Jabari Shelton (born December 23, 1991 in
Harlem, New York
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
), better known as ASAP Bari (stylized as A$AP Bari) or Young Lord, is an American streetwear designer,
entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values th ...
, and convicted sex offender. He is known as a co-founder of the
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
hip-hop collective
Musical collective is a phrase used to describe a group of musicians in which membership is flexible and creative control is shared.Liisa Ladouceur"Collegjthk ctive Souls" ''This Magazine'', November/December 2004. The concept is distinct from th ...
ASAP Mob
ASAP Mob (stylized as A$AP Mob, ASAP being an acronym for "Always Strive And Prosper") is an American hip hop collective formed in 2006 in Harlem, New York City, that consists of rappers (most of whom carry the "ASAP" moniker), record producers, ...
, which he formed in 2006 alongside
ASAP Yams
ASAP Mob (stylized as A$AP Mob, ASAP being an acronym for "Always Strive And Prosper") is an American hip hop collective formed in 2006 in Harlem, New York City, that consists of rappers (most of whom carry the "ASAP" moniker), record producers, ...
, ASAP Kham and ASAP Illz.
He is also a co-founder of the streetwear clothing label VLONE.
Career
A$AP Mob
In 2006, Shelton founded the rap collective A$AP Mob alongside A$AP Yams, A$AP Kham and A$AP Illz.
Shelton does not rap but performs creative functions and networks with other individuals for the collective.
Shelton was the one who allegedly introduced rapper
A$AP Rocky
Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...
to A$AP Yams.
While establishing himself, his influences in the rap industry were
Sean Combs
Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent directo ...
and
Dame Dash
Damon Anthony Dash (born May 3, 1971) is an American entrepreneur and record executive. Dash is best known as co-founder of Roc-A-Fella along with Jay-Z and Kareem Burke.
Early life
Born in New York City, Dash swept the floors of a local barb ...
, two fellow Harlemites.
VLONE
Following the success of
ASAP Mob
ASAP Mob (stylized as A$AP Mob, ASAP being an acronym for "Always Strive And Prosper") is an American hip hop collective formed in 2006 in Harlem, New York City, that consists of rappers (most of whom carry the "ASAP" moniker), record producers, ...
, fellow member Kamoni Chandler, also known as A$AP K, founded the streetwear label VLONE in 2011. VLONE Hoodies and Vlone Shirt quickly became famous in the streets of Harlem. Shelton, who had previously been the head of A$AP Rocky's merchandise during his tours,
worked together with Chandler on the brand. After a falling out Chandler left the brand and Shelton took over. Shelton brought in Edison Chen of CLOT, who handles the design work of the label. He stated in an interview with ''
Mass Appeal'' that much of his influence came from trying on and stealing clothes with his friends while living in Harlem, feeling the fabrics of high-value brands.
Vlone is more than just a brand, it is a style and culture which means "You live alone and you die alone".
In 2014, VLONE debuted its first collection.
VLONE encountered a partnership with
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
in 2017; On July 31, a Nike spokesman confirmed that the Vlone deal with Shelton was terminated following the release of a video of him sexually assaulting a woman in a hotel room.
In June 2017, VLONE participated in its first runway show during the
2017 Paris Fashion Week.
In 2020, VLONE started collaborating with artists, pushing out merchandise for
Juice WRLD
Jarad Anthony Higgins (December 2, 1998 – December 8, 2019), known professionally as Juice Wrld (pronounced "juice world"; stylized as Juice WRLD), was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He was a leading figure in the emo rap and So ...
,
NBA Youngboy
Kentrell DeSean Gaulden (born October 20, 1999), known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again (also known as NBA YoungBoy or simply YoungBoy), is an American rapper. Between 2015 and 2017, he released eight independent mixtapes and steadi ...
,
The Weeknd
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, Romance (love), ...
,
Nav, and more artists.
Recognition
In 2012, he was listed in ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
s ''25 Under 25: The Young Leaders of Style'' article for his streetwear style contributions.
In 2017, Asap Bari's fashion line Vlone was showcased on a runway show in Paris.
Controversy
Ian Connor
Following rape allegations surrounding stylist and model Ian Connor, on 23 June 2016 Shelton punched Connor as he was leaving the Colette store in Paris, with Shelton further confronting Connor on Twitter surrounding the allegation, and later escalated to Ian Connor fighting A$AP Bari.
Legal problems
2017 sexual assault case
On July 12, 2017, a video emerged alleging sexual assault by Shelton against a nude woman. The video showed Shelton bursting into a hotel room she was sleeping in yelling "You fucked my assistant, now you are going to fuck with me", followed up by "You better suck my cock now, bitch!" She said "no", and then Shelton pulled blankets and exposed her nude body to about 10 other men of ASAP Mob, and he followed her into the bathroom. She begged him to stop harassing her and began crying in fear. She was then allegedly thrown out of the room in the nude with Bari smacking her in the buttocks; she had the hotel manager call the police. Shelton claimed on Twitter that the video was "fake", though he later stated that the video was between "friends" and that they had "resolved this issue amicably among all parties as adults".
In November 2017, the woman sued Shelton for over $1 million stating she was
sexually assaulted
Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
by him.
On 18 May 2018, Shelton was arrested at
Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
on charges of sexual assault related to the incident. On 3 January 2019, Shelton pleaded guilty to the 2017 sexual assault in London. He avoided a possible prison sentence by paying the victim £2,000.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bari, ASAP
1991 births
Living people
21st-century American businesspeople
African-American businesspeople
African-American fashion designers
American fashion designers
African-American record producers
American hip hop record producers
American marketing businesspeople
Rappers from Manhattan
ASAP Mob members
Businesspeople from New York City
People from Harlem
Record producers from New York (state)
21st-century African-American people
American people convicted of sexual assault
American businesspeople convicted of crimes