Looking Back On
Hip-Hop
50 Years Of
Relatively speaking, hip-hop music is still in its infancy as a genre. However, there is no part of the globe that hasn't been in some way, shape, or form influenced by the essence of it. Next month, the musical expression will celebrate its 50th anniversary, a milestone that's already been honored with live performances at several award ceremonies, including the Grammys and BET Awards. But music isn’t the only imprint hip-hop culture has left on the world.
Hip-hop has also given birth to decades worth of fashion trends. Whether these looks were introduced in the biggest stars' music videos, album cover art, or on-stage appearances, hip-hop’s fashion influence is pervasive. What began as a direct reflection of accessibility fashion in the world's inner cities is now at the ethos of many high-end brands' latest collections. Throughout the generations, traces of hip-hop style have been sprinkled into pop culture.
To honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, we're taking a look at some of the most memorable fashion looks sported by hip-hop heavyweights from its inception to the present day.
Looking Back On
Most Memorable Fashion Moments
Hip Hop
Looking Back On
Most Memorable Fashion Moments
Hip Hop's
The
Foundation
Hip-hop, as the general public knows it, was professionally established as a music entity in the early 1970s. However, its essence has long since existed within the Black New York inner cities. Rap pioneer DJ Kool Herc’s famous 1973 back-to-school party in the Bronx was just a catalyst to push it into the mainstream. This niche cultural expression was a direct reflection of not only the myriad of interwoven elements (such as graffiti, emceeing, deejaying, and break dancing), the fashion sensibilities of the culture were a direct reflection of the wearer’s self-identity or even political affiliations.
Inspired by the Black nationalist movement of the 1960s, The Last Poets marched to the sound of their own drum. The collective pulled from native West African clothing staples such as loose-fitted dashiki or custom-designed garments using Ankara fabrics. This is a trend that many other acts would soon come to flow.
Before avant-garde designer garments entered the mix, hip-hop heads added pops of flare to ordinary clothing. From the item fit and how it was paired with other pieces to how it was stylized with accessories, this intentionality laid the foundation for streetwear.
DJs served as the earliest trendsetters. Many DJs were sure to incorporate different elements of streetwear and the B-boy uniform into the looks. One of the most notable hip-hop groups of all time, Sugar Hill Gang, often presented a duality between youth culture at the time -- uppity respectability pieces such as snugly fitted, neutrally colored cardigans, vests with streetwear such as showy graphic tees, and denim jeans.
Just as the sound quickly evolved as it traveled throughout the boroughs, so did hip-hop’s fashion sensibilities.
Hip-hop Enters the
Mainstream
By the 1980s, hip-hop had entered the commercial market. With increased visibility came a push for unique styling. Grandmaster Flash And The Furious 5 pulled inspiration from the time's biggest funk acts as they explored Afrofuturism, but the most popular fashion trend was the updated B-boy uniform. From black fedoras and gold rope chains to their love of Adidas-stripped tracksuits and Superstar shell-toe sneakers without laces, Run DMC were style icons. Although, Run DMC often wore the Kangol bucket hat, LL Cool J takes credit for that as well as the introduction of fashion icon Dapper Dan, the king of monogram upcycling (see: The Fat Boys).
Sneaker culture took off, and rap’s first lady Roxanne Shanté threw her support behind Filas. Roxanne’s love for Letterman jackets, leg warmers, and doorknocker earrings caught like wildfire. Back in New Jersey, Queen Latifah continued to explore West African cultures via her clothing of bold prints, vibrant textiles, and abstract headpieces. Over on the West Coast, NWA brought forth the gangster rap image of Chuck Taylor sneakers, fitted sports team caps, flight jackets, and Dickie button-down shirts.
Eric B., Rakim, Slick Rick (large pendant chains and both hands full of chunky gold rings), Kool Mo Dee (Porche 5620s sunglasses), and Public Enemy's Flavor Flav (clock necklace) made jewelry and accessories equally as important, including mouthpieces better known as grillz, fronts, or singular caps. But the decade’s biggest style icon was none other than Salt N Pepa. Their love of eye-catching prints, asymmetrical haircuts, kente hats, knee pads, curve-hugging bodysuits, and patchworked leather jackets reflected the onset of hyper-feminity into rap's stylistic oeuvre.
