September 17, 2006
Skate culture vs hip hop culture
White subculture had a chance, back in the early 90s, as punk and SoCal and skateboards and slackerness made a play for the mainstream. Lollapalooza and Sonic Youth's 100pc video and skate VHS movies were part of this.
They spawned or connected with 'Alternative' music, Jackass-type shows, and brands like Supreme or A Bathing Ape or sneakerheading or graffiti-writing.
Essentially, a family of male, goofy, anti-brand, disorganized, rebellion-themed, 'is not a crime' activities that were either very white or at-best-multi-ethnic.
Well, skating lost to the other big idea: hip hop. A black, branded, revolutionary but hierarchical and overachieving idea. Totally not relaxed, not at all self-effacing, and far more dramatic. The bigger idea and today the more important cultural theme.
So much so that surely many of these skaters listen to Jay-Z instead of Nirvana or Mudhoney or Sonic Youth or whatever.
Posted by amol at September 17, 2006 04:31 PM
