How did Rocawear got started? i need info!!

[Bachaveli]

Friend of mine is doing kinda like a essay for school about Rocawear (the clothin line and record label itself too).

how it got started, what were there difficulties and the key success factors of this business.

basically lil history about it.

direct link to the site so i can read it myself would be appriciated but if some of yall drop some of the thoughts on it would also be good.

 

[DPG iz all I C]

The record label started in '96 after Jay was rejected by many other labels, himself, Dash and Biggs decided to set up Roc a Fella.

The clothing line came around '99 i think

 

[Pacaveli-T]

Rocawear Clothing

ROCAWEAR draws its inspiration from the legendary Rocafella Records, led by none other than Jay-Z and Damon Dash. Feast on the culture of hip hop


http://tshirtriot.com/rocawear/

 

[jflballer]

read last months' "The Source." Good article about Dame & Jay and how shit started. Also, do some research before you ask questions.

Why was Rocafella/Rocawear successful? Because Jigga made them big and they kept up w/demand. You think if Jay was a flop that any of their shit woulda sold? Hardly. They occupied a niche and eventually flooded the market.

I'm not big on Rocawear's history, but here's what I know about Rocafella:

Dame went to high school w/Cameron Giles, Mason Betha, and Lamont Coleman (Killa Cam, Murda Mase, Big L). Dame was always that dude that didn't have the skills himself, but wanted to be "the manager." Even in high school, Dame was Mase's pretend "manager." (this is all in Mase's book Revelations.) So, yes, this means that Dame was from Harlem.

For some reason, Dame ended up being Sean Carter's right-hand man. The odd part about this is that Sean Carter (Jay-Z) is from Brooklyn, whereas Dame is f/Harlem. There were multiple rap groups/camps forming all over NYC at the time (early 90s), w/a few of these being Ruff Ryders (Dee, Waah, DMX, Dame Grease, Swizzy, The Warlox -- later known as "The Lox"), Rocafella (Dame, Jigga, a few lesser known cats), Murder INC/CMC (Ja, the Gotti Brothers, O-1, Chris Black), Children of the Corn (Killa Cam, Murda Mase, Bloodshed).

Most of the groups came in contact w/each other during battles at local rec centers or on the streets. In DMX's The Autobiography of D.M.X., X talks about battling Jay-Z in the early 90s. Apparently, both X and Jigga were the most skilled cats f/their respective camps, and ended up having to settle the battle that was started by the "Pups" (what X called Jada and Styles) and Jigga's guys. X claims that, after about an hour of battling, Dame actually admitted that "X got [Jay]."

One thing that most people don't know is that Irv Gotti is the guy that kicked everything off for so many New York rappers. X's boys Dee and Waah (hustlers who founded/funded Ruff Ryders) actually bought Gotti his first sampler, and Gotti really does have talent making beats. Gotti became really close w/Ja Rule and soon became an A&R @ Def Jam. Def Jam gave him a 50/50 deal to start "Murder INC," and Gotti's next move was to help Dame put together Rocafella underneath the Def Jam umbrella. Lastly, Gotti helped orchestrate the Ruff Ryders imprint underneath Def Jam. He did this by bringing Lyor Cohen (CEO of Def Jam @ the time) to the original Ruff Ryders' Powerhouse Studios so that Lyor could watch DMX rap.

To start Rocafella, Dame and crew shot a low-budget video for some Jay-Z song, put out some street mixtapes, and created some buzz. Once they got signed to Def Jam, they milked it for all it was worth. Read the article in the Source.

 

[Bachaveli]

Why was Rocafella/Rocawear successful? Because Jigga made them big and they kept up w/demand.

well, i appriciate your help.

but you cant just hand in the essay sayin it was successful because jigga made it so. you gotta have a lil more info to back up your reasons.you with me?

And why are you askin for a direct link so you can see it yourself? Isn't this "your friend's" essay?

yes, its my friends essay. she needs it. i dont need it.

i asked for a direct link so i can copy that damn link and paste it in mail and send my friend so she can read it herself since she cant seem to find info herself. you dig?

 

[DPG iz all I C]

read last months' "The Source." Good article about Dame & Jay and how shit started. Also, do some research before you ask questions.

Why was Rocafella/Rocawear successful? Because Jigga made them big and they kept up w/demand. You think if Jay was a flop that any of their shit woulda sold? Hardly. They occupied a niche and eventually flooded the market.

I'm not big on Rocawear's history, but here's what I know about Rocafella:

Dame went to high school w/Cameron Giles, Mason Betha, and Lamont Coleman (Killa Cam, Murda Mase, Big L). Dame was always that dude that didn't have the skills himself, but wanted to be "the manager." Even in high school, Dame was Mase's pretend "manager." (this is all in Mase's book Revelations.) So, yes, this means that Dame was from Harlem.