Sugar Hill Gang
The Last Poets
Grandmaster Flash
DJ Kool Herc
Salt N Peppa
LL Cool J
Kool Mo Dee
Run DMC
Fashion
P Diddy
and Hip-hop Collide
HIGH FASHION
With the genre’s commercial success in the 1990s, high fashion houses finally began to seek out rap muses for their latest collections, a trend we still see in the present time. No one embodied this more than Bad Boy Records’ starting lineup; at the forefront, rapper Lil Kim. The original queen bee left no idea unexplored. From untraditional hair color choices and monogrammed hair stencils to jeweled pasties and fur bikinis, Lil Kim was the trendsetter who laid the groundwork for the next generation of women rappers.
The Notorious B.I.G.’s influence propelled Coogi sweaters and Versace’s Medusa sunglasses, as well as their gold baroque print silk shirt and Kangol’s 504 Ventair hat. Fun fact, long before Lil Wayne, Pharrell, or Soulja Boy, Biggie was the first to introduce the brand BAPE. Diddy flexed his business mind in a myriad of ways. Diddy shifted between athleisure (hello, Bad Boy baseball jerseys) and men’s wear with pops of flair (hello, shiny suit era). Eventually, he launched his namesake brand, which Jay Z and Dame Dash followed with Roc-A-Wear.
But not everyone subscribed to that motto. Will Smith played up his charismatic personality by mixing patterns, color-blocking, making overalls cool for adults (DMX and Tupac helped, too), and dad hats retro. Rappers MC Lyte, Da Brat, and The Lady Of Rage ditched flashy designer duds altogether. Alternatively, their deliberate choice to import androgyny as a style option goes unsung. Meanwhile, A Tribe Called Quest kept the push for West African fashion trends going.
Lil Kim
Da Brat
Biggie Smalls
50 Cent
The Era of
Brand Deals
In the 2000s, branding continued, but rappers wanted a piece for themselves. Diddy, Jay-Z, Eve, Nelly, 50 Cent, and T.I. all had brands of their own. It didn’t stop there, sneaker companies began to partner with rappers as well. Although he was a major backer of BAPE sneakers, Soulja Boy signed a deal with Yums. 50 Cent and Jay-Z joined forces with Reebok.
Also, having a diamond chain wasn’t enough. Rappers now needed to have a custom piece with their crew’s name or logo launched by the iconic Roc-A-Fella chain. In addition to logo chains, musicians such as Paul Wall, Nelly, and more began to trick out their grillz never seen before. Other crews took it further, embroidering beanies (Dipset) or pressing up graphics tees or, in Young Jeezy’s case, an infamous shirt (Snowman tee).
Pharrell gave street brands like Ice Cream and Billionaire Boys Club their first major co-sign. Kanye West refined the preppy look by wearing a custom Louis Vuitton backpack wherever he went to match his popped polo and rugby shirt collar either by Ralph Lauren or Lacoste. West later popularized the Alain Mikli shutter shades in 2007. Lil Wayne, Jim Jones, and Juelz Santana obsessed over the brand Ed Hardy seemingly always paired with a B.B. Simon belt. Cam’ron made pink fur masculine. Jay-Z wouldn’t let go of the Yankees blue fitted cap or throwback Mitchell & Ness jerseys. 50 Cent elevated the gangsta dress code with a fashion-forward bulletproof vest and sturdier undershirts. Everyone else drowned in oversized white tees, thanks to Dem Franchize Boyz. Well, except Andre 3000, who wore whatever the hell he wanted.
