Reasonable Doubt 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Merch

Sneakers - August 13, 2016

Reasonable Doubt - The Family Tree

As the saying goes…Biggs did it first and Jay put it in a verse.

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt, an album that started a movement throughout hip hop, fashion and pop culture that the world had never seen before. The ripple effect of creativity that followed has become one of the most influential collection of branches that have spread through mainstream culture, arguably, ever.

Back in 1995, Jay Z, Biggs, and Damon Dash started Roc-A-Fella Records in New York City. The first album on the newly founded label was Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt, which released on June 25, 1996. The album debuted at 23 on the Billboard 200, and remained on the chart for 18 weeks thanks to singles like Dead Presidents, Can’t Knock The Hustle and Feelin’ It. In the first year, Reasonable Doubt sold 420,000 copies. Which, commercially, doesn’t sound like a lot. Guess you could say that the world was like that narcoleptic mami from Girls, Girls, Girls, the world was sleepin’ on Hov.

However, by 2002 Reasonable Doubt had gone platinum, selling 1.2 million copies (over 2,250,000 copies currently) and nowadays it is by in large considered Jay Z’s best album by a majority of critics, despite the fact that he’s had 21 Grammy Awards and 14 platinum albums since, and 12 of which reached number 1 on the charts.

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Reasonable Doubt, Kareem “Biggs” Burke has created limited edition merch and a unique pop-up shop experience at Los Angeles’ Apt. 4B. Designed to look like Jay Z’s Brooklyn apartment where Reasonable Doubt was recorded, was part art installation and part pop-up shop. Within the installation, posters from the era including movie posters from Juice, New Jack City, and Scarface, as well as album posters from Raekwon, Mobb Deep and more, cover the walls. Legendary photographer Jonathan Mannion’s original photos taken for the Reasonable Doubt album were also on display. The event brought out countless celebs and some of hip hop’s elite, including Jay Z, Ben Baller, Brandon Jennings, Meek Mill and more.

Reasonable Doubt 20th Anniversary Limited Edition MerchThe family that Roc-A-Fella and Reasonable Doubt started has continued on well beyond what anyone could have imagined. Or rather, it became as big as the lives that Jay, Biggs and Dame were living, which is what made them so iconic to begin with. Beyond the original trio, Roc-A-Fella has churned out what seems to be countless artists and businesses that has transcended generations. Groups like Dipset, State Property, and Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music, for example, all hail from the Roc. Check out just a sample of the artists that have Roc-A-Fella roots below.

 

  • Cam’ron
  • Jim Jones
  • Juelz Santana
  • Beanie Sigel
  • Young Gunz
  • Freeway
  • Kanye West
  • John Legend
  • 2 Chainz
  • Big Sean
  • Pusha T
  • Kid Cudi
  • Common
  • Desiigner
  • Memphis Bleek
  • Rihanna
  • J Cole

As fans of Reasonable Doubt and the family tree it has created, StockX has something special in the works to help celebrate the Roc-A-Fella heritage and its ever-growing future legacy. Stay tuned…