Jay Z to release first ever fragrance

Rapper Jay Z is moving on from the racial profiling controversy surrounding top retailer Barneys by unveiling plans to launch his first fragrance exclusively at the store.

Barney's bosses faced a public backlash in October (13) over allegations two black shoppers had been hauled before New York police during separate shopping trips after staff questioned how they could afford to buy expensive designer items.

Both parties have since filed discrimination lawsuits against executives at the retailer, and the scandal prompted calls for the 99 Problems hitmaker to cut his ties with brand bosses, who he recently teamed up with for a curated designer collection.

Jay Z insisted he was "waiting on facts and the outcome of a meeting between community leaders and Barneys" before deciding on his next step, and bosses at the New York-based store have since apologized to the rapper for having his name dragged into the racial profiling scandal.

However, it appears he is not too concerned with the controversy as he is pressing ahead with the introduction of his Gold fragrance, which will hit stores on 20 November (13).

And Jay Z is planning a big marketing push to celebrate the launch.

Gold fragrance licensee Donald J. Loftus tells WWD.com, ''We are going to make a big noise. For the 30 days before Christmas, it will be impossible not to know he has a fragrance. Jay stressed that he didn't want to do what had been done before.''

Jay Z, who reportedly went through 3,200 names before deciding on Gold, is planning to expand the fragrance into deodorant and shower gel lines.