‘They never felt these fabrics before’: How SoundCloud rappers became the dandies of hip hop through hybrid dress

Abstract

This article examines the appearances and dress of SoundCloud rappers, a highly popular subgenre of American hip hop music, which shifted from homemade music to the mainstream in 2016. SoundCloud rappers wear clothes usually associated with hybrid masculinity, such as fluffy pink hoodies, silk scarves and frilly shirts. In contrast, although not lacking in style, rappers usually embody an idealized heteronormative masculinity, played out through manly affect, which is often expressed through baggy sports clothing and oversized gold jewellery. Despite Black masculinity being historically defined through stylish, interesting and ostentatious clothes, these looks have been rejected by traditional rappers for fear of association with more hybrid masculinity. The transformation in cultural production through participatory culture, allowing for different male identities to be expressed notwithstanding, masculinity in hip hop has been very slow to change. Using the concept of the dandy, this article examines the ways in which certain SoundCloud rappers have embraced ostentation in clothing, despite a significant backlash from their peers. Moreover, we suggest that SoundCloud rappers have pushed the boundaries of clothing for a new generation of queer Black rappers, arguably, paving the way for looks which are ‘beyond belief’.