J. Cole has teamed up with Swiss luxury brand Bally on a line of limited-edition hiking boots and backpacks for its Autumn/Winter 2015 collection. To support the collaboration, the North Carolina MC has debuted a short film.
The five-minute clip, directed by Maxim Bohichik of BBGUN, was shot in Kingston, Jamaica, and shows what happens when the hip-hop superstar disconnects from technology and goes “Off the Grid.” During his visit to Bob Marley’s hometown, Cole hikes through the tropical jungle, picks up the guitar, and records at Tuff Gong Studios.
“While I was visiting the Bally office in London, I noticed a black-and-white picture of Bob Marley wearing a pair of Bally boots,” says Cole. “I was impressed with the heritage of the company and how many people and places they’ve touched that I had no clue about. Jamaica was already one of my favorite places to spend time, but filming there was a way to pay homage both to Bob and to the brand’s legacy.”
Cole’s Bally collection is available now. The hiking boots are priced at $695 to $1,995, while the backpacks retail for $1,250 to $2,795.
He can be seen wearing the collection on his “Forest Hills Drive Tour,” which wraps at the end of August.