Jay-Z 'Occupy All Streets' Tees After Outcry Back On Sale (UPDATE)

UPDATE:

Jay-Z came in for a barrage of criticism late last week when it was reported that revenue from "Occupy All Streets" t-shirts that were being sold on his clothing site, Rocawear.com, were not going to the anti-corporate movement. It appeared the shirts had been pulled from Rocawear.com, but now it appears they were simply sold out.

A post on the Roc4Life blog said that the "Occupy All Streets" shirts were sold out because of demand.

Holy smokes. Those "Occupy All Streets" t-shirts sold out faster than Rick Perry can name three agencies. If you missed out on the first batch, we've got your back like scoliosis. Rocawear has already restocked the fancy black tops — available in all sizes via Rocawear.com.

"Jay-Z, as talented as he is, has the political sensibility of a hood rat and is a scrotum," one of the protests organizers said before the shirts were removed from the site. "To attempt to profit off the first important social moment of 50 years with an overpriced piece of cotton is an insult to the fight for economic civil rights known as #occupywallstreet."

Russell Simmons, the music industry mogul, defended Jay-Z on Twitter. “No one ever said the proceeds were not going to the cause that’s media’s spin,” tweeted Simmons.

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A previous version of this story is below.

Not long after Jay-Z released a line of t-shirts meant to cash in on the Occupy Wall Street protests that read "Occupy All Streets," the rap icon is scuttling the tees after he faced a firestorm of criticism for not planning to donate the proceeds from their sale to the anti-corporate movement.

The $22 shirts have been yanked from Rocawear.com, the site for Jay-Z's clothing line, according to the New York Daily News.

"Jay-Z, as talented as he is, has the political sensibility of a hood rat and is a scrotum," one of the protests organizers said before the shirts were removed from the site. "To attempt to profit off the first important social moment of 50 years with an overpriced piece of cotton is an insult to the fight for economic civil rights known as #occupywallstreet."

Russell Simmons, the music industry mogul, defended Jay-Z on Twitter. “No one ever said the proceeds were not going to the cause that’s media’s spin,” tweeted Simmons.

Jay-Z is currently on the Watch The Throne tour, which coincides with Jay-Z and Kanye West's mega-selling collaborative album of the same name. The album has been faulted by many critics who say that its focus on opulence is out of touch with the current economic climate. West came under some criticism from the Occupy movement when he showed up at Zuccotti Park near Wall Street but refused to comment or speak to anyone about why he came.

 

Comments

[lexingtonKY]

10:26 AM on 12/27/2011

I liked him better when he was on Designing Women

[Occupy Everywhere]

12:33 AM on 11/28/2011

OCCUPY ALL STREETS SHIRTS!

A portion of proceeds will go toward the movement in the form of food, drinks and monetary donations. If you have a few extra bucks, drop off a box of apples, warm gloves, or anything you can to the folks outside in your community!

www.Occupy-All-Streets.com.

[chuck nathaniel]

10:36 PM on 11/18/2011

I see the HuffPo is making some money off of all these Occupy articles. How much will they be donating to the movement?

[pinky06]

08:12 AM on 11/18/2011

Money is not everything,i have money and sometimes still not happy, because you cant take it with you and all that money they have, they need to foucus on raising that child and be married....that little girl is going to need more attention instead of making money, hope the baby slow you down bey and i still love you!!!!

[pinky06]

08:08 AM on 11/18/2011

That was so selfish of you jayz and you need to change ur name because its in vain....u figure it out and thats nothing but greed!!!!

[GradManSB]

09:15 PM on 11/17/2011

To be honest, at first I thought this was kind of shady in part by rocawear and Jay-Z. Now that I think about it, if in fact they were sold out meaning they'll be putting out more, it's the fault of those that bought them. If you really want to support this movement you don't buy something like this knowing it's over-priced. On the other hand, I think this might, or might not, have been a missed opportunity by OWS's part to have some free promo (just a thought). So either 1) get the "OWS" logo trademarked, 2) Get people to not buy them, and/or 3) take advantage of bringing in a useful market into this movement! Just my two cents.

[Myonie Payton]

05:45 PM on 11/17/2011

He's a hustler. Even if he were to donate the shirts he'd still get a kick back off taxes so it's a waste of time to be upset about it.

[ConsciousOfEverythin]

04:03 AM on 11/17/2011

Did people really think Jay-z was going to be free-handed with money? When has Jay-z or Beyonce given anybody needy anything monetary? Zero times. These people are making money off of poor people to fund their lifestyle.

Stop purchasing their products and listening to their music.

[johnnyrocket7064]

09:15 PM on 03/20/2012

straight from jay himself (Blueprint 2), do you listen to music, or do you just skim through it?

"I put dollars on mine, ask Columbine
When the Twin Towers dropped, I was the first in line
Donating proceeds off every ticket sold
When I was out on the road, that's how you judge Hov, no?
Ain't I supposed to be absorbed myself?
Every time there's a tragedy, I'm the first one to help
They call me this misogynist, but they don't call me the dude
To take his dollars to give gifts at the projects"

[aalew06]

12:16 AM on 11/17/2011

where and to whom exactly is going to decide how to spend "occupy" money If any were donated to this cause from the sale of shirts or anything else? Probably someone who is sitting around waiting for millionaires to donate money to a not-for-profit that has a whole payroll to pay before anyone sees ten cents....oh this sounds like a lot of not-for-profits.

[4more]

08:26 PM on 11/16/2011

So what??? I thought Occupy was about income inequality, not anticapatilism? So don't hate Jay for capitalizing, and don't let the fake FAUX News negative we-hate-Jay Z-because-he-is-Obama's-friend influence you. Now, I gotta go order me one of these Occupy All Strests tees before they sell out of mediums. It freakin genus! Don't hate, get you one!!

[GradManSB]

09:21 PM on 11/17/2011

I agree, this movement isn't anti-capitalism, it's anti-corporatacracy. Now whether JayZ wants to practice some corporate social responsibility, that's up to him and his business associates. However, if you are in support of OWS, then you wouldn't necessarily buy some that isn't going to directly benefit it, go look for something that will and stop complaining!

[Taryn Wright]

03:30 PM on 11/16/2011

interesting

[chuck nathaniel]

12:12 PM on 11/16/2011

Wow. Huffpo is removing comments in support of Jay z.

Whats REALLY going on here? Is huffpo in an empire ware with rocawear?

[chuck nathaniel]

12:05 PM on 11/16/2011

This is OUTRAGEOUS! Jay Z sold a shirt! Why, if that isn't the root cause of corporate control of US politics, then I don't know what is! A teeshirt company SOLD a TSHIRT! If we can end this, we will have solved the world's problems.

Well done OWS internet warriors.

[jjjess10]

11:25 AM on 11/16/2011

HOW WACK CAN JAY-Z BE?!?!? He's an opportunist...and who is he kidding? He is not a member of the 99 percent?

[2AcesInTheHole]

07:46 PM on 11/15/2011

i can't read his mind or his heart but his actions seem to indicate that he maybe a "Money Chaser"
and Money Chasers are always at risk of compromising the morality and their integrity as well. These are some of the occupational hazards of Money Chasing and greed in general. Both of which are mental illnesses and this I know from first hand experience. lol