Hip Hop and Skateboarding: Joined at the Fashion Hip

Article written by: Jacob Breinholt
Posted on: June 2, 2009

The revival of skateboarding in the late 90’s brought an entirely new flavor of fashion and culture. While the fish shaped boards turned into narrow freestyle decks and neon faded to opaque, it is no coincidence that at the same time hip hop was starting to seriously blow up as a dominant musical genre. The latest generation of hip hop and of skateboarding, grew up together. They are strongly intertwined and increasingly prevalent in modern urban fashion.

Skateboard culture and fashion have always been strongly influenced by music, but it wasn’t always hip hop. In the 70’s when skateboarding was still in early development as a sport, it was heavily influenced by the surf culture. A large number of those who skateboarded were merely surfers who had nothing better to do on a flat day. All of the photos out there, taken of  the Z-boys from Venice Beach, CA, are proof of this. The skaters were generally shirtless, with long hair and short shorts. Not until the late 80’s did skateboarding really begin to form its own niche, fashion and stylewise. It was slightly more urban, this time around, but still a far cry from what was going on in the hip hop scene.

Tony Hawk, 1980’s

Natas Kaupas, 1980’s

The prevailing influence on skateboarding in the 1980’s came from “Alternative” and “New Wave” rock. There were a lot of themes from heavy metal which came through in the graphics that appeared on skateboards and apparel.

Skateboarding then died out with the hair bands, in the early 90’s. Most of the larger skate brands from the 80’s struggled to stay afloat.  Some of them didn’t.

Right about the time that the Biggie vs. Tupac feud was peaking, skateboarding was coming back with a vengeance. This time, hip hop was blasting in all of the skate videos. Chad Muska, who skates for Kr3w, Supra and Element, describes the way that hip hop and the urban vibe affects him and his skateboarding, in the clip below.

With the sport booming more than ever, on the streets (not just on ramps and in parks), new looks started popping up. This movement spawned brands like Zoo York, Kr3w, Famous Stars and Straps, and Element. It also got existing streetwear giants like Nike on board, while causing industry veterans like Quiksilver and Billabong to shift their skate clothing lines from the traditional surf look to accommodate the up and coming urban skaters.

Some major players in the hip hop scene have also taken on an active role in developing the contemporary urban skate look. Pharrell aka “Skateboard-P,” Lupe Fiasco and Terry Kennedy have all become icons of skate fashion. Most of the young pros like Paul Rodriguez (pictured at the top of this post) and Ryan Sheckler execute insane street style skating while demonstrating great hip hop flavor with their get ups.

Check out some of the fresh new stuff from Zoo York’s Spring 2009 Line.

Zoo York Men's Jacket (Spring 2009)

Zoo York Men's Shorts (Spring 2009)

View the entire Zoo York Men’s spring line here.

Zoo York Summer Dress (Spring 2009)

Zoo York Women's Hoodie (Spring 2009)

View the entire Zoo Zoo York Women’s spring line here.