The Hip-Hop Community Gets a Fashion Makeover: From Prison life to New York Socialite

Since the moment the legendary rap group, Run DMC, stepped on stage without shoe laces in their Adidas, hip hop artists have lead the fashion trends in both the urban and suburban circles. The early 90's rap group Kris Kross had fans wearing their clothes backwards-briefly. The West Coast rappers popularized Converse Chuck Taylor's and Dickey suits while Harlem based rapper Cam'ron told the world it was masculine to wear pink. In short, the list of changing fashionable contributions by hip-hop can go on forever.

But in the last three years, hip-hop has not been influencing the fashion market, but influenced by suburbia. Sagging baggy jeans have been turned in for skinny legs or brands like True religion and 7 for All Mankind. Over sized stretched shirts have been tossed to the side for American Eagle, Abercrombie and Hollister tops. In addition, tattooist Ed Hardy showed us that skulls could be fashionable while Polo is as popular as ever. With these emerging trends shifting the style of dress from prison-like to New York socialite, hip-hop has been on the adapting end for the first time in almost two decades.

Many styles that were once mocked by the hip-hop community have found their way into urban neighborhoods and rap videos. Wallet chains, trucker hats, Texas style belt buckles, Mohawks, sweater vests and fitted apparel have been sported by everyone from Lil' Wayne, Keri Hilson, Justin Timberlake and Kanye West to name a few. The hip-hop community has adapted more than clothing styles from suburban life. More than ever African American's are skateboarding and skaters like Terry Kennedy and Stevie Williams have transformed skateboarding to 2.0 influencing young African American men and women to express themselves in a form outside of rapping, dancing and graffiti.

I disagree with Nas, hip-hop is not dead but it is growing up. Hip-hop is having fun again and is starting to reclaim the lost pride in our appearance. Keith Anderson is wrong, the clothes do make the man and I credit this change in our dress collection to the evolving acceptance era we are living in. Just as music has broken barriers, fashion is doing the same thing. Individuals are looked at differently depending on what they are wearing. People in suits are viewed as powerful, important and successful. Men and women bearing sloppy, oversized garments are portrayed as troublesome, violent and lazy. Then the rock star look depicts someone who is fashion savvy, someone whom takes pride in their appearance and they embody a swagger about themselves. So, as much as we like to disagree, we do judge a book by its cover. But garment styles are no longer segregated or solely meant for one group of people the way the Gothic style was five years ago or the rock star style is now. The rock star style takes young black men out of that "fits-the-description" category of baggy jeans and white T's, which society has dubbed as the criminal attire sported by African Americans.

It was 2005 when I tossed out my extensive Enyce threads and began shopping at Urban Outfitters and Hollister. Rejecting the negative opinions and comments from male friends of mine, I took the positive compliment from my mother who said, "You look very neat and clean. Dress like this more often."

Four years later I am proud to see the hip-hop community maturing and making more conscience dress decisions. The only problem I have is that a few young black men are finding it difficult to shed the prison style of sagging pants. However, I am confident, that in due time, sagging will become a relic of the fashion world past. In the meantime I hope the hip-hop and urban community continues to mature and be as innovative as ever as we keep shedding our cultural shackles.