Jay-Z Calls Ex-Business Partner's Work 'Lazy' And 'Crappy' During Million Dollar Trial
Jay-Z called the work of the perfume company Parlux “lazy” and “crappy” during the breach-of-contract trial against the rapper.
According to The Post, Jay-Z trashed Parlux’s work in court on Monday because they sold his cologne – Gold Jay Z – at a discount drugstore called Superdrug that is based in the United Kingdom without telling him.
“It’s crappy, lazy work,” the 51-year-old rapper and businessman said on his second day on the witness stand today. “Actually, I’ve always had problems with the quality of the lazy work that was coming from Parlux.”
According to Jay-Z, he never signed off or gave permission for Parlux to sell his cologne at the discount drugstore.
“We are trying to build a brand,” he continued. “You’re almost cutting the legs off from the brand putting it in discount stores.”
The record executive also had a problem with one of Parlux’s commercials for the signature cologne that allegedly depicted liquid gold being dripped onto a woman’s body.
“Pretty much like all of their ideas — lazy,” he said, while also describing the commercial as “B-rate.”
Anthony Viola, the lawyer representing Parlux for the breach-of-contract trial, reportedly claimed that Jay-Z “constantly threw sand in the gears” when it came to the Gold Jay Z cologne being a financial success and successful fragrance.
“Absolutely not,” Jay-Z answered when asked by his lawyer, Alex Spiro, if he wanted the product to fail. “If I hurt Parlux and I hurt Gold Jay Z — they are in my name.”
“I’m not going to cut off my nose to spite my face,” he continued. “It was a tough relationship but I was still trying to create something amazing.”
Spiro also reiterated Jay-Z’s disappointment regarding the cologne being sold in discount drugstores.
“He didn’t want a product on the shelves of Walmart in between the hand sanitizers and Tic Tacs,” Spiro told the court during opening statements last month. “He wanted it to be something special and selling his product through those kinds of channels and those kinds of ways, it would diminish Jay-Z’s brand.”
Parlux first sued the rapper and his company S. Carter Enterprises for $18 million in 2016 for allegedly failing to promote the Jay Z Gold cologne as stated in their signed contract. Jay-Z then reportedly countersued Parlux, claiming that the fragrance company still owes him nearly $3 million from their deal.