The FUBU Story The highly successful FUBU clothing line was launched in 1992 in the home of Daymond John in
Queens, New York. Although the letters originally stood for “Five Urban Brothers United,” it quickly
became commonly understood that FUBU meant “For Us By Us” – suggesting it was an AfricanAmerican owned company designing clothing primarily for an African-American audience. But the
FUBU line rapidly became a multi-million dollar operation, popular with young people of all races. The FUBU line offered casual clothing, including t-shirts, jeans, and baseball caps, all featuring the
distinctive FUBU logo. John convinced his friend, Hip Hop artist LL Cool J, to endorse the line in
2003, helping it rapidly boost sales and find great popularity not only African Americans, but with
white teens and young adults as well. By 1998 annual sales had topped $350 million. Although FUBU no longer operates in the United States, it made John a multimillionaire who went on
to write books and give lectures about business success. The company he founded remains a symbol
of African-American entrepreneurship, one closely linked to the immense popularity of Hip Hop. Source: Gerard Van der Leun
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