Rap star and entrepreneur Xzibit is the latest Black entertainer to face accusations of racism against Asian Americans over the name of his weed business, Napalm Cannabis Co., in Los Angeles.
Napalm is a chemical agent that was employed against the Japanese people during World War II and used in firebombs and flamethrowers during the Vietnam War. Its use as a war tool was banned by the United Nations in the 1980s, and for many Asians, the name conjures up horrific memories of the Vietnam conflict.
With anti-Asian bigotry and attacks are on the rise in the U.S., some customers of dispensaries in Los Angeles have voiced concerns about the Napalm Cannabis brand, such as its pre-roll called “The Grenade,” according to TMZ, which also reported that Xzibit’s brand of cannabis had been removed from a local dispensary as well.
The platinum-selling rapper-turned-actor addressed the controversy in a post to his 1.5 million followers on Instagram. “As I look at this thing it breaks my heart to be dealing with these small groups of people attempting to paint me with a broad brush,” he wrote. “I can’t help to think back and remember I did a show called ‘pimp my ride’ and historically ‘pimps’ aren’t know for being nice people, with that in mind the show went on to be synonymous with car restoration and wish fulfillment. Claiming the word “Napalm” is racist is a reach that is in sharp contrast to my integrity, my character and my track record of being a positive part of society.”
The Gridiron Gang movie star also explained that he’s had a running theme of destruction titles for his projects because that’s what he considered himself delivering on the mic.
“I put this album [Napalm] out in 2012. I know people don’t use CDs anymore, but this is where the branding for Napalm came from as you can see. That’s the font we use, that’s the flame we use, so it’s based off the album. And it transcended to how we build our cannabis company,” X to the Z stated to TMZ.
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