Nation
Arby's launches fish sandwich wars with spicy diss on McDonald's by Pusha T
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Gone are the days when a hip-hop beef involved brawling feuds between the East Coast and West Coast. It seems we’ve moved a bit offshore.
In this commercial age, where rappers get the coveted slots in the Super Bowl, a new diss track has emerged, furnished by rapper Pusha T in service of fast-food chain Arby’s and its new spicy fish sandwich.
Pusha T is no stranger to the battle rap, clashing most notably perhaps with the rapper Drake a few years ago. But this time, he’s not taking aim at a golden-voiced rapper; he’s going after the golden arches at McDonald’s.
What’s behind the beef over a fish sandwich?
Evidently, there are personal reasons behind it. King Push, as he’s known by beloved fans, is credited with penning the highly successful “I’m Lovin’ It” McDonald’s jingle near the beginning of his career, but he said he didn’t receive much compensation for it.
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“I did it at a very young age at a very young time in my career where I wasn’t asking for as much money and ownership,” Pusha T, who has collaborated with the likes of Pharrell and Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, told Rolling Stone magazine. “It’s something that’s always dug at me later in life like, ‘Dammit, I was a part of this and I should have more stake.’ ”
Food and beverage brands have long sought assistance from rappers. Many of us elder millennials remember the Sprite “Obey Your Thirst” commercials of the 1990s. And sometimes there has been blowback, as when former Fox News personality Bill O’Reilly lambasted Pepsi for running commercials with the rapper Ludacris.
Let’s be honest, hip-hop has always been driven by a competitive hyper-capitalism, and the fish sandwich wars are being launched in the middle of Lent, where market demand for seafood might be at its peak.
Fish sandwich wars ahead?
So Pusha T is looking to cash in.
As Walter D. Greason, a professor and economic historian at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, said, “More people, in and out of hip-hop, need to understand the value of their creativity in ways similar to Pusha T’s growth from McDonald’s to Arby’s.”
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For years, some of the biggest fast-food chains, including Chick-fil-A, Popeyes and KFC, have been embroiled (or fried) in the chicken sandwich wars, waging big dollar campaigns for supremacy at drive-thru lines.
As the battle moves toward the sea, there’s ample reason to believe Pusha T might be well versed in good seafood.
He hails from the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, along the Chesapeake Bay, where a staple of any summertime cookout is fresh fried fish, usually generously appointed with hot sauce and served on sliced white bread.
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So he saves some of his spiciest rhymes for aim at McDonald’s: “Drowned in tartar that Filet-O-Fish is tasteless/ see Arby’s only deals in the greatness/ I bet the house on it like it’s Vegas.”
Pusha T acknowledges his marketing ability on the track. “I could sell water to a whale/ How could you ever think I’d fail?” he raps.
Will this be the beginning of a boom for Arby’s to the top of the charts or an anchor that sinks the chain?
Only time will tell.
Commentary editor Austin Bogues is a member of USA TODAY’s Editorial Board. Follow him on Twitter: @AustinBogues
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Uber, Lyft made safety improvements, but many of those protect riders more than drivers. But drivers are also in danger.
Naomi Ogutu
Opinion contributor
I’ve been a rideshare driver in New York City for six years, and I take pride in my job and helping my passengers get where they need to go safely. But my safety is not a guarantee. I’m a mom of three. I need to know that I’ll make it home to my kids at the end of each night.
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Business
'A bad déjà vu': Under the crush of Western sanctions, Russians fear a return to dark economic days
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Harsh sanctions from Western nations on Russia have reminded citizens of the country’s 1998 debt crisis.
By Anna Nemtsova
USA TODAY
- McDonalds and other American businesses have closed in Russia amid its invasion into Ukraine.
- One expert estimates more than 200,000 Russians have left the country since the start of the war.
- To counter economic turmoil, Putin has demand “unfriendly” countries pay for natural gas exports in rubles.
The once bustling corner of Moscow’s central Tverskaya Street looked deserted on Wednesday, as Russia’s first-ever McDonald’s franchise – opened in 1990 in a move that symbolized the Soviet Union’s opening to the West – shut its doors.
A large mural depicting a giant, Soviet-era medal – the Order of Victory, the highest military decoration awarded in World War II — loomed over over the empty sidewalk.
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The lone No. 1 seed still alive heading into the Elite Eight, Kansas needs only a win against No. 10 Miami (Fla.) to book a spot in the Final Four.
No. 2 Duke and coach Mike Krzyzewski can make one last Final Four and chase one final national championship by beating No. 4 Arkansas.
No. 2 Villanova can reach the national semifinals for the third time in six tournaments by winning what should be a defense-dominated brawl against No. 5 Houston.
And after beating No. 4 UCLA in the Sweet 16, No. 8 North Carolina is one win from reaching the Final Four under first-year coach Hubert Davis.
If everything goes according to plan, this year’s Final Four will consist of some of the biggest names in the history of the sport.
But the last week has taught us that this year’s NCAA Tournament will inevitably deviate from the script.
So look for the Jayhawks to be shocked in the Elite Eight, as the Bill Self collection of tournament collapses adds another painful chapter. Based on how things have gone through three rounds, Arkansas is a lock to send Krzyzewski into retirement one game shy of the Final Four. Villanova may be a two-time champion under Jay Wright, but the Wildcats will be smothered by Houston.
And, of course, the Tar Heels will lose to the team that embodies the wackiness and uncertainty of this entire tournament.
Saint Peter’s stands at the precipice of another outlandish achievement: being the first No. 15 seed — the first seed lower than No. 11, in fact — to reach the Final Four.
The Peacocks will be the underdog once again come Sunday, when they’ll match against a deeper and more talented opponent with decades of history to more than overshadow the Peacocks’ three-game run.
But beating another college basketball giant will simply take what we already know the Peacocks can bring to the table: Saint Peter’s reached the Elite Eight with energy, aggressiveness and composure, following the model set by unflappable coach Shaheen Holloway, and that same combination will give the Peacocks a chance at etching themselves into an even more permanent place in NCAA Tournament history.
“We’re happy but don’t mistake, we’re not satisfied, we’re not satisfied at all,” said guard Doug Edert. “The job is not finished. We feel like we belong and the more games we win the more confidence we build.”
That sounds like bad news for the Tar Heels, who might’ve righted the ship after a poor start to ACC play but could be the latest blueblood to the Peacocks’ formula.
At some point, the magic has to run out — for Saint Peter’s, which somehow keeps stacking upsets of higher-ranked opponents, and for the tournament at large, which has been wackier than ever but could suddenly snap back to the status quo.
But this March has not gone according to plan. Several big names lost early. Others failed to get out of the second round. The story of this year’s tournament has been upsets, shockers, letdowns, unpredictable officiating and unpredictability, period — why should the next two days be any different?
Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg
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