Update: I’m putting this update at the top. There is no affiliation between Jay-Z’s “Water for Life” campaign and this SUV he designed. I wrote that title as a joke, and hoped the text of the post would make it clear that I was trying to point out that designing an SUV is not the best way to conduct your business affairs when you’re trying to bring awareness for the need for clean water in the third world.
Jay-Z unveiled the new gas guzzler he helped design for GM, a bright blue GMC Yukon Denali. Maybe the blue helps signify his “Water for Life” campaign, since designing SUVs and bringing water to the third world is so consistent:
Jay-Z and General Motors are teaming up to bring a stylish hue to a rugged sport utility vehicle. The music mogul emerged from a concept GMC Yukon Denali SUV on stage Saturday during a celebrity-filled party thrown by General Motors Corp. on the eve of media previews for the North American International Auto Show.
Painted “Jay-Z Blue,” the SUV was developed through a partnership with the rapper during the past two years. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, worked with the company’s global color studio to create the reflective blue color for the SUV.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to drive one of them out of here tonight,” he said.
This is the guy that chartered an extra plane for his luggage when he was doing the charity circuit for “Water for Life,” so he doesn’t quite get that conservation starts with you.
It’s great that he’s doing something meaningful and all, but if he doesn’t care about the environment or doesn’t realize that he’s contributing to its demise by making SUVs glamorous, he should pick another cause.
Not too educated on these matters is he?
Another hideously colored car on the market. Greeeaatt.
If he teamed up with a company to design the vehicle I wouldn’t say it’s just him that doesn’t get the conservation concept – I’d throw in several senior executives too.
And to be fair, although I’m no expert, whenever I’ve seen people trying to get from A to B in countries with a rough terrain and harsh elements I hardly ever see them in small electrical or solar-powered cars. The terrain alone would mess them up in a hearbeat.
It’s quite possible he’s catering to what people there actually use or want to use to move drums of water around. They do kind of need a heavier vehicle, it’s not great that they’re gas-guzzlers but if that’s what it takes to get over the terrain then there it is.
It’s in contries where you’ve got plenty of asphalted roads and aren’t driving over rugged terrain that you don’t really need an SUV, so I’m not going to have a go at him. I don’t see that he came to that decision in total ego-driven isolation.
This is no different from pouring scorn on celebs giving money to charity while they go out and buy something expensive for themselves. Sometimes it’s a balance you have to strike – and celebs usually need more time acquiring that balance than most.
I can’t hate on the guy until I understand the issues at hand more thoroughly.
how many denalis do you think there will be in those third world countries??? few to none??? this is a mid-upper price range suv that mid-upper suburban house wives will be driving their kids around in… besides, how much does jay z know about engineering of cars??? i bet all he did was pick out the color… thats it
I personally think it’s the motoring company trying to look more charitable than they are and trying to tie it in with a celeb on top of it.
But seriously, you don’t need an SUV where you’ve already got good roads.
*truth
Well, considering this is still america and 90% of people here get things they don’t need, i think that it’s a person’s choice whether or not they want an SUV. I have one. And they’re not the sole reason for the environmental problems, what about the logging industry cutting down thousands of acres a year or the factories spewing out the tons of waste. the SUV has become a scape goat to a lot of people for the environment, but the thuth there are much bigger problems in this world than SUV’s
Sports Utility Vehicles are just that – general purpose cars with a four-wheel drive option to allow some off-road useage and extra traction in icy conditions.
However plenty of them SUVs can’t even do that.
Four-wheel drives that that particular motoring brand are not particularly well-known work horses. There are a limited number by one British-based and a few Japanese companies that are suitable as all-terrain vehicles.
This Jay Z thing is just another oversized family car with greater scope for killing any unfortunate pedestrian who dares cross their path.
I thought it smelled like retarded looking dumb ass, Saturday. Now I know why. Jay-Z was only 50 miles away.