Eve
Jay-Z
Pharrell
New Boyz
Prints, Neons, And Kicks,
Oh My
After the recession, the rapper-backed brand began to fold in the early 2010s. Regardless, its demise was on the way as the new generation of talent had their own idea of what was now considered cool. Just like the namesake dance, New Boyz spearheaded the jerk fashion trend. By integrating skater, youth, and urban culture, the group had everyone under the age of 18 wearing Vans sneakers (shoutout to The Pack), unnecessary backpacks, thick frame reading glasses with lenses popped out if you didn’t own a pair of Ray-Bans, and printed, patterned, or neon colored skinny jeans. While Cali Swag District revived the Letterman jackets, Tyga and a few others did the same for long-sleeved flannel shirts. Meanwhile, Driicky Graham advocated for snapback hats.
Nicki Minaj served up campy looks on the red carpet and public appearances. But toward the latter half of the 2010s, Minaj made the full transition back to high fashion, leaving the theatrics behind. Speaking of high fashion, the ASAP Mob enters the scene to lay out their industry foresight. At the helm of it all was ASAP Rocky, who often rapped about his love for companies such as Rick Owens, Maison Martin Margiela, and Jeremy Scott, to name a few. 2 Chainz was a walking and talking advert for True Religion. Just as the decade was coming to an end, a budding star by the name of Cardi B platformed Christian Louboutin’s women's shoes and fast fashion company Fashion Nova.
ASAP Rocky
Nicki Minaj
Tyga
Lil Uzi Vert
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Doja Cat
Cardi B
Rico Nasty
Hip-hop Enters the
Current Day
The 2020s already have a few standouts when you begin to design hip-hop fashion. Ahead of the pack is Rico Nasty. Rico has invested a tremendous amount of time and care into crafting her image. From her hair, eyebrows, and makeup to her garments and footwear, Rico is uniquely herself. The rapper first hit the music scene in the late 2010s; now, with a few years under her belt, she knows what her visual direction is, pulling in elements from the punk, goth, and emo scenes. In a sea of fast-fashion girlies, Rico Nasty stands shoulders above them all. Another standout is Lil Uzi Vert for many of the same reasons. Uzi isn’t afraid to break from gender norms. While they are an avid lover of labels, Uzi manages to put their own twist on things.
Although she was born in Boston having been raised in New Jersey, Coi Leray is single-handedly pushing forward the club kid aesthetic in rap music. With hints of anime, Coi Leray harmoniously ties them together with streetwear in what many might consider two different worlds but actually have quite an extensive overlap.
On the opposite end of this spectrum, rappers Cardi B and Doja Cat are high fashion canvases. Neither are afraid to take risks or go to extreme lengths and commit themselves fully when they or a designer that they are partnered with has a far-out concept to explore.
Next
Next
Previous
Previous
Next
With the genre’s commercial success in the 1990s, high fashion houses finally began to seek out rap muses for their latest collections, a trend we still see in the present time. No one embodied this more than Bad Boy Records’ starting lineup; at the forefront, rapper Lil Kim. The original queen bee left no idea unexplored. From untraditional hair color choices and monogrammed hair stencils to jeweled pasties and fur bikinis, Lil Kim was the trendsetter who laid the groundwork for the next generation of women rappers.
The Notorious B.I.G.’s influence propelled Coogi sweaters and Versace’s Medusa sunglasses, as well as their gold baroque print silk shirt and Kangol’s 504 Ventair hat. Fun fact, long before Lil Wayne, Pharrell, or Soulja Boy, Biggie was the first to introduce the brand BAPE. Diddy flexed his business mind in a myriad of ways. Diddy shifted between athleisure (hello, Bad Boy baseball jerseys) and men’s wear with pops of flair (hello, shiny suit era). Eventually, he launched his namesake brand, which Jay Z and Dame Dash followed with Roc-A-Wear.
But not everyone subscribed to that motto. Will Smith played up his charismatic personality by mixing patterns, color-blocking, making overalls cool for adults (DMX and Tupac helped, too), and dad hats retro. Rappers MC Lyte, Da Brat, and The Lady Of Rage ditched flashy designer duds altogether. Alternatively, their deliberate choice to import androgyny as a style option goes unsung. Meanwhile, A Tribe Called Quest kept the push for West African fashion trends going.
