Vintage FUBU T-Shirt. FUBU is am hip hop apparel company from 1992 made in the US. FUBU stands for "For Us, By Us". in 1997, LL Cool J starred in a commercial for Gap Inc. in which he wore a FUBU hat and incorporated the phrase “For Us, By Us” into his rap lyrics. The commercial's production team was unaware of the meaning behind LL's FUBU references until the advertisement aired. The subsequent controversy proved to be a tremendous publicity boost for both companies by simultaneously establishing FUBU in the mainstream, while giving Gap street credibility.