![]() Run-DMC wore the classic white Adidas sneakers with rounded toes and the distinctive three stripes on the sides constantly, leading to their manager suggesting a song about the brand. The “B” in B-Boy stands for break, and the term refers to someone who dances in the breaks of music. And as a result, fans related to their clothing, complete with denim jackets, black bowl hats, and shell toe sneakers.Īlongside them, LL Cool J popularized B-Boy style with Kangol bucket hats, gold jewelry, baggy clothes, and most famously, branded sneakers. The trio was the epitome of the genre they broke all the rules in music and fashion. They wore streetwear onstage something unheard of by their hip-hop predecessors. Run-DMC kept leather suits but also kept it real with their sense of fashion. Since the group is referred to as The Beatles of hip-hop, it only makes sense that the signature hip-hop look points back to them. In the early 1980s, artists backed by Russell Simmons, including Kurtis Blow and Run-DMC appeared clean cut in corduroy suits.īut the classic hip-hop look one recognizes today was catapulted by Run-DMC when they traded in their plaid sports jackets for everyday streetwear. Melle Mel of the Furious Five admits the group’s outrageous leather outfits cost $1,000 each, and a tailor worked on their looks.Ĭold Crush performed in full suits and mink coats. The wearer makes his clothing hip-hop.Įarly hip-hop groups like Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, and the Cold Crush Brothers, embraced the theatrical side of disco with their fashion, donning over-the-top costumes with knee-high boots for performances. Rather, each rapper and DJ brought his own style to the party, as well as the dance crews that wore different attire as uniforms to distinguish themselves from competition.Īs is the case even today, hip-hop style is based in an attitude that rails against limitations and boundaries, much like the counterculture of the 1970s. In the 1970s, people would dress their best to party at the disco clubs, and the young people of low-income neighborhoods adopted this mentality at block parties.Īs is the case with the music itself, there is not a single individual or music group that started hip-hop fashion. Aside from his pure rap influence, another element of disco shaped hip-hop culture: fashion. Major hip-hop artists today recognize DJ Hollywood of Harlem as the first rhythmic rapper, even though he rapped on disco tracks. ![]() ![]() Early examples of this party vibe include Sugarhill Gang and 1980s New Orleans bounce music.Īlthough hip-hop undoubtedly finds its roots in street life and in some ways, despite its stark contrast to disco, certain aspects of disco influenced it. Rappers quickly jumped into the mix to keep the crowds going all night. With new party music, break dancing was the first aspect of the culture to blow up. Hip-hop as a culture began in the neighborhoods of the Bronx in New York City in the 1970s at house parties.Įarly DJs like DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash played breaks in soul and funk music that emphasized the drums and bass line of which Kurtis Blow later let us know. As artists started to garner more widespread attention in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the idea of hip-hop fashion became mainstream, but in reality, it brought a spotlight to how young urbanites were already dressing. Hip-hop fashion was a part of urban life before hip-hop began. Hip-hop fashion, with its brazen attitude, made it possible for you to wear and do what you want. The person wearing the clothes makes them hip-hop, not the other way around. In some ways, this has blurred the lines between what was considered classic hip-hop fashion and mainstream style today, but hip-hop is a state of mind. However, a new era of hip-hop and high fashion was ushered in as hip-hop artists gained popularity in the 21st century. Casual activewear and sneakers still dominate think of recent collaborations between hip-hop artists and major sportswear brands. Half a century later, hip-hop fashion, although certainly more mainstream, remains largely the same. It was a mix and match of accessible clothing, dressing it up, and exploring new ways to wear it with pride. The fashion of the time blended ingenuity with streetwear. Baggy clothing was big, likely due to the ill-fitting nature of inner city hand-me-downs. ![]() ![]() Puma, Chuck Taylors and Pro-Keds dominated the sneaker scene. The origins of hip-hop go back to the 1970s, and the fashion reflected streetwear that kids in the Bronx already had in their possession, like bomber jackets, tracksuits, and sneakers with oversized shoe laces. Hip-hop is not only a genre of music, a form of dance, or a way of dressing.Įmerging from the Bronx in New York City, the hip-hop lifestyle – with its music, DJing, dancing and graffiti – provided an escape from a myriad of societal, economic, political, and cultural forces. ![]()
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