Seeing as how I choose Skate or Die as my DJ title, I thought it would be appropriate to do a post on rappers skateboarding. Skateboarding has taken alot of cues from both punk and hip hop, alike. Skateboard fashion and style has been largely influenced by hip hop because the "truest" form of each exists in the streets. Both hip hop and skateboarding have been commodified from their original street form. This is because the image of both sell, and they sell big. Is rappers skateboarding the ultimate marketing scheme? Or are they 5 years too late?
(Thanks to Complex magazine, for some of the pic finds)
If anyone has pictures or video that I left out please feel free to add it in a response!
Gucci Mane doing a "kickflip"
Eazy-E
Pharrell
French Montana
Yelawolf
Lil Wayne
Soulja Boy
Beastie Boys (MCA was a great snowboarder, too)
Lupe Fiasco
Big Sean
Slim Thug and Waka Flocka Flame
Definitely a popular theme within the Hip-Hop industry between artists within the past years. Pharrel was one of the first also known as 'Skateboard P' who may be credited as one of the originators. Recently, Lil Wayne has strongly expressed his new found love for the xtreme sport, and even started a clothing line called 'Trukfit' geared towards the skateboarding population.
ReplyDeleteI never realized how prevalent skateboarding is in Hip-Hop. Do you know how long this has been occurring? Great post, I liked all the photos!
ReplyDeleteCorrect me if I am wrong, but I think that Lil' Wayne was one of the major well known rappers to start a skater trend in a fashion sense, by wearing skate shoes, skinny jeans etc. while advocating skateboarding more than any other artist. I believe that Lupe Fiasco came out with the song titled "kick-push" before Lil' Wayne, but that didn't last, unlike Lil' Wayne's skater style has.
ReplyDeleteFun Fact: I went to a Rick Ross and Lil Wayne concert back home in St. Louis and Wayne was skating around the stage and fell and had to go to the hospital.
I remember noticing this trend starting (at least in oakland/berkeley) when I was about a freshman or sophomore in high school (so...2005-2007? ish?).
ReplyDeleteFor me, when The Pack (A group of Berkeley High graduates--Lil B being the most famous member) released that song "Got my vans on but they look like sneakers), that's when I actually started to notice it (whether it was prevalent or not beforehand I can't be quite sure).
I'm curious, though, when it became a national thing? I always assumed it was a hip-hop subculture that emerged out of Berkeley's hippie culture--but apparently that was far off the mark.
And here's the Vans song if anyone doesn't remember
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fR2OgGbKds
I agree with James about the timing. I remember it coming up around 2007ish and then blowing up from there. I want to entertain the possibility that both subcultures as seen in a large amount of societies eyes are more or less rebellious subcultures. Also, I think both are prevalently youth cultures, and then a number of people stick with them into the transition into adulthood. Lastly, another thing to examine is both activities require confidence as well as skill.
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