Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop at New York Art Institutions
Two New York museums celebrate 50 years of the genre, from early days in the Bronx to global juggernaut.
Before Hip hop became a worldwide phenomenon, it was a way of life for a local community who created their own forms of self-expression. Dating back to the Bronx in 1973, Hip hop came to be through the innovative vision of Black and Brown youth who created art inspired by their lifestyle. Since then, the genre has expanded worldwide and continues to have an undeniable impact on global culture.
The essence of Hip hop lies in its emphasis on unapologetic individuality. Perhaps that’s why the genre immediately meshed with the fashion world. It is through this lens that a community of people, who historically had been excluded from mainstream platforms, came to define their own rules and social norms, birthing a new form of self-expression through fashion. Now, five decades after its emergence, Hip hop is just as revolutionary.
Two museums are using this historical marker to celebrate the multi-dimensional art form. Open through April 23, the Museum at FIT has curated Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style, the first exhibition at the museum that explores fashion through a singular music genre. Curated by Elena Romero and Elizabeth Way, the exhibition will give visitors insights into Hip hop’s many iterations.
More than one hundred garments and accessories are displayed, including pieces by Dapper Dan, Tommy Hilfiger, Fubu, Baby Phat, Louis Vuitton, April Walker, Cross Colours, Karl Kani, 5001 Flavors, and Pelle Pelle. Also shown are pieces made iconic by celebrities from past and present, such as Aaliyah’s Tommy Hilfiger bandeau and baggy jeans; LL Cool J’s bucket hat; Lil’ Kim’s 2003 Roberto Cavalli embroidered denim jacket and skirt; Run-DMC’s shell-toe Adidas sneakers; Cardi B’s vintage Mugler gown, which she wore at the 2019 Grammys; and Beyoncé’s custom MCM bustier.
The exhibition demonstrates the evolving relationship between Hip hop and fashion by examining a range of topics: the significance of the unprecedented stylings of Dapper Dan; the crossover into high fashion and collaboration with designer labels; Hip hop artists who started their own fashion lines; and Hip hop’s impact on the red carpet.
Also paying tribute to Hip hop’s 50th anniversary is Fotografiska New York, with Hip-Hop: Conscious, Unconscious. Open through May 21, this exhibition takes a more intimate approach, capturing the evolution of Hip hop from its grassroots origins leading up to the breakthrough moments when it became an industry in its own right. Through more than 200 photographs, the exhibition draws back the curtain on significant early moments that helped shape the genre into what it is today.
Subjects such as “the four elements” (rapping, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti), the role of women in Hip hop, and the social, economic, and cultural zeitgeist of the Bronx in the 1970s and ‘80s are explored. Each photograph tells an important part of the story, from reportage of the streets of New York to images of early career block parties to highly produced promotional artwork and experimental contemporary portraits that mirror the industry’s evolved focus.
While Hip hop remains a global powerhouse that touches nearly every aspect of pop culture, these two exhibitions give a new generation a holistic understanding of the trailblazers who made the juggernaut possible, and shows how today’s emerging creatives continue its important legacy.
