50 Cent continued his protest against Gucci by setting fire to a $500 Gucci t-shirt on camera.
A video uploaded to Fiddy’s Instagram.com account on Wednesday shows the outspoken 43-year-old rapper using a lighter to torch a plain white t-shirt with the word “Gucci” on the front.
At his feet lay a pile of Gucci clothing that he also planned to set on fire inside an occupied building – a violation of the building fire code in every state.
50 Cent captioned the video: “I gotta get rid of all the Gucci I have at home. I’m not supporting their brand anymore. #bransoncognac #lecheminduroi #bellator”.
Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele broke his silence, saying racism was never his intention when he approved a black balaclava sweater as part of the brand’s 2018 Fall/Winter collection.
Furious Black Twitter users claim the sweater resembled blackface.
READ ALSO: Gucci Apologizes for Pricey Sweater That Resembles Blackface
In a letter to Gucci’s employees, Michele wrote: “I feel the need to write you all these few words to give a name to the pain of these day. My own and that of the people who saw in one of my creative projects an intolerable insult.”
He said the design was inspired by the late Leigh Bowery, a performance artist, club promoter and fashion designer who often used flamboyant face makeup and costumes in his work.
Michele went on to say the controversy has caused “the greatest grief” but that he is taking “full accountability” for the “unintentional effects” of his design.
Other designers, who are watching the uproar from afar, say it’s hard to be creative in an era when sensitive social media users constantly look for offensive symbols to validate their victimhood status.
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