Veteran Rapper DMC Leaves Adidas, Endorsing French Brand Le Cog Sportif

Veteran rapper Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, formerly of pioneering rap group Run-DMC, has ended his 20-year affiliation with Adidas. The rapper has joined on to promote the Upscale French-owned brand, Le Coq Sportif. DMC said he came across the brand on his quest to find a comfortable sneaker, after many years with Adidas, whom he once […]

Veteran rapper Darryl

“DMC” McDaniels, formerly of pioneering rap group Run-DMC, has ended

his 20-year affiliation with Adidas.

The rapper has joined on to promote the Upscale French-owned

brand, Le Coq Sportif.

DMC said he came across the brand on his quest to find a comfortable

sneaker, after many years with Adidas, whom he once endorsed in a now legendary

1986 pact with the German sportswear giant.

DMC was introduced to the Le Coq Sportif brand earlier this

year after a trip to the company’s New York show room with a business

associate.

“When summer came, I had to put my Adidas back on because

literally, no other sneaker looked right on me," DMC told AllHipHop.com.

"For some reason, those shell-toes were mine. Not for Run, not [Jam Master]

Jay’s. For me. I couldn’t wear nothing else.”

DMC is also helping Le Coq Sportif in a design capacity,

helping to choose color schemes of the sneakers.

In January, the Sausheim, France based Le Coq Sportif announced

it would make a push into the United States apparel market via a collaboration

with Itochu International, the company that owns the Le Coq Sportif license

in the United States.

Hip-Hop fashionistas will recall the Le Coq Sportif brand was

popular in hip-hop circles in the mid-1980’s.

DMC said he was not simply signing a shoe deal and had rebuffed

offers until he found a shoe that also reflected his personal style.

“I put those shoes on [Le Coq Sportif] and it was a wrap,”

DMC said. “I finally found the sneaker I was looking for. Finally I

could get out of my shell-toes.”

Run-DMC helped revolutionize hip-hop marketing when they

recorded the hit song “My Adidas” featured on their landmark 1986

album, Raising Hell.

“Adidas was part of a great past, but with my new album

and documentary show coming out this fall on VH1, I found a sneaker brand to

represent a great future," DMC continued.

DMC is preparing to release his debut solo album Checks

Thugs and Rock ‘n Roll on his own label Rags 2 Riches Records and will

also be featured in an upcoming Le Coq Sportif ad campaign.

The rapper is also

the subject of a new VH1 franchise called “VH1 Rock Docs,” which

reveals untold stories in the world of rock and hip-hop music.