Ja Morant’s gun fiasco has cost more than just his own career. According to TMZ, Morant’s nixed Powerade spot was going to feature NLE Choppa’s new single “Mo Up Front.” The commercial was going to be the kickoff to Powerade’s largest campaign, running through the NCAA tournament.
Choppa, a resident of Memphis and fan of the Grizzlies and Morant, maintains he will continue that support and will also appear in the team’s celebrity basketball game on March 20 to support St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Last week, NLE Choppa makes a comeback with a brand-new, aggressive crowd-pleaser called “Mo Up Front.” The anthem is the most recent single from the rapper’s eagerly awaited Cottonwood 2 album. It is quick, aggressive, and immediately catchy. Cottonwood 2 is set to release this coming spring.
“Tell ‘em that I know money, used to getting dope money,” Choppa raps on “Mo Up Front” over trembling percussion and a blazing backdrop of rattling samples.. “Now I’m getting show money, I need some mo up front!”
The rising rapper builds an evocative image of life in the fast lane, adding: “Trafficking the snow bunny, running through a bag o’ honey — tell ‘em that I know money, I need some mo upfront.”
You can tap into the single and video below.
Ja Morant is currently away from the Memphis Grizzlies, but he also will be away from commercial breaks. According to The Drum, Coca-Cola has pulled Morant’s Powerade campaign ads.
Morant is currently in the fallout from flashing a gun in the strip club on Instagram. He won’t be formally charged, but he is currently serving a suspension that runs through at least 15 games. Adding on, Powerade is pushing pause on their largest campaign in history, “From Underestimated to Undeniable,” which featured Morant. The ads have been pulled from YouTube and social media.
The campaign was set to be a major step forward in Coca-Cola’s aim to battle the power of Gatorade, with the combination of Body Armor.
Ken Sadowsky, a veteran beverage analyst, told The Drum, the controversy is “bad timing” for the brand as it heads into the summer season.
“There’s a lot of activity and growth in the isotonics category, but Coke is now facing a challenge for the umpteenth time. It’s difficult because the 600-pound Gatorade gorilla is pretty good at putting down challengers,” Sadowsky said.
