I thought it would be appropriate to start with De La Soul and the interlude “Take It Off” from their iconic 3 Feet High and Rising album, basically because it addresses all the hip-hop fashion clichés of the time. The Long Island trio were the embodiment of the dreaded “alterna-rap” moniker in the 90s, merely for having eclectic tastes, exploring social issues and mocking a hip-hop culture growing obsessed with the material. Oh, the irony.
But perhaps nothing offers a better snapshot of the era than De La’s outsiders’ perspective. But this was 1989; was conspicuous consumption a real thing in hip hop yet, at least to the blinged-out degree it is now? Or was hip hop still trying to solidify its dress codes, the way “rock” appropriated leather jackets and ripped skinny jeans in the 50s?
