(AllHipHop News) A pop-up shop filled with merchandise dedicated to honoring Jay Z’s classic 1996 album Reasonable Doubt is to open its doors in New York City.
Kareem ‘Biggs’ Burke, who co-founded Roc-A-Fella records alongside Jay Z and Damon Dash in 1995, is teaming up with e-commerce website Fancy.com for the imaginative event, which will be designed to replicate DJ Premier’s Studio B Control Room at D&D Studios, the place where the “Feelin’ It” Hip-Hop legend recorded tracks for his debut offering Reasonable Doubt.
Burke also hosted a similar affair in Los Angeles in June to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Hip-Hop star’s breakout album, but the West Coast pop-up mimicked the 46-year-old Brooklyn native’s old apartment rather than the recording studio.
“We wanted to give New York a better experience,” Kareem told Women’s Wear Daily.
Jay Z is not scheduled to make an official appearance at the New York City event, but Burke is hoping the rap legend will make a surprise visit, just like he did at the Los Angeles function.
“The Los Angeles concept went better than expected,” Burke reflected. “Jay Z came the day we opened. He could have come during the private preview, but he came when it was open to the public. We popped 20 bottles of Champagne for the 20-year anniversary of the album. It was great.”
Not only will pop-up shoppers in the Big Apple be able to experience what it was like to be in D&D Studios when Jay Z was recording the groundbreaking album, they will also have access to exclusive Reasonable Doubt themed merchandise created by cutting edge brands such as Ishu, Lstn, Vnyl, Curioos, Roc96 and Moreca Atelier.
Some of the clothing and accessories on offer at the event include regular hoodies, T-shirts and hats, but there are other more innovative items on offer, such as the anti-flash scarf by Ishu that was created to block flash photography, a Reasonable Doubt vinyl turntable designed by Vynl, and Lstn’s ebony wood headphones marked with the Reasonable Doubt 20th anniversary logo.
The Reasonable Doubt pop-up shop will open for business on October 20 at 347 Broadway in the TriBeCa neighbourhood.