Lil Wayne to launch skate clothes

Updated: December 31, 2011, 12:50 PM ET
By Keith Hamm | ESPN.com

Courtesy TrukfitHip hop king Lil Wayne taps into his skateboarding roots to launch new clothing line this week.

A grammy award-winning hip hop artist is tapping his roots in skateboarding and street culture to inspire a new clothing line set for launch early next month in California.

Louisiana-born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., better known as Lil Wayne, will debut his Trukfit apparel line at the Agenda trade show in Long Beach. The event runs January 5-6 at the Long Beach Convention Center, showcasing emerging and established brands from the fashion and action sports industries.

"Trukfit . . . is well-made, stylish and edgy," according to Sarah Cunningham, one of the brand's public relations representatives. "It also has mass appeal . . . everyone will be able to enjoy the quality and design. So many brands that live in the skate world have a narrow vision and are limited to just that arena. This ability to live inside and outside of the skatepark is something our team worked hard on, with Wayne as our inspiration. On a given day, Lil Wayne will go from spending time with his family to a recording session to a performance to a late-night skate session. Trukfit reflects that lifestyle."

Cunningham added that Lil Wayne has been skating "for awhile," hitting up spots all over the world while on tour, often breaking away after a show to ride the local park.

Courtesy TrukfitTrukfit is set to launch in January.

"Many of the artists on his Young Money label -- such as Lil Twist and Cory Gunz -- also skate," she said.

The 29-year-old's most successful album was his 2008 release, "The Carter III," went platinum within a week of its release and earned the rapper the Grammy award for best rap album. Lil Wayne also released a rock album that went gold last year.

"Lil Wayne has long been recognized as a music and pop culture icon," says Cunningham. "He has developed a unique style -- both sonically and visually -- and extending his brand and vision into apparel was a natural progression. As Lil Wayne is passionate about skateboarding, it only made sense for him to infuse that passion into Trukfit."

Cunningham added that Agenda's fusion of subcultures was the perfect backdrop for the Trukfit unveiling.

"I thought it was cool that he wanted to debut with us," Agenda President Aaron Levant told ESPN. "I'm personally a fan of his music, and I know his line is going to be huge."

Keith Hamm

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