Since becoming an official couple Saweetie and Quavo became a couple sometime in 2018, they’ve been many music fans’ prime example of “couple goals.” However, while their cutesy flirtation has set a trend or two, Saweetie’s high standards for their relationship became a hot topic of debate on Twitter when video from an Instagram Live in which she seemingly advises women to expect expensive accessories from their men went viral. In a new interview with Essence‘s Girls United, Saweetie addresses the resulting backlash and clarifies what she really meant.
In the original video, Saweetie counseled, “If he not getting you a Birkin, if he not paying for your bills, then throw that n**** back to the streets, okay?” Quavo, present in the background, simply shrugs in agreement. The flippant remark doubled as promotion for Saweetie’s anticipated single “Back To The Streets” with Jhene Aiko. However, rather than interpreting this advice for their individual circumstances, some fans instead took it literally, using it as “evidence” of an increasing sentiment of materialism in hip-hop — especially among women. Others thought it was a wasteful expenditure, telling anyone who would listen they should instead invest in assets like land and/or businesses.
Saweetie says if he can’t buy you a Birkin, you don’t need him, sis???♂️ pic.twitter.com/3qTA6svZQ5
— The Shade Room (@TheShadeRoomEnt) October 23, 2020
However, in her Girls United interview, she makes clear that the costly Hermés purse (which can run a purchaser anywhere from a few grand to almost half-a-million dollars, according to Google Shopping) was only an example and she wasn’t recommending only dated exorbitantly rich men. “Let’s talk about the discourse,” she jokes. “For me, a Birkin is symbolic of a gift. So to people coming in, talking about ‘Oh, I’m going to get my girl property,’ why don’t you get her property and a Birkin. My sentiments behind that were just, you know, spoil your girl. Spoil her with your loyalty, your energy, and how you treat her.”
Of course, for Quavo, one of the higher-paid entertainers in hip-hop thanks to lucrative business deals with brands like Boohoo, Doritos, Lids, and Martell, that advice really was literal. In July, a video of Saweetie dropping into a split after he gave her not one but two Birkin bags for her birthday similarly went viral, prompting even more fans to declare the two couple goals.
Saweetie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
