The Hip Hop clothing market post FUBU era turned massive. Many financial investors started looking for the
new fashion brand with potential. Different hip hop clothing brands sprouted and crumbled over
the next decade. Some brands stayed strong through the period such as Ice Berg and First Down while others withered
quickly back to the starting point.
In fact, around the same time as Fubu's amazing growth, Russell Simmons began Phat Farm clothing. A brand
that was based off the popular slang word and acronymn for pretty, hot, and tempting (as said by Chris Tucker),
he too found great success. . Funding his own line with money earned from Def Jam Records, he was the first
music label executive known to launch a clothing brand. 1992 was not only the year of Hip Hop clothing
line FUbu, but Phat Farm was definitely on its way too.
Soon after music artists who could not get sponsorship, realized they controlled the massive Hip Hop culture audience.
They realized they were the true power behind these hip hop clothing brands and they could capitalize
off their image more themself. Rapper Jay Z and businessman Dame Dash were the first to really dive
head first into this industry. The two launched Rocawear clothing in 1995 in conjunction with some silent
partners, which took off as soon as Jay Z wore the emblem in a hip hop music video. Starting with only t-shirts,
Dame Dash and Shawn Jay Z carter realized the brand had much potential after multiple sell outs, soon expanding
the Rocawear brand.
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