LL Cool J Is Preserving Hip Hop As An “Essential” With Rock The Bells Apparel Line
Rock The Bells 2021 Collection Bushwick, Brooklyn Photography by: Brooke Alexander / Studio Brooke
BROOKE ALEXANDER / STUDIO BROOKE
By Cassell Ferere originally published on Forbes.com
Rock The Bells is a lifestyle brand operating in content and media with its platforms on the web and SiriusXM. Founded in 2018 by the legendary rapper and actor LL Cool J, RTB has embarked on experiential endeavors, including those in fashion and commerce. “Hip Hop is Essential” is the motto this year for Rock The Bells and LL Cool J, first launching its apparel and accessories back in January 2020, just before the pandemic ensued.
In June of 2020, RTB pushed beyond its core operations into a multi-platform destination, rockthebells.com, dedicated to the preservation of Hip Hop and the original cultural cues that crafted the language of street culture, as well as fashion. With its apparel, Rock The Bells connects modern culture to classic Hip Hop with collaborations that include artists like legendary graffiti artist Phade, designer Alexander John, and brands Rich Fresh, and New to name a few.
Rock The Bells 2021 Collection Bushwick, Brooklyn Photography by: Brooke Alexander / Studio Brooke
BROOKE ALEXANDER / STUDIO BROOKE
The global direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand, Rock The Bells, serves as a platform and the voice for classic and timeless Hip-Hop. It is a cultural incubator for the MCs, DJs, graffiti artists, and break dancers of the foremost years of fashion. LL Cool J uses RTB to connect groundbreaking talent with the moments that birth street culture, especially Hip Hop culture.
Hip Hop culture is something dear to LL Cool J being a long-standing act in the music industry. Cool J states over our Zoom call, “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.”
Rock The Bells 2021 Collection Bushwick, Brooklyn Photography by: Brooke Alexander / Studio Brooke
BROOKE ALEXANDER / STUDIO BROOKE
He is preserving the Hip Hop ethos and curating those moments that draw us in. “There are a lot of stakeholders in the company. A lot of artists have equity in the company [and] have a piece of the brand. It feels good to do that for them too. It’s for the culture, and [RTB] is going to benefit people in the culture,” Cool J explains.
LL Cool J is also adamant about authenticity in the presentation of the Rock The Bells brand, as much as he is a representation of hip hop legacy. “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,” he said. “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…”
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MODEL: Julian Mobley (@prtty.prblmatic)
Photographer, Art Director and Stylist: Adam Stone (@_ajstoneCreative)
Photo and Wardrobe Assistant: Angelica Vargas (@loner.feminist)
Makeup Artist: DJ Wuerfele (@beatbydj)