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Hip-Hop fashion: From gold links to pink

By Clover Hope | Staff Writer

From bamboo earrings -- at least two pair -- to "throwback" jerseys, hip-hop fashion is rampant, constantly changing but forever defining urban flavor and style.

No one thought it would come so far back in the 1980s when Run D.M.C. had teens craving Adidas and LL Cool J wore Kangol hats in every color.

Eventually though, along with the music came "the look."

Fashion is one of the most important aspects of hip-hop music and culture, reflecting not only its creativity but also its history.

Yet there is rarely a mainstay in hip-hop fashion -- excluding baggy jeans and Timberland Boots. Take the Afro, the high-top fade, overalls, and backward jeans courtesy of Kriss Kross.

Hardcore rappers have even the suburban white boys emulating their style and idolizing the "bling-bling," a term we now expect to hear every time hip-hop fashion is discussed in the mainstream.

Rappers have recently "GQ-ed" up though, mostly at award shows, opting for tailor-made suits and dress shirts instead of the classic white tee and jeans two sizes too big.

Jay-Z made pinstripe dress shirts fashionable, prompting club-goers everywhere to dust their shoulders off and bring their irons out from retirement.

Even Nelly traded in his country slacks for pressed ones, showing up to the 2003 Grammy Awards in an ivory three-piece suit, complete with matching tie and pocket handkerchief, made by Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey's tailor.

And if you haven't already heard, the official best-dressed man in America, according to Esquire magazine, is none other than hip-hop icon Andre 3000, just one-half of the highly respected rap duo Outkast.

You've most likely seen Andre 3000 donning a pink, orange or green ensemble, or coordinating outfits with his equally pimped out partner in rhyme Big Boi.

Yes, it seems rappers are no longer afraid of looking good. Some even wear pink, a hue much denounced in a rapper's wardrobe a mere five years ago. Cam'ron most notably sports this look -- and proudly.

Though hip-hop fashion now consists primarily of rappers-turned-designers flaunting their latest lines and shouting out their favorite brands in songs, the undeniable style still remains...

It used to be just jeans, a Kangol hat, and "My Adidas."