50 YEARS OF FRESH: HIP-HOP’S INFLUENCE ON FASHION

Self-promotion will always be a must in hip-hop, especially if you’re pushing your own product outside of music. So, a certain Brooklyn rapper dropping bars about his signature sneaker through Reebok was par for the course. In fact, the beginning of the 21st century saw fashion brands cozy up to hip-hop artists. And if companies didn’t come a calling, those same artists created their own (Rocawear, Phat Farm, Baby Phat, Sean John, Ice Cream, Billionaire Boys Club, BAPE, Vokal, Apple Bottoms, etc), flooding a market already dominated by beloved hood staples like Mecca, Ecko, FUBU, and Enyce.

And even though the throwback jersey trend was put in a coma, there’s no denying that for a portion of the 2000s, we were committed to Mitchell & Ness and their overpriced, oversized jerseys—complimented with durags (tied or untied), a Yankees fitted, grillz, and an iced-out chain and watch by TechnoMarine. And Velour jumpsuits were a chef’s kiss.

We were rooted in everything oversized, actually. White (or pink) tees and jeans two or three sizes too big were commonplace on the corner or in the VIP section at the club. Eventually, the masses in the mid to late aughts grew up and evolved, adding both fitted designer button-ups and jeans to the closet, adding some grown man ish to their style.