The Rise, Fall and Revolution of Hip-Hop Fashion: 50 Years Fly

Just as hip-hop revolutionized music 50 years ago, so did the iconic fashion that spun out of it, birthing a legion of savvy, entrepreneurial designers like Dapper Dan, Daymond John, Karl Kani, April Walker, Kimora Lee Simmons, among others. As corporate fashion and luxury brands took notice, how did these designers maintain their space in the ever-growing streetwear market? As we celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, is their story.
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50 Years Fly: The Rise, Fall and Revolution of Hip-Hop Fashion
#HipHop #Fashion #Design

[@msr9449]

I miss seeing all the fly people of the 90s. We took so much pride in our appearance.

[@iunderstanphotography2780]

I love Dapper Dan getting his flowers by Gucci, and I wish Virgil was still alive to contribute to this doc. I’m proud To have lived through this entire Hip hop fashion era, from 89 to present. From Walker Wear, Karl Kani FuBu Maurice Malone, phat farm, Adjademiks, and all of the clothes I used to buy in Urban Outfitters😅

[@francoutah]

I love the intro analogy about the river. The river can teach us many lessons if we pay attention to our environment. Nature is the best teacher.

[@trailerparkart2429]

This was a great doc. Sad it didn’t get more attention. We all gotta give the black community their well-deserved seat at the table. They have changed the culture so much and inspired so many!

[@RandB_Aquatics]

thank you

[@peepdawg8995]

Speak of blues and rock n' roll

[@donnac.3273]

There are too many culture vultures nowadays. You have to copyright and trademark everything. I even tell people to watermark their artwork. But just like anything there are ways around it.

[@4in2a9wop]

We deserve like we working to be at the table we should already be we not dogs

[@calvinpegus6563]

I felt so sad as they mentioned Virgil 😢 he was amazing but we have so many black brands today. it’s credit to where we started and the persistence of our voice in fashion! We still do it like no other!❤❤

[@celebrateomaki416]

Wow, the best inspirational fashion documentary ever

[@DaneeDivine]

Outstanding piece. 👏🏽 I’ve never heard anyone talk about the nyc black out as such a pivotal moment in the movement. I feel enlightened and inspired. 😊

[@arisewitharica]

I got chills! I'm so proud to be an African American woman. Hip-hop culture is revolutionary ✊🏾

[@zairehaylock4974]

Power 2 tha people!

[@georgephilip1966]

Hip hop and pop culture as a whole has been a negative influence on society...

[@schwaggybammer968]

An African American woman is the weakest thing on this planet.

[@keith1854]

It’s just elementary school rhythms, it’s actually pretty stupid

[@StanleyThompson-ym1gy]

Hip hop was a psyops by the CIA to destroy America.

[@thaexception3406]

I remember my cousins wearing most of those brands and I would get the hand me downs!

[@northernking2604]

Funny thing is today there are no hip hop brands ... and the big designers? They all look " urban" now

[@Frankenslide]

This is the kind of reporting I wanna see

[@Courtney23932]

Dancing and dressing fly... i loved my mom taking us to the city going shopping especially Harlem. Hiphop!!! I would love how to dj digging in the crates lol. No lie i got paid to come outside to dance in my projects.😅❤

[@classislit]

Great documentary. 🎶

[@rgoff2515]

ABSOLUTELY REVOLUTIONARY!! THANK YOU FOR THIS❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@alehanjdro1]

Aaliyah forever remembered

[@LadyK007]

RIP BABY GIRL

[@Fonzwav]

Who heard R Kelly reaching through the tombstone wires?

[@THEREALSOURCE]

When hiphop started it was one thing. Now it's different. Glorification of materialism, violence, crime are what hiphop is represents.

[@LeafInTheWind88]

Sad but true.

[@arryritalinni]

Hip hop was created by the CIA

[@1on1AllstarsGames]

You don't blame gun manufacturers for making gun blame the user

[@KINGJoseRPM]

Dapper Dan is the reason why I love Gucci til this day 💯

[@greyfox8310]

now looking at fashion is like looking at a bunch of stick figures walking around lol

[@jeanemlicar]

New York City is Hip-Hop History in the making. You can’t be into Hip-Hop and not pay homage to this beloved 🏙️ where the culture originated and came from.

