American brewery Anheuser-Busch has announced it will discontinue Travis Scott‘s hard seltzer Cacti, after just nine months on the market.
Despite its timing following a run of bad publicity and a tarnished reputation for the rapper in the wake of the 2021 Astroworld tragedy, a representative from Anheuser-Busch has told Pitchfork that the decision was mutual between Scott and the brewery.
“Travis was clear in his interview that he is not focused on business right now and his priority is helping his community and fans heal,” the statement read.
“Cacti asked AB Inbev to inform their wholesalers there will not be product at this time.”
The interview alluded to in the statement is Scott’s recent sit-down with Charlemagne Tha God, which has drawn criticism for Scott’s perceived lack of responsibility for what happened at his festival.
Over 1500 lawsuits have been filed by one Houston attorney, following the crowd crush that left 10 dead and hundreds injured. Scott offered to cover the funeral expenses of those that were lost at Astroworld, but half of the families reportedly rejected Scott’s payment.
Cacti was originally released in March 2021, having been originally announced in December. It is one of several entrepreneurial projects from the rapper that have since been shelved in the wake of the tragedy – including his own cannabis line, a McDonald’s meal deal and a “strategic creative partnership” with Sony for the PS5.