Street King was a flavored energy drink created by American rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Pure Growth Partners, CEO Chris Clarke.
 | |
| Type | Energy drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Street King LLC |
| Introduced | 2011 |
| Flavour | Strawberry lemonade, grape, berry, pomegranate |
| Website | www |
Overview
editJackson partnered with Pure Growth Partners' Founder and CEO Chris Clarke to launch the product,[1] which through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), was intended to provide a meal for a child in Africa with each shot purchased. The product was manufactured and distributed by Street King LLC in New York, NY.
The drink was sold in 74-millilitre (2.5 US fl oz) shots which contain a caffeine amount of 285 mg,[2] comparable to that of 2-3 cups of coffee.[1][3][4] Street King was available in orange-mango and grape.[1]
Philanthropy
editIn September 2011, Jackson publicly committed to donating one billion meals to the World Food Program over five years. If he reaches this goal, Jackson would become the 20th largest donor to the organization.[5][6][7] Each meal is covered by a 10 cent donation to the World Food Program for each shot purchased.[7] He donated 3.5 million meals[7] between the launch in September 2011 and January 2012.[8]
Marketing
editStreet King was rebranded as "SK Energy" in summer 2012.[9] Street King was marketed heavily over social media, including videos with Pauly D and Joan Rivers.[10]
The drink had gained a number of celebrity endorsements, including Joan Rivers;[11] Pauly D;[12] Free Agent Wes Welker;[13] Erin Andrews;[14] J. R. Smith of the Cleveland Cavaliers.[15]
Losing money
editSK Energy was losing "millions" of dollars per year, according to Jackson's accountant, in July 2015.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b c Canada, Danielle (August 12, 2011). "50 Cent Releasing "Street King" Energy Shots, Proceeds To Feed 1 Billion Children". Hip-Hop Wired. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
- ^ "Product".
- ^ Lindsey Goodwin. "How Much Caffeine Is in Coffee, Tea, Cola and Other Drinks?". About.com Food. Retrieved July 13, 2015.
- ^ "Rapper launches energy shot with philanthropic edge" (Press release). Beverage Industry. August 11, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
- ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (August 12, 2011). "50 Cent Launches Energy Shot "Street King" To Help Feed One Billion Children". HipHop DX. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
- ^ "50 Cent Visits Famine Victims In Somalia, Kenya - The Juice". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
- ^ a b c Goldberg, Mark Leon (February 23, 2012). "Why 50 Cent is a Humanitarian Genius". UN Dispatch. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
- ^ "Street King, The Popular Energy Shot With a Mission to End World Hunger, is Now Available at GNC and More Than 40,000 Locations Nationwide" (Press release). PR Newswire. January 6, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ "Off the Street: 50 Cent's Energy Shot Rebranded as SK Energy". BevNET.com. May 18, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (March 28, 2012). "50 Cent Recruits Pauly D, Joan Rivers For Street King Campaign - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (March 28, 2012). "50 Cent Recruits Pauly D, Joan Rivers For Street King Campaign". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 6, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
- ^ Markman, Rob (July 12, 2012). "Pauly D Joins 50 Cent's SK Energy Movement". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 11, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
- ^ "50 Cent's Street King Energy Links With Wes Welker". Stack magazine. December 1, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
- ^ "Erin Andrews Talks 50 Cent: Discusses Near-Awkward Kiss At Daytona 500". International Business Times. March 7, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ "50 Cent's Next Beverage Bonanza". Forbes. March 27, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
- ^ "50 Cent's accountant knows little about rapper's income". NY Daily News. Retrieved April 10, 2018.