Popular Rapper Turns Down P. Diddy Offer Over Sweatshops
By National Labor Committee
Referred By: http://www.nlcnet.org
Published: January 21, 2005
NATIONAL LABOR COMMITTEE
HUMAN & WORKER RIGHTS UPDATE
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.
If only more celebrity artists and athletes had the
same integrity as Tego Calderon, this might be a very
different place for the tens of millions of exploited
young women across the developing world who sew our
clothing and assemble our CD players and cell phones
for just pennies an hour. These forgotten workers need
a voice, and perhaps they have found one in Tego
Calderon.
If you want to thank Tego Calderon for the strong
position he has taken in support of workers rights,
you can write him via his website:
http://futuroe3.com/tego
(The website is in Spanish. Click on Contact me
(Contácteme) on the bottom right hand side. Fill in
your name, email address and your message. )
Model message:
Dear Tego Calderon,
Thank you for the great stand you have taken in
refusing to participate in the promotion of clothing
that could be linked to sweatshops. If only more
celebrity artists and athletes would show the same
integrity as you have, this might be a very different
place for the millions of exploited young women across
the developing world who sew our clothing and assemble
our CD players and cell phones for just pennies an
hour. These forgotten workers need a voice,
and perhaps they have found one in Tego Calderan.
Thank you for what you have done.
Hola Tego Calderon,
Gracias por tu digna postura de rehusarte a
participar en un anuncio de ropa que podria vincularte
a la explotacion en las maquilas. Estamos muy
contentos de la integridad que tu has mostrado.
deseariamos que mas personalidades públicas, artístas
y atletas sigan tu ejemplo. Si fuera así, la realidad
seria muy diferente para millones de mujeres jovenes
explotadas a traves del mundo menos desarrollado, las
cuales cosen nuestra ropa y ensamblan nuestros equipos
CD, DVD, MP3 y celulares, ganando una miseria de
solo unos centavos la hora. Estas trabajadoras
olvidadas necesitan una voz, y quizas la han
encontrado en la persona de Tego Calderon. Gracias
por lo que has hecho. Felicidades.
Copyright 2005 N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
The New York Post
January 12, 2005 Wednesday
SECTION: All Editions; Pg. 54
LENGTH: 729 words
HEADLINE: MORE MONEY, MORE PROBLEMS
BYLINE: Sandra Guzman
BODY:
TEGO CALDERON is putting his money where his mike
is. The king of reggaeton, who, as reported on these
pages last month, was tapped by P.Diddy to be part of
the Sean John spring collection ad campaign, turned
down the King of Bling because he found out that
Combs’ high-end apparel company is allegedly running
sweatshops in Central America and he felt personally
disrespected by Puffy’s offer.
Speaking to us via phone from his home in Puerto
Rico, the politically conscious and hugely popular
Puerto Rican rapper told us that there were several
reasons why he passed on the opportunity to be
associated with the millionaire rap mogul.
"I heard about the human rights violations in his
clothing factories in Central America but frankly
there was more," explained the artist. "Me falto el
respeto, [he dissed me] with his offer. I just did a
$75,000 commercial in Puerto Rico with Nydia Caro.
Someone like Puffy could have offered more than $2,000
- but again, it wasn’t about the money. I was not
persuadable. It was about the principle."
Tego, who is currently in the studio recording his
next album (due out this summer), expressed his
displeasure with the whole episode: "It’s the
principle. I don’t think he [Puffy] knows what I am
about."
"What hurts me the most is that my colleagues
accepted the offer [to do the ad campaign], thinking
that it was a great opportunity. This was about
respecting us, and what we do."
The hot-as-cakes artist admits that his decision
cost him the promised "Time Square billboard and
exposure to mainstream America and MTV’s and VH1’s
audiences" - but he was resolute.
"Forgive me, but I don’t need Time Square, I don’t
need a billboard. I am not trying to conquer white
Middle America. I already won the hearts and respect
of those I wanted to win - mi gente Latina, my people,
the street, my black brothers and sisters," said the
defiant rapper.
Calderon, fielding blockbuster offers for
multi-million-dollar recording contracts, also dropped
exclusive news - he is not signing with a major label,
a decision that will cost him major money.
"I ain’t trying to be no employee, I have worked too
hard to build what I have," he said. He added that, to
the chagrin of his entire crew, he will only accept a
distribution deal (with a major label).
"I’ve never been a good employee. I don’t like
anyone telling me what to do. Yup, I will lose
millions ...but I keep my freedom.
"I can’t say in my songs one thing, and then
personally be about something else," he said. "Now
that someone is offering me some change, I’m going to
go against the principles that my viejos (parents)
taught me? Nah."
Finally, he added, "I am surprised that this got
out, this was a very personal decision."
News that Diddy’s apparel company was allegedly
exploiting workers did not surprise Charles Kernaghan,
the head of the National Labor Committee. His group,
which monitors apparel working conditions in Third
World countries found Combs’ Honduras shops were
violating basic human and worker’s rights back in
2003.
"The Honduras situation was horrific," said
Kernaghan. "They were giving young women pregnancy
tests every month, locking bathrooms all day, no
health insurance, and verbally and sometimes
physically abusing them."
Only a threat of protest in December of 2003 got the
rapper and his people to negotiate.
"To his credit, Mr. Combs transformed the Setisa
[Honduras] factory. He deserves enormous praise," says
the labor leader. "But that victory could have been
extended. He chose to clean up and stop at one."
Meanwhile, Daddy Yankee, another reggaetan rapper,
who did agree to be part of the label’s advertising
campaign, said through his management company that he
was not aware of any new claims.
"We knew about past allegations [in Honduras] but
thought that it was all cleaned up. The new situation
is news to us, " says Anthony Ramirez, of Daddy
Yankee’s management team.
Ramirez says that presently they are reviewing other
promotional offers and will do more "homework" in
the future.
P.Diddy defended his award-winning fashion line
though a statement issued by his COO, Todd Kahn.
"Sean John has long had very strict policies with
which all of its vendors are required to comply. Our
compliance team inspects and certifies all of our
factories around the globe. We have absolutely zero
tolerance for non-compliance with our policies."
********************************************************
National Labor Committee
540 West 48th Street, 3rd Fl.
New York, NY 10036
phone: (212) 242-3002
fax: (212) 242-3821
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