Available Online Here: Davidz.ComCHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Once, during 1 of many conversations regarding the state of
Hip Hop with my good friend
Paul Parris, I was shocked and amazed that he was
shocked and
amazed by the mini-uproar that
Kanye West ignited amongst true "
Lo-Heads", most specifically
Lo-Lifes, by some of his irresponsible comments concerning his affinity for
Ralph Lauren Polo gear. Paul Parris could not, for the life of him, understand how
anybody could lay claim to the popular promulgation of Polo wears. It was
waaaaaaaaaaay beyond his realm of comprehension how anybody could take offense to Kanye's assertion that Ralph Lauren was boring before he wore his clothing. Oh
GOD, please bless my friend Paul Parris and his
Bahamas born/
Delaware raised heart - like so many people outside of
New York City (and
Brooklyn in particular) he simply was not equipped with the official
unofficial history of Lo in the hood and,
therefore, was unaware of how Brooklyn boys and girls completely changed the world of fashion.
Of course,
Ralph Lipschitz had been successful with the Polo brand nearly since it's inception in
1967, but we took his fame to new and prolific levels. Ralph Lauren's classic (
READ: W.hite
A.nglo
S.axon
P.rotestant - nevermind that he is actually
Jewish)
American aesthetic was never intended for urban consumption.
Hip Hop has always embraced, deconstructed and reinvisioned pop-culture - we sample records and anything else that we so choose.
Yes, akin to DJ's exacting their creative brilliance on select sections of dusty, obscure records, we liberally "
sampled" the best of Ralph Lauren's garments and gave them a glorious gutter makeover. Polo
Country knits and "
Circle"
ski gooses received the same innovative treatment as we layered
Sportsman button ups over
Executive Bear knits and tied
Yacht Club scarves around our faces, like street cowboys hopping on the
MTA iron horse.
Now, it is worth mentioning @ this time that, although I have lived a life of Lo, I am NO
Lo-Life. In fact, as I have addressed here before, I was raised as a
Baby Decept off of
Franklin Avenue and
Union Street in the heart of
Crown Heights Brooklyn. Some people think that anybody who has a closet stuffed full of Polo is a Lo-Life and others think that, if Y.O.U. weren't a Lo-Life, then to own an excessive amount of Lo was verboten. LOL. Silly hipsters,
tricks are for kids. The truth is that merely having amassed an impressive collection of vintage Polo (
like I have) is not now, nor was it ever, enough to qualify an individual as a true Lo-Life. After all of the hammers, boxcutters and icepick wars on the
Franklin Avenue Shuttle train, I have since grown and linked with some real niggas from all sides of the game -
Decepticons,
Lo-Lifes,
Ralphie's Kids,
Face Heads,
BMW,
Izod Posse,
Steam Team,
Guess Hoez and so on and so on. Today, in spite of our different affiliations, we share a common history and an unbreakable bond birthed in the streets during the grimey 90's - it's a mutual respect thing,
feel me? In summation,
sorry, that little Asian kid with all of the Polo might have an nice selection of vintage
I.T.'s , but,
chances are, he is
no Lo-Life ... lol. It is what it is.
Anyway, though this post may be a rant, it is not a pointless ramble. No, this post is a primer for the uninitiated
and a beautiful reminder for all of those who really know what time it is. The re-release of the celebrated
Ralph Lauren "
Cookie"
Ranger Boot is serious business my nigga.
Nothing can beat the O.G. green label Polo Country "Cookie" boots, but Y.O.U. would be hard pressed to find those in deadstock condition or,
for that matter, really
any condition worth wearing nowadays. So,
with that said, these re-releases are the next best thing. Y.O.U. already know.
Good shit.
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