Quavo has long been sipping on and rapping about “Good Drank” before the thought of making a splash in the spirits industry entered his mind.
That all changed Thursday night (June 6) with the official launch of Huncho’s White X Cognac. Produced in tandem with Sazerac Spirits, Quavo rented out NYC hot-spot restaurant Carbone for about 40 friends and family for an intimate cognac tasting and four-courses of premier Italian dining.
“I just thought I’d stand in front of something and be the face of some good drank,” Quavo tells Billboard. “White X is unapologetic and they ready to bend the rules a little bit, so it’s only right they choose the frontman of the culture to represent that.”
The Migos rapper continued of the endeavor: “They was looking for someone who matched the same aesthetic as me and I just think it made perfect sense. We’re looking forward to coming into the industry and f—ing s— up.”
White X wants to inject a vibrant youthful energy and usher in a new era for the crowded cognac lane. With a straw coloring and notes of peach and vanilla mixed with the light grapes, the 80-proof French liquor makes for a much smoother pour than its VSOP competitors. In an homage to the late Takeoff, Rocket Power (White X, Gran Gala and lemon juice) served as the cocktail of the night.
However, this isn’t Quavo’s first foray into the alcohol business. He was tied to another cognac earlier in his career, which ended up falling flat. Now, Huncho’s trying to take those lessons he learned and make sure White X doesn’t suffer a similar fate.
“I learned from my mistakes there,” he adds. “I wanted to do something different. Just the basics of me not knowing how big the brand could be if you actually let these people know what you’re part of.” The 33-year-old points to making more content and being involved in the day-to-day of turning it into a “lifestyle” brand, rather than just posing with the product for fun.
White X is currently on sale throughout the United States at clubs, bars and liquor distributors with a suggested retail price of $59.99 per 750ml bottle.
While there wasn’t a TV in sight within the confines of the famed Italian restaurant, basketball fans still found a way to check-in on game one of the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics with their phones.
Being a hoops fanatic himself, Quavo’s heart is with the Mavericks because of a connection between superstar Luka Doncic and his late nephew, Takeoff.
“I got Dallas,” the “Hotel Lobby” rhymer says when asked to pick a winner. “Only reason why I like Dallas is because Luka and Takeoff had a crazy relationship. I think he was a fan of the gang so they was rocking.”
There’s no doubt Quavo and Migos were among the most influential artists of the 21st century in helping shape rap’s sound for the 2010s, and keeping the spotlight on Atlanta Culture. “You know, I’m a real trendsetter,” he boasts. “We taking it to the moon. You know we’re gonna have some sparklers on this in somebody’s section all around the world.”
Time will tell if he can bring his trendsetting ways that made him a diamond-certified rapper to cross over into his entrepreneurial ventures like hip-hop has seen with dignitaries such as 50 Cent, Kanye West, Travis Scott and more.
“We gonna have some great years to come — it’s a new beginning,” Huncho promises before raising his glass for a toast. “We represent culture and we’re unapologetic, of course. We gon’ stand on business at all times.”
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