Lil Uzi Vert Photos In Marc Jacobs 40th Anniversary Ad Campaign Faces Backlash

Rapper Lil Uzi Vert stars in Marc Jacobs’ newest campaign for its 40th anniversary. The rapper shows off the brand’s exclusive tote bag to celebrate the occasion.



The luxury brand shared photos from its Stephen Sprouse x Marc Jacobs shoot on June 14. In the anniversary spread, the Philadelphia-based rapper donned an all-black outfit, including a silky black durag styled by Alastair McKimm, while showcasing the lime green and Black tote.



View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marc Jacobs (@marcjacobs)



This coveted edition of Jacobs’ classic tote, including Sprouse’s graffiti design, added a streetwear flair to the leather handbag.



“I wanted to use Stephen’s graffiti because it meant something to me. Stephen as an artist; Stephen as a New York figure. It had the credibility of [the] street, but also the style of somebody who was a fashion designer,” Jacobs  said  of his collaboration.



The bag’s description: “AMERICAN fashion designer STEPHEN SPROUSE pioneered the then revolutionary idea of mixing uptown sophistication with a downtown punk. MARC first saw SPROUSE’S graffiti prints in 1984 and got to know him when they worked on their now iconic collaboration for LOUIS VUITTON.”



However, the rapper faced pushback by some fans in the comments section. Some leaned into homophobic and discriminatory comments on how the 28-year-old modeled in the photo shoots.



“It’s giving women of the year,” said one commenter.



Another disrespectfully wrote, “Uzi, give JT her purse back.”



Conversely, defenders of Lil Uzi Vert pointed out that men across generations have bended the boundaries of masculinity, especially in fashion.



“The masculinity comments are weird,” explained a commenter. “Men used to wear crop tops and shoes with heels in the ‘70s. I guess there was an agenda to end Black masculinity then, too.”



While neither Jacobs nor Lil Uzi Vert has commented on the backlash, the hip-hop artist is growing his ties to the fashion industry.



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