The newest trend in Hip Hop and Urban style seems to be moving away from the popular flashy, “blinged out style,” and heading towards a more simplistic and classic fashion sense. With the current state of the global economy, urban style-makers and celebrities alike are being more economically conscious than ever before.
Hip hop stars, including Usher and Chris Brown, opted for a new casual luxe vibe this year, rather than the bling, that dominated through Young Jeezy, Diddy and Nelly five years ago. Although artists still wear their bling, it is being reduced to just earrings, a watch, or one chain, rather than the five or six $75,000 chains artist were previously wearing at one time.
Expensive grills are also losing their appeal in the Hip Hop community. What was one of the biggest urban fashion trends just a few years ago, is now dying down as artists such as 50 Cent, are opting for porcelain veneers.
“Hip-Hop is growing up,” states Manny Halley, the CEO of Imani Entertainment Group, celebrity manager, and discoverer of Grammy nominated R&B singer, Keyshia Cole. “Today’s Hip-Hop star wants to be taken seriously from the stage to the boardroom and you can’t do that with a bunch of gold in your mouth. There are those who still opt for the shiny grills but they’ll learn; hopefully sooner than later.”
Dr. Michael Kosdon, who is currently working on MTV Rock The Cradle’s star Landon Brown and son of Bobby Brown says, “People are beginning to thumb their noses at conspicuous consumption. There is not one person today who wants to honor the hedge fund manager who got us into this recessionary mess—and that certainly includes my patients from the urban world”.
