Street King (drink)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Beverage |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Chris Clarke |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson (co-founder), Chris Clarke (CEO of Pure Growth Partners) |
| Products | Energy beverage (shot format) |
| Parent | Street King LLC |
Street King was an energy beverage with added flavor, developed by American rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson in collaboration with Chris Clarke, the CEO of Pure Growth Partners.
Overview
The launch of Street King resulted from a partnership between Jackson and Chris Clarke, head of Pure Growth Partners. The initiative was linked to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), aiming to provide a meal to a child in Africa for every shot sold. Production and distribution were handled by Street King LLC, based in New York, NY.
Each serving came in a shot format containing 285 mg of caffeine, roughly equal to the caffeine content found in two to three cups of coffee. The beverage was offered in two flavors: orange-mango and grape.
Philanthropy
In September 2011, Jackson pledged to contribute one billion meals to the World Food Programme over a five-year span, positioning himself as potentially the organization's 20th largest benefactor. For every shot purchased, a donation of 10 cents was made to the WFP. From the product's debut until January 2012, Jackson had donated meals totaling 3.5 million.
Marketing
During the summer of 2012, Street King underwent rebranding and emerged as SK Energy. The brand utilized social media platforms extensively for promotion, including videos featuring celebrities such as Pauly D and Joan Rivers. It also gained endorsements from well-known personalities like Joan Rivers, Pauly D, free agent Wes Welker, Erin Andrews, and J. R. Smith of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Financial Performance
By mid-2015, SK Energy was reportedly incurring annual losses amounting to "millions" of dollars, according to financial reports from Jackson’s accountant.