Staff Writer – Kerran Monroe
In Jamaica news. Konshens is working to build his brand equity with a new shoe line, which he is calling Konz876. Other Dancehall artistes have dabbled into entrepreneurial ventures but very few have succeeded.
The only two that come to mind in terms of success stories are General Degree’s Reggeh clothing line and Stacious’ Scrumptious Caffe.
Konshens is however determined not to go down like the others. He is out to make his brand a success and ensure that it is around for years to come.
Konshens – Photo courtesy Konshens
According to jamaicanmusic.com, Konshens is quoted as saying, “I chose a shoe line because you can bring more culture into it. It takes a lot more effort as opposed to printing up T-shirts, plus there is a huge market for it.”
“Dancehall and Reggae music have the widest range of core fans worldwide and I think the only thing that separates us from other more mainstream genres is the lack of entrepreneurship on our part as artistes,” Konshens added. “There’s so much more we can do to maximize on our potential, influence and pull power.”
Konshens is said to have first launched his new shoe line at the Quad nightclub on September 13 and at Donway Village on the Hip Strip in Montego Bay and on September 14 for a second launch.
According to Konshens on his On Stage interview with Winford Williams, the line is for both males and females, which is evident on the line’s website konz876.com where one can see pink feminine looking sneakers for females, as well as the more masculine type shoes for men.
The prices are quoted on the website as 129USD. Clearly, the market Konshens had in mind was not his fan base, which consists of a lot of broke people. The prices are clearly high end or for people whose motto is to swag or die trying.
With that said, Konshens must be commended, and hopefully, this brand is here to stay, as we have seen too many failed attempts of Dancehall artistes tying to brand products.
