Hip-Hop = Life

Poppin’ Tags
written by JusHH

I laughed to myself the other day. In 3 weeks I will turn 27 years old and I realized that I still don’t lace my white-on-white Uptowns through every hole, I still wear my hats with a tilt and Tim boots are still worn year round. There is no question that Hip-Hop has dictated my fashion sense for as long as I can remember. In fact Hip-Hop, humble beginnings and all have had a significant and permanent impact on fashion as a whole.

Like most things with Hip-Hop, the fashion started off by putting a spin on whatever we had…

Adidas sneakers? Cool. I’ll wear them with no laces and rock the tongue out.

Kangol hats from your dad’s closet? Cool but I won’t wear them with a suit; I’ll put it with my track suit.

Once Hip-Hop became the hottest music/ culture and started to influence the rest of the country, clothing companies went from thinking that we were just some extra cash to specifically designing clothes for us. Timberland went from wondering if they wanted this “demographic” wearing their boots to making 10 different colors and like 100 different styles to wear anywhere.

Something funny also happened. People in Hip-Hop wanted to make clothes too. Karl Kani was one of the first designers from the “Hip-Hop generation” to start a clothing line. People definitely wore it but it did not have the longevity that he would have hoped. Inspired by Kani, Russell Simmons decided to jump into the mix. With Phat Farm, he felt that rather than spend money on clothes from designers who may or may not want your business, it would be better to buy from your own. He was going to use his name and influence with the Hip-Hop community to pull it off. Phat Farm did very well and it was proof that you can build a successful company

Then the flood gates opened. Every rapper and their mother felt that they needed to start a clothing line. Let’s see if you know the rappers who are responsible for these wonderful projects…

FJ560
ErvingGeoffery
Vokal
8732
Bushi

Now don’t get it twisted, I support anyone’s entrepreneurial endeavors but it became comical when a rapper’s debut album wasn’t out long enough to collect dust and they were already pushing their new jeans. It got so bad that the rack at the mall started to look like the rap section at Best Buy. Failed businesses and lost investments taught people that selling records and selling clothes isn’t the same thing.

A few people got it right though. They focused on the fashion first and not necessiarily the strength of their rap names (Rocawear (Jay-Z)). They picked a demographic in need and gave them clothing they desperately needed (i.e. Apple Bottoms (Nelly) and “curvy” women). It was very clear that they took this business seriously and hired professionals in the industry to make the right decisions. The most successful has to go to Diddy who’s Sean John line has broken out of the “Hip-Hop” box and has worldwide acclaim and has won prestigious fashion awards.

The relationship between Hip-Hop and fashion has come along way from unlaced shoes and unstrapped overalls. When Hov stopped wearing jerseys, Mitchell & Ness lost a lot of business and when Kanye’s jeans got tighter, a lot of 36-42’s were left on the shelf. Now you have clothing companies creating hats, shirts, jeans and shoes just for us. Your favorite rapper is either trying to start his own line or is getting a major endorsement to wear someone else’s stuff. Either way, you can be sure that where Hip-Hop goes, fashion is sure to follow…

… and vice versa (cuz who saw this rockstar/ skateboard thing coming? lol)