For some reason, Dame ended up being Sean Carter's right-hand man. The odd part about this is that Sean Carter (Jay-Z) is from Brooklyn, whereas Dame is f/Harlem. There were multiple rap groups/camps forming all over NYC at the time (early 90s), w/a few of these being Ruff Ryders (Dee, Waah, DMX, Dame Grease, Swizzy, The Warlox -- later known as "The Lox"), Rocafella (Dame, Jigga, a few lesser known cats), Murder INC/CMC (Ja, the Gotti Brothers, O-1, Chris Black), Children of the Corn (Killa Cam, Murda Mase, Bloodshed).

Most of the groups came in contact w/each other during battles at local rec centers or on the streets. In DMX's The Autobiography of D.M.X., X talks about battling Jay-Z in the early 90s. Apparently, both X and Jigga were the most skilled cats f/their respective camps, and ended up having to settle the battle that was started by the "Pups" (what X called Jada and Styles) and Jigga's guys. X claims that, after about an hour of battling, Dame actually admitted that "X got [Jay]."

One thing that most people don't know is that Irv Gotti is the guy that kicked everything off for so many New York rappers. X's boys Dee and Waah (hustlers who founded/funded Ruff Ryders) actually bought Gotti his first sampler, and Gotti really does have talent making beats. Gotti became really close w/Ja Rule and soon became an A&R @ Def Jam. Def Jam gave him a 50/50 deal to start "Murder INC," and Gotti's next move was to help Dame put together Rocafella underneath the Def Jam umbrella. Lastly, Gotti helped orchestrate the Ruff Ryders imprint underneath Def Jam. He did this by bringing Lyor Cohen (CEO of Def Jam @ the time) to the original Ruff Ryders' Powerhouse Studios so that Lyor could watch DMX rap.

To start Rocafella, Dame and crew shot a low-budget video for some Jay-Z song, put out some street mixtapes, and created some buzz. Once they got signed to Def Jam, they milked it for all it was worth. Read the article in the Source.

Nice read, but how did The LOX end up on Bad Boy after starting with RR ?

 

[VENOMOUS]

the lox were going to be on the row 2.But i think the signed with bad boy because they were established and also because of b.i.g.But i know they were running with all those ruff ryder niggaz in the mid 90s

 

[jflballer]

well, i appriciate your help.

but you cant just hand in the essay sayin it was successful because jigga made it so. you gotta have a lil more info to back up your reasons.you with me?



yes, its my friends essay. she needs it. i dont need it.

i asked for a direct link so i can copy that damn link and paste it in mail and send my friend so she can read it herself since she cant seem to find info herself. you dig?

lol...aright. After I went back and edited my first post, why not help you out:

This is why the "ROC" brand is so successful:

They have a star. Jay-Z has that charisma about him. If he were dealing drugs, he'd be a star (and he was). If he played sports, he'd be a star (and he was, in high school). If he were delivering newspapers, he'd be a star. You get it. People want to associate themselves w/that image.

It's street-credible. Corporations love to overlook this. That's why Nike is missing the boat right now, whereas Reebok is loving life. The urban market is enamored with street-credibility. It's a hard thing to put your finger on, but you know it's there if it's there. Beanie Sigel...attempted murder? Sure, it's a horrible thing, but it adds to his "street-credibility." Sean Carter...dealt crack? Same thing. In the urban market, street-credibility = brand equity in the minds of consumers.

Dame Dash. While the rest of the crew was honing their skills/staying focused on performing, whatever...one guy was consistently trying to negotiate as much as he could. This allowed the rest of the "ROC" to do what they did best, while Dame was their "agent."

Kareem Burke. "Biggs." He stays behind-the-scenes. He doesn't get caught up w/the media or the hype. He is strictly business. He's like Dame w/out the personality.

Partnerships. Partnerships/sponsorships/other ventures. The "ROC" is not just music; it's Rocawear, Rocafella, PRO-KEDs shoes, Armadale Vodka, State Property, films, etc. The ROC has partnered with/licensed their logo/brand, and started many other spinoffs from their original music venture.

Luck. For some reason, the ROC got fuckin lucky. They got lucky w/Kanye, lucky w/Just Blaze, lucky w/Chad Hamilton, and lucky with Cam'ron ("Come Home With Me," anyway). They weren't expecting a Kanye West worldwide phenomenon. They weren't even going for the whole sampled-oriented sound; all of Jigga's albums up to "The Blueprint" were strictly rap/pop flavored. But with Kanye, Just, and Chad Hamilton, they created an awesome sound and used it to shape the ROC f/2000-on.

 

[jflballer]

Nice read, but how did The LOX end up on Bad Boy after starting with RR ?

The LOX, DMX, and Mary J. Blige were all f/Yonkers. Mary went to Bad Boy and eventually introduced Puff to The LOX. They ghostwrote for Puffy and did an album, but weren't feelin the whole shiny suit/pop-ish feel of Bad Boy, so they "defected" to Ruff Ryders.

 

[Bachaveli]

Why was Rocafella/Rocawear successful? Because Jigga made them big and they kept up w/demand. You think if Jay was a flop that any of their shit woulda sold? Hardly. They occupied a niche and eventually flooded the market.

