A new hip-hop-themed bakery in Indiana is stirring up controversy with the names of its menu items and marketing tactics.
Cookie Plug Receives Backlash
California-based franchise Cookie Plug recently opened a new location in Indianapolis, Ind. But not everyone is feeling the company’s menu item names and use of marketing. Many of the confections have hip-hop-themed names and branding, including an ice cream sandwich labeled So So Icy. The company’s packaging includes slogans like “Thank you for supporting your neighborhood doughp dealer.” They also sell a purple lemonade dubbed “Purple Drake,” which is a play on the nickname for liquid codeine and promethazine.
The location has recieved backlash from local residents, including Feeray Phillips who called out the owners for their gimmicks.
“When the franchise is not aware of what the terminology they’re dealing with and, to be honest, tropes as gimmicks to sell people lemonade and children lemonade, that’s a problem,” Phillips told local news outlet WISHTV.
Cookie Plug co-owner Doreen Walters is pushing back against the negative cricism. “Those comments are hurtful so I’m not even watching it,” she retorted. “I grew up at this time and I’ve never done drugs. ‘Purple drank’ is just that, ‘purple drank.’ It’s lemonade.”
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Hip-Hop Culture Vultures
Defined as someone who is outside of the culture that infiltrates for the sole purpose of exploiting and making a profit, the conversation about culture vultures in hip-hop has been an ongoing one. Over the years, entities like record labels have been accused of doing just that. It’s not just companies. Individuals have been stamped with the culture vulture label as well. Earlier this year, Dame Dash called out music exec Lyor Cohen with culture vulture allegations. Most recently, Kendrick Lamar accused Drake of being a culture vulture on the hit song “Not Like Us.”
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Check out ads for Cookie Plug below.
