LI's LL Cool J introduces retro hip-hop inspired clothing collection

LL Cool J, the rap artist, actor, awards show host and first rapper to receive a Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime achievement, recently introduced a limited-edition, hip-hop inspired clothing collection with a distinctive retro edge. The star, who resides in Manhasset and Los Angeles, dubbed the new lineup of hoodies, crew necks, tees and a varsity jacket, “Rock the Bells,” after his 1986 hit song of the same name and his SiriusXM hip-hop channel, launched in 2018.

Designs for the collections are a riff on what he calls, “the four pillars of hip-hop: graffiti, DJs, break dancing and the MCs” who turned the words into the musical genre. A drippy graffiti motif refers to the “Fat Cap,” when graffiti artists removed stock caps from oven cleaner cans and put them on spray paint dispensers to get a wider spray arc. Bold vintage concert flyers and strong logos are emblazoned onto tees. Thick gold appliqué draped at the neckline of shirts is a clever and convincing take on the signature chains and medallions that dominated the jewelry scene back in the day by such hip-hop icons as Kurtis Blow, Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, and of course, LL himself.

His favorite piece? The Rock the Bells x Roots varsity jacket. “It’s amazing,” he told Women’s Wear Daily. “It’s a classic jacket that has a nice blend of leather and cotton and has the number 43 on it, which is the number of the SiriusXM station. It reminds me of the original days when the Def Jam artists had jackets like that.” 

Prices for the collection run from $45 for a graphic tee to $595 for his favorite jacket and are available exclusively at rockthebells.com. Thanks to brisk sales, there’s a waitlist for some items, which sold out in a couple of days. The collection is “receiving so much love from the community and culture,” said LL Cool J. “I am continually inspired by classic hip-hop and its influence on modern culture.”

This is not the entertainer’s first foray into the fashion business. In 2006 he created a collection of street clothes for Sears that he presented at New York Fashion Week.