Hip Hop Fashion Culture

Hip hop, the creation of electronic sound and enticing language is a style born from the African American and Hispanic cultures. It formed in New York City from block parties and the participation of the youth culture. This style of music began as a minimal change in rhythm to a globally popular culture consisting of graffiti art, dancing, and music. Hip hop was not only a type of tasteful music, but it also became a benchmark in history. When this style of music was created, it served as an outlet for those who did not have a voice, particularly the minority groups. These groups were given rights that they deserved just like everyone else. In the 1970’s is when hip hop began to spread, creating not just

Culturally the world was experiencing a facelift as well. Popular music was shifting from the larger-than-life hair bands of the 1980s to the gritty gangster rap popularized by artists such as N.W.A. and the 2 Live Crew. The hip-hop movement was also being felt in the fashion world where the popular styles tended to reflect what popular rappers were wearing in their music videos. As Susan Bordo stated in her article, “Beauty (Re)discovers the Male Body,” the mainstream successes of hip-hop, along with the attractive rebellious images displayed by popular artists of the genre, lead to a widespread hip-hop inspired trend in fashion that was popular among all classes of people (Bordo 202). In film, 1991 was the year of the blockbuster. Films such as Terminator 2, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Beauty and the Beast helped rake in profits like never before seen. Also, the success of Boyz N the Hood set off a spree of films directed towards the black audience with releases such as Menace II Society and Dead Presidents.

Hip hop is one of the most prominent component in life and culture today. Today, it is often affiliated as being a musical genre and style that is debatably the leading factor in music today. But hip hop is far more than that. It is a culture and a way life. It has helped form most what we know today. It has greatly influenced many ways that we choose to define ourselves. Clothing styles, all forms of art media, storytelling, and many other canvases that we typically use in our everyday life has been tremendously impacted the culture form of hip hop, and this trend is on a steady constant growth.

Hip Hop was birthed in the neighborhood, where young people gathered in parks, on playgrounds, and neighborhood street corners, to verbalize poetry over spontaneous sounds and adopted melodies. Hip Hop was not just the music; it was also a way for the young to show their skills in break dancing, gymnastic dance style that was valued, and athleticism over choreographed fluidity. Hip hop was also fashion such as: hats, jackets, gold chains, and name-brand sneakers. Hip Hop was a form of graffiti, to a new way of expression that engaged spray paint on the subway walls as the canvas. In addition, today’s hip hop have changed as where the DJ was once is now the producer as the key music maker, and the park is now a studio.

“…the appropriation of hip-hop cultural forms suggest not that whites want a black identity: rather, they want characteristics of blackness.” (Perry 2002, 109). This is quote by Pamela Perry, a sociologist as University of California Santa Cruz, from her book Shades of White:White Kids and Racial Identities in High School. Pamela Perry is a sociologist from University of California, Santa Cruz, throughout her book she touches on the idea of white children developing a sort of identity crisis depending on their environment. This quote helps put the appropriation of African American culture in its simplest terms. In most cases people associate Hip Hop culture with African Americans. With that being said, many artist of different genres who attempt to have a more hip hop vibe, fall subject to appropriating African American Culture. Various artist have been appropriating culture in several different ways whether it’s through dance, sound, or even image.

You’re standing in a crowd amongst thousands of fans at an Eminem concert, people from all over, shoulder to shoulder in a massive stadium, singing along every word of their favorite song for hours. People from all over are connected to each other through the power of music. When it comes to music, the life experiences, inspiration, and current events play a tremendously significant role. Hip hop is a form of art which can be expressed through rap songs, break-dancing, and graffiti art. The culture has become so popular that it has entered today’s fashion and modern language. Hip hop music is an extremely large part of today’s generation and a global genre, which influences the generation all over the world.

Since its emergence in the 1980s, hip-hop has taken the world by storm; it has impacted and revolutionized the way people behave, dress, and think. Hip-hop music enables people to connect in a way they would never be able to with any other genre of music. Although, hip-hop has swayed different generations over the years, its influence has not always been positive. In the past, hip-hop focused more on current events in society, personal struggles, life experiences and serving as a voice for the youth. However in recent years, hip-hop music has begun to promulgate a lust for material affluence, and in doing so romanticizes violence, drug usage, and the exploitation of women. No longer is hip-hop about what moves the audience rhythmically and makes them think; today it’s all about what sells, sex. In the past, sexual content and appeal was simply i in lyrics and music videos to spice things up, but now it is virtually an essential.

