Rapper AKA is realigning his brand from partner to owner, which means moving away from his deal with Cruz Vodka.
AKA Cruz Vodka to be phased out later this year
In a joint statement, Kiernan Forbes and the premium alcohol brand confirmed that following a stumbling in contract negotiations, the Fela in Versace rapper indicated his “ambition to create his own spirit brand.”
“He (AKA) outlined a change in his business model from AKA partner to AKA owned brands. We appreciate this vision and agree that it’s the logical next step for him,” the joint statement read.
It seems, somewhere in the talks, things didn’t quite gel between the two entities. Therefore, with the request of AKA, Cruz will be phasing his name out of the watermelon bottle.
The banana flavour, Cruz Vodka confirmed, will be removed entirely from the market in summer.
“Going forward, the AKA brand name will be reserved for AKA owned products. This will happen in a phased manner from May – October 2022. We are excited to see what the Supermega will bring to the South African drinks market as he enters this exciting new period in his career,” Cruz Vodka saluted.
Taking to social media, AKA thanked Cruz Vodka for their understanding “and for supporting this new chapter of my life.”
“A good day in the office today- while the Cruz brands will forever remain both in my heart and my bar, I’ve taken the decision to evolve my business and will be launching my own spirit brand in the near future,” he wrote.