Hip-Hop Fashion

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The third interview was from a guy I look up to. John is actually going back to school for a 3rd degree. His response was interesting, he stated:

I feel hip-hop fashion is honestly a bunch of random thoughts coming together, as to who can be the coolest, or who can look the most hip. On one hand we have people who are pressed to wear name brands, and on the other, we have people who want to look as if they’re worthless. It’s sad because I don’t see fashion, I always ask myself "How can what I wear make me more noticeable than you." It’s controversial because it doesn’t match our culture; it matches an idea that the fashion world has for us. It’s senseless and foolish. (John Sumter, Personal Communications, 2/8/14)

My last interview is the one I agree with most. Brandon a 19-year-old college student answered the question by saying:

Hip-hop has become controversial because of the way some hip-hop artist portray others in their music videos. With the majority of hip-hop artist being African American, we are giving a poor self-image to other cultures. Another issue in hip-hop is that many artists glorify drugs and crime. They also belittle women and refer them as being less than. This causes confusion within our youth. A rapper is not only a rapper but also a role model to more than he/she thinks. (Brandon Thompson, Personal Communication, 2/9/14)

From these interviews you can tell that this is a subject that has no wrong or right answer when discussing it. Hip Hop Fashion has been around since the early 1970’s and is evolving everyday. It’s a very interesting topic because no answer will ever be the same. You have some people who are totally against it like Charles Granby, and then you have the people who notice but don’t feed into the controversy like John Sumter.

C. Definition of Terms

When speaking on Hip-Hop Fashion, there are many terms dealing with this subject. In this paper, I will discuss three major terms that come up when speaking on Hip-Hop Fashion. The first term is Swag. The second term is Sagging. The third and last term is Hip Hop Brands.

What is swag? Swag is defined in my opinion as how you present yourself in terms of fashion and you’re overall being. According to Chris Brown in a 2013 interview with Source Magazine in New York City, he says “Swag is not just how nice your clothes are but how you wear them. I could go in a cheap store pick out a few nice items for less than $50 but make it look like everything is $200 or more. It’s how you present yourself.”

Sagging is a controversial topic that has caused many people to be outraged by this style of dressing. In my opinion I believe sagging is not wrong to a certain existent. Sometime I may sag my pant but it’s more of an art than just showing what my boxers look like. According to John Brady of Wiki-Answers from Central Florida in 2012, he stated, “ This is an ugly fad that shouldn’t continue, It strips those who are doing it of respect from the people that witness this. I just don’t agree with it at all!

Hip-Hop brands are a big part or contributor to Hip-Hop Fashions. “To look the best you have to be in the best”(50 cent). I don’t agree but the higher priced your clothing is the more value you perceive to your viewers. If you are poor, why do you spend money on useless status symbols like handbags and belts and clothes and shoes and televisions and cars? (tressiemc of http://tressiemc.com/2013/10/29/the-logic-of-stupid-poor-people/). People need to focus on what really matters. Don’t spend your last to impress when you really don’t have it.

In Hip-Hop Fashion there are some terms that stand out towards the subject. Swag, sagging and Hip-Hop Brands are major branches on the tree of Hip=Hop Fashion. This is a topic that has increasing gotten bigger and will continue for generations to come. These terms will continue to appear in the paper to show the readers of its importance.

Works Cited

Brady, John “Wiki-Answers” (2012) Central Florida, FL

Brown, Chris, Source Magazine (2013) New York, NY

Cent, 50, Personal Communication, 1/5/2013

Tressiemc, retrieved from web http://tressemic.com/2013/10/29 (10/29/13)

Granby, Charles, Personal Communication, 2/7/14

Mercado, Sara, Personal Communication, 2/7/14

Sumter, John, Personal Communication, 2/8/14

Thompson, Brandon, Personal Communication, 2/9/14

“How much did each person contribute?” (2011), retrieved from

http://rapgenius.com/Nas-hip-hop-is-dead-lyrics#note-47545

Koppel, Niko, “Are Your Jeans Sagging?” Go Directly to Jail,

(August 30, 2007), retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/30/fashion/30baggy.html?_r=0

“Study Shows Saggy Pants Linked Erectile Dsyfunction & Other Health Issues”, (2009), retrieved from http://hiphopandpolitics.com/2011/04/01/study-shows-saggy- pants-linked-erectile-dsyfunction-other-health-issues/

West, Kanye, Personal Communication, (2013) look at pg 677