jay-Z joined in the chorus, but also sought to capitalize on the situation. Ace of Spades, Jay-Z’s champagne alternative, would eventually net him more than $300 million in 2021 when he sold half of it to LVMH, the French luxury goods conglomerate. Notably, the value of Ace of Spades was not established by Jay-Z’s efforts as a traditional spokesperson; in fact, for years it was unclear whether he was officially involved with the company or not. Emblematic of the financial logic now embedded within cultural texts in the era of derivative media, Jay-Z earned that big payday through lyrical speculation. It was clever wordplay, narrative use of the gangster genre, visual incorporation into music videos, political critique (such as reclaiming the slur spade), and other formal and thematic means of investing Ace of Spades with value.

XREF: Connects to the broader concept of derivative media and cultural speculation in the author's argument about financial logic embedded in cultural texts. SEED: Potential article angle: how artists monetize brand mentions through ambiguity rather than traditional endorsement deals.

Andrew deWaard, Derivative Media, loc. 320