LL Cool J promoting FUBU during a GAP commercial, might be the greatest branding coup.

[ThrobbingHood]

Eazy E getting invited to the White House probably comes close.

I wonder how many GAP employees got sacked for this oversight.


Date: Spring 1997

The Moment: In the Spring of '97, a commercial starts to air for the Gap, featuring a new kind of spokesperson for the mall-shopping standard of America: LL Cool J. In the spot, LL sports the Gap neck-to-toe. On his head, however, was a hat by a then little-known streetwear brand called FUBU, which stood for "For Us, By Us," given a shout by LL in the lyrics of his rap during the commercial, with those exact words.

The Impact: Executives for The Gap were supposedly furious, once they actually realized what had happened. And here's what happened: FUBU's founder, Daymond John—an old friend of LL's from Hollis, Queens—kept pestering LL Cool J to wear his new clothing line, until LL actually did...to a shoot for his big Gap commerical. Orders for the clothing line exploded, and FUBU became the original monolithic rapper-endorsed streetwear brand, with revenues totaling somewhere around the $300 million mark in 1998.

The Upshot: FUBU went on to inspire Sean Jean, Roc-a-Wear, et al. By the early Aughts, however, the clothing line had fallen out of style, and LL ended up suing FUBU for money he felt he was owed by the company.

 

[eastsideTT]

I don't remember seeing LL without a Fubu piece on from like 95-99 solid. Daymond John owes him a lot

 

[froggle]

For us by us

 

[Blankthawtz]

 

[ba'al]

For us by us

 

[Software]

But we let FUBU fall off so we can pay some gay Italian dude $200 for a shirt to be "fly"

 

[froggle]

Damon is clearly playing it up for TMZ....real recognize real

 

[newworldafro]

[

Damn that's heavy.
Misconception??? That he never corrected?

But I understand

For Us BUcks

 

[Lord-Yosh]

Damon is clearly playing it up for TMZ....real recognize real

A common misconception you say

 

[ThrobbingHood]

But we let FUBU fall off so we can pay some gay Italian dude $200 for a shirt to be "fly"

How many black/urban brands are left? Between the mid 90s and mid 2000s, hip hop clothing was everywhere. Most of them have been sold off.

 

[Booker T Garvey]

this is disappointing, a 5 second google search will show plenty of 90's publications where this is what it stood for

he knows how polarizing and racist that come across in this new america though so he's playing it down...but this is sad to see.

 

[ba'al]

Yeah dude said it in this video but now he changed it.

Damon is clearly playing it up for TMZ....real recognize real

 

[smokeurobinson]

But we let FUBU fall off so we can pay some gay Italian dude $200 for a shirt to be "fly"

Urban fashion usually has a "phase" before its played out unlike casual wear which is what has kept Sean John afloat.

 

[Will Ross]

But we let FUBU fall off so we can pay some gay Italian dude $200 for a shirt to be "fly"

How can you blame the public for a company failing to stay relevant? I just realized we take the blame for things we should not take the blame for

 

[Software]

Urban fashion usually has a "phase" before its played out unlike casual wear which is what has kept Sean John afloat.

Sean John fell off like FUBU
Aint nobody walking around thinking they the shyt cuz they wearing Sean John in 2018 breh