Veteran hip-hop MC and actor LL Cool J has always been known for his flair for fashion and was pivotal in helping clothing brand FUBU blow up in the 90’s. The “I’m Bad” rapper has reentered the fashion game once again with the launch of his Hip Hop is Essential apparel line and the Rock the Bells brand. The line includes hoodies, heavyweight t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, and shorts. Prices range between $35 and $85 for the capsule collection.
“Since I started, fashion, and specifically streetwear, has always been something that I loved. I just felt like there’s room. People want something flavorful, but they want it to be from the people that really built [street] culture. A lot of people are playing in the streetwear game when the reality is there are a lot of outsiders playing in the culture,” LL Cool J told Forbes about his new venture.
LL collaborated with artist, footwear and fashion designer Alexander-John to create the line. John has created custom footwear in the past for the likes of Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Emory Jones, Google, Microsoft and Nickelodeon. The award-winning rapper also revealed that he was hands-on in producing the line.
“Anybody can slap a logo on a shirt and call it a brand. That doesn’t really make it a brand or official streetwear. I didn’t want to go get some blanks and slap a logo on it. I wanted the material to be right and the vibe to be right. I want it to really represent the culture the right way. The same way I do with my music, the same way I do in different areas of my life. I want it to be custom and thought out. Some sort of passion in it. I’m trying to do something for our culture so we can expand and grow,” he further told Forbes.
Check out a few pieces from the collection below which can purchased at www.rockthebells.com.
