L8R SK8R
(Left) Look 1 Tank: Starkiss Pants: PSYCHOTICA Earmuffs: Fluorescent Knots
East coast or west coast, there’s something about hip-hop that just makes you want to cruise—thanks to the skate scene in the 90s, hip-hop gave us the extra incentive to glide to the beat of our boards yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Hip-hop is so much more than just rapping over an instrumental—it’s history, it’s culture, and it’s a powerful art. Take yourself back to the 90s, when there was no Spotify, Apple Music, or Soundcloud. It was just you, your mixtapes, and the lyrics that have the power to change the rhythm of your soul.
Skate culture and hip-hop go hand-in-hand. On both coasts, this cultural phenomenon was certainly one of the most liberating times in contemporary American history. No matter where you were in the 90s, you didn’t go home until you had to. So before the street lights turned on, skaters took over the parks, streets, and almost any place with room to roam. What coupled hip-hop with skating, was the influence sparked by one another. Skaters weren’t trying to hop on the mic, and rappers weren’t hopping on a board; they were looking out for each other, creating new flows, and recognizing the cultural significance of their respective parties. Skateboarders and hip-hop artists of this era had no idea that they would create a community that still exists among New York’s youth today.
New York City is notorious for being the epicenter of the world, but it’s also the city to make shit happen, and the city to find your beat—quite literally. Hip-hop or not, New York and Los Angeles are the hotspots of the nation. Though both cities were, and still are, the powerhouses of American culture, they differ vastly through heritage and geography.
In hip-hop, west coast production was a sheer match to the climate. With organic, funky, and flowy sounds to the music, west coast rap was laid-back and groovy. East coast rap, however, had significant jazz and poetic influence. The dexterity of east coast lyricism is quite reflective of the climate with industrial, blunt, and dynamic sounds that match the bustling streets of New York.
(Left) Look 1 Crewneck: API The Label Hat: PSYCHOTICA
But before we decide who’s the coast with the most, we’re going to take the beat back to the boroughs. Hip-hop music began in NYC when disk jockeys used turntables to extend the percussive breaks of popular songs of music genres like funk and soul. Beat making started between the late 1970s and early 80s in New York. Some of the first forms of hip-hop, DJing, MCing, and breaking, originated in the South Bronx. Artists like DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash pioneered the genre. Since then, beat-making and producing in the hip-hop community have advanced and extended onto the hands of artists/producers like J Dilla, Madlib, MF DOOM, DJ Premier, The Alchemist, Dr. Dre, Timbaland, The Neptunes, Pete Rock, Swizz Beatz, and more today.
The Bronx is home to hip-hop hall-of-farmers; Slick Rick, who you might recognize as the rapper with the eye patch, is one of the most-sampled hip-hop artists to date. Another Bronx royal, Fat Joe, began his music career as a member of the hip-hop group, the Diggin' in the Crates crew. After he transitioned into his career as a solo artist, his debut solo album, ‘Represent’ was released in 1993, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart. To this day, Joe is still considered one of the greatest in the community.
Let’s take it to Queens, home of some of the most beloved groups, trios, and duos in hip-hop history. Run-DMC, an American hip-hop group from Queens, NYC, founded in 1983, is regarded as one of the most influential groups in hip-hop culture. After the success of their first album ‘Run-D.M.C,’ they were the first rappers to have a gold album and to appear on MTV.
A Tribe Called Quest, composed of Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, DJ, and Jarobi White, introduced a new sound to hip-hop; a convergence between jazz and hip-hop. These infused beats created a new wave of rapping about the issues of the times, all while bringing light to the culture and innovating new sounds.
Mobb Deep, the duo of rappers Prodigy and Havoc, is another great pairing in east coast hip-hop from the mid-90s. Mobb Deep portrayed the struggles of living in New York City's Queensbridge House. Their hit single "Shook Ones Part II," is iconic for not only the great verses but for their genius production. The hi-hats in the beat (that repeated clicking instrument) were sampled from a stove light igniting—this technique further ignited hip-hop production for the next generation of artists.
Shorts and hat: Karina Rodriguez
Harlem and Manhattan have an incredible hip-hop history. Poetry and lyrics over instrumental first evolved from spoken word poets and artists. The East Harlem-based trio, The Last Poets, who used poetry to voice the struggles and hardships in the Black community, and to push the agenda for Black nationalism, were pivotal to the evolution of hip-hop. Prominent artists and rap groups like The Diplomats, Cam’ron, A$AP Mob, Max B, and Big L. provided a new flow to hip-hop. A$AP Mob (A$AP meaning "Always Strive And Prosper"), is a Harlem-based hip-hop collective formed in 2006, including 15 artists. Some members are coined as current-day icons, like A$AP Rocky, A$AP Yams (Rest In Peace), and A$AP Ferg.
