Formally, Hip Hop is a subcultural movement that formed during the early 1970s largely by African-American youth residing in South Bronx, New York City. It became popular outside of the African-American community in the late 1980s, and continued on to become the most listened-to musical genre in the world (Chang and Herc 2005). Given Hip Hop’s extensive roots in underground culture, many hip-hop and rap pioneers have denounced the culture’s shift to mainstream, arguing that modern hip-hop artists are more concerned with image over depth. Still, since its development throughout the Bronx, hip hop spread to urban and suburban communities throughout the world. It is characterized by six distinctive elements, all of which represent the different …show more content…
Hip hop fashion has changed significantly during its history, and today, it is an important part of popular fashion as a whole across the world and for all ethnicities. In the late 1970s, reputable sportswear and fashion brands, such as Le Coq Sportif, Kangol, Adidas and Pro-Keds involved themselves with the emerging hip hop scene. During the 1980s, hip-hop icons wore clothing items such as neon colored name-brand tracksuits, and leather bomber jackets. Popular haircuts ranged from the early-1980s Jheri curl to the early-1990s hi-top fade popularized by Will Smith from The Fresh Prince and Christopher "Kid" Reid of Kid 'n Play, among others. Black Nationalism was increasingly significant in rap during the late 1980s, and fashions and hairstyles reflected traditional African influences. In the early 1990s, pop rappers such as The Fresh Prince, Kid 'n Play, and Left Eye of TLC popularized baseball caps and bright, often neon-colored, clothing. TLC and late R&B singer Aaliyah created a fashion trend among women, wearing over-sized pants with a tight shirt usually a sports bra underneath their big shirts. This was to show their own version of womanliness, and that everything does not have to be form fitting and tight in order to be