Culture
After Astroworld, Travis Scott’s Cacti seltzer is no more
Anheuser-Busch is stopping production of the rapper’s alcoholic beverage, and has deleted all Cacti social media accounts.
Following the hundreds of injuries, 10 deaths, and mounting lawsuits from last month’s Astroworld festival, fans and companies alike are distancing themselves from the Travis Scott brand, which now doesn’t seem as desirable as before. The latest brand to pull away from the rapper is Anheuser-Busch, which said in a statement that it was stopping production of Scott’s Cacti Agave Spiked Seltzer.
“After careful evaluation, we have decided to stop all production and brand development of Cacti Agave Spiked Seltzer,” the brewing company told AdAge. “We believe brand fans will understand and respect this decision.” In addition to removing Scott’s product from shelves, Anheuser-Busch has also deleted Cacti’s social media.
A possible return — Yet according to TMZ, Cacti will be back eventually. “Travis was clear in his interview that he is not focused on business right now and his priority is helping his community and fans heal,” an anonymous member of Scott’s inner circle told the publication. The decision to pull the product off shelves — made final on November 30 — was mutual, they added. “Cacti asked AB InBev to inform their wholesalers there will not be product at this time.”
The interview the source refers to is Scott’s first interview since Astroworld, hosted on December 9 by Charlamagne Tha God. During the 50-minute conversation, the rapper opened up about the festival’s events, describing the process as “an emotional rollercoaster.” Still, Scott and his legal team have denied all allegations, including those of negligence, against him. A representative for the rapper also told Rolling Stone that Scott “is not legally liable” for the tragedy.
Much of the blame for Astroworld’s events has fallen on Scott, the face of the festival, but attorneys have also targeted event organizers like promoter Live Nation, which bear a responsibility to keep all concertgoers safe, they say. Ultimately, Scott has pushed back on the notion that he should be held accountable for the tragedy: “The media wants to put on me, but at the end of the day… it’s more so about stepping out to figure out what the problem is,” he said in the interview.
La Flame burns out — As more plaintiffs step forward against Scott and Astroworld organizers — there are nearly 300 so far — it should become clear who is most culpable for the tragedy. But regardless of whether Scott is accountable or not, brands don’t want to be linked to the event or its subsequent legal troubles.
Since Astroworld, video game Fortnite has quietly removed a Scott-themed emote from its platform, while Nike postponed its many collaborations with the rapper. It’s unsurprising that Anheuser-Busch would do the same, especially since Scott’s name seemed to be the main selling point for the alcoholic beverage.
“Cacti is a hyped event with little substance,” Input said when reviewing the seltzer earlier this year. It does nothing to rise above its spiked seltzer competitors, “save for a name that says ‘If you know, you know.’” Now, it seems, Anheuser-Busch and fans know enough.