[@CutFromADifferentCloth7]

Naw, Grand Puba made Tommy Hilfiger hot. For a period of time, Grand Puba was the flyest and most fashionable dude in Hip-Hop.

[@headnod]

That‘s what’s up. Puba was the flyest and his style back in 92-95 is still up to date.

[@Courtney23932]

Girbaud jeans too

[@zairehaylock4974]

Happy 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop.🎉

[@Sheilajim-ls4xk]

1973 name the song now

[@zairehaylock4974]

@@Sheilajim-ls4xk Electric Relaxation.

[@Sheilajim-ls4xk]

Just looked it up 1993 you better go back to school my friend

[@riaa8689]

Skinny jeans was the fall to hiphop fashion

[@arios1977]

The death of hip hop as a whole.

[@stacey3004]

Tyler the creator isn't hip hop?

[@riaa8689]

@stacey3004 Huh? Tyler the creator might have a strange style but I've never seen him in skinny jeans. I actually like some of his music btw.

[@stacey3004]

@@riaa8689 Ye, Kid Cudi, Wayne, Wiz Khalifa. All are HipHop artists that wore skinny jeans just off the top of my head..Tyler wore them in his earlier days..

[@arthurswanson3285]

Hip hop started in the 70s. It was nothing but skinny jeans back then. Up until the late 80s.

[@classicredwine]

This was great

[@123works]

Suddenly everything just tightened up

[@XDATT]

Very inspiring

[@andresbalzan1413]

And they said Hip Hop wouldn’t last it was just a fad.

[@donnac.3273]

Exactly, remember the racist at MTV would not play hip hop until it gained traction.

[@doricetimko5403]

I never realized that the NYC Blackout was a super catalyst for HipHop…until viewing this.

[@northernking2604]

Ralph Lauren gives you one pony I give you a whole herd🤣🤣

[@lujiang2390]

One word. Respect!

[@ericstrickland9866]

The 1980s in Atlanta . I remember the hip-hop fashion in black community. Every individual had their own fashion ideas. I remember Karl Kani, Dapper Dan, Damon John. April Walker . Good documentary Hip Hop in the 1980s was lyrical, creating different styles of hip-hop from from different rappers of guys , different rappers of lady groups. And they had great vocabulary in their music and told stories, no profanity in the music, feel good, dance music that told stories, and the whole family could listen . Hip-hop now is dumb down mumble rap, auto tune, no real lyrics

[@meekandmild6836]

Great video I loved it ❤

[@Sarahvinyl]

Dope! 🔥🔥🙌🙌

[@JeffWardVP]

Wow. There is no mention of the first hip-hop artist to become a billionaire because of his contribution to fashion.

[@ShaneM420]

Who is it

[@eltonarthur1233]

Favourite arts lists featured in this documentary: 2pac, LL Cool J and Aaliayah.

[@av-mz9766]

Well deserved! Hip-hop did so much for all of us. It inspired other music industries. Reggae, also known as regetón. So many others too. And we don't always give certain artists the credit the deserve. Why? The American music that gets too much credit. It's good. But it got its inspiration from Mexican music from the past. The mariachi, hip-hop and its predecessors like Little Richard and Ella Fitzgerald. And more. ❤😊❤😊❤

[@zenobiaw831]

I thought that Reggae appeared long before rap or hip hop ever did. Reggae appeared in the 1060's as far as I can tell. Rap and hip hop the 1070's and 80's. So perhaps rap and hip hop were inspired by reggae instead?

[@bretts1757]

Reggaetón and Dembow was inspired by dance hall reggae and Panamanian Reggae. They particularly capitalize on the one drop riddim.

[@MH-et5sn]

​@@zenobiaw831Yes, correct. DJ Kool Herc (who invented hip-hop) was a Jamaican who brought the big sound systems of Jamaica to the Bronx.

[@derouen1234]

​@@MH-et5snhe didn't invent hip hop 😆 Teenage Black Americans created it

[@derouen1234]

​@@bretts1757Ask your Reggae pioneers where they got it from.

