UPDATE: On his Instagram page, Xzibit accused TMZ's report as being "misleading at best," clarifying that his Napalm products were only pulled from the digital shelves of one dispensary.
These days, public figures must be on high alert to remain sensitive, a reality that many celebrities in the hip-hop landscape are currently learning. Not long after YG found his My Krazy Life single "Meet The Flockers" scrubbed from YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music (and subsequently reinstated as a censored version), fellow west coast rapper slash cannabis entrepreneur Xzibit also found one of his business endeavors under scrutiny.
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According to a report from TMZ, Xzibit's Napalm Cannabis brand was recently pulled from the Los Angeles-based Higher Path dispensary over its controversial name, which holds the same name as a devastating chemical weapon previously used in the Vietnam War. In addition to Napalm itself serving as problematic to some consumers, one of the products -- "The Grenade" -- also reportedly drew ire over its violent implications.
Xzibit himself shared a video responding to the situation, during which he calls attention to his vast recording catalog. "The word Napalm is definitely synonymous with war and being used as a weapon," he explains. "If you know anything about me and my body of work, you know I got albums called Weapons Of Mass Destruction and Man Vs Machine." He proceeds to pull up his seventh studio album Napalm, released in 2012. "This is where the branding of Napalm came from. As you can see, that's the font we use, that's the flame we use. It came from this album."
"But that's neither here nor there," says X. "It's by no means affiliated or nodding to the devastation in its past. I think the creative license I use for Napalm is purely based out of my body of work as an artist. My intention here is to let everyone know that as a black man, I understand discrimination and hated. I understand what that does to communities, and I'm not tone deaf to that."
"Just to clarify the position we have at Napalm Cannabis," he continues. "We by no means acknowledge, justify, or feels as though we are promoting violence toward the Asian community. We stand with the Asian community. We stand firmly in the belief that our intentions, directives, and initiatives are positive for the cannabis community, and for the enrichment of the community around us. We plan to do many things for our community at large."
At this moment, it is uncertain as to whether or not Xzibit will pursue alternative names for Napalm Cannabis. Check out his video message addressing the controversy below.