In honor of the holiday season and celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Grand Marnier and Black-owned wrapping paper company UNWRP collaborated with rising rock/hip-hop musician Teezo Touchdown to cultivate customized, limited-edition wrapping paper, gift wrap content and custom cocktail kit.
In terms of its physical features, Touchdown’s special wrapping paper features various musical devices that embody how hip-hop lovers have consumed music over the years.
“It’s a tribute to hip-hop, but it’s also a tribute to my childhood,” Touchdown, who released his debut album earlier this year, told Blavity. “Every Christmas I got something that was pertaining to music. One year, it was a turntable. One year, it was a keyboard. One year, it was a studio. It’s also a wink to my childhood with Christmas coming around. It reminds me of those warm moments with my family.”
Founded by multidisciplinary designer Ashley L. Fouyolle in 2017, UNWRP was “born from the desire to create beautiful, quality gifting goods that are produced with ethical and environmental values.”
“Partnering with Grand Marnier on this project was a great experience! I hope our shared love for hip-hop and the holidays shine through in the product,” Fouyolle said in a prior statement. “We’re excited to bring this special gift wrap to consumers because one thing that makes wrapping gifts that much easier is enjoying a delicious cocktail.”
To commemorate the community and hip-hop’s history, Grand Marnier is also donating to the Hip Hop Museum, which is set to open in The Bronx, New York, in 2025.
For Touchdown, the legacy of hip-hop is something he respects and has profoundly impacted his journey.
“I’ve always been fascinated on how business and hip-hop collaborate (pun intended) throughout the great encounter,” he told us. “You look at The Fat Boys and Pepsi, you look at Run DMC with Adidas, so I take some much pride in doing something with Grand Marnier because it keeps pushing the narrative that hip-hop is a very much so thriving business that’s gonna be here for 50 to 100 to 1,000 years plus.”
To participate in a grand experience, folks can also purchase their Grand Margarita holiday cocktail kit through Cocktail Courier. The kit includes all the ingredients to create Teezo Touchdown’s rendition of the specialty drink, flavorful garnishes and free custom gift wrapping paper.
“I am guilty of showing up to the family event, empty-handed without anything to grab, so I think it’s great that they have this kit that you can pull up with,” he said. “Not only do they have this kit, but they have this great Black-owned wrapping paper around it, just so you don’t pull up to the party empty-handed, so shout out to UNWRP for that.”
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When it comes to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Touchdown has reaffirmed that this year is indeed monumental for the culture.
“The 50th anniversary of hip-hop means legacy,” he said. “I always say that everything that comes before me is the result of where I am today. It’s the youngest art form we have right now. It’s a Black art form. I just wanna make sure I uphold it to the utmost standard. When people research it, I want them to see that I am a great representation of that, and it makes you go look at other artists. I’m a fan first, but I’m also a student. I hope when people find me, it makes them go look at the past and gets them excited for what’s to come because I don’t think hip-hop is going anywhere.”