One of the most respected, loved, and talented artists ever to grace a mic was from Manhattan: MF DOOM. The British-American rapper and producer known for his intricate flows and wordplay, signature Dr. DOOM mask, and "supervillain" persona, Daniel Dumile, became a major figure for underground and alternative hip-hop in the 2000s.
“Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way.” - Notorious B.I.G.
Brooklyn’s beloved Biggie Smalls, the king of the east coast, is arguably the most notorious rapper of all time. When his album ‘Ready to Die’ dropped, the rap game was changed forever. And of course, the Brooklyn monarchy wouldn’t exist without icons like JAY-Z, Nas, Lil’ Kim, DMX (RIP), The Fugees, Busta Rhymes, Jada Kiss, and so much more.
Staten Island’s Wu-Tang Clan is arguably one of the greatest music groups to grace modern times. Method Man, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, RZA, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, GZA, U-God, Cappadonna, Masta Killa, Mathematics, and DJ Symphony will forever reside in the hip-hop hall of fame, especially for east coast listeners.
Skating and hip-hop are more than just allies, as both scenes provide an escape from the harsh realities of back then to the present day. There’s a certain grit one possesses while skating, and a certain grit possessed by New Yorkers that can't be developed anywhere else. While Cali brought the skateparks, New York brought the streets. And in music then, the rawness of rebellion translated clearly through sound and skating.
The hip-hop and skate circles had mutual respect, especially when bumping into both parties at Washington Square Park, The Brooklyn Banks, and the streets of the LES. Visit any of the locations today, and you’ll see how graffiti artists were able to convey a sense of camaraderie between the community through works as simple as letters. When the skate brand Supreme migrated to Broadway, skaters and artists alike found a space to coexist. Supreme’s Californian appeal quickly turned into a New York staple, integrating an edge from the metropolitan environment into the culture.
Take Club Mars, a New York nightlife staple where artists, club kids, models, MCs, skateboarders, promoters, DJs, rappers, and individuals alike migrated to have a good time. The club was opened in 1989 by founder Yuki Watanabe—and when artists from JAY-Z to Busta Rhymes performed here—you knew it was the place to be. The club granted a collective space for the community to coexist and create timeless memories. And this was all because of one common ground: hip-hop.
This scene emerged full-send after east coast skate videos like Eastern Exposure 1 [1993] and Zoo York Mix Tape [1997] was spread. The films provided skaters and hip-hop enthusiasts with a sense of similarity, community, and unity. Once New Yorkers got to show a visual soundtrack about the authenticity of skateboarding with hip-hop, the scene was forever imprinted in our culture.
The fusion between hip-hop and skate culture has poured into all intersections of the decade. There was no knowledge of the culture outside of the city: no phones, no media—just you, your mixtapes, and your homies grinding it out downtown, synthesizing with the hard beats and lyricism of New York’s freshest hip-hop.
Capturing these pivotal moments during the time created a time capsule between today and the past. The kinship between hip-hop and skateboarding is a bond that will forever coincide. Though times are constantly changing, especially in youth culture, there’s nothing more telling than what the 90s kids conveyed through their artistry. The relationship between hip-hop and skate culture showed the world how important it is for a generation to tell stories created by them, for them.
Editor in Chief, Creative Dir: Pilar Bradley
Creative Dir, Music Curator: Gracie Kahn
Managing Editor: Nova Krasner
Editorial Dir: Nadia Adams
Senior Photo Dir: Phillip Lewis
Junior Photo Dir: Justice Tilford
Junior Fashion Dir: Brianna Tirado
Models: Charlie Conrad-Montgomery, Christian Perez, Gabrio Paulo, Hudson Price, Jamal Tappin, Na'im Thomas, Ziggie Brooke Grandin
Photographer: Ben Hoiland
Stylist: Alexa Torrejon
Assistant Stylist: Brianna Panou
Makeup Artist, Senior Beauty Dir: Gillian Tokar
Makeup Artist: Morgan Chen
Hair Stylist, Assistant Beauty Dir: Rhia McGowan
Videographer, Production and Set Dir: Luna Abreia
Graphic Designer: Caitlin Yackley
