New York rap icon Jadakiss began to roll out promotion of his new album — Top 5: Dead or Alive — with a collaborative shirt in conjunction with premier retailer ALIFE. The two parties worked to host an exclusive event for the project, which was held in the intimate backyard setting of ALIFE’s Lower East Side flagship. Hypebeast got the opportunity to speak with Jadakiss regarding his relationship with the brand, with the rapper recounting earlier incarnations of the store, which only served to sweeten their most recent endeavor. The D-Block captain calmly displays his storytelling capacity as he details his relationship with ALIFE past and present, what he thinks of the burgeoning talent of today, and even an introspective account of his own place in rap music.

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