Hip-Hop's Influence Goes Beyond Music

This evening I met some of my biggest heroes in hip-hop, including DJ Jazzy Jeff, Arrested Development, Lil Mama, and A Tribe Called Quest. And if that wasn't enough Lil' Chris did a rap for me! No, I wasn't at Snoop Dogg's party or chilling in the VIP hot tub, I was at the GRAMMY Foundation's event called Word Revolution: A Celebration Of The Evolution Of Hip-Hop.

While I stood on my sweet little spot on the red carpet I was met by a menagerie of the world's leading rap and hip-hop artists who had as much style as they did swagger. As I spoke to the artists and listened to the words during their performances, it became clear that hip-hop and fashion are about the same thing ― expressing who we really are. Every artist I spoke with felt strongly that style and hip-hop are intrinsically linked, whether it is through the clothes we wear, the way we wear them or how much swagger we can pull off in them. In fact sometimes it's literally a tool: the gorgeous Beat Freaks decided to use their caps, their jeans and their belts all as apparatus to bust out their break-dancing moves in a spectacular dance show that left everyone breathless.

In between the live performances there was some really interesting archive footage of previous GRAMMY Rap Field winners and performers along with a great music montage reminding us all of the journey that hip-hop, and its fashion, has been on. Remember Salt-N-Pepa and their signature varsity-style jackets? Or Grandmaster Flash and his imaginative array of costumes? I love celebrating the history of fashion and music together, and the videos did that perfectly.

Regardless of the era, one trend in hip-hop that has always had a storied history is tattoos. I would like to personally thank Naughty By Nature's Treach, who showed off his full-length back tattoo during the group's energetic performance.

Another hip-hop style essential has to be sunglasses. Tonight the latest selection of shades from Kenneth Cole, Karl Lagerfeld and Ray-Ban shades all made it to the stage. I was so inspired, by the end of the show, I was wearing my sunglasses too!

Long live rap and the influence it has on all of us ― from the dance floor to the red carpet and beyond.

Posted in: News