By Andrea Caccese

Stories of “rags to riches” are recurring elements within the rap paraphernalia: hip-hop itself is a story that starts from the streets and ended up onto the most high-end catwalks. The rap movement quite literally started in the street corners, as a way for young black people to find their own identity and express themselves, almost in the same way the English youth brought punk rock to global attention some time earlier.

Because of the influence of rappers and their styles, some particular items and accessories became sought-after fashion items, including apparel from sports brands and jewelry, an important symbol of social redemption that quickly turned into a powerful fashion and individual statement. The rap scene itself paved the way to many fashion currents, including the popular “urban” style; heavily influenced by the aesthetics of rap music. Major rappers the likes of Jay Z or Sean Combs (Puff Daddy) even managed to seize the opportunity and became entrepreneurs by creating profitable and successful clothing companies.

High Snobiety sums up the decade-long takeover.

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