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Flower power: Rapper Trinidad James irritates compatriots with sneaker brand misnomer

· Written by Janine Mendes-Franco

Categories: Caribbean, Trinidad & Tobago, Citizen Media, Education, Music
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Trinidadian-American rapper Trinidad James, performing at 2013's Under The Influence Tour in Toronto, Canada. Photo [1] by The Come Up Show on Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0 [2].

United States-based Trinidadian-American rapper Trinidad James [3], probably best known for his 2012 debut single “All Gold Everything [4]” (as well as a writing credit [5] on Bruno Mars’ Grammy-winning song “Uptown Funk [6]“), is the latest [7] in a list of celebrities [8] finding themselves in disfavour with Trinidad and Tobago social media users.

On the heels of Michael B. Jordan's “J'ouvert” rum brand [9] and Nicki Minaj's vaccine misinformation [10], came James’ October 4 tweet [11] that his new sneaker line “look[ed] to the hibiscus flower for inspiration, the national flower of his hometown, Trinidad and Tobago.”

Trinidad and Tobago is a country, not a town, and its national flower is the Chaconia [12].

Once the online backlash started, the rapper deleted the tweet [13], but screenshots were already being shared liberally. On Facebook, Trinidadian netizen Nyssa Pierre lamented [14]:

I’m so tired of these Trini adjacents. Jesus.

On Monday morning, Trinidad James announced a sneaker collab with Saucony, ironically under his label called “HOMMEWRK” yet he would have failed this homework assignment. Why?

Because he named the line after our national flower – the…HIBISCUS??????
A LITERAL GOOGLE SEARCH SIR. It’s the kissmehass Chaconia!

Keep we name out allyuh mouth [if] y’all gonna keep dragging the flag. PLEASE. […]

I am truly TIRED of the bastardization of mockery of all things 868. We are not a friggin commodity for you to, not only use any how you feel, but to not be held to account when you get it SO wrong. Enough. […]

I am TIRED.

Her compatriot Leslie-Ann Joan Boiselle added [15]:

Total Disrespect!! Your research team SUCKS!!! […] Saucony [16] – what the royal pack of nonsense are you promoting here? Is there no due diligence? What kind of marketing people you got working for you?

One Twitter user quipped:

In what came across to many as a half-hearted mea culpa, the rapper posted a photo [22] on Instagram of the sneaker design, which was embroidered with a hibiscus flower, thanking his “Trinis all around the internet who brought [his] ‘Mistake’ to [his] knowledge.” It was accompanied by several different video clips [22] of his apology.

For the most part, however, Trinbagonians were having none of it, with many of them expressing amazement [23] at the fact that he could even remember how to speak with a Trinidadian accent:

His apology landed him in more hot water after he said that hibiscus was used to make sorrel [26], his favourite local drink.

While the sorrel plant [27] is part of the Hibiscus sabdariffa family, it is quite different from the hibiscus flower displayed on the sneaker, which does not yield sorrel. James responded to this distinction by saying [28]:

It's a sneaker not a book we making. The hibiscus flower that they use to make sorrel is the same colour. The hibiscus is a way more beautiful flower than the sorrel plant. That's why we market that flower that grow in Trinidad. Respectfully relax.

While some supported [29] the rapper's view, saying [30] he was “entitled to at least one mistake,” others were happy to continue with the picong [31]:

Some Twitter users suggested [36] he must not have done very well in school, while others marvelled [37] that the rapper could not master a task as simple as a Google search. Tammy Jo, however, brought up the bigger issue of people widely believing the inaccuracies posted on social media:

Meanwhile, several social media users posited [39] that the whole faux pas was a marketing ploy to get people talking about the sneaker brand:

Deliberate or not, the whole situation left a bad taste in the mouths of proudly patriotic Trinbagonians: