Rapper A$AP Rocky has been accused of promoting terrorism after sharing a photo of himself wearing a pendant shaped like a Z and made from a tank.
The star, 34, took to Instagram on Thursday to share the image promoting his first commercial tie-in with Beats by Dre, but he soon faced criticism for the film’s Russian ties.
Before his quick deletion of the post, A$AP, real name Rakim Athelston Myers, was accused of supporting Vladimir Putin’s bombing of Ukraine by posting a photo of the iconic symbol filled with negative connotations.
The Z symbol has been used by Putin and his troops to promote his war against Ukraine, and the symbol has been called the equivalent of Hitler’s swastika – which followers have pointed out in a number of heated comments.
Some believe the symbol is a shortened version of ‘ja pobedu’ – meaning ‘for victory’ and note its similarity to the swastika – a symbol used by Nazi Germany in World War II – nicknamed Z ‘Putin’s swastika’.
Publicity: Rapper A$AP Rocky has been accused of promoting terrorism after sharing a photo of himself wearing a pendant shaped like a Z and made from a tank.
Ouch: The star, 34, took to Instagram on Thursday to share the image promoting his first commercial tie-in with Beats by Dre, but he soon faced criticism over the image’s Russian links (pictured in February)
Terrorism: A$AP, real name Rakim Athelston Myers, was accused of supporting Vladimir Putin’s bombing of Ukraine by posting images of significant symbols filled with negative connotations, before the post was quickly deleted (Photo of Putin on Thursday)
What does Z mean?
Because of its association with the war in Ukraine, the jade has become a military symbol in Russian propaganda and is used by Russian civilians to indicate support for invasion.
The symbol has since been banned from public display in several countries, and its use has been criminalized by several European governments…
Opponents of the war called the Z symbol a zwastika or zwaztika, referring to the Nazi swastika.
Comments below the post included: ‘Idiot… what a shame… supporting terrorism.. delete it… I don’t have your music on my headphones anymore… supporting genocide…
‘Do you get it now?’… Obviously, no one reads the news and will be alienated from his fans because of it… the new Kanye West?’
There is nothing to suggest that A$AP was aware of the sign’s meaning or endorsed its meaning in any way.
MailOnline has contacted A$AP’s representatives for comment.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year in an escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian war that began in 2014.
The invasion has killed thousands of people on both sides, with Russian troops suffering heavy civilian casualties and capturing Ukrainian soldiers who are reporting frequent abuses.
By June, nearly 8 million Ukrainians were internally displaced. More than 8.2 million have fled the country in May 2023, Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II.
Massive environmental damage, widely described as ecocide, has contributed to the 2022 food crisis.
In 2019, A$AP again gave a nod to Russia following the release of his single Babushka Boi, when he began wearing a babushka – a headscarf tied under the chin and traditionally worn by Russian women – after which Frank Ocean commented: ‘Babushka Boi’.
Shock: Fans were outraged by the post and shared several comments
Ahem: In 2019, A$AP gave a nod to Russia again after the release of his single Babushka Boi, when he started wearing a babushka – a headscarf tied under the chin and traditionally worn by Russian women – after which Frank Ocean commented: ‘Babushka Boi’ (pictured in 2019)
At the time, she was accused of cultural appropriation by sporting the item, with one Twitter user writing: ‘ASAP Rocky wearing a babushka is cultural appropriation but no one says anything but Kim Kardashian naming her brand kimono is people drawing the line’
Although the word babushka means headscarf, in Russian the word means grandmother.
At the time, she was accused of cultural appropriation by sporting the item, with one Twitter user writing: ‘ASAP Rocky is a babushka wearing cultural appropriation but no one says anything but Kim Kardashian draws the line at people naming her brand kimono’.
The post comes after A$AP made headlines when he was slammed for getting into a fight with his pregnant girlfriend Rihanna, with whom he shares 14-month-old son RZA Athelston Mayers, while out at a club in May.
In one club footage he can be heard saying: ‘You’re acting like a gentleman right now, you hear? I have brought my lady here.’
He continued: ‘You all don’t—- calm down, man. Don’t be in the category doing all that —. Calm down — you will all behave like gentlemen in our presence.’
Rihanna and Rocky started dating in 2020 after a longtime friendship and musical collaboration.
Earlier this year, the Diamonds hitmaker revealed that she and Rocky are expecting their second child when she debuted a new baby bump during her show-stopping Super Bowl halftime performance in Glendale, Arizona on February 12.
His love: The post comes after A$AP made headlines when he hit out at clubgoers in May for brawling with his pregnant girlfriend Rihanna, with whom he shares son RZA Athelston Myers, 14 months.