Hennessy

**Hennessy** is a French producer of cognac, headquartered in Cognac, France. In January 2013, American rapper Nas was announced as their newest ambassador, taking part in their "Wild Rabbit" campaign. He was also invited to visit Hennessy's Château de Bagnolet, learn its creation process, and explore Hennessy's "Art de Vivre" in the brand's Cognac hometown.

On June 27, 2023, it was reported of the collaboration between the two with the limited-edition Hennessy V.S Nas bottle, in celebration of hip hop's 50th anniversary. Nas said in a statement, "It means a lot to me to celebrate this legendary moment in Hip-Hop history with Hennessy, a brand that has supported me for over 10 years. Hennessy is part of our culture and continues to inspire generations of Hip-Hop fans, so I'm really proud to share our new Limited-Edition bottle with the world." The bottle itself includes a handwritten love letter to hip hop by Nas, as well as the special stylization of "HenNASsy," which *Forbes* reported, "Since its founding in 1765 [...] has never altered its name" until this moment. The official unveiling of the HenNASsy logo was on July 20, and available to retailers that same month.

## Description

**HENNESSY V.S X NAS**

In 2023, Hennessy V.S marks a unique cultural milestone, celebrating a half-century of hip-hop with one of the genre's most prolific talents, Nas. A long-term friend of Hennessy, the multi-hyphenate, multi-platinum rapper and artist captures the movement and the moment in a vibrant "HenNASsy" limited edition cognac.

**A HIP HOP LEGEND**

Since busting onto the scene, Nas has become the voice of his generation — a gifted storyteller with lyrical flair. Today, he celebrates 50 years of Hip Hop with a bold take on Hennessy V.S.

**TIMING IS EVERYTHING**

Nas came up with Hip Hop in an era steeped in change — witnessing firsthand the raw evolution of the genre at its purest state.

**ICONS UNITE**

Since the early days Nas has continuously referenced Hennessy in his lyrics and featured Hennessy in his glass. This organic connection has inspired a long-term bond and multiple collaborations between the two icons.

**A bold design in tribute to 50 years**

To inspire our collaboration, we asked our friend Nas what he wanted to say to Hip-Hop on its 50th Birthday. He penned a hand-written homage to the past, present and future of this beloved culture. His words of tribute became the foundation for a disruptive collage that fuses snapshots of street and studio culture, vibrant orange graffiti accents and a playful twist on the brand name - "HenNASsy".

**Representing for the culture**

To commemorate this special moment in a shared history, Hennessy V.S and Nas will be hosting a grand celebration in the home of Hip Hop. The illustrious NYC event will be a tribute to all aspects of the culture representing not just Hip Hop's musical talent but the art, movement, style and mindset that shape and empower a living global phenomenon.

## Background

In a 2016 interview with *Vibe*, Nas told them:

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> 2016 marks the 4th year in a row I've officially worked with Hennessy, but the relationship has been years and years in the making. I've been talking and rapping about Hennessy since Illmatic. In 2013, I was the face of the second year of the brand's "Wild Rabbit" campaign. In 2014 the Wild Rabbit campaign featured iconic racecar driver Malcolm Campbell—and I provided the voiceover for that TV spot. This year, I'm lending my voice for the newest iteration of the campaign called *The Piccards*. The message behind the campaign is all about pushing the limits of one's potential and breaking down barriers. Hennessy and I have been working towards the same end goal: to make sure we inspire people to push the limits of potential in whatever they do.
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> I've definitely been loyal to Hennessy for years. Not only is their product consistent but they stand for something, too. That's what I love about Hennessy and the Wild Rabbit campaign. There's a real inspirational and aspirational message behind it. They're asking people to push the limits of potential so they can be the very best version of themselves.
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In 2021, as part of their Never Stop Never Settle Society initiative, which supports Black entrepreneurs, the commercial titled "Dear Destiny" debuted on the network BET during the 2021 NAACP Image Awards. It features Nas writing a letter to his daughter, Destiny Jones. He explained of its message, "A narrative about family, legacy, entrepreneurship, and empowerment, 'Dear Destiny' is a message to my daughter Destiny, and in many ways, the entire Black community. Inspired by Tulsa's hub of cultural activity and community-built success, it pays homage to the Black creativity and wealth that thrived during this time in history." The letter reads as follows:

