‘Hurricane’ Sneakers Give Rap Star a PR Quandary

When the Compton rap star who calls himself the Game saw his debut album hit No. 1 on the U.S. pop charts in January, he followed the example of other hip-hop artists and parlayed his newfound celebrity into a footwear deal.

But in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the rapper has faced a public relations dilemma. His new sneaker line, developed for months and due in stores the day after Christmas, is called the Hurricane.

This week, the Game, whose given name is Jayceon Taylor, said he had decided not to scrap plans for the shoes, which will feature a swirl “H” logo and retail for $80 to $95 a pair. But out of deference to the victims of the worst natural disaster in U.S. history, some of the proceeds will be donated to charity and the potentially upsetting name will be cut from ads.

“A portion of the proceeds will go to help people who lost everything, and that will last until the company ceases to exist or until New Orleans is 100% rebuilt,” the rapper said. He added that the devastation in the gulf had upset him so deeply he was considering adopting a child from the region. “It’s all I can think about when I wake up in the morning,” he said.

Soon after the Game’s debut album, “The Documentary,” was released in January, the rapper partnered with 310 Motoring, a high-end Los Angeles car customization company that is expanding into clothing and shoe ventures.

At the time, 310 Motoring, well known in car culture for its celebrity client list, gave the Game a tricked-out $300,000 Bentley. Now, he is auctioning it off online and has promised to donate any money it raises to storm victims.

But despite such altruism, the Game still is known first and foremost as a gangsta rapper -- a label that carries a certain downside. For example, the Game had planned to introduce his sneakers to fashion industry players last week at a major Las Vegas fashion expo. Instead he was ejected from the event by security officials.

The organizers of the Magic Marketplace show say the rapper was asked to leave because his bodyguards had concealed weapons. But the Game said he was told at the time that he himself was the security risk.

“I was profiled unfairly,” he said, adding that security officials said their concerns were fueled in part by the recent shooting of rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight in South Florida.

The Game isn’t the first musical act to have plans disrupted by unexpected disaster. The heavy metal band Anthrax and the art house group We Are the World Trade Center struggled after acts of terrorism made their names synonymous with suffering.

For the Game, though, recent events have made him wary.

“I’m sitting here,” he said, “waiting for a black cat to come through the window.”