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Google PlayThe term “royalty” has reemerged into the pop-culture zeitgeist, removed from Eurocentric fairytales and the archaic confines of the monarchy and redefined as an attainable reference point for the everyday person that yearns for their little bit of grandiosity. Crown Royal gets that and is inviting us all to reimagine modern royalty. Last year, the Canadian whiskey brand teamed up with Toronto-based multi-disciplinary artist Justin Broadbent to put his spin on their iconic purple bag, using free-handed illustrations surrounding the theme “To me, you’re royalty.”
This time around, Broadbent is passing the crown to ever-so-talented Pan-African and Afro-Futuristic multi-disciplinary visual artist Adeyemi Adegbesan, who’s also from Toronto and is more commonly known as Yung Yemi. Together, Broadbent and Adegbesan are creating a limited-edition purple bag inspired by a new theme: “When I shine, you shine.”
“Justin created the first one. And with this one, I did one side and he did the other,” Yemi tells us, breaking down the collaborative process. “Then, I’m working with three other creators to do a design inspired by them and it’ll have one of my designs on the other side.” Each creator is also Canadian and has amassed a following that they inspire in their respective fields.
Kicking things off is Brampton’s own Haviah Mighty, who became the first-ever rapper to win the Polaris Music Prize in 2019 and the first woman to win Best Rap Album at the 2022 Juno Awards. Next is “The Hockey Jedi” Zac Bell, a hockey star from Orillia who rose to social-media stardom after a career-altering injury and now holds a Guinness World Record for his stick-handling. And the final person to get their own design is fashion content creator and co-creator of blog-turned-web phenomenon Sidewalk Hustle, Hawley Dunbar.
We all carry keys to open doors that unlock greatness, and to Crown Royal, passing the crown is an opportunity to recognize someone in your life who has inspired you to become the person you are today.
Ahead of the release of the new limited-edition bags, Complex Canada caught up with Yemi to discuss the Crown Royal collaboration, journeying through artistry, and Black people in the future.
On this project, she’s one of the people I worked with to create a bag design that speaks to her energy and she’s going to pass that bag to somebody special in her life, as well as each of the other creators on this campaign. With Haviah, we’ve been collaborating for years. I did her first album cover and also directed a bunch of her early music videos. She’s somebody that I have a lot of love and respect for and I always enjoy linking up with and working on different stuff with her. It was really fun to get to connect on this campaign. I feel like creatively we are already aligned and have the same sort of outlook on a lot of things.
I created this design with the intention of highlighting the interconnectivity within our communities. The phrase “I shine you shine’’ is a call to use our platforms and our resources to create opportunities for the people around us, and to have faith that the people around us are doing the same. It’s about embracing an abundance mindset. The crown of flowers is intended as a symbol of acknowledgment. Giving someone their flowers means showing them that you appreciate them and what they do. I feel like sometimes we get caught up in our own little bubbles and forget to just say, “Hey, I see you shining and I appreciate you for it.” The adinkra symbol on the chain is a chain link which represents the idea that it’s important to support the community around us because our strength lies in unity. That’s what I think of when I think about modern royalty, and passing the crown. It’s the idea of really extending those values and making sure that you’re good and the people around you are good.
Brown or White liquor? If any at all?
[Laughs.] Uhm, brown to be honest with you, I keep a bottle of Crown in the fridge in my studio here and that has nothing to do with this campaign. I’m not going to say I’m exclusive to it but it’s definitely a part of the rotation.
I’d say to others who are in that headspace that there is so much richness in cultural heritage. Unfortunately, if you grow up in the diaspora, and went to a Canadian, European or American school, a lot of that history gets suppressed and, in a lot of cases, purposely concealed. You just have to be very vigilant and take that on as a mission. The information is available but it’s not going to be offered to you the same way colonial history is presented. I’d encourage people to be curious and pursue that kind of education outside of the education system.
I’m definitely a Black Panther fan and I’m very excited about the movie. I’ve taken in a fair amount of criticism about the film and understand its not a perfect representation but with that being said, I think not everything is going to be a perfect representation. I feel like that movie created a lot of joy, I remember going to see it at Scotiabank Theatre, it was filled with Black people and everyone was totally vibing out. A lot of smiles, a lot of energy. It felt like a party in the movie theatre. There is such a lack of positive representation for Blackness and Black culture in the pop culture sphere and I think a moment like that coupled with the success of the movie, makes it feel nice to be seen and recognized. A lot of superheroes and comic books play a big role in socializing for a lot of kids. I can only speak from a North American perspective, through cartoons, comic books and backpacks and stuff like that, it’s a big part of growing up out here and you don’t really see the Black version of that. When that movie finally came out it just made a lot of people feel seen and I think that’s very important.
This is Complex, so I’m going to have to ask you a music question. Are you into Afrobeats at all and if so, who are your favourite artists right now?
I got to shout out to Mr.Eazi. I got a chance to photograph him the first time he came to Toronto. I’m definitely feeling what Wizkid is doing. Honestly, when I’m in the studio, I listen to a lot of old stuff, old soul music and R&B. On a regular basis, I’m kind of more down tempo but I love the energy and visuals that are coming out of the continent right now. Obviously, Burna Boy is everywhere and that’s a concert I’d love to see.
