A.K.O.O. Clothing

Last updated
A.K.O.O. Clothing
IndustryApparel
Founded2008
HeadquartersUnited States
Key people
 T.I. (Co-Founder)
Jason Geter (Co-Founder)
Products Clothing, fashion bags, and accessories
Website http://www.akoo.com/

A.K.O.O. is a clothing line started in late 2008 and founded by T.I. and Jason Geter, both co-founders of Atlanta-based hip hop recording label Grand Hustle Records. [1] [2] [3] [4] A.K.O.O. is an acronym that stands for "A King Of Oneself." [5]

Contents

Distribution

A.K.O.O Clothing is produced and distributed by the RP55 Group based out of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Products are sold in numerous stores across the Continental United States and Hawaii. AKOO Clothing items are also distributed nationally and internationally through many different online vendors.

Products and brand direction

A.K.O.O. Clothing is an Americana fashion brand that manufactures urban apparel for men. A.K.O.O. produces a wide array of styles for all seasons that include premium lightweight T-shirts, cardigans, sweaters, embroidered wovens, leather jackets and quality denim among a variety of other clothing. In 2010, T.I. discussed his vision about the brand with MTV. "The direction of the clothing line, in my eyes, is upscale urban apparel," he stated. [6] T.I. also mentioned in the same MTV interview that A.K.O.O will develop denim that is made from high quality fabrics. The line also sells wovens, crew-necks, and V-neck tee shirts. [7] A diverse range of people have worn A.K.O.O apparel including hip-hop star Big Boi. [8] Some prominent fans have even taken it a step further by aligning themselves and their projects with A.K.O.O. such as Hosea Chanchez [9] B.o.B, Curtis Granderson, [10] Carl Crawford, Travis Porter, Tristan Wilds, Meek Mill and Mickey Factz.

In the summer of 2011 B.o.B was announced the new face of T.I.'s clothing line A.K.O.O. He will be featured in AKOO Clothing's upcoming fall 2011 national advertising campaign alongside Curtis Granderson of the New York Yankees, Carl Crawford of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and star of the BET hit sitcom, The Game, Hosea Chanchez. He will be appearing in a graphic novel for A.K.O.O. titled Hide In Plain Sight – Saving the World From Fashion Conspiracy. [11] [12] [13]

Lawsuit and controversy

After the launch of the clothing line, A.K.O.O. faced a lawsuit from Akoo International, a social Music TV Network established years before the clothing line, for trademark infringement. [14] [15] The world's largest online social music television site had been using the trademarked name since 2004 and thought the infringement would mislead, confuse and deceive potential customers and clients.

In March 2010 numerous calls were made to the CBS Outdoor office complaining that the A.K.O.O. billboard in Newark, New Jersey was too sexually suggestive. The billboard depicted a man having his jeans pulled down by a woman who was squatting in front of him. Owing to the excessive number of complaints the billboard was later removed from its prominent position in Newark. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T.I.</span> American rapper (born 1980)

Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Harris is credited as one the pioneers of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgia-based rappers Jeezy and Gucci Mane. He first became acquainted with local music executive Kawan "KP" Prather, and joined his company Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment by the late 1990s. He was led to sign a major-label record deal with its parent company LaFace Records, an imprint of Arista Records in 1999. His debut studio album, I'm Serious (2001), was met with lukewarm critical and commercial reception, becoming his only release with the label. He then signed with Atlantic Records, where he soon reached his mainstream breakthrough and co-founded his own label imprint, Grand Hustle Records by 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordura</span> Brand of high-performance fabrics developed by DuPont and now owned by Invista

Cordura is a brand of synthetic fiber-based fabrics used in products such as luggage, backpacks, trousers, military wear, and performance apparel.

<i>Urban Legend</i> (album) 2004 studio album by T.I.

Urban Legend is the third studio album by American rapper T.I., released on November 30, 2004, through Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records. The album debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200, selling 193,000 copies in its first week of release. It also debuted atop the magazine's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts.

