Cordae has announced his latest deal with PUMA. The DMV rapper describes the HI-LEVEL collection launch as a “full-circle moment.”
View this post on Instagram
“In middle school, the public school I went to in PG County, we had to wear uniforms. It was a white shirt, khaki pants, and all-black sneakers, so I always rocked the PUMA suedes,” Cordae told Nice Kicks.
It’s apparent that the sentimental value is a significant factor for why the two joined forces based on Cordae’s perspective on working with brands.
During an interview with Bootleg Kev, the 25-year-old revealed that he’s turned down hefty payouts due to misalignment.
“I’m not never going to be myself bro for the sake of a brand. I’ve turned down millions and millions of dollars because it’s a brand that’s kind of off-brand for me as a person,” Cordae revealed.
Cordae went on to further detail how selective he is by declining about 95 percent of brand deals “no matter how big or small.”
“I’m still an artist at the end of the day, and I try to just move with my heart,” he said. “I try to just move with my feelings. I can’t be a slave to the brand.”
“PUMA [does] hella community outreach. They do hella giveback stuff,” he emphasized.
Before Cordae’s partnership with PUMA, he was a Youth Brand Ambassador in 2019, according to Hypebeast.
“I like things to be organic and natural,” he explained to Nice Kicks. “All the extracurricular stuff they do for communities across the globe is tight. Even though they work with amazing artists, it wasn’t based on past work with artists but on how our relationship has been — a collaborative, cooperative thing.”
The HI-LEVEL collection features apparel and footwear, a jacket, hoodie, sweatpants, and three T-shirts.
“We are very excited to build on our already strong partnership with PUMA,” Andrew Gray, Executive Vice President, Global Lockers and Champs Sports, Foot Locker Inc., shared in a statement. “By expanding and strengthening our collaboration with PUMA, we continue to advance our strategy to diversify our product selection and bring new and innovative products to our consumers.”
