Music Legends AND Style Icons
PERFECT POLISH
Those who remember know that Beyonce has come a LONG way since the over-the-top cookie-cutter frocks and big hair days of Destiny's Child. Miss B now personifies glamour and elegance at every turn, always appearing well turned out, especially on the Red Carpet. She, in fact, has tried her hand at fashion with her very own line of clothing, House of Dereon.
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EXPRESS YOURSELF
In hip-hop, Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000) has probably evolved the most dramatically in terms of fashion. Words can't really describe his style which has recently been about suspenders, porkpie hats and knickers. It's just different -- which we suspect is the point. His clothes are just expression at the highest level.
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PRETTY IN PINK
Harlem has always been known for initiating trends from the latest dances to over-the-top ghetto fabulosity. One of Harlem's finest, Cam'ron Giles, first brought fruity colors such as purple, then pink to the mainstream. You might catch him on Lenox Ave. in his pink Range Rover; boys the world over have no problem wearing it well. Ay!
KNITTED BROW
In a sea of sameness, rapper Common -- who has been a part of hip-hop since the true school -- has always brought a little of his own flavor to the party. What with his knitted hats, afro-centric accents and yes, even his beard, Common has proven his personal style nothing but.
MOLD BREAKER
With big eyes and svelte figure, legions of divas-in-training are still taking pages from the book of Miss Ross. Whether it was her perfect pageboy wigs with the Supremes, the glittery glam of the '70s or the big hair of the '80s and beyond, Diana Ross exudes a confident, dead-on style that ensures her icon-ness. In a phrase: she's beautiful.
DAPPER DON
His royal-diddyness has taken on the style of a man not to be fashioned with -- what with his purple labels, bespoke suits, silk ties and beautiful shirts, always with a dash of bling (peep the mega chunky pinky rings and earrings) always harkening back to his hip-hop roots.
WRAPPER'S DELIGHT
Erykah Badu could single-handedly be responsible for bringing the headwrap to the fore. Again, by creating her own unique style of bohmemian grandeur with an occasional gold grill, Badu stayed true to her Texan roots while integrating her love of Brooklyn and all things hip-hop.
TIME OUT
Well, fashion icon may be pushing it, but 'tis true that Flava Flav will always be known for his top hats, big clocks and jerky movements. In his second incarnation, he's an unlikely lothario to a house full of misfits, but you've got to give it to him, he always remained true to the Flav persona. Time for business!
AIN'T IT FUNKY?
What can we say? This man's hair has a whole thing of its own going on. George Clinton has always merged the shiny tight suits and over-the-topness of of punk rock with the glam funk of the '70s. P-Funk (and it's leader) have created a look that's literally out of this world.
FEMME FATALE
Who says you have to have long flowing hair and golden skin to be fierce? Grace Jones, former model and style icon has always put her strong, flamboyant, artsy look out there and we all have lapped it up like Andy Warhol prints on sale. She's bold, she's beautiful and she's daring.
GOOD HAIR
Say it loud! Even though he was black and proud, Brown kept the conk (or chemically processed 'do) alive and never let it go. Hell, he even got Al Sharpton to rock his 'do straight. Aside from the designation as the "hardest working man in show business," it is the retro hair that the great soul man may be best remembered for. That and the cape.
PREP ALERT
Kanye West may not have invented preppy style, but his consistent usage of knit sweaters, polo shirts and khakis has surely brought it the look to urban youth. Now it's not a thing for hood dwellers to be seen in argyle pullovers and white shoes. Mix it up. Mix it up.
ANYTHING GOES
If marching to your own drum is the adage, then Kelis has her own band. This Harlem native has successfully merged hip-hop style -- both in her music and in her marriage to one Nasir Jones (rapper Nas) -- with her own unique and usually colorful brand of edgy couture.
STAY HIGH
One half of '80s dynamic duo, Kid N Play, Christopher 'Kid' Reid definitely took the high top fade to another level. Literally. His hightop was one of the highest, giving the rapper at least six to seven extra inches on his odd-ball frame.
TO THE BACK
It's not everyday that a group can rock a style that literally makes the masses jump. This was the case with the young rap group Kris Kross, who made wearing clothes backwards and inside out de rigueur for teens the world over.
NATURAL MYSTIC
Sometimes one's hair IS the fashion statement. Hill, who obliterated the record scene with her debut solo album, 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' made it fabulous to be smart, savvy, fashionable and au natural. She stood at the center of the mainstream with natty dreads flowing. Brown girls smiled and were affirmed.
GHETTO GLAM
Who else but Mary J. could bring ghetto glam to the mainstream by consistently rocking painted-on jeans, thigh-high boots, colored furs and an occasional gold tooth for good measure? Add that to her constantly changing hairdos, and you've got a hot-miss-from-the-hood in the mix. All around-the-way girls worship at the altar of MJB.
HAMMER TIME
Well, again, it's not so much that he's a continuous icon, but in that one swatch of time, with that one article of clothing, put Hammer on the map. Of course we're referring to those baggy, genie pants which looked like so many yards of your grandmother's curtains. They came in all sizes and colors and these are the people that wore them.
THRILLER
We can't say that too many people are imitating Jackson's style these days (at least in the U.S.) but in the early '80s you'd be hard pressed not to find anything that this uber-entertainer wore on the streets the next day. From zippered jackets to sequined gloves, epaulets to rhinestones, Michael kept the people dressed.
DAPPER CHAP
No, there are not legions of men wearing chaps with the ass out, but just for being innovative (as with his music) -- whether it be with ruffle see --through shirts, heels, tight pants or reams of purple -- and pulling it off, Prince remains in a fashion class by himself.
AROUND THE WAY GIRLS
Cheryl, Sandy and Spin, also known as one of the most successful female rap groups of all time, kept it flavorful fashion with their pill box kente cloth hats, cat suits, bright leather jackets and asymmetrical hair cuts that were sexy but not trashy.
HOT FUN
Before Raphael Saadiq and Erykah Badu, there was Sly, the forebear of eclectic soul, merging funky bohemian rhapsodies with urban street edge and with a rainbow tribe of fellow musicians at that. He was indeed everyday people -- just turned up a notch.
SEE LEGS
No, we don't need another hero, especially when one of our sheroes has legs like that. The ever-talented, ever-inspirational and infinitely sexy Turner has been rocking short skirts that show off her greatest assets for YEARS. Now almost 70 years old, Turner shows no signs of slowing or not showing off those show-stopping gams.
JUST WANNA HAVE FUN
Without the tight clothes, and always with a little sass thrown in for good measure, TLC proved that you can feel be sexy without conforming to always too-tight, too-revealing clothing. Especially when they began, their mix of bright colors, work boots and oversize hats, put a little gender bend in hip-hop.
HEP CAT
Nattily dressed in suit and skinny tie, Sammy Davis Jr., the splash of color in the iconic rat pack, was always hep, cool, and infinitely talented. Sammy was always well turned out, hair slicked just so. And we don't know if a martini glass ever counted as a fashion accessory, but we suppose in Sammy's case it does.
