Feb 02, 2023

Rap History: Black History Month Celebration

Love & Hip Hop

As a hip hop inspired and black owned brand, what better way to celebrate Black History Month than with a tribute to Hip Hop pioneers!

For Black History Month Bellargo will be highlighting groundbreaking moments in Hip Hop from some of your favorite artist of color. Hip-hop is one of the most commercially successful genres in the modern music world. The genre’s influence on not only our culture - but culture at large is unrivaled, as evidenced by the power it has over other industries. It has revolutionized society, transcending trends and reshaping language, entertainment, politics, fashion and the list goes on.

With its huge global reach, hip-hop has continued to move the needle. As the genre turns 50 this year, celebrating five decades worth of history, relevance and influence, there’s something to be said about how this movement has continued to evolve for more than a quarter century. From the defining moments that have reshaped culture at large, to critical milestones that have chronicled rappers' journeys to success in the multibillion-dollar juggernaut, hip-hop is a hotbed for innovation.

So without further adieu let’s kick this off in true Throwback Thursday fashion (no pun intended) with April Walker of Walker Wear ……

In 1987, Walker opened her first clothing business at her home: Fashion In Effect. Only one year later, in 1988, she opened her first clothing shop on Greene Avenue in Brooklyn. Later, noticing an ongoing trend in the Brooklyn streets, in 1990 she launched Walker Wear — one of the first official streetwear brands.

And became the first one to open distribution doors which commanded millions of sales. A link between hip-hop culture and fashion, soon she was working with celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, Biggie, Tupac, Aaliyah and Run-DMC among others. It became the brand directly linked with Hip Hop’s culture and history.

“IF YOU ARE A GOOD BUSINESS PERSON AND A CREATIVE, YOU WOULD LEARN TO GIVE THEM [THE PEOPLE] WHAT THEY WANT. YOU ARE NEVER BIGGER THAN YOUR AUDIENCE OR YOUR FANS. AND THE WAY I STAYED CREATIVE IS BY DOING CUSTOM PIECES AND LIMITED EDITIONS”

~ APRIL WALKER, VIBE MAGAZINE 2015

In this manner, April Walker became one of the firsts to be responsible for sharpening the streetwear culture that emerged in the NYC ’90s. Today’s streetwear culture is a multi-billion dollar industry where legends have reshaped how people define style. But before Supreme, Palace, and Stüssy, you had architects like Karl Kani, April Walker, Dapper Dan, the Shirt Kings, FUBU, and more making pure magic.