For the past few decades, hip hop and rap have had an enormous influence on youth culture. It affects how we dress, talk, what products we purchase and helps shape our identities. Many of the early rap artists such as 2 Pac and Dr. Dre released tracks about rebellion and creating a radical attitude and that ideology reflected in their music videos. Big baggy pants and shirts, snap backs and bandanas were covered all over rap videos and each particular item sent out a unique message to the impressionable youth. As well, the language they used in these videos gave us new meaning to old words and created a new type of language.
Rap music have influenced youth culture in many ways but particularly in how they choose to dress. Since its birth over 35 years ago Rap has continued to thrive across America and now into the UK and now plays a large role in the music industry. Rap, is a cultural force that has gained steam in its ability to produce results when paired with existing clothing and apparel lines as well is in creating its own. A perfect example of Rap's ability to sell came in 1999 when Tommy Hilfiger reported a significant increase in annual sales after tailoring their line for "the hip-hop set." Since then other major clothing companies have decided to cross over to a more hip hop street type of look and enjoyed the same success. Currently, urban street apparel is the main fashion clothing most youths wear these days , which includes a celebrity-based designer list from the likes of Lil Wayne and Birdman with their 'YMCMB' brand , A$ap Rocky with his VSVP clothing line and even clothes seen in music videos. There is no denying the influence rap has on the youth these days and how they choose to dress because they are simply mimicking what they see on T.V. and online. As a result of this upcoming teens are seeing is a dominating "rap" culture. For example Nicki Minaj's song 'Anaconda' which hit huge success in the charts.