This week, Kendall and Kylie Jenner showcased their new merchandise and it did not go according to plan. The Jenner sisters shared their tee shirt designs via twitter which revealed their faces on top of greats such as Ozzy Osborne and The Doors. The most notable and disturbing of the designs, though, were the ones of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac, both of whom are now deceased.
Biggie’s mother went to Instagram to release a public statement about the matter:
I am not sure who told @kyliejenner and @kendalljenner that they had the right to do this,” Wallace’s post read. “The disrespect of these girls to not even reach out to me or anyone connected to the estate baffles me. I have no idea why they feel they can exploit the deaths of 2pac and my son Christopher to sell a T-shirt. This is disrespectful, disgusting, and exploitation at its worst!!!”
And who could blame this grieving mother? After immediate disapproval of the clothing from the general public, the Jenners issued half-hearted and identical responses to the situation:
Emphasis on “again.”
But you know what? This is not enough.
Between Kylie sporting dreads and Kendall’s Pepsi commercial which was so comical it should have been presented as a skit on Saturday Night Live, blame has to finally be placed. These are not girls but women who, despite being in the public eye, should know when to say no to marketing schemes that are highly offensive. The families of these two men, who paved the way for modern-day rap, should not have to witness their likeness and legacies being monumentally disrespected by being mass-produced with the selfies of young white girls over-top of them to seem trendy.
At a certain point, the Jenners need to come to terms with the fact that they will never be embraced by black culture, so long as they only use it for exploitation.
Enough is enough.