Previous
Next
In the 2000s, branding continued, but rappers wanted a piece for themselves. Diddy, Jay-Z, Eve, Nelly, 50 Cent, and T.I. all had brands of their own. It didn’t stop there, sneaker companies began to partner with rappers as well. Although he was a major backer of BAPE sneakers, Soulja Boy signed a deal with Yums. 50 Cent and Jay-Z joined forces with Reebok.
Also, having a diamond chain wasn’t enough. Rappers now needed to have a custom piece with their crew’s name or logo launched by the iconic Roc-A-Fella chain. In addition to logo chains, musicians such as Paul Wall, Nelly, and more began to trick out their grillz never seen before. Other crews took it further, embroidering beanies (Dipset) or pressing up graphics tees or, in Young Jeezy’s case, an infamous shirt (Snowman tee).
Pharrell gave street brands like Ice Cream and Billionaire Boys Club their first major co-sign. Kanye West refined the preppy look by wearing a custom Louis Vuitton backpack wherever he went to match his popped polo and rugby shirt collar either by Ralph Lauren or Lacoste. West later popularized the Alain Mikli shutter shades in 2007. Lil Wayne, Jim Jones, and Juelz Santana obsessed over the brand Ed Hardy seemingly always paired with a B.B. Simon belt. Cam’ron made pink fur masculine. Jay-Z wouldn’t let go of the Yankees blue fitted cap or throwback Mitchell & Ness jerseys. 50 Cent elevated the gangsta dress code with a fashion-forward bulletproof vest and sturdier undershirts. Everyone else drowned in oversized white tees, thanks to Dem Franchize Boyz. Well, except Andre 3000, who wore whatever the hell he wanted.
Also, having a diamond chain wasn’t enough. Rappers now needed to have a custom piece with their crew’s name or logo launched by the iconic Roc-A-Fella chain. In addition to logo chains, musicians such as Paul Wall, Nelly, and more began to trick out their grillz never seen before. Other crews took it further, embroidering beanies (Dipset) or pressing up graphics tees or, in Young Jeezy’s case, an infamous shirt (Snowman tee).
Pharrell gave street brands like Ice Cream and Billionaire Boys Club their first major co-sign. Kanye West refined the preppy look by wearing a custom Louis Vuitton backpack wherever he went to match his popped polo and rugby shirt collar either by Ralph Lauren or Lacoste. West later popularized the Alain Mikli shutter shades in 2007. Lil Wayne, Jim Jones, and Juelz Santana obsessed over the brand Ed Hardy seemingly always paired with a B.B. Simon belt. Cam’ron made pink fur masculine. Jay-Z wouldn’t let go of the Yankees blue fitted cap or throwback Mitchell & Ness jerseys. 50 Cent elevated the gangsta dress code with a fashion-forward bulletproof vest and sturdier undershirts. Everyone else drowned in oversized white tees, thanks to Dem Franchize Boyz. Well, except Andre 3000, who wore whatever the hell he wanted.
Previous
Next
Previous
Next
Rico is uniquely herself. The rapper first hit the music scene in the late 2010s; now, with a few years under her belt, she knows what her visual direction is, pulling in elements from the punk, goth, and emo scenes. In a sea of fast-fashion girlies, Rico Nasty stands shoulders above them all. Another standout is Lil Uzi Vert for many of the same reasons. Uzi isn’t afraid to break from gender norms. While they are an avid lover of labels, Uzi manages to put their own twist on things.
Although she was born in Boston having been raised in New Jersey, Coi Leray is single-handedly pushing forward the club kid aesthetic in rap music. With hints of anime, Coi Leray harmoniously ties them together with streetwear in what many might consider two different worlds but actually have quite an extensive overlap.
On the opposite end of this spectrum, rappers Cardi B and Doja Cat are high fashion canvases. Neither are afraid to take risks or go to extreme lengths and commit themselves fully when they or a designer that they are partnered with has a far-out concept to explore.
