Jay-Z to Appear in First Rocawear Television Commercial

Recent rumors of Jay-Z leaving Rocawear have proven to be false, as the rapper will appear in the first-ever television commercial for the brand, titled “From Marcy to Madison Square” and has renewed his contract with them for another three years.

The commercial will air this Spring on MTV, BET and during NBA games on TNT. It will show Jay’s rags-to-riches stories and begins with him in the Marcy Projects to his recent stop at Madison Square Garden for the Watch the Throne concert.

According to US Weekly, the brand that once brought in roughly $700 million annually has seen sales drop to $500 million, says Neil Cole, president and CEO of Iconix, the brand group that bought the company in 2007. This January half of the staff of the men and boy’s division was cut. Last year Jay-Z was seen wearing a Rocawear shirt that was a take on the Occupy movement and led to backlash, which added to the rumors of Jay leaving the brand.

But that isn't the case, according to Cole. "Are there times when he’s not on tour and not in the studio where we get more time with him? Yes. And are there times when we have to work via e-mail and through other channels? Yes. But we are lucky enough to get a lot of his time and caring," he said. —Nicholas Sella