Polo and Hip-Hop, an Oral History [Pt. 1]
XXL caught up with Just Blaze, Raekwon, 88-Keys, Thirstin Howl III and more to break down Polo’s lengthy and influential relationship with hip-hop…
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5. 1993 – The Snow Beach:
Raekwon wears the infamous Polo Snow Beach Pullover in Wu-Tang’s “So Simple” video. The Snow Beach instantly becomes an iconic piece of hip-hop history and a holy grail for ‘Lo heads worldwide, routinely selling for more than $2000 dollars on eBay today.
Raekwon: I mean, it definitely was something I thought of. I wanted to have a little bit of something on in the video. At that time, it was just all about tops. I didn’t really worry about what kinda jeans, you know. It was always basic jeans type shit. But when I put that Polo Beach on, it was only because I liked it. It took me back to the times of when I was coming up getting fly and all that. I wanted people to know that this is how I do my thing. Hat backwards, Polo pullover on— it was a pullover, it wasn’t really like a sweater or no Rugby or nothing, I wanted to take it to the next level. I think I paid probably around like $300 for it. You know, back then, that was the main thing for us. If you had a strong top on, you could just have some great jeans on, and some Uptown Air Forces on, and call it a day. But when I wore it, I wanted to see if people was gonna acknowledge that it was fly; ‘cause it was definitely fly to me. Even today, you still got cats that talk about it. Recently somebody drew a picture of me, it actually had the Polo piece on it. I was actually shocked like, ‘Wow. People is really paying attention.’ But at that time, it was just about representing, you nah mean? I felt I was a fly nigga back then, and I just wanted to see how many people would recognize that particular item. ‘Cause you know, it was all about as well, too, if you got some Polo that’s different from other cats’, that’s what brothers like. They like the fact of seein’ different stuff that they felt was authentic. It’s like, whoever had the meanest Polo shirt, Polo goose, Polo hat, if it was authentic it meant something to us.
88-Keys: When I saw Raekwon wear the Snow Beach Pullover, it didn’t hit me like it hit most ‘Lo heads. I didn’t think anything outside of, “man, that’s a dope piece that he’s rocking.” I didn’t look at it as a legendary moment for ‘Lo heads at the time. I can see looking back, but it still doesn’t really hit me that way. But I must agree, it is a defining moment in that ‘Lo head culture. I was probably taken by surprise that he rocked it, because me being from the Bronx and Long Island at the time and just running with my little crew, I didn’t think anybody was like really up on it as far as celebrities were concerned.
Just Blaze: It probably the freshest piece they had made up to that point for that generation. The previous generation was very partial to the Polo USA stuff, but for the kids who were 14, 15 where Wu-Tang came out, and you seen that, for a lot of people, that jacket because of its color scheme, because it was bright and so different, that was a lot of peoples’ introduction to Polo. Even thought I had had a few pieces before that, I can speak for myself and speak for a lot of people that say they looked at that video, saw that, and that’s what they wanted. That’s the reason why to this day, if you find the Snow Beach online, it’s anywhere from $2000-$5000; for a pullover that cost $350 when it came out. So, I think it’s pretty safe to say a lot of people fell into it because of that video right there, more so probably than any other moment in hip-hop. A lot of people fell into it because of that video.
Vado: Stupid. Stupid! With the jeans with the one leg up. Or he had the sweats with the one leg up. I remember that. That’s why I gotta shout out Raekwon, ‘cause he been doin’ it.
Thirstin Howl III: Yeah, it was a real moment ‘cause you saw your reflection; somebody like you. You saw your style. When somebody glorified how you dress and how you look. Meaning he bigged us all up by doin’ it. He made the whole ‘Lo shit even more official. Which, it was already on full blast.
polo always been the shit…way better than ralph lauren’s other creation, c.h.a.p.s (coulda had a polo shirt), as i call it.
I’m not gonna lie polos look dope and I do own one, albeit I got it for my b-day, but it gets ridiculous when you have to spend damn near a bill($75 plus tax) for just one basic polo from the Ralph Lauren store. I mean fiscal responsibility must not be in our vocabulary b/c this obsession is just sad. I appreciate fashion as much as the next guy but it’s all made in China for $2. We’re paying 40 times the true cost for a horse logo. I know I’m gonna get some hate here but we’re never gonna get out the hood when we spend it on polos, nikes, jordans, etc. Open your eyes people.
go and rob them then and save the bills
damn yall went in for this i could have read even more. what is in store for part 2??
