Popular Rapper Turns Down P. Diddy Offer Over Sweatshops
/Tego Calderon, a hugely popular, young, progressive rap artist from
Puerto Rico turned down an offer from Sean P. Diddy Combs to appear in
a major ad campaign to promote his Sean John clothing line. According
to the New York Post (January 12, 2005) Tego refused to be part of the
ad campaign "because he found out that Combs' high-end apparel company
is allegedly running sweatshops in Central America...." Tego said
"I can't say in my songs one thing, and then personally be about
something else. Now that someone is offering me some change, I'm going
to go against the principles that my parents taught me? Nah." (See
complete article below). Another rap artist, Daddy Yankee, who did join
Combs' ad campaign said through a spokesperson that in the future they
would do more "homework" to check out possible sweatshop links before
signing onto any other promotional deals. [more]
