Jay-Z’s Rocawear clothing line will start selling “Occupy All Streets” shirt today, and will pocket the profits.
Jay-Z is one of the most successful entertainers out there. With his album sales, endorsements, New Jersey Nets ownership and clothing line, the rapper and businessman has amassed, by low estimates, about $500 million.
He is certainly the 1%. And his latest venture will only help build that wealth: Z’s Rocawear line will today start selling “Occupy All Streets” shirts, a clear take off of the ongoing Occupy Wall Street protests
And, no, not one red cent of that money will go to the movement itself.
“The ‘Occupy All Streets’ T shirt was created in support of the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement,” a Rocawear representative told Business Insider. “Rocawear strongly encourages all forms of constructive expression, whether it be artistic, political or social. ‘Occupy All Streets’ is our way of reminding people that there is change to be made everywhere, not just on Wall Street. At this time we have not made an official commitment to monetarily support the movement.”
So, Jay-Z’s joining countless other people who are trying to profit from or trademark what should be a grassroots, populist, cooperative movement. Capitalism never sounded so tone deaf.
Yet, for some reason, Jay-Z’s pal Russell Simmons, a supporter of the Occupy movement, claims the shirts take the movement to “a whole new level.” That level, it turns out, is something old: capitalism.
November 11, 2011 at 10:06 am, Rivethead said:
I
love Jay, and these shirts have a cool message, but I won’t buy one.
Monetizing or capitalizing on this movement goes against the nature of
it. Money is important and making money is a great thing – make a lot
of it! But DON’T do it on the backs of others and don’t be a suppressor of
the common man. I’m afraid this shirt just tries to make money at
the expense of something important. Don’t buy one – make one.