{"id":91931,"date":"2015-07-20T17:31:03","date_gmt":"2015-07-20T15:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.blackouthiphop.com\/?p=91931"},"modified":"2015-07-20T18:00:35","modified_gmt":"2015-07-20T16:00:35","slug":"interview-rakim-aaron-lacrate-talk-street-wear-dapper-dan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackouthiphop.com\/blog\/interview-rakim-aaron-lacrate-talk-street-wear-dapper-dan\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Rakim & Aaron LaCrate Talk Street Wear & Dapper Dan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"rakim<\/a><\/p>\n

Check out the interview with Rakim here<\/a> or read it just below.<\/p>\n

AL: We first worked together back in 2000, when I did the A&R coordination for Bathing Ape, and we did that track NYC to Tokyo<\/em> with your old manager the late great Bill Blast<\/strong>. What was the first street wear item you had to have growing up as a kid?<\/p>\n

RA: I think the first time I was particular about having some sneakers was the Chuck Taylor\u2019s<\/strong>. Na mean, coming up just a little dude. We were rocking the white high tops in the hood heavy.<\/p>\n

AL: What dropped next?<\/p>\n

RA: After that the shell top Adidas<\/strong> popped off. I remember telling Mom, it\u2019s enough of these Skips. I used to rip my Skips up and tell Mom, I need a new pair of sneakers.<\/p>\n

AL: What was the evolution between that and like, Dapper Dan<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

RA: Dap<\/strong>, he\u2019s the OG, he would sew a suit on your back.<\/p>\n

AL: For a guy to make custom clothes in that era ,of that quality shows such innovation. That\u2019s the core of American street fashion, it\u2019s to take something dope and flip it on a street level.<\/p>\n

RA: And that\u2019s what the hood was doin. We was taking records that was made already, sample it up, do it again. Put that neighborhood touch on it and it\u2019s a whole new world.<\/p>\n

AL: And that\u2019s exactly what Dapper Dan<\/strong> was doing.<\/p>\n

RA: Yeah, and I feel Dap<\/strong> for doing that. He took high fashion and made it for the hood. Gucci, Fendi, Louie<\/strong>, they wasn\u2019t making leather jackets with the hood. They wasn\u2019t making leather pants. They wasn\u2019t doin all that. So for Dap<\/strong> to bring all that to the table was genius.<\/p>\n

AL: Is it safe to say Dapper Dan<\/strong> is the first American street wear designer?<\/p>\n

RA: We gonna have to say that LaCrate, Dap is that dude. Early.<\/p>\n

AL: I agree man. So let\u2019s switch up a little bit. You started out on 4th and Broadway records. After you dropped the first single, how fast were you doing shows?<\/p>\n

RA: About 2 weeks later we were booked at Latin Quarter, Rooftop<\/strong>, and Union Square<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

AL: Can you describe a little bit what the NYC club scene was like back then?<\/p>\n

RA: I remember sitting at the table on the side of the club and Just Ice<\/strong> would be on the other side of the club. Just<\/strong> would scream across the club, \u201cYo Raa<\/strong>\u201d, \u201cYo Raa<\/strong>\u201d and me and Just<\/strong> would go and sit down. I remember when cats like Alpo<\/strong>, sent some Moet over to the table. The music was loud the club was packed.<\/p>\n

AL: Thanks for this interview Ra<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

RA: LaCrate<\/strong>, thanks for the interview my dude.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Check out the interview with Rakim here or read it just below. AL: We first…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviews","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t