A Need to Push Back into Those Leg-Warmers with a Boom Box

Three branches of the tree which root out from the same place but diffuse and infuse – Street style, Hip-Hop fashion and urban wear. But who waters the tree now? All three were and is still synonymous with youth, and now with a retro aspect too of NYC and a sort of heritage.

Modern urban street wear comes from NYC and LA, needless to say. The tips of the roots historically touches the surf culture of the 70s when Shawn Stussy used to sell printed Tees on the beach and that came from the Do-It-Yourself culture of the Punk movement and parallel therefore by Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop started in South Bronx, NYC in the late 70s by the Afro-American youth soon followed by LA, Chicago and now the whole planet. Graffiti, bboying and rap come together into a violence translated into creativity. Soon it was hyped by the media monster and is sustained by it to date.

Asia, the Middle East and Africa have had a long-standing historical stalking of the same movement leading to its globalization, localization and personalization. For example, the largest form of Hip-Hop in South Africa is called Kwaito and it is a lifestyle that claims to give voice to the voiceless and is a reflection of the post-apartheid period.

In the early 80s brands such as Le Coq Sportif, Kangol and Adidas came up alongside the growth of the jheri curl hair. By the mid-80s brightly colored name brand tracksuits, sheepskin and leather bombers were made prominent by the icons of the street. Clarks stayed consistent, so much so Kenyans make songs on its unwanted necessity amidst the poverty in 2010. Otherwise the sneakers mostly from Pro-Keds and Puma were worn and surely, Converse’s Chuck Taylor All-Stars. Popular accessories were Cazals (Oversized Eye glasses), Kangol bucket hats and nameplates. Heavy gold jewelry remains as an enduring element popularized amidst men as chains and women as door-knocker earrings to signify prestige, wealth and Africanism.

By the late 80s, Black Nationalism, rap and traditional African elements became the three cruxes of the movement. Baggy pants for dance and otherwise Fezzes, Kufics decorated with the Kemetic Ankh and Kente cloth hats were popularized. In the early 90s pop rappers like Will Smith brought in Baseball caps and bright neon colors whilst women had to express their own version of feminism with oversized clothing over a tight t-shirt.

Capitalism could not wait more, could it? Nike started battling Adidas with basketball icon Michael Jordan in 1984. Nike started to dominate the sneaker market more or less in a monopoly on urban street style whereas Champion and Timberland decided to get social with the east coast. Throwback clothing and bling were and are two symbols utilized immensely by brands of all kinds to show off its urban street side. With the advent of the new millennium, Gucci and Louis Vuitton have immensely take off to be absorbed in male hip-hop whilst the females have started getting more feminine. All in all, urban music and urban
fashion have been two rails of this train’s track. The African-Americans bled out their ethnicity across the corporate and the corporate have exploited the hip-hop cult like an exotic woman. Black America continues and hopefully does to remain her sole soul mate.