The Pride of Yonkers caught up with Boardroom to discuss his BARCODE collaboration, omnipresent LOX caps, and how he ended up gaining ground in the beverage market.
Jadakiss knows how to survive a drought.
Over four different decades, multiple mayors of New York, and countless changes to the music industry, the rapper’s rapper has remained relevant, real, and agile, all while staying loyal to the soil in Yonkers and timeless with the pen.
In 2024 — a year where MCs grey and green chase streams — it’s ironically the beverage market where cash flow finds Kiss.
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Co-owning juice bars in two boroughs and a coffee company that spans three generations, The LOX legend’s impressive portfolio remains liquid thanks to a fruitful deal with Mubarak ‘Bar’ Malik and Kyle Kuzma’s BARCODE. Acting as an ambassador, investor, and collaborator, it’s a slick situation that sees the Ruff Ryders alum pushing performance water at Bronx bodegas and in bulk on Amazon.
Surprised? So is Kiss.
“I don’t think it’s something I set out to do,” Jadakiss told Boardroom. “I think it just happened organically. My dad being in coffee, me meeting Bar and having a connection before any business was done? I didn’t really set out to do food and beverage, it just happened organically.”
Eating good in an industry unrelated to rap may not have been pre-planned by Kiss himself, but it was certainly pre-ordained by the fruits of his labor.
For 30 years, Jadakiss has delivered across DJ Clue cassettes, Mariah Carey music videos, and Fabolous face-offs. He’s scored Platinum plaques from J. Lo looks, brought them back to the 6th borough, and lived to tell about it all without living in the past.
It’s an unlikely ascent for a kid who learned how to hustle at 12 and how to claw out of a record contract before he could legally rent a car. That innate drive and understanding of contracts have allowed Kiss to flourish across eras and industries.
“If you’re able to obtain a little success and your situation financially changes? You start looking to invest and do different things outside the music business, and that’s just what it was,” said Jadakiss.
Still, it’s the music business that makes all these moves possible.
In 2021, Jadakiss gained ground in hip-hop’s most massive market by leading The LOX to a Verzuz victory over The Diplomats in New York City. No stranger to Madison Square Garden, Kiss captained an absolute annihilation that crystalized both his band and his brand, as epitomized by The LOX trucker hat.
“The night of the Verzuz was the first day we wore them,” Jadakiss said. “After that? They went like wildfire.”
Debuted on stage and designed by Style P’s wife, the Godspeed-produced caps still sell three years after the iconic night for $150 a pop. More importantly, they’re currently co-signed by everyone from Lenny S to Allen Iverson, Kiss himself to Carmelo Anthony.
The crowning moment has created such a halo effect that Kiss having his own BARCODE flavor — an honor fellow investor and NBA phenom Victor Wembanyama can’t claim — makes more sense than some might think.
Since bumping into Bar at an anniversary party for Style P’s “Good Times” a year after the Verzuz, the relationship between the Yonkers MC and BARCODE founder/CEO eventually evolved from small talk about the Knicks to big ideas about investing and meetings about collaborating.
“BARCODE was already doing their thing, and they plugged me in like a puzzle,” said Jadakiss. “It all boils down to the flavor, and so far, BLUEKISS is the best one. I’ve bumped into Darius Garland and several athletes — the feedback has been tremendous. That’s the most important thing.”
Thanks to the equity Kiss has earned across NYC and an intimate understanding of contracts, his LOX legacy has unlocked doors and opportunities he’d never imagined in his D Block days. BLUEKISS is stocked by the bottle at Erewhons, serving Hailey Bieber smoothies, and available by the box with Prime Day packaging.
“They’ve got the team working diligently getting it into great retail spots,” Jadakiss said. “Usually, things that are good for you don’t taste good and they happened to nail this BLUEKISS.”
If trust is indeed earned in droplets, it’s proven true over time for Jadakiss and The LOX. In 2024, they have more money, power, and respect than any shiny suit single or publicity play could’ve ever given them. It’s a testament to staying the course for 30 years, even as regular rap revenue has dried up for some.
“There’s so many different avenues for you to make money,” Jadakiss said. “They’ve broadened the horizons incredibly.”
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