The Benefits Hip Hop Brought to the Fashion World

Upon hearing the word ‘hip hop’, many people immediately think of violence, drugs, guns and other negative connotations that they’ve tied together with this lifestyle. With all of these stereotypes, it’s not uncommon to hear people saying that they think hip hop fashion is all about wearing oversized tees, baggy pants and a lot of bling. But that can’t be further than the truth. Hip hop has come a long way from its roots and today it is the most prominent music genre around the world, and you see more and more people appreciating and wearing hip hop clothing. But before I talk about the fashion that comes with hip hop, let’s talk about its history, meaning and how the clothes fit in all of it.

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The artistic expressions of hip hop are expressed and presented through four elements – MCing, DJing, BBoying and graffiti. Hip hop’s roots go way back to the early 70s in the Bronx, and the term was coined in 78 by Keith Wiggins, also known as Cowboy – a member of the Furious Five and Grandmaster Flash. On August 11th, 1973, DJ Kool Herc extended the “breaks” of a record when performing on a block party, which changed the way music was played forever. He’s also credited as the mirth of the MC, as he was dropping rhymes while music was played. When Kool Herc saw people dancing against each other on the extended breaks, he would shout them out with Bgirl or Bboy.

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Without going into more depth, because this isn’t supposed to be a history lesson, you can summarise hip hop as an intellectual movement that’s full of love, unity and passion. With that said, hip hop’s style and fashion tell a deeper story, which is a reflection of one’s identity and inner style of what a person represents. It’s safe to say that in hip hop fashion, everything is about style and how you carry that style. It’s not just about wearing hip hop clothing – it’s about sending a message. A guy named Walter Frazier, also known as Clyde, who was a street ball legend influenced hip hop in wearing fedoras and rocked a full suit. He wore pants from Dickies as they were durable, yet cheap, looked neat and were ideal for a variety of activities. Lees were the brand of choice for pants and jeans too, which were often ironed and starched to form lines for a fresh, crisp look. Some people would tag, or bomb their jeans with graffiti all over so that their name, or alias so they would be known to the world as a superstar.

As far as top-wear went, tees were the ultimate canvas, as they allowed people to create their own design and style while sending a message out about who they are, the crews they represented, or tributes to fallen friends. Tees were pretty cheap, and they came in many colours. Most people opted to customise plain tees, breathing new life into them. Adding and removing logos, and stitching letters were common practice. The bling that was only present in the hip hop scene once is now ubiquitous, as you see men wearing diamond-studded earrings all around you.

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All in all, the fashion and message of hip hop speaks volumes about the person’s culture and identity. You may be wearing Nike, Adidas and an oversized tee, only because you want to wear it, as they represent who you are and the culture of hip hop. The snapbacks, shoes, bandanas or blings aren’t a result of MTV or whatever mainstream channel is advertising them, but they’re real-life elements of the culture that lets people stand out and express who they are. This type of expression transcends all types of social barriers. Hip hop doesn’t care about age, and there will always be naysayers. But hip hop doesn’t care – love, passion, unity and creativity will always push the movement forward. Wearing what you want and love is a silent declaration to the world about who you are, and what you represent.

While fashion is ever-changing with different styles and trends, hip hop stays put. This doesn’t mean that it’s stagnating or not improving, it’s just a way of saying that hip hop doesn’t care – it’s just there, doing what it’s doing. Everyone has a passion, but not everyone has the chance to discover it and follow it. Hip hop is all about passion, and with hip hop wear you’re breaking away from the corporate, mundane society we live in. Sometimes, it’s not even about what you wear, but about what you don’t wear. The suits and button-ups you don’t wear reflect a break away from the corporate world, and the branded tops and jeans you don’t wear show that you don’t care about the materialistic things in life.