AT THE TIME I DISCOVERED HIP-HOP, I was waist-high to an adult and an aspiring simulacrum of Michael Jackson's style. (Picture a Jheri curl, pleather Thriller jacket, and penny loafers.) Then my aunt Maria, who was five years older, dropped an LP on the basement record player. "I said-a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie/To the hip hip hop-a you don't stop the rock." Although I can't be sure the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap song I ever heard, it was the genre's first mainstream hit, introducing hip-hop to the masses six years after DJ Kool Herc unveiled his breakbeats at a party in the Bronx all the way back in 1973.
That means this year-2023-it turns the big 5-0! And while rap might be the most popular aspect of what people now call "the Culture," fashion has always-ever been an integral aspect of it.
On that same seminal song, one of the group's members-Big Bank Hankbragged that he had "more clothes than Muhammad Ali" and dressed "so viciously." Did he indeed own more clothes than the Greatest? I wouldn't bet no bread on it. But that's hip-hop fashion for you.
Esta historia es de la edición September 2023 de Esquire US.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 2023 de Esquire US.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
ALOHA
Unless you're Pharrell Williams. Hawaii and Hong Kong may seem far removed from each other-culturally and geographically-but Pharrell doesn't see it that way.
Canali Chills Out
The iconic Italian brand may be known for tailoring, but its effortlessly casual clothes are a welcome evolution
I Am a Wellness Asshole Now
The only thing more excruciating than soaking in a tub of freezing-cold water is telling people it actually works.
ON DECK
A preppy staple and occasional punchline), the boat shoe is ready for its latest turn in the spotlight
UP,UP,AND AWAY
Breitling’s weird, wild, and wonderful new watch is inspired by a 1999 balloon journey around the world
the man who broke breaking
Breaking (aka breakdancing) is making its Olympic debut in Paris this summer. Victor Montalvo, the top American competitor, is fighting for not only a GOLD MEDAL but also the SURVIVAL of the sport.
THE RAP-MUSIC PARADOX
I love, revere, and respect women. So how can I listen to music that demeans them?
HOW I THREW MY FIRST PUNCH
After a lifetime of running from confrontation, I took up boxing at age 40. In the ring, I finally discovered what it was like to deliver a blow and to take a few on the chin myself.
THE SECOND COMING OF THE POLITICAL CONVENTION
For the first time in decades, at both the Republican and Democratic national conventions this summer, we're at risk of honest-to-God politics breaking out
the BEST BARS in AMERICA 2024
SOMETIMES YOU JUST WANT TO SETTLE IN.