[@werukamauOfficial]

1970s was the time when hip hop music started towards the end of the 20th century.

[@jamesroof6150]

Truth. NYC

[@Sheilajim-ls4xk]

The end of the 70s

[@dizmop]

Dapper Dan was basically sampling fashion, taking a bit of the original (the Logo) and repurposing it.

[@olddirtygooner7791]

This documentary is excellent.💯🙌🏿🔥

[@tiwantiwaabibiman2603]

Pharell being named Creative Director of men's Louis Vitton is an absolutely JOKE!!! There are hundreds of brilliant talented and experienced Black luxury wear designers out here who would have killed for that opportunity they could have vetted for that position. Designers who actually know how to design garments, know construction and production processes as well as have an authentic connection to communities of Black-urban life with couture and luxury/chic style aesthetics. That collection he just showed was so passe.

[@cspro3music]

Big Up to - Dapper Dan | Shirtking Phade | MART-125 |

[@kennethesaupoint1828]

The fall of hip hop fashion, no such thing every major designer has been influenced by hip hop culture.

[@1on1AllstarsGames]

That is white supremacist media hate on everything what influences fashion 😂 not jazz or classical music

[@YetiMusicCity]

I love FUBU 💯🔥

[@4LFA]

Kanye being removed from this narrative is a crime 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@matthewona]

I love that humans regardless of background wether “below” or “above” create art to reflect and express the human experience

[@AliasHSW]

While haute couture brands are now embracing the street wear look. It’s no different for the houses in developing it’s line for a specific market such as India or China or Brazil etc - because as it is mentioned the hip hop is its a culture and expression of aspiration much like the individual nation’s symbiotic relationship between its fashion and culture.

[@ENigma-um8zw]

🎼these are the breaks

[@joaquinvaleri7022]

I like hip hop fashion and they are my favorite fashion

[@thearki-vist6050]

AHOY WE RISE!!! DONT FALL

[@HoodVogue999]

the fact that this has not reached millions of views is blasphemous. This is the essence of hip hop and luxury fashion and the whole world needs to see this and learn that these fortune 500 companies would be nothing without black culture. S/O to NBC for this though 🙏

[@755hp]

13:30 OMG…

[@FlexTheAmericanBully]

🔥🔥🔥

[@Jerrard1983]

How does Kimora look better now then she did in her youth!!!

[@Tainopisno1]

The height of hip hop fashion brands was late 90s and 2000s from fubu, to Rocawear, to enyce, Sean John, akademiks, ecko, Karl Kani, phat farm, iceberg etc now all those brands are gone cause the younger crowd started wearing that luxury bs again like Gucci, Hilfiger polo etc and those clothes are way way overpriced.

[@jerrygraves6531]

2:30 why is she saying "We" as if she was apart of early hip hop? Vulture

[@tva475]

WE us melanin people !diot 🤡

[@bigpesa6166]

👉❗HIP HOP YA DON'T STOP❗👈

[@MarcusStevens-jx9pe]

I was home at the 1977 New York City(7 years old) black out.😅

[@Courtney23932]

Army jacket with some Timbs and take it back to the basics Champion sweatshirts Levi's silvertabs. We cut up our own jeans inspired by salt n pepper.

[@bootneyleefarnsworth7307]

Rap and Hip-Hop are both Black AmericanDOS creations, however they're two different things with different histories. Ninety-nine percent of the time when people say Hip-Hop what they really mean is Rap, the "Hip-Hop" term needs to be fazed out when discussing music. Technically, Hip-Hop is a youth movement that was birthed in the Bronx and died there. The Hip-Hop term has been misused and thrown around loosely and inappropriately for decades, it's caused confusion and that's one of the reasons Rap doesn't have a proper standard history as a music genre. You don't associate the creation of Blues or Jazz with any type of separate youth or cultural movement so why would you do it with Rap?

[@onceagain6184]

This is cool and all BUT it's also relatively trivial! Since the beginning of Hip Hop until now ,there are so many issues that "we" have been complaining about that still exists.

[@THEREALSOURCE]

Exactly!

