Commercialisation
When the early Hip Hop pioneers battled on street corners and struggled to be taken seriously, who would have guessed that one day the fashion houses of Europe would be scrambling for a part of the action? Or that huge multinational corporations like Nike and Adidas would be fighting to get their shoes endorsed by Hip Hop's rising stars?
Of all the strange twists and turns in the history of Hip Hop, the way it has been hijacked from 'Hip Hop culture' to 'Hip Hop industry' is perhaps the most surprising - and the most worrying to those who still believe that Hip Hop is, in its soul, a revolutionary underground movement. an expression of unique identity in a 'white-washed' world.
In this section we will look at the Hip Hop dreams that give the poorest hope for a chance to get a grip on the 'land of the plenty' - and ask whether those dreams are, in fact, possible. We'll explore the role of 'big business' and their new place in Hip Hop to find out who is holding the power and calling the shots. And lastly, we'll try on the latest in Hip Hop fashion, to discuss it's place within the Hip Hop world.
