Since its emergence back in the 1970s, Hip-Hop has continued to impact culture on a global scale with fashion being no exception. Some of our favorite rappers are responsible for some of today’s most popular trends and the success of what are now prominent clothing lines, but we Hip-Hop heads are well aware of that.
Hip-Hop artists as a collective are largely responsible for the rise & fall of some of the most influential fashion waves. Dating back to the 90’s peak of the Hip-Hop genre, rappers have always possessed the ability of influence. For example, Tommy Hilfiger's clothing became a hip-hop staple in the mid-late 1990s.
In the midst of other iconic outfits, Snoop Dog’s outfit during his 90’s performance on SNL sparked a new interest in our niche hip-hop community. In no time, wearing Tommy Hilfiger in the hip-hop world had become a new norm despite the brand originally being perceived as a “white clothing line.”
It had even been falsely reported that Tommy Hilfiger didn’t want “anyone associated with Hip-Hop” to be seen wearing his clothes, but even those accusations didn’t stop major hip-hop influences from becoming the faces of the brand.
Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Pusha T, Jay-Z, and even the controversial Tyga are all among a well-tailored list of rappers with successful clothing lines. With the success of their independent clothing lines and shoe collaborations with adidas, icons like Kanye West & Pharrell can easily be credited as some of the biggest Hip Hop x Fashion moguls.
But no matter how successful one becomes, haters are always gonna’ hate. Some have argued that the commercialization of hip-hop has ruined the genre’s credibility, but others would make the point that they’re simply making the most of their platform. Despite the arguments about a lack of authenticity, few can deny the fact that music and fashion have always moved hand-in-hand. The thread between fashion and hip-hop is a tie that can’t be cut.