The most popular brands of urban clothing are becoming more easily available to British rap fans. Brands like Rocawear, which was founded in 1995 by the rapper Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke. Rocawear has grown to become one of the most popular urban brands for street wise consumers.
The brand continues to be innovative in its use of different types of fabric and new vibrant designs. The brands image is also kept in the public eye through the rapper Jay-Z wearing the clothes and promoting the brand.
Jay-z’s profile in the UK was raised when he was controversially selected to headline the 2008 Glastonbury Festival. The festival has a tradition of playing guitar based rock music and the selection of Jay-Z to headline was not universally popular. Despite the controversy Jay-Z went on to play the festival and his performance was heralded as a success. He also played the O2 Wireless Festival in London. He also took the opportunity to promote the Rocawear jacket during an interview with the BBC’s Tim Westwood. This again helped to raise the profile of the clothing line in the UK.