[@THEREALSOURCE]

Why put we in quotes?

[@missshannon9790]

Where does the new tires accent come from? And why some of em have it heavier than others. Like dapper dan.

[@navajyotichetia8968]

And now shoplifting is smashing- talk about generas

[@zakarifakai726]

Shame how they conveniently exclude Ye from this documentary

[@hottafyah6278]

It’s ALWAYS cultural appropriation and NEVER appreciation by corporate America. They always take, take, take from black people and culture but we move forward in spite of it

[@DriftingMunki]

Worship the logo, the other, the self…

[@pay_it_forward_franklin4469]

#HBDHIPHOP👑

[@gothamgalleria]

I tried. A commercial ever two min made this impossible to watch 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@josephodama8701]

So much flashiness in hip hop, yet the content of their songs has become more and more vulgar and unrefined. So much crime, nudity and violence. I believe as blacks we need to step up. We should move to being less loud, more modest and work together to build our society.

[@heywhatsupwithyourfriendij610]

Why is Tommy Hillfigher in this documentary after he said what he said

[@idiolects8581]

They really made an Hip Hop 50th fashion documentary and omitted Russell Simmons & Kanye impact! That’s wild and lame..👀🤦🏽‍♂️🤷🏾

[@dippedanddripped]

The title of the documentary has to be changed. All the hiphop fashion brands are not mentioned

[@xroadwalker]

Uncle L da G.O.A.T

[@NinjaOnANinja]

24:07 They are doing it again. Making it all about "cash registers kaching." Sell outs are easy to trick and exploit. Thats the issue with capitalism.

[@coybi]

I'm 28 and I've never even heard of Baby Phat.

[@DanielleA2023]

Women & African Americans & the LGBTQIA community are responsible for the greatest and best things in human history

[@internetboogeyman2744]

Stop trying to “all lives matter” black Americans struggle

[@1on1AllstarsGames]

tell me what LGBTQ has made collectively 😂 stop the nonsense

[@allenprice1570]

GM everyone. I would love for someone in the fashion take a look at my son's fashion design.

[@Leo_hits_record_label_llc]

🥰

[@user-qo8xk7tg5b]

Rap music is older than 50 years old. Do your research. Plus im from the South Bronx. The culture of hip hop started before the Bx.

[@BenHopkins1000]

3:16 I think I know how they got it. So does Baz Luhrmann

[@sengle928]

Remember when NBC News wouldn’t touch rap?

[@roxieturner4638]

Hip hop is not my culture. Hip hop today reinforces stereotypes!

[@1on1AllstarsGames]

Hate more so what is KPOP

[@joaquinvaleri7022]

You know

[@akindeleakinbayo2390]

Nobody had money or equipments & there was blackout. Miraculously the next day everybody had equipment. Miracle from heaven.

[@Sheilajim-ls4xk]

50 years can you count that's 1973

[@cyrusgraham292]

West Haven, New Haven 1977 blackout

[@trayjohnson2409]

This is TOO WATERED DOWN!! The real know!

[@trips909cam]

NBC why you guys act like you been had Hip Hops back? Stay away

[@DavidHaskins-g5x]

When the American dream was real

[@TheBlackJewelz]

Thank you for bringing the true OGs into the spotlight. But you can NOT have a hip-hop fashion documentary and not even MENTION the word “Yeezy.” Not even “New Slaves?!” That right there is probably the BIGGEST turning point in hip-hop fashion history.

[@nonhlanhlandimande2244]

There will be no fall here

[@ratethewordplay]

💯

[@kxyree]

FIYA

[@7iguresTV]

Not one mention of Kanye? Lol the irony

[@Pjazz1]

🎯That part!

[@ravinegi995]

50 cent ja rule 👀

[@Sheilajim-ls4xk]

1973 name the song

[@jime.rocker8395]

Where's my answer 1973 heard no hip hop cmon what group

[@--ag]

Sigh.

[@jime.rocker8395]

1973 name the song😂

[@Amberussianbeauty]

So this man stole from brands!?

[@sedecim]

As a doc - not to deep bruv.

[@СергейГарыныч-в7т]

Гуфиниякта гадраст