Street cred is something that can’t be bought. Brands have tried, and brands have failed. Especially in an age of user-generated content, street cred stems from some other, more nebulous source — mostly from a brand’s DNA.

In Marshall’s case, that’s its beginnings in 1962 as a small drum shop in Hanwell, London, and its slow, authentic flourishing into a household name of the rock music scene. Awake NY, meanwhile, was founded by hypewear kingpin Angelo Baque, which means its entire raison d’être is rooted in the streets of New York City’s five boroughs.

Now, both sit atop their respective industries, and these are two brands that know a thing or two about building street cred authentically. And now they’re — authentically — tying the knot.

Building on their existing close relationship, this year, the duo is presenting ‘Live from Awake NY’ — a year-long string of events hosted at Awake NY’s flagship store on the Lower East Side. The series has already featured the likes of hip-hop favorite Styles P and Drake collaborator Charlotte Day Wilson, so expect many more established and emerging artists to perform throughout the year alongside exclusive product drops.

Marshall / Marshall x Awake NY

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In NYC and for NYC, this is a collaboration whose first priority is people. Aiming to provide spaces where the music and creative scenes can flourish, the event series will be accompanied by a significant donation to the Queens Teens Institute for Art and Social Justice. Supporting the next generation as well as the current, Marshall and Awake NY take their communities seriously — and the street cred follows naturally after.

Follow the partnership here and stay tuned for more.