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> Dear Destiny, standing still scared to death, holding you in my hands, I knew. I wanted you to see something I never saw; feel something our family had never grasped: Black excellence.
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> Something like the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1921, 40 acres and 35 blocks of Black folks running the town. Lawyers, doctors, businesses, all Black owned. Imagine that. The vision of Black Wall Street was intentional and so was its downfall. Why, Destiny?
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> Autonomous Black folks living this good. They took the city by force. And burned it straight to the ground. A hundred years later, a hundred years strong.
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> Destiny, you knew a spirit that powerful could never be held down. Black excellence lives on and those spirits, they never stop, they never settle. Black women building, Black men thriving.
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> Destiny, believe in Black creativity, Black wealth, our potential, our people.
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> Wherever Black folks dream, the spirit of Greenwood is there. So find them, build with them, dream with them, be your own Black Wall Street however and wherever you imagine.
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> Your loving father, Nasir Jones.
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Nas noted to *Vanity Fair* in 2023, "On my first album, I talked about Hennessy before the first song even came on. I'm having a conversation, like, 'Pass the Hennessy.' To think about that, my journey and hip-hop's journey, this is a time, this is a year to celebrate—you know, when you're mature enough and you're at the legal age to indulge and celebrate in the way I like to celebrate. You can get with what I'm doing. You can see the journey that I had." Of their collaboration, he stated, "Its an honor to collaborate with Hennessy to commemorate this moment for the art form. Hip-Hop has always had a special connection with Hennessy, and I'm excited to celebrate the culture's 50th anniversary with a brand and product that pays tribute to its history and impact." CEO Laurent Boillot added, "Hennessy has always had a strong connection with the music industry, particularly Hip-Hop. Hennessy is truly the original spirit of Hip-Hop, which the culture embraced as a badge of success and good taste. We, as a brand, are particularly honored by this recognition. We leaned into this and continuously supported the culture. To celebrate this heritage we couldn't have a better partner than Nas."

## Gallery

Images

Videos
* A Journey in Cognac
* Live Performance in Olympia
* Wild Rabbit Icon for 2013
* Hennessy 250 Tour in New York
* Dear Destiny

## References

1. ↑ Watkins, Greg (January 14, 2013). "Nas Named Brand Ambassador for Hennessy". *AllHipHop*.
2. ↑ "Hennessy V.S x Nas". Retrieved June 27, 2023.
3. ↑ Corrine, Amber (June 27, 2023). "Hennessy Taps Nas for Limited Hip-Hop 50 "HenNASsy" Bottle". *Vibe*.
4. ↑ Dara, Jillian (June 27, 2023). "Hennessy Is Altering Its Name for the First Time Ever in New Collaboration with Rapper Nas". *Forbes*.
5. ↑ Fresh, Mikey (April 6, 2016). "Nas and Hennessy Introduce Wild Rabbit Campaign, 'The Piccards'". *Vibe*.
6. ↑ Grove, Rashad (March 31, 2021). "Nas Partners with Hennessy's Acceleration Fund to Empower the Next Generation of Black Entrepreneurs". *BET*.
7. ↑ "Nas Writes a Letter to His Daughter in Hennessy's New "Dear Destiny" Commercial". *Revolt*. April 6, 2021.
8. ↑ Coughlan, Maggie (June 26, 2023). ""I'm Still the MC That Wants to Make Something People Can Feel": Nas Ruminates on 50 Years of Hip-Hop". *Vanity Fair*.
9. ↑ "Unleashing Hip-Hop's Legacy: Hennessy and Nas Join Forces for Spectacular 50th Anniversary Celebration, Featuring Limited Edition Bottle and Global Experiences". *PR Newswire*. June 27, 2023.

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