Grand Hustle Records, also known as Hustle Gang Music, is an American hip hop record label, founded in 2003, by American rapper and record executive T.I. and his manager Jason Geter. The label was distributed by Atlantic Records until December 2012, and has since operated as an independent record label. Its roster has included acts such as 8Ball & MJG, B.o.B, Killer Mike, Young Dro, DJ Drama, Iggy Azalea, Meek Mill, Chip, Travis Scott,The OMG Girlz and Trae tha Truth, the latter of whom also served as the label's vice president. The label also houses a roster of record producers, which has included Lil' C, Mars and Nard & B.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trae tha Truth</span> American rapper (born 1980)

Frazier Othel Thompson III, better known by his stage name Trae tha Truth, is an American rapper. He embarked on a recording career in 1998, and established local prominence in the Texas hip hop scene with his solo debut, Losing Composure (2003). His second and third albums, Same Thing Different Day (2004) and Restless (2006), followed thereafter, the latter of which was his debut on Rap-a-Lot Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Jonsin</span> American record producer (born 1970)

James Gregory Scheffer, known professionally as Jim Jonsin, is an American record producer and songwriter from South Florida. He has produced for numerous musical artists, including Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Usher, Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi, Eminem, Pitbull, Yelawolf, Nelly, Mary J. Blige, Wiz Khalifa, Danity Kane and Jamie Foxx, among others. He won a Grammy Award for his work on Lil Wayne's 2008 single "Lollipop," and received a nomination for Best Rap Album for his work on "Whatever You Like" by T.I. that same year. Furthermore, both songs peaked the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T.I. discography</span>

The discography of American rapper T.I. consists of eleven studio albums, one compilation album, one remix album, four extended plays (EPs), 13 mixtapes, 110 singles and 11 promotional singles. He has also released one music video album and over 60 music videos, the details of which are included in his videography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Get Money</span> 2007 single by 50 Cent

"I Get Money" is the third single from 50 Cent's third album, Curtis. This song was #14 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. The song peaked at #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Gold by the RIAA.

<i>Paper Trail</i> 2008 studio album by T.I.

Paper Trail is the sixth studio album by American rapper T.I., released September 30, 2008, on Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records. He began to write songs for the album as he awaited trial for federal weapons and possession charges. Unlike his past albums, he wrote his lyrics down on paper, which he had not done since his debut album, I'm Serious (2001).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B.o.B</span> American rapper (born 1988)

Bobby Ray Simmons Jr., known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons signed with producer Jim Jonsin through his Rebel Rock Entertainment label in 2006. Two years later, he signed a joint venture recording contract with fellow Georgia rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records, an imprint of Atlantic Records. Following his major-label deal, Simmons quickly achieved commercial success when his 2009 debut single, "Nothin' on You", peaked the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and received three nominations—Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration—at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stüssy</span> American clothing brand and private company

Stüssy is an American privately held fashion house founded in the early 1980s by Shawn Stussy. It benefited from the surfwear trend originating in Orange County, California, but was later adopted by the skateboard and hip hop scenes.

Tommy Hilfiger B.V., formerly known as Tommy Hilfiger Corporation and Tommy Hilfiger Inc., is an American clothing brand that manufactures apparel and licensed products such as footwear, accessories, fragrances and home furnishings. The company was founded in 1985, and the brand's merchandise is sold in department stores and over 2000 free-standing retail stores in 100 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nothin' on You</span> 2009 single by B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars

"Nothin' on You" is the debut single of both American rapper B.o.B and featured American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. It is the lead single from the former's debut studio album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray (2010). It was first released on December 15, 2009, via digital download by Atlantic Records. The track was written by B.o.B, Mars, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine, with the latter three producing it as the Smeezingtons. "Nothin' on You" was initially written for Lupe Fiasco, but Atlantic Records' chairman, Craig Kallman, gave it to B.o.B after being displeased with Fiasco's version. The song took several months to finish and was born from a hummed melody by Mars and Lawrence.

