Roc-A-Fella Records Co-Founder Kareem “Biggs” Burke Found God And Started An Upscale Denim Line

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Denim Brand Fourth of November Celebrates National Artist Series Initiative By Hosting Emerging Artist Showcase In ATL

Denim brand Fourth of November celebrated the launch of their artist series initiative with an exclusive fashion and artist showcase, held in Atlanta. During the one-day exhibition encompassing art, music, fashion and tech, Bossip had a chance to catch up with Kareem “Biggs” Burke – co-owner of Fourth of November and co-founder of the legendary Roc-A-Fella Records.

Biggs, who later gave guests a tour of the Fourth of November collection, describes the inspiration for the line as “a love story” about the parents of the head designer and head of production who met years ago in Ecuador on a street named ‘Fourth of November’. The all men’s collection – curated by Eastmen Collective and The Nehemiah Group – included a look at one of a kind denim jackets designed by 8 local artists. Local artists included Alea Hurst, Alfred Conteh, Markeidric Walker, Maxim Beching, Miloh Smith, Nicole Kutz, Saviour Sanquiche and Pepsi’s Live Painter Monica Tookes.

This is a good look for Biggs who was released from prison earlier this year after doing a 5 year bid for trafficking marijuana. While inside, he found his spirituality with the help of his friend Chip and non-profit organization New Canaan Society Inside. He had this to say about his thought process during his time away:

“No, I didn’t know actually what I was going to do. I wasn’t thinking much about business. I was just trying to take the time for myself… I built a really great friendship with my best friend right now Chip that was in jail with me. [And we got other things that we were aspiring to do.] So it’s a non-profit that we’re also doing that’s Christ centered. And we’re going back in the prison’s to fellowship with men and connect them to guys on the outside to kind of help them through their plight and their walk and to build friendships. That’s what we were really concentrating on in prison. So I didn’t know what I was gonna be doing.”

For pictures of who came out to support Biggs and to find out if the hip hop legend is still cool with his Roc brethren, hit the flip.

As far as his relationship with his former Roc-A-Fella partners, he has this to say:

“Oh we’re great. Everybody speaks. At this point we’ve created history. Everybody is in different places right now, so we speak all the time but we’re just all busy starting our new empires… Music? No, that’s not really my thing anymore. We kind of created history with that so I leave that where it is.”

Welp, that’s as crystal clear as you can get. (Biggs breaks down how he’s getting back to the money sans music after the flip)

Other attendees were reality personality Althea Eaton, LHHATL’s Debra Antney, professional skateboarder Stevie Williams, recording artist Donell Jones, recording artist Sammie, Ludacris manager Chaka Zulu of Disturbing tha Peace, Paris PK Kirk of DTP, rapper Special Ed, Sleepy Brown of Organized Noize, Ryan Glover of Bounce TV, Alana Banks of WEtv’s Selling it in the Atl, songwriter/producer Nate Butler, reality personality and stylist Tameka Foster, Roc Nation’s Lifestyle specialist Emory Jones , stylist Middleman Fresh, Phillana Williams, VP of Tunecore, a host of fashion designers, stylists and more.

The owner of the new yet expanding company told Bossip “We only launched two weeks ago. We gave a verbal with Foot Action that we would give them an exclusive for 6 months. So Foot Action stores are actually changing into boutiques so they have top 30 stores that they’re changing and trying to introduce a customer to higher end so they wanted to partner with us to kind of introduce that line. So we’re in the top 30 stores around the country and we’re going in Macy’s in June and we’re opening up distribution right now.”

“For the denim jeans: $97-168. But we got some jackets that go from 500 to 1000 dollars because they are all handmade.” – Biggs