This generation of hip hop is notorious for being fashion-forward and a little out there. This trend began around the early 2010s, during the same time that social media began to integrate itself into pop culture. There are two artists that specifically spearheaded this movement; A$AP Rocky and Tyler, the Creator. Rocky’s fashion killa flare and Tyler’s straight up weirdness allowed rap culture to develop into something more than gangsta rap. But; who had a bigger influence? Before A$AP Rocky, wearing designer clothes as a male in hip hop was seen as gay. The farthest rappers would go as far as fashion was BAPE, which is a street-wear brand. When Rocky came out, he was so suave and charismatic, that everything he did was admirable, including being into fashion. Essentially, he made being a pretty boy cool for the first time ever. Because of his influence, we see all notable rappers rocking designer clothes regardless of what they’re wearing. Some (like Young Thug for example) have even modeled on the runway as thousands of fans watched in admiration. Though this is a pretty big contribution, the impact that Tyler, the Creator is pretty large as well. Though people don’t like to admit it, Tyler, the Creator was the first weirdo in rap to personify his odd sense of self through his music and be successful. His lyrics were wild and out of pocket yet, he became an admirable figure in the culture as he represented the purest form of authenticity. He made being weird cool. Before he was introduced into the scene, you had to wear Jordans and Polos and Nike socks to be in the in-crowd. Because of his influence, however, the in-crowd was redefined to shine a light on the kids who actually used to be considered weird. Vans, skating, graphic tees, and wearing a wide array of colors, became ‘it’ and dressing and acting like everybody else became lame. Though his influence is very vast, I still can’t discern whether he or A$AP changed the culture more. What do you think?
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