What is the meaning behind “This that Grey Poupon, that Evian, that TED Talk, ayy”? HUMBLE. by Kendrick Lamar
- by imrk
- March 25, 2023
Grey Poupon is a brand of gourmet mustard that originated in Dijon, France. It also has a storied history in hip-hop, and is most commonly associated with wealthy white men. In the music video, Kendrick passes a jar of the mustard through the window of an early 1960s Chevy Impala to his friend, Show Gudda, which is a reference to the original Grey Poupon advertisements : Evian is a brand of natural mineral water, sourced near Évian-les-Bains in the South East of France. TED is an acronym for technology, entertainment and design. It’s a non-profit organization which gathers many high profile intellects at conferences called “TED Talks” to share their ideas on a variety of topics. This could be a specific reference to Malcolm Gladwell’s talk, Choice, Happiness and Spaghetti sauce, in which he mentions Grey Poupon.