Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Jay Z Fans Trying To Get Rapper To Ditch $$$ Barney's Deal
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Oct 25, 2013
Modified Oct 25, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Oct 25, 2013
Modified Oct 25, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Fans have been urging Jay Z to cut ties with Barney's after 19-year-old college student Trayvon Christian filed a lawsuit against the retailer and the NYPD for detaining him after he purchased a $349 belt; since news of Christian's suit broke, other customers have claimed similar unjustified profiling. A Change.org petition asking Mr. Beyonce Knowles to "withdraw his support from Barneys New York" had 2,775 signatures as of Friday afternoon, and he's been taking heat on Twitter, too.
Some say it seems like Jay Z, who grew up at the Marcy Houses in Brooklyn, is losing touch with his roots. "My money is as good as anybody else’s money. It’s all green," Annette Rush, a Marcy resident, told the Daily News. "“From someone that came from the hood, he should know all that. He knows how hard it is. I don’t think he should sell his things there, not at a place where there’s racial profiling going on. It’s ridiculous." And it seems like he's set to make bank off the deal (though he'll be donating a portion of proceeds to his scholarship foundation), which will stick an "exclusive" collection from his Shawn Carter line it its own "immersive space” in the store. The Daily News says the cheapest item in the collection is a $70 cotton t-shirt, and it also sports $33,900 watch—a steal.
Young Hov has failed to respond to media requests regarding the controversy; meanwhile, more folks have been coming forward to accuse Barney's of racial profiling, and even megamodel Tyson Beckford says he's had trouble with the retailer. "I might have the most recognizable face in the world. I still get followed all the time any time I go to a store," he told PIX 11 News.
Tagged
barneys
jay-z
profiling
tyson beckford
Rebecca Fishbein
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Manhattan DA argues judge shouldn't dismiss state charges against Luigi Mangione
He pleaded guilty to separate charges in federal court this summer.
By
Samantha Max
Published Oct 9, 2026 at 3:44 p.m. ET
Feds blame NYC's sanctuary policies for violent ICE arrest in Marble Hill
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE agents were unaware a child was in the vehicle they fired on during the arrest.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
Feds blame NYC's sanctuary policies for violent ICE arrest in Marble Hill
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE agents were unaware a child was in the vehicle they fired on during the arrest.
By
Arya Sundaram
NYPD rushed man shot by ICE to hospital in police SUV, bodycam footage shows
By
Ben Feuerherd
Pencils down: NYC lawmakers want to switch back to paper tests as state mandates screens
By
Jessica Gould
Penn Station’s future could be determined by midterm elections
By
Stephen Nessen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .