Ugandans attracted to Hip-hop fashion like moths to a flame

August 11, 2023, represented a milestone in Hip Hop history as the globally influential cultural movement celebrated its 50th anniversary. 

Hip-hop, a popular genre of music and cultural movement, originated in African-American and Latino communities in the US' Bronx, New York City, during the 1970s.

However, in Uganda where many people still only associate Hip-Hop with Rap, its music art form which involves performers rhythmically putting spoken word poetry on a Hip-Hop beat, there was little feeling of occasion or sign of celebratory concerts or celebrations.

Nonetheless, Hip Hop fans across the country, including myself, were able to celebrate the culture’s Golden Jubilee in our own unique ways.

I chose to spend the entire day clad in Hip Hop clothing (a snapback cap, denim trousers and Nike Air Force One sneakers).

Pallaso is always decked out in Hip Hop wear

That humble, celebratory way, was my means of honouring Hip Hop, particularly its fashion element, which some local rap bloggers and analysts have claimed is more popular in Uganda than any other Hip-Hop element.

Elements of hip-hop

For starters, Hip Hop’s other elements include Beatboxing (the technique of making rhythmic sounds with various body parts, primarily the throat, lips and hands), Knowledge [the study and application of ancestral wisdom], Deejaying, Breakdancing or B-boying, and Graffiti art (the study and application of street calligraphy, art, and handwriting).

The rest are entrepreneurship (the study and application of fair trade and Hip-Hop company management), Street language (urban slang and ebonics), health and wellbeing.

Debates in rap circles about which of the aforementioned hip-hop elements resonates more in Uganda endure.

Rapper Recho Ray cuts a dash in Hip Hop fashion

“While many may argue that it is the rap element as epitomised by Navio, GNL, Judas Rap Knowledge, Ruyonga, Stone Age Ug, and others, it is not,” Ronald Odongo, a music blogger, says.

“If you look at it from a broader scale, the element of fashion [hip hop fashion] is way more popular in Uganda than rap, the world’s most popular musical genre,” Felix Byaruhanga, founder and CEO of Skyline Media and management limited and the Tribe UG, says.

“But while the Rap element has struggled to carve out a strong niche in the country, some determined and enterprising Ugandan Hip Hop artistes such as Flex D’paper, Sylvester and Abrams, Navio and GNL Zamba have all set their wits to work by leveraging their music to monetise their clothing brands”.

Self-expression

Hip-hop fashion, according to Byaruhanga, is not only simply clothing but also a form of self-expression.

“Hip Hop culture has influenced how everyone in the world dresses and many Ugandans ranging from the Generation Zers, middle-aged people, TV and radio entertainment show personalities, local musicians (Kidandali artistes), and more recently, social media influencers have all caught the hip-hop fashion bug.”

“That hip-hop fashion bug has indeed caught on but many individuals, especially urbanities are unaware that they are living a hip-hop lifestyle by the way they dress every day,” Flex D'Paper, a rapper and fashion designer, says.

Sylvester Kabombo, a seasoned hip-hop artiste and co-founder of  Keek Uganda, a social enterprise that aims to change lives through creativity and fashion, agrees that many Ugandans, particularly those who are not fans of hip-hop, are unaware that what they wear is influenced by hip-hop culture and its elements, particularly Rap through what its artists wear in popular music videos, among other things.

“I can't state with certainty that hip-hop fashion is more popular in Uganda than rap and other hip-hop elements, but on second thought, it might be,” he says.

“Why? Because even in rural places where Ugandan rap music is essentially non-existent, you’ll find young people dressed in hip-hop fashion garments, many of which are second-hand [sic],” Kabombo adds.

“They wear them because they are trendy and perhaps because they saw their favourite Afro-Beat or Kidandali artiste wearing something similar.”

Seasoned Hip Hop artist, Sylvester Kabombo rocking a Tee or T-shirt designed and produced by his clothing label- Stallone

What is hip-hop fashion?

Hip-hop music also ended up influencing fashion as a clothing style. The dress sense emerged in urban black America in the 1980s and 1990s, featuring unique elements such as baggy clothing, athletic wear, and trainers.

In the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, hip-hop began to adopt designer fashion brands. By the 1990s, the culture had swiftly broadened its impact on global fashion. In an article published a few years ago by Tandfonline.com titled: The Maturation of Hip Hop’s Menswear Brands: Outfitting the Urban Consumer, scholars Tasha Lewis and Natalie Grey of Cornell University in the United States wrote that hip-hop fashion increased the brand awareness of renowned apparel designer brands such as Tommy Hilfiger.

According to Tasha Lewis and Natalie Grey, Hilfiger took advantage of hip-hop's expanding popularity and earned success, allowing his company to seek global expansion.

Navio donning a Narvcorp T-shirt

Other high-end trend-setting fashion houses, such as Anne Klein and Gianni Versace, took notice of Hip-Hop’s power to set trends and incorporated aspects of it into their own fashion lines, kicking off the Hip-Hop trend's trickle-down effect on fashion.

“It goes without saying that Hip Hop Fashion has helped in spreading the reach of Hip Hop as a culture,” says Odongo.

In recent years, several African-American big-name Hip Hop artists, such as Nas, Jay Z, Drake, the Wu-Tang Clan, and 50 Cent, have expanded their hustles into clothing brand ownership.

Nas who recently released a critically acclaimed album “Magic 3” owns Nas Clothing, Jay Z owned Roca Wear until he sold the rights to the Iconix Brand Group for $204 million [ABOUT SHILLINGS 761 billion], Drake owns Ovo Wear, the Wu-Tang Clan owns Wu Wear, and 50 Cent owns G-Unit Clothing.

In Uganda, a couple of rappers have launched clothing lines, including GNL Zamba with his Baboon Forest Clothing line, Sylvester and Abramz with  Stallone and Keek Uganda, Navio with Narvcorp, and Flex D'paper with Rapaholix.

Hip-hop fashion in Kampala and other cities

“In Kampala and other metropolises around the country, hip-hop fashion swag is visible everywhere,” Billy Flex Ochen, the CEO of Soulz of Africa, a Soroti-based music record label, says.

“It is in the athleticised first and second-hand sneakers or ‘kicks’ in hip-hop slang, fitting shirts and oversized T-shirts, midriff and crop tops for girls, cornrows, braided hairstyles, bandanas, joggers, loose-fitting shorts, tank tops, fashionable T-Shirts, denim jeans (whether oversize or fitting), sweatpants, Timberland boots (whether second hand or firsthand), sports bras, high heels, snapback caps, jumpers, sports bras, tracksuits and so on,” he says.

To all appearances, hip-hop fashion appears to be popular among Uganda's top-name non-hip-hop artistes, such as Jose Chameleone, Gravity, Pallaso, Irene Ntale, Lydia Jasmine, Sheeba, Eddy Kenzo, Levixone and Bobi Wine, who even walks with a hip-hop prance in step.

“These guys, like many other contemporary non-hip-hop musicians in Africa, unknowingly or knowingly appreciate the swag of hip-hop fashion,” Ochen says.

“They understand that in their industry or trade, it’s 'better to be dead than out of fashion', as the English adage goes. And guess what’s hot and in vogue right now: Hip-hop fashion outfits,” he adds.

The fashion choices of Uganda's local musicians, however, do not stop with them.

In many ways, their clothing choices influence their fans, who frequently imitate how they dress. In a recent article titled: Influence of Music Industry on Fashion in Uganda, Kyambogo University scholar Nasiche Opio says today’s singers have a huge influence on what is current and cool.

According to Opio, by continuously co-signing clothing labels in their songs, having brand deals, and creating their clothing lines, artistes 'greatly influence fashion unlike ever before'.

The hip-hop slang effect

However, Uganda’s young and middle-aged urbanites have not just embraced hip-hop fashion.

In recent years, many have also gravitated towards hip-hop slang phrases or colloquialisms in their conversations.

“In Kampala and other urban areas, hip-hop slang or colloquialisms such “What’s up”—which means hello, how are you, or what’s going on—“I am cool”— which means “I’m well,” “Chillin” — which means “relaxing or winding down,” and “I am cool” to mean “I am well” are widely used,” Byaruhanga says.

“Lit” is frequently used to refer to something fantastic or cool, “Dog or Dawg” to indicate a close friend, “legit” (to mean “legitimate”), “dope” (meaning nice), “bae” (to mean baby or sweety), “flossin'” (to mean showing off), “Fam” to mean family, and “Boujee” to mean a rich and affluent individual,” says Odongo.

Among several Ugandan urbanities and zoomers, you will also frequently hear phrases such as “You are looking fly” to mean you are looking good, “Shawty”-to mean a youthful and pretty female, “Bestie” to mean “best friend”, “Holla at your boy/gal”-to say call me or talk to me, “wifey”-to mean girlfriend, “diss”-to mean insult or criticise, “bro”-to mean brother, “simp”-to imply an overly affectionate man or a desperate person, “for sho”- a derivate from for sure etc."