Brewers and beer companies are often clamoring over one another in an effort to find the new hip and trendy ways to sell their products. On Killer Mike's Trigger Warning, viewers watched as the rapper and innovator met with gang members and spoke with them about creating their own beverages. These brands would utilize their knowledge and affiliation with gang culture, but flip it for something profitable and hopefully, marketable. As the saying goes, if you can hustle and make money on the streets, you can use the same principles and bring in a cash flow legally.
Although we don't want to speak on behalf of Killer Mike, he probably wouldn't co-sign this Seattle-based brewing company that used that same idea for their latest beer labels. Mirage shared images of their new beers called "Snitch Blood" and "Where You From," which are red and blue, respectively. The labels were also created to look like bandannas.
Mirage received backlash on social media from users who chastised them for attempting to capitalize off of a culture that they not only aren't affiliated with, but also don't understand. Beer Kulture wrote, "Mirage Beer... those new beers y’all are releasing is a dub. Y’all are entitled, non creative Kulture vultures that deserves to fail, hard & fast. F*ck all the politeness, people have died over that sh*t you’re trying to use to be down & kool. F*CK YALL." Another person wrote, "Who idea was this and what group of board members approved this as a good idea to bring to market?"
The company later issued an apology on their Instagram by writing, "Full agree those labels were a dumb idea. Still going to release the beers, but obv with new names, and all proceeds going to Southern Poverty Law Center."