Understanding Hip-Hop Culture
Many of the prominent clothing and accessory brands today have been heavily influenced by Hip-hop culture. Its evolution from a fringe subculture to one of the most dominant arena in pop culture is just baffling.
Hip-hop as a culture began as an underground art movement in the Bronx amongst African Americans, Latino-Americanos, and Carribean Americans in the Bronx area of New York. Even though hip-hop is a loosely used term indicating the rap culture today, it isn’t exactly that. Hip-hop consists of nine elements, namely – emceeing, DJing, b-boying/breakdancing, graffiti, historical knowledge, beatboxing, street entrepreneurship, language, and hip-hop fashion and style.
Of which, today, the main focus lies in the hip-hop fashion and style element that has somehow transcended from being just about the hip-hop culture to becoming a norm in the streetwear pop-culture. In the nascent days of hip-hop culture, photographers had documented the bring, evolution, and development of the culture’s rise. A majority of those being photographed stuck to wearing branded – sports tracksuits and droopy denim, alongside their obsession for sneakers and, of course, fat laces.
Evolution of Jewelry in Hip-Hop Culture
Later, bucket hats and sunglasses became a norm as well. During the winter period, they bring out the lux looking coats and leather blazers. Then came the extensive jewelry and chains, and nobody embodied this slick outfit like Slick Rick.
His self-professed love for chunky layered chains, excessive gold rings, and clunky watches was showcased in his 1985 song la di da di. This was one of the major elements that separate hip-hop from rock ‘n’ roll. Punk, on the other hand, was founded on the elements of being anti-fashion, and it stood directly in contrast to modern capitalism and consumption. Hip-hop, on the other hand, wholeheartedly and raised fashion, and from the very start, it started seeing it has a competitive base. Most of them try to outdo the other by I’ll bring their dress up game. Originally, however, hip-hop style icons were not the 1st to display such extravagance, it was the rich drug dealers who had accumulated a lot of money- want to brag about it. They showcase their possessions and riches in terms of clothing and high-end accessories, which is also one of the reasons that hip-hop music informed the street and drug life.
Dapper Dan, born Daniel Day employed influence in the hip-hop world, he used to make fabrics from popular luxury brands such as Fendi, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci, etc., and repurpose them into streetwear such as bomber jackets and tracksuits. Apart from these European fashion brands, other brands such as Ralph Lauren and Emile figure, we are gaining steam in the hip-hop culture.
Social Media’s Role in Current Relevance of Men’s Jewelry
More recently, Millennials, Generation X, and Z are all heavy contributors to spiking sales of men’s gold jewelry – men’s gold necklace, in which Social Media is a significant instrument and stakeholder. Men’s gold necklaces and rings are one of the hottest accessories currently, and they makeup ⅓ of the jewelry sales in the last few years – according to the NPD group reports. This percentage is predicted to grow far more in the coming year.
As men aren’t usually seen wearing rings out of comfort issues, brands are now targeting on aiming for comfort as one of the primary focuses of men’s jewelry manufacturing. Ever since the advent of Hip-hop, its growth and soon the relevance of jewelry in day to day lives imposed by the constant use in the current generations and the high sales generated by collaborations between influencers and brands – men’s gold necklace has become one of the centers of fashion statements. Be a part of the current trend – buy yourself or gift the men in your lives a new set of men’s gold necklaces.