Previous
By the 1980s, hip-hop had entered the commercial market. With increased visibility came a push for unique styling. Grandmaster Flash And The Furious 5 pulled inspiration from the time's biggest funk acts as they explored Afrofuturism, but the most popular fashion trend was the updated B-boy uniform. From black fedoras and gold rope chains to their love of Adidas-stripped tracksuits and Superstar shell-toe sneakers without laces, Run DMC were style icons. Although, Run DMC often wore the Kangol bucket hat, LL Cool J takes credit for that as well as the introduction of fashion icon Dapper Dan, the king of monogram upcycling (see: The Fat Boys).
Sneaker culture took off, and rap’s first lady Roxanne Shanté threw her support behind Filas. Roxanne’s love for Letterman jackets, leg warmers, and doorknocker earrings caught like wildfire. Back in New Jersey, Queen Latifah continued to explore West African cultures via her clothing of bold prints, vibrant textiles, and abstract headpieces. Over on the West Coast, NWA brought forth the gangster rap image of Chuck Taylor sneakers, fitted sports team caps, flight jackets, and Dickie button-down shirts.
Eric B., Rakim, Slick Rick (large pendant chains and both hands full of chunky gold rings), Kool Mo Dee (Porche 5620s sunglasses), and Public Enemy's Flavor Flav (clock necklace) made jewelry and accessories equally as important, including mouthpieces better known as grillz, fronts, or singular caps. But the decade’s biggest style icon was none other than Salt N Pepa. Their love of eye-catching prints, asymmetrical haircuts, kente hats, knee pads, curve-hugging bodysuits, and patchworked leather jackets reflected the onset of hyper-feminity into rap's stylistic oeuvre.
The original queen bee left no idea unexplored. From untraditional hair color choices and monogrammed hair stencils to jeweled pasties and fur bikinis, Lil Kim was the trendsetter who laid the groundwork for the next generation of women rappers.
With the genre’s commercial success in the 1990s, high fashion houses finally began to seek out rap muses for their latest collections, a trend we still see in the present time. No one embodied this more than Bad Boy Records’ starting lineup; at the forefront, rapper Lil Kim. The original queen bee left no idea unexplored. From untraditional hair color choices and monogrammed hair stencils to jeweled pasties and fur bikinis, Lil Kim was the trendsetter who laid the groundwork for the next generation of women rappers.
The Notorious B.I.G.’s influence propelled Coogi sweaters and Versace’s Medusa sunglasses, as well as their gold baroque print silk shirt and Kangol’s 504 Ventair hat. Fun fact, long before Lil Wayne, Pharrell, or Soulja Boy, Biggie was the first to introduce the brand BAPE. Diddy flexed his business mind in a myriad of ways. Diddy shifted between athleisure (hello, Bad Boy baseball jerseys) and men’s wear with pops of flair (hello, shiny suit era). Eventually, he launched his namesake brand, which Jay Z and Dame Dash followed with Roc-A-Wear.
But not everyone subscribed to that motto. Will Smith played up his charismatic personality by mixing patterns, color-blocking, making overalls cool for adults (DMX and Tupac helped, too), and dad hats retro. Rappers MC Lyte, Da Brat, and The Lady Of Rage ditched flashy designer duds altogether. Alternatively, their deliberate choice to import androgyny as a style option goes unsung. Meanwhile, A Tribe Called Quest kept the push for West African fashion trends going.
Although she was born in Boston having been raised in New Jersey, Coi Leray is single-handedly pushing forward the club kid aesthetic in rap music. With hints of anime, Coi Leray harmoniously ties them together with streetwear in what many might consider two different worlds but actually have quite an extensive overlap.
On the opposite end of this spectrum, rappers Cardi B and Doja Cat are high fashion canvases. Neither are afraid to take risks or go to extreme lengths and commit themselves fully when they or a designer that they are partnered with has a far-out concept to explore.
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Written By: Flisadam Pointer design: joe petrolis & merle cooper
Written By: Flisadam Pointer - design: joe petrolis & merle cooper