Hip-hop culture began to develop in the south Bronx area of New York City during the 1970s. It had a significant influence in the music industry. Hip-hop music generally includes rapping, but other elements such as sampling and beatboxing also play important roles. Rapping, as a key part in the hip-hop music, takes different forms, which including signifying, dozen, toast and jazz poetry. Initially, hip-hop music was a voice of people living in low-income areas, reflecting social, economic and political phenomenon in their life [1]. As time moves on, hip-hop music reached its “golden age”, where it became a mainstream music, featuring diversity, quality, innovation and influence [2]. Gangsta rap, one of the most significant innovations in

Baggy pants sideways flat bill hats oversized clothing to skinny jeans and named brands. Culture around is forever changing one way to see this is through fashion and the group that has the most influence on this is in the music industry more specifically the rap and hip hop industry. The influence of Rap and Hip Hop on the world primarily in the U.S. not only impacts the music industry but culture ,and peoples perspective on fashion throughout the decades. The culture of rap and hip hop originated in Harlem New York birthed in urban areas with a lot of different perspectives from looking out and in. In the early 80s the grandparents of all this were B boys they brought the street where fashion to the market with wearing name brand clothing

The history of hip hop is important to understand in order to determine the ways in which hip hop has ‘commercialized’. Firstly, Hip hop originated in Bronx, New York in the 1970s. Hip hop has been heavily influenced by the American Black culture. The elements of hip hop include MCing, rapping, graffiti art, break dancing, and scratching (“History of Hip Hop”). The block parities hosted by DJ Kool Herc made significant contribution to the beginning of the hip hop culture. Many new DJs, MCs, rappers, break dancers would attend these parties to show off their talent. These gatherings brought new and styles of music and dancing which marked the beginning of the hip hop culture. This new form of music caught on and by the late 1970s, many block parities were being hosted in New York. Other DJs like Afrika Bambataa and Grandmaster Flash are also considered the pioneers of hip hop (Mize, 2014). After the hip hop culture grew out of the underground and become more known, it drew the interest

Hip-hop is an underground urban movement which emerged in the South Bronx, NY during the early 1970s. Hip-hop is composed of four basic elements; DJ-ing, emceeing (rapping), graffiti and style, and break dancing. These elements are how most people recognize hip-hop culture. Many other people think of hip-hop as just a music genre, but it is more than just a music genre. It is cultivating way of living, and several people fail to understand its true meaning. It originated as so much more than just art and entertainment. Hip-hop is the constantly evolving spirt and consciousness of urban youth that keeps recreating itself in a never-ending cycle (Global Awareness through Hip-Hop Culture Program). TIME magazine has even considered it the most important youth culture on the planet (time.com). It has, and continues to influence the young urban crowd through its music, style, and role models. Hip-hop has evolved throughout the years, and has made several changes to the music and dance, the style and clothing, and the influential roles. Both good and not so good. Nevertheless, hip-hop culture continues to influence people.

Fashion in hip-hop has always been about making a statement. It has contributed to the growth in popularity and has undergone some huge changes from the beginning of hip-hop to the 21st century. Since the beginning of the 1980s hip-hop has created its own fashion. What started off as a “B-Boy” was the classic hip-hop look. The B-Boy style basically included a full outfit by Adidas, PUMA, Reebok, Nike, and FILA with shoes included by the same brand.

This is due to the fact that teens are constantly being bombarded with expensive brands, (such as Supreme, Gucci and Louis Vuitton) expensive jewelry such as ‘iced out’ or diamond incrusted watches and expensive cars within rap videos - specifically the SoundCloud rap genre. “Flexing” or showing off clothing and material wealth has become a core part of the Hip-hop scene amongst

This trend started in the early 90s from the continuation of the late 80s fashion which included colorful geometric prints. Music groups like TLC and grunge rock and pop music inspired this trend. A person in the early 90s may have worn neon denim jeans, leggings and a nylon oversized windbreaker jacket. Middle 90s hip-hop music went mainstream with leather jackets and tracksuits. The new twist came in 1997, and was dominated by dark neutral colors, ripped jeans and band group

Fashion is used to assimilate with peers. Hip Hop aficionados’ objective is to stand out in a crowd. Signature style is like a freestyle performance. It demonstrates an individual’s special skills. Hip-hop style is not a uniform but speaks to personal style and swagger. It reflects a flamboyant lifestyle. Customization is a big part of distinction because the lack of funds made followers work with what they have. In fact, haggling was a big part of shoppers experience