From Hip Hop’s inception in the South Bronx in the late ’70s, the experience of living as a marginalized class fit well with what Hip Hop had to offer in terms of its ability to express oneself. The concept of sampling and cutting time to create a holistic new experience was something no genre of music or culture for that matter could do. Sure Jazz was indeed a fusion of Creole tradition intermixed with the French immigrants in New Orleans, yet what Hip Hop offered was something so bold, so defiant that it allowed one to think beyond their horizons.

Living in poor economic conditions in the 70s vis-a-vis then Mayor Ed Koch’s civic planning (that inevitably divided New York in accordance to economic class, hence birthing the infamous five boroughs), Blacks and Puerto Ricans found themselves in a flux. It was no wonder that the birth of DJing, fusing and mixing turntables came from an out of work Joseph Saddler (later to be known as Grandmaster Flash) who meddled with what electronic skill set he learned from the local tech school. Such improvisation in the actual creation of tools would later play a recurring constant for hip hop as a whole. In dance, it was apparent with the electric boogaloo, break dancing, popping and locking, mimicking a robot; the open fascination of the surreal, enacted as a true escape for many who lived in the project slums. I once interviewed Mos Def and he mentioned one of his highlights growing up in Brooklyn’s Roosevelt Projects was when Michael Jackson appeared on national television and did the moonwalk. It wasn’t the fact that the dance was a new dance (after all, the kids in the hood were doing it all the time on the streets), rather it was the fact that it was being performed on a national television audience for the world over to witness. Mass America was astounded by the way Jackson moved, for the kids living in the projects, it was nothing new. Dance as a form of expression was commonplace, emulation of robotic movements and sci-fi hyper-reality was the natural progression in retorting all the elements in society that was working against them. To the kids living in the projects, the system was not meant to be won over, it was meant to be upheaved through imagination and expression of the arts.

Such similar thinking can be attributed to how Hip Hop would later effect fashion. From the “Lo-life” Polo fanatics to the rise of “urban fashion” in the 90s to currently where we stand in “streetwear.” What makes the times different today is the open communication and collaboration between corporate companies and notable Hip Hop entities.

In the case of the “Lo-Lifes,” it was the act of “racking” as much Polo gear as they could take from the department stores and showcasing their wares. Polo after all did symbolize the great American Dream and the hood aspired to live the lifestyle, in whatever means it took. It was this idea of challenging class and rank through clothing, again this recurring theme of going beyond the constructs of where society has placed such individuals.

Today Hip Hop is no longer the lower rung of youth expression. At the same token it is no longer considered an outright rebellious movement. Hip Hop is very much part of our everyday pop culture vernacular. The rise of the backpacker underground hip hop star is lauded in the likes of Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco. This year in particular was a very big year for Mr. West. His meteoritic rise into American pop culture is unparalleled to anyone preceding him. He is in a unique category in himself having graced the cover of TIME Magazine as well as every other musical periodical in print. Kanye has opened up the dialogue between the urban city and high society. He stands as an enigma as well, himself being the byproduct of a black middle class. Yet despite his privileged upbringing, Kanye seemed to have struggled, yearning for an upgrade in his placement as a black man.

And if his recent Glow In The Dark Tour was of any indication, Kanye is determined to paint a hyper reality world where Hip Hop saves the day. As a devout Hip Hop fan, I can appreciate Kanye’s vision. Kanye’s approach in embracing the child within, working with Jim Henson’s production group, to utilizing holographic imagery, all goes hand in hand in the creation of a neo-hip hop utopia.

Recently, Kanye has been spotted wearing a strange Nike model unforseen, a bit of Jordan III fused with Japanese designer Ato’s trainers; the word is still mum from the Nike front as to what exactly this project is about. My personal take on this footwear project speaks loud and clear of how influential Kanye’s role as a cultural ambassador is. It is not so much the celebration of Kanye’s genius, nor his natural abilities to produce instant hits. Rather it is the delicate fine dance that Mr. West is able to parlay to his public. Corporate America is observing and they see an opportunity. For Kanye to wield his influence and conduct creative projects that are infused with what the nature of Hip Hop has allowed is very interesting. It’s not the shoe that concerns me, but more so the end product and the way a tangible item can represent so much.

From parody to legitimate endorsed and produced product, the strain of Hip Hop’s ability to constantly challenge, conform and now inform is powerful. Class wars seem to no longer be as clear cut. The world is changing and class lines are deliberately being blurred. Hip Hop’s role as the harbinger of the have-nots is indeed shifting. Traditionally, science fiction has always challenged the status quo which was why Hip Hop culture melded so well with it. What is of interest now is how commerce is interacting with these variables. Perhaps, this is where Mr. West will show us where the rabbit hole leads.