The Hip Hop Clothing market was officially started by Karl Kani clothing with co-sign of rapper Tupac Shakur. The idea of hip hop fashion, style, and culture were alive long before the two, but nobody coined it. Brands such as Cross Colours, Levis, and Arizona jeans were consumed by the Hip Hop culture and a 'spin' was put on how it's worn but Karl Kani was the first to make clothing for how hip hop culture was wearing it.

Karl Kani clothing was the first Hip Hop clothing line by debatable standards. Founded by Carl Williams, the clothing line came after his working for a few other fashion labels already successful in the industry. In 1990 the clothing line Cross Colours inked a deal with Carl Williams to launch Karl Kani clothing line. By 1992 the brand was in the hands of multi-platinum rapper and actor Tupac Amaru Shakur. The two used their influence and power in the music and fashion industries to build a street audience following and store acceptance.

After Karl Kani and 2pac came many following brands. Very few would have the longevity and overpowering success of Knai and Tupac however. At least not until a man named Daymond John from Queens, New York decided he wanted to get into fashion. John, the founder of now world-known hip hop clothing brand FUBU, began working on a designer wave cap to sell in the streets of New York. Shooting his dream of launching a fashion brand beginning with wave caps, John and his 3 friends Carl Thomas, Carl Brown, and J. Alexandar Martin began FUBU.

Within a few months of launching FUBU's first product, a FUBU wave cap, there was a trend wave being sparked across New York City. Not only did the Hip Hop clothing consumers around NYC pick up on the wave cap idea but very well-known rappers did as well. In fact, FUBU co-founder's neighboring Hollis-queens celebrity LL Cool J, a major trendsetter at the time, began wearing the wave cap everywhere. Within a short time the demand grew so fast around the US that John put up his house up against a loan for $100,000 of seed money to launch the hip hop clothing brand.

Within a very quick time the FUBU brand became one of the best selling brands in the United States. Shortly after that, one of the fastest selling brands in the world. The Queens friends are still today a force in the hip hop clothing industry against the knolewdge of most. FUBU still represents a major part of the fashion in Hip Hop culture in countries such as Taiwan and Australia.

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