This article summarizes the events, album releases and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strange Clouds (song)</span> 2011 single by B.o.B featuring Lil Wayne

"Strange Clouds" is a song by American rapper B.o.B featuring fellow American rapper Lil Wayne. Produced by Dr. Luke and Cirkut, the song was announced by Atlantic Records to be released on iTunes on September 27, 2011, Wayne's 29th birthday. The song serves as the lead single from B.o.B's second studio album of the same name. In its first week, it sold 197,000 digital copies, debuting at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has sold over 1.3 million digital copies worldwide.

<i>Strange Clouds</i> (album) 2012 studio album by B.o.B

Strange Clouds is the second studio album by American rapper B.o.B, released on April 27, 2012, under Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. The album features guest appearances from Morgan Freeman, Taylor Swift, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, T.I., Nicki Minaj, Ryan Tedder, Lauriana Mae, Playboy Tre, Trey Songz, Nelly and Roscoe Dash while the production was handled by Dr. Luke, Cirkut, Ryan Tedder, Lil' C, Mynority, Stargate, Frequency, Mike WiLL Made It, P-Nasty, Super Water Sympathy, Kutta, Billboard, Jamieson Jones, Jim Jonsin and B.o.B himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotimi (actor)</span> American actor and singer (born 1988

Olurotimi Akinosho ; born November 30, 1988), known professionally as Rotimi, is a Nigerian-American actor and singer. He is known for his role as Darius Morrison on the Starz series Boss, and as Andre Coleman on Power, then as Charles on The Chi; However, In June 29, 2024 that he would be joining a full-time as recurring in season 7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Still in This Bitch</span> 2012 single by B.o.B featuring T.I. and Juicy J

"We Still in This Bitch" is a song by American hip hop recording artist B.o.B, released on December 30, 2012 as the first single from his third studio album Underground Luxury (2013). The song, produced by Mike WiLL Made It and Marz, features guest appearances from fellow Southern rappers T.I. and Juicy J. The song initially appeared on B.o.B's ninth mixtape, entitled Fuck 'Em We Ball, which was released on November 15, 2012.

References

  1. ↑ "The recently released rapper promotes his fashion line..." MTV. Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  2. ↑ Wreksono, Asmara (5 May 2010). "T.I.'s New Vid: I'm Back". SoJones. Archived from the original on 8 May 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  3. ↑ Rainey, Rodrick (22 November 2008). "A King Of Oneself, Rapper TI Launches AKOO Clothing Line". SoJones. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  4. ↑ von Pfetten, Verena. "WARNING: Wearing T.I.'s Clothing Line Will Lead To Threesomes". STYLEITE. Archived from the original on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  5. ↑ "A King Of Oneself".
  6. ↑ "T.I. Markets to "Cool Kids of America"". StraightFromTheA.com. 21 May 2010. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  7. ↑ "T.I. Says His Clothing Line Has 'Upscale Urban Appeal.'". MTV.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  8. ↑ "Big Boi's AKOO Campaign". Archived from the original on 2009-07-17.
  9. ↑ Rashod. "The Face of the Brand: Hosea Chanchez". SUAVV. Archived from the original on 2011-08-08. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
  10. ↑ Renee, S. "Curtis Granderson Knocks It Out of the Park as AKOO Clothing Ambassador". AllSportsEverything.com. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
  11. ↑ "B.o.B. Is AKOO Clothing Brand's Newest Ambassador!". Archived from the original on 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  12. ↑ "B.o.B. Is New Face Of Akoo". Archived from the original on 2012-08-07.
  13. ↑ "Music Superstar B.o.B. Joins The AKOO Clothing Brand Ambassador Program". Cision PRWeb. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012.
  14. ↑ Moore, Shannon (2010-03-22). "Rapper T.I. Sued Over His Akoo Clothing Line". AHN Entertainment Reporter. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
  15. ↑ Strong, Nolan (2010-03-17). "T.I. Accused Of Illegally Using AKOO Name For Clothing Line". All Hip Hop. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
  16. ↑ Porter, David (2 March 2010). "AKOO Jeans Billboard Deemed Sexually Suggestive, Pulled In Newark". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.