Troy Ave like Brooklyn’s predecessor Biggie has been somewhat responsible for some of the eyes that are back on the high fashion streetwear brand COOGI. With his constant incorporation of the brand in photoshoots, interviews, and his recent video for “All About The Money,” Coogi has gained some new and old fans again. Troy Ave recently revealed via XXL that he has actually been asked to collaborate with the brand, and we could be seeing some of the project relatively soon. Check out the interview below.
You’ve been spotted before wearing the Coogi brand during interviews, photo shoots and shows. Do you feel like you’re responsible for bringing the brand back?
I wasn’t really trying to bring it back. I was just being me and doing my thing. I was wearing it the right way and some people were wearing it, but they would wear it corny, you know what I’m saying? When I wore it on the Freshmen coverthat was the feel that I had with my BSB Records hat and I was just styling and profiling, and then I had one that I wore in the “All About The Money” video. I have a couple of other Coogi items that I wore around town and I guess it just caught on and people wanted to do what Troy Ave was doing because I’m a dope nigga.
When should we expect to see the first sample of this collaboration?
We’re in the process right now of pulling samples and seeing the colorways, so I would say look for the first sample to drop within two to three weeks.
How involved are you with the creative process?
I’m 100 percent involved because that’s how I am with everything. I am there with the engineer when they’re mixing my music. I’m always involved with everything I got. I get my hands dirty, I roll my sleeves up because at the end of the day they’re not going to say, “Yo, Coogi put out a wack collab,” they’re going say, “Oh yeah, that Troy Ave collab was wack,” you know what I’m saying? So you have to be hands-on, so the fault is on you if it ain’t dope.
You keep it very Brooklyn when it comes to your style. From Coogi sweaters to soccer jerseys and fur mink coats, you like to switch it up with the seasons. How would you describe your sense of style?
You know I was the first one out here wearing furs. It’s been well documented, man. I was wearing furs because I was cold and that kept me warm. I didn’t want to wear a bubble coat, but my style is dope boy fresh. It’s Troy Ave. It’s how we do when you out running around and getting money. You gotta rock the furs. It goes with the Rolex, and the Rolex goes with the Mercedes Benz and just different fly looks like that. I ain’t with rocking whole leather outfits or stupid shiny sneakers and dumb shit like that. That ain’t no fashion to me. That’s costume-ish. That’s how the soul singers were dressing in the ’60s or the ’70s, or like the early rap groups that used to wear the leather jackets with mad spikes and all that crazy shit.
Run-DMC came through and changed the game by wearing Adidas, all black and gold chains, you know what I’m saying? That’s who I am. I’m like Run-DMC, a newer updated version. I come through wearing what I rock in the streets. When I hit the stage, I ain’t gotta put on a costume or wear something with shine or some spikes, or a bunch of other buffoonery shit. We ain’t with that. Over here at BSB Records we stay on deck and we do our own thing. Our fashion sense influences the city, and the city influences the culture when it’s done right.
Check out the full interview on XXL.