Dame went to high school w/Cameron Giles, Mason Betha, and Lamont Coleman (Killa Cam, Murda Mase, Big L). Dame was always that dude that didn't have the skills himself, but wanted to be "the manager." Even in high school, Dame was Mase's pretend "manager." (this is all in Mase's book Revelations.) So, yes, this means that Dame was from Harlem.

For some reason, Dame ended up being Sean Carter's right-hand man. The odd part about this is that Sean Carter (Jay-Z) is from Brooklyn, whereas Dame is f/Harlem. There were multiple rap groups/camps forming all over NYC at the time (early 90s), w/a few of these being Ruff Ryders (Dee, Waah, DMX, Dame Grease, Swizzy, The Warlox -- later known as "The Lox"), Rocafella (Dame, Jigga, a few lesser known cats), Murder INC/CMC (Ja, the Gotti Brothers, O-1, Chris Black), Children of the Corn (Killa Cam, Murda Mase, Bloodshed).

Most of the groups came in contact w/each other during battles at local rec centers or on the streets. In DMX's The Autobiography of D.M.X., X talks about battling Jay-Z in the early 90s. Apparently, both X and Jigga were the most skilled cats f/their respective camps, and ended up having to settle the battle that was started by the "Pups" (what X called Jada and Styles) and Jigga's guys. X claims that, after about an hour of battling, Dame actually admitted that "X got [Jay]."

One thing that most people don't know is that Irv Gotti is the guy that kicked everything off for so many New York rappers. X's boys Dee and Waah (hustlers who founded/funded Ruff Ryders) actually bought Gotti his first sampler, and Gotti really does have talent making beats. Gotti became really close w/Ja Rule and soon became an A&R @ Def Jam. Def Jam gave him a 50/50 deal to start "Murder INC," and Gotti's next move was to help Dame put together Rocafella underneath the Def Jam umbrella. Lastly, Gotti helped orchestrate the Ruff Ryders imprint underneath Def Jam. He did this by bringing Lyor Cohen (CEO of Def Jam @ the time) to the original Ruff Ryders' Powerhouse Studios so that Lyor could watch DMX rap.

To start Rocafella, Dame and crew shot a low-budget video for some Jay-Z song, put out some street mixtapes, and created some buzz. Once they got signed to Def Jam, they milked it for all it was worth. Read the article in the Source.

1)They have a star. Jay-Z has that charisma about him. If he were dealing drugs, he'd be a star (and he was). If he played sports, he'd be a star (and he was, in high school). If he were delivering newspapers, he'd be a star. You get it. People want to associate themselves w/that image.

2)It's street-credible. Corporations love to overlook this. That's why Nike is missing the boat right now, whereas Reebok is loving life. The urban market is enamored with street-credibility. It's a hard thing to put your finger on, but you know it's there if it's there. Beanie Sigel...attempted murder? Sure, it's a horrible thing, but it adds to his "street-credibility." Sean Carter...dealt crack? Same thing. In the urban market, street-credibility = brand equity in the minds of consumers.

3)Dame Dash. While the rest of the crew was honing their skills/staying focused on performing, whatever...one guy was consistently trying to negotiate as much as he could. This allowed the rest of the "ROC" to do what they did best, while Dame was their "agent."

4)Kareem Burke. "Biggs." He stays behind-the-scenes. He doesn't get caught up w/the media or the hype. He is strictly business. He's like Dame w/out the personality.

5)Partnerships. Partnerships/sponsorships/other ventures. The "ROC" is not just music; it's Rocawear, Rocafella, PRO-KEDs shoes, Armadale Vodka, State Property, films, etc. The ROC has partnered with/licensed their logo/brand, and started many other spinoffs from their original music venture.

6)Luck. For some reason, the ROC got fuckin lucky. They got lucky w/Kanye, lucky w/Just Blaze, lucky w/Chad Hamilton, and lucky with Cam'ron ("Come Home With Me," anyway). They weren't expecting a Kanye West worldwide phenomenon. They weren't even going for the whole sampled-oriented sound; all of Jigga's albums up to "The Blueprint" were strictly rap/pop flavored. But with Kanye, Just, and Chad Hamilton, they created an awesome sound and used it to shape the ROC f/2000-on.

thank you.

im just gonna print that shit n send to her and hopefully she'll understand herself and summarizes and does good essay.


if more info is out there please post.

 

[imported_MAKaveli_10]

The funny thing is jigga got rejected by every label he went to. hahaahaha but now hes rich FUCK

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

She should not be writing about something she's not great with. That's one of the basic principles of attending school: don't know? don't write. Tell her to write about something she's interested in. Everything in school is all about grades. Do what's best for your grade by writing about a familiar topic.

 

[Bachaveli]

She should not be writing about something she's not great with. That's one of the basic principles of attending school: don't know? don't write. Tell her to write about something she's interested in. Everything in school is all about grades. Do what's best for your grade by writing about a familiar topic.

yea i dont know. she asked me for info so im finding out.

i dont know how much she knows or whatever. im just doing her a favour.