When Kanye West and his G.O.O.D. Music team released “Mercy,” the first single from their forthcoming group album Cruel Summer, back in April, most expected to see a video with at least one Lamborghini Murcielago in its partnering video.
The line, “Lamborghini mercy / Your chick, she’s so thirsty” is repeated throughout the club thumper’s hook. In this case “mercy” is referring to Murcielago, a specific line of the powerhouse Italian luxury sports car brand.
But when the chic Nabil Elderkin-directed video—shot in a garage in the Arab state of Qatar while West and co. were shooting the short film for the album—came out two months later, rap heads and car aficionados alike were a bit disappointed. There was no Murcielago in it. Instead, they used a Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4. Sure, it’s an amazing car. But why not do the obvious?
“We can assume that because the Murcielago is sold out, it may be more difficult to locate that particular model, a U.S. Lamborghini spokesperson told Complex over the weekend. “The Gallardo is available at our franchised Lamborghini dealerships.” There’s a Lambo dealership in Doha, Qatar, not far from where the “Mercy" video was shot.
Elderkin said that the Gallardo use was more about time constraints than exclusivity. “We used that car because it was the only thing available at the time of the shoot,” he said before jokingly inquiring, “Can you tell Lambo to let me take one for a day?”
The folks over at Lamborghini don’t mind how West and his crew used their brand in the brash song and video, the rep confirms. The single just broke into the Billboard Hot 100 chart's top 20 (currently No. 19) last week. The rep even admits that there are more than a few West fans in the office. But they don’t expect to see sales of any of their cars to rise because of the track.
“Most owners tell us they’ve had a lifelong love affair with the brand before they actually purchased their Lamborghini,” says the rep. “This is another example of the use of a Lamborghini in various art forms. Communicating success, individuality and creativity are hallmarks of the brand.”
Another fan a West’s, girlfriend Kim Kardashian, recently copped her man a Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 for his 35th birthday on June 8. News of the $750,000 purchase spread over the Internet at a speed faster than any Lambo can drive.
Of course, Lamborghini is not mad at that either. “We appreciate the publicity,” the spokesperson says. “But more importantly, we hope Kanye has the opportunity to fully experience the exhilarating performance and technical innovations found in all Lamborghinis.” He's certainly trying.
