Jay-Z founded the clothing brand Rocawear with Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke.
Rocawear was launched in 1999 by the three co-founders, who were also central figures in the Roc-A-Fella business network. The brand extended Jay-Z’s cultural presence from recorded music into fashion, making casual clothing associated with hip hop style available through mainstream retail.
The company became especially prominent during the early 2000s, when celebrity-backed fashion labels were expanding rapidly. Rocawear sold clothing for men, women, and children, and its branding drew on the Roc-A-Fella identity without being a record album or a music group.
A frequent mix-up is assuming Rocawear was founded by Jay-Z alone. Although he became its best-known public figure, Damon Dash and Kareem Burke were co-founders. Jay-Z later sold the brand to Iconix Brand Group in 2007 while retaining creative involvement for a period. The business helped illustrate how hip hop artists could build commercial ventures beyond music.