A$AP’s Rocky promotional post for his commercial directorial debut has been condemned as pro-Russia propaganda from social media users amid the war in Ukraine.
Rocky donned a large, diamond-encrusted “Z” pendant formed out of military tanks in a photo posted July 20 before the release of his new ad for Beats by Dre.
Although the rapper deleted the promotional post fairly quickly, Instagram users flooded the comments of the commercial’s post. The rapper has faced extreme backlash and criticism from online users who highlighted that his jewelry piece is a sign of hate.
See reactions below:
“Z – this is [the] Russian Nazi symbol. Symbol of terrorism and death, a symbol of occupation and total lies.”
“Glamourizing genocide and terrorism? Seriously?”
“WTF man?! Do you make a Russian war symbol out of diamond tanks? Shame on you!”
“Disappointing and disrespectful.”
“When will you release swastika jewelry?”
“You better post a public apology.”
“This bro really thought that [he could] just delete the post and hide the fact that he supports terrorism and genocide.”
While the letter “Z” isn’t in the Cyrillic alphabet used in Russia and Ukraine, it’s become a symbol of the Vladimir Putin-led country’s war for occupation and control. The Daily Mail highlighted that some have referred to the letter as a symbol “equivalent of Hitler’s swastika.”
NPR noted that the origins of Z’s meaning in relation to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine remain a mystery. The letter was reportedly painted on Russian tanks ahead of the country’s attack on its neighbor. A theory for what the letter stands for is “Za pobedu” (For Victory).
The brand’s Instagram comments are filled with the hashtags #RussiaIsATerroristState and #BoycottBeatsByDre.
