Hip Hop Style gone Wrong

When it comes to rap artists, it can be hard to separate bad style from good style. The line overlaps way too much. Someone with bad style–think Rick Ross or Snoop Dogg–can push it far enough that the line between ridiculous and genius leans more toward the latter. 

Artists who don’t have the genius but just have bad style either lack originality or their execution is off. Because in this industry, it’s not about what you wear but how you wear it. And they definitely need a trip to the swagger coach.

With that, here are my thoughts on some of the worst-dressed rappers out there. 

Shirtless men with a lot of tattoos: I feel like I could devote an entire post to rappers’ bad tattoos (For starters, I would call Gucci Mane’s facial tattoo of an ice cream cone a poor choice), but I’ll try to limit myself. Lil’ Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, and Jim Jones all make the mistake of confusing a couple of tattooed sleeves and an inked torso for a shirt. Yes, they are all pretty ripped, but the look has become a copycat trend, and a regrettable one at that.

Foxy Brown: I’m all in favor of a little cleavage but nipple is best left to the bedroom. Foxy clearly feels differently though, because in every photo of this girl her boobies are falling out. But I do have to hand it to her, Ms. Foxy Brown definitely has some chutzpah.

Bizarre of D12: Bizarre serves as inspiration to all men who might be carrying a little extra paunch around the middle. Instead of hiding his rotund belly, Bizarre chose to embrace it with one of the least flattering tattoos ever inked. And for all those guys worried about a little balding, take a cue from Bizarre and cover it up with a frilly shower cap.




Nick Cannon: It’s not that his style is so bad, it’s that’s it is so ‘mehh’. Somehow, whether Nick Cannon is wearing a suit and tie or a hoodie and jeans, he manages to look like an overgrown boy. That this strange photos of him and Mariah belongs on awkwardfamilyphotos.com does nothing to help his cred.




Mickey Avalon: Call me traditional, but I just can’t get behind a man who wears eyeliner on a regular basis. Also, the hand constantly cupping his balls is just a little off-putting.

Want more Bad style?

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And be sure to check out my post on The Best of Rap Style

Lana del Rey is Notorious

Lana del Rey x Notorius B.I.G.

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via becauseimaddicted

Rap Genius X Neon Mamacita

Rap style has come a long way since Hammer pants. Rappers' styles are more diverse and interesting than ever before. While pushing the envelope on hip hop style, artists are still dressing the part and appropriating what came before. Cool kicks, massive chains, brand logos, and major swag are still a fixture in this generation's style but has matured and earned its place among fashion elite.

This is a collection of the best styles of Hip Hop. Some are on this list because they are tastemakers, some because they play the part, and others because they just look damn good. 

You saw the best of it, now see the worst of it, check out my post on Bad Rap Style.

Frank Ocean: Frank Ocean just looks so damn good in a well-cut suit. It also doesn’t hurt that L’uomo Vogue has called him America’s Next President or GQ named him Rookie Man of the Year. Ocean has cultivated an understated-yet-sophisticated aesthetic largely missing from today’s music culture.  But he doesn’t forget the important things in life, as Ocean said “The one non-musical thing that I learned from working with Kanye is that you should always choose your sneakers wisely.”

 

Tyler the Creator: You might not expect an artist who raps about “Making crack rocks outta pussy nigga fishbones” to have a penchant for vintage Hawaiian shirts, but the irreverent leader of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA) sports them like a uniform. His playful style- the cut off shorts, high socks, supreme hats accessorized with a skateboard- acts as an anecdote to his hardcore lyrics that have gained fans and foes alike. 

Kanye: Ya, he comes across as kind of an asshole, but who else can claim to have inspired a generation of black hipsters, began a fad of ridiculous slotted sunglasses, or brought the collegiate letter jacket back in fashion. His first attempt at ready-to-wear might have been a bit of a flop, but now he’s got the fashion world listening.

Nicki Minaj: Nicki lives by the mantra, more is more is more.  And boy is she working it. While she’s obviously inspired by Lady Gaga’s flare for the dramatic, Nicki leaves behind the façade of cultural criticism for the fun of fashion. A She is living up to her nickname as the Technicolor Barbie with a recently made doll in her likeness (complete with bright pink hair, lips and eyelashes a mile long) recently made her nickname “the Technicolor Barbie” truer than ever.

Snoop Dogg: In a word, this man is silly. You gotta love Snoop for not taking himself too seriously and often looking totally ridiculous. When not wearing baggy sweatpants or hoodies, you might find him dressed as a pimp, a hindu, or willy wonka… but usually just a pimp.

Lil’ Kim: Nicki Minaj eat your heart out. Let me take you back to the MTV VMA’s 1999, my girl Kim was sporting candy colored wigs and baring her breasts before the millennium. While Lil’ Kim’s outfits gravitated towards the slutty/streetwalker variety, she always accessorized her looks with confidence and a “don’t fuck with me” attitude that made her the stuff of fashion legend. Becoming Marc Jacobs’s muse didn’t hurt either. 

Rick Ross: I mean, who else can pull off a black and yellow diamond pendant of his own likeness? Nuff Said.

More Style after THE JUMP!

The Queen of Hip-Hop

What is it about Hip Hop style that emanates sexy/ cool like no other. The shorts are always the shortest, the heels the highest, the bling the.... well you get the idea. While these outfits are more than reminiscent of street walkers, they are accessorized with confidence and swagger, turning the girls into the envy of the fashion world.

The Queen of Hip Hop

for V Magazine

Photographed by Sebastian Faena

Styled by: Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele

I Fed Beyonce to YooouuuTuuube and This is What it Pooped Out

Do you love Beyonce? How about Rihanna? Or Lil'Wayne, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift? Now you can multiply them with YooouuuTuuube, a very nifty little program that breaks videos into shots  and syncs them with the song's rhythym.

I chose Beyonce's Countdown video for this post because she is already experimenting with split screen and mirror images, Yooouuu Tuuube just makes the video  awesomer. I hope you enjoy playing around with the program, just don't blame me if all the flashing lights give you a seizure! 

Read more after The Juuump!