Yes there is a part 2 but in the Source mag highlighting Malik-Lo, Seminole Sport, Meyhem Lauren and others coming in like Jan/Feb ‘ 11 keep an eye open for it
Yall left out Pimp C one of the biggest supporters of Polo.
Pimp C wasnt doing it when we were u gotta remember we going back to like 85 and better homie.
i bet he was ma nigga. ugk came out in 1990. pimp or chad as he’s known in the area was a bigtime hustler around port arthur, tx and southwest louisiana before the rap shit. so im pretty positive pimp chad was fuckin wit polo in the 80′s bruh
^@brand-new: Ha! Me and my peoples used to call Chaps – Cheap Ass Polo Sport…bc it was basically the lesser version of Polo.
Damn, this takes me back when I was kid rocking Polo here and there bc my pops would get me some things…but once Rae rocked that Snow Beach piece, it was a wrap! I remember wanting a summer job just to get my Polo game up for the summer/next school year!
I get a little mad these days when I see some of these whack ass young kids wearing Polo with skinny jeans and shit just looking stupid…feels like they just not representing right!
Ay don’t be hatin on skinny jeans sayin they not reppin right and shit. when will you see me eva hate on another mans jeans? grow up ya oold nigga
Co-sign^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
HAHA! C.H.A.P.S= Can’t. Have. A. Polo. Sucka
These young boys be killing me with the “Beverly Hills Club” shit too. Part 2 talk about the the rugby Game and “POLP FUCK THAT HILFIGER” -PIMP C, C DA PIMP
i like polo but once ralph said he aint fuck with us he was dead in my eyes
Ralph never said that that was a rumor Tommy Hilfiger was caught saying something to that nature never Ralph. He said he made his clothes as a lifestyle.
I’m A Lo Head And Have Been Rockin Polo Gear For 25 Years… I Was One Of The First Cats To Bring The Polo Buzz To Harlem… It Was A Brooklyn Thing That Was Taught To Me In My Days Of High School In Park West…. I Wore Polo So Much I Was A Regular At The Mansion And The Sales People Knew Me There And I Got A Job There…. That Abled Me To End Up Working For Ralph Directly… So I Can Speak On It.. It Was Tommy Hill That Said That And Timberland Co-signed By Stating That They Don’t Make Or Design Their Clothes To Be Worn In The Urban Market(An Nicer Way to Say They Don’t Sell To The Minorities)… Wearing Polo & Supporting It In This Hip Hop Generation Shows The Power Of The Dollars That We As A People Are Capable Of Generating So As A Business Man Why Wouldn’t Ralph Embraced It To Make His Business Grow??? As You Can See Tommy Has Fell To The Waste Side…. As Far As Polo Being In The Front Line Of Hip Hop Fashion… It’s Always Been For True LO-Life’s & LO Heads That Have Been In The Game… Its Funny How Cats Are Saying They Are Bringing It Back Or That They Started This LO Everything In Hip Hop Without Giving The True Originators There Credit Like The LO-LIFE’S,Ralphies Kids etc,etc…. These Were The True Real Cats That Were In The Trenches Of This LO Movement And That Made It What It Is Today….. The LO-LIFE’S Of Brooklyn Started This Frenzy So Don’t Forget Your Past…. 2 L’s Up & Salute To Malik- LO & The Other Original Real LO-LIFE Fam Of LOve & LOyalty
i thought that was fuck boy tommy that said he didnt mess with black folks on rossie o donnels show
Yall really missed out on Trick Daddy….”Is that bugle boy jeans you’re wearing, hell naw ho you know they polo”. I was heavy into polo until the last couple of years. These young guys have the fake polo with 2 men on the horse. That shit is a disgrace to the brand.
Players only live once
When I first read this the first thing that came to my mind was T DOUBLE D aka Trick Daddy $…….but i was to shocked not to see his name on this blog…….in the late 90s he was iconic for “rocking” nothing but POLO……
P!
dP!
who did this blog? Nice yo…
i thought it was tommy hill that said that