Urban Fashion: Icp Clothing Vs. Hip Hop Clothing

If you were asked to describe traditional hip hop clothing in one word, chances are you would say “baggy.” At least that would have been how to describe hip hop clothing ten years ago, when “gangster rap” was in and the expected wear was baggy jeans, a baggy jersey, and drooping chains. Today, hip hop clothing is much more fashionable.

For example, Kanye West is such an icon when it comes to hip hop clothing that he’s even designed his own fashion lines. At that didn’t come at the expense of his music – 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy topped many critics’ and fans’ best 2010 year-end list, and is expected to win every category it’s nominated for at the GRAMMYS this year.

So if mainstream hip hop artists like Kanye West are innovating both sonically and fashionably, what about superstars of micro hip hop genres like horror rap? The one group that’s nearly a household name in this genre is Insane Clown Posse, and ICP clothing is in some ways different, in some ways similar to mainstream hip hop clothing.

Of course, not all hip hop artists are as obsessed with fashion as Kanye West is. In fact, there are many rappers today that dress the same way they did 10 years ago, placing emphasis on loose clothing. This is how ICP clothing is meant to be worn. ICP clothing won’t win any awards for innovation, and ICP clothing won’t be seen worn by models walking down any runway. Instead, ICP clothing consists of big jean shorts or baggy jeans for pants, and even larger tops like plaid button ups or hanging T-shirts.

The one garment that’s become ubiquitous in hip hop clothing, the wife beater, can also be seen on Shaggy 2 Dope every so often as well. So if this was what most rappers were wearing in the 90s, what makes ICP clothing today different than the hip hop clothing worn by other rappers whose style has changed little? One thing: The hatchetman.

The legend of how the hatchetman – a hatchet-yielding cartoon character – came to be the universal symbol for all things ICP or Psychopathic Records is well known to all, and the guys have made a killing by branding every form of ICP clothing imaginable with the hatchetman. You can find ICP clothing like hatchetman jerseys, hatchetman T-shirts, hatchetman jeans, hatchetman hats, hatchetman bikini tops, hatchetman beanies, etc. The list of ICP clothing that’s embroidered with a hatchetman figure goes on and on.

So the moral of the story is while ICP clothing may not have advanced tenfold since the 90s like some other rappers and their hip hop clothing, it doesn’t matter because ICP has been able to leverage their hatchetman logo and sell a boatload of ICP clothing as merchandise. Because that’s the case, it doesn’t matter that the ICP clothing style hasn’t changed much!

By: Trina Rowe

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Some hip hop clothing has evolved since the 90s, but ICP clothing is pretty much the same. But is this a bad thing? To learn more about ICP Clothing and merchandise, please insaneclownposse.com.