Lil' Kim's fashion legacy is undeniable

It's Been a Minute

NPR

News Commentary, Society & Culture, News, Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 8.8K Ratings

🗓️ 25 July 2023

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Think of the top women rappers of our time: Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj. They all showcase signature styles that include multicolored wigs, skyscraping heels and designer logos on everything. But that blend of high fashion, femininity and attitude began before any of them joined the game. It was pioneered in the 1990s by the original queen bee: Lil' Kim. Ahead of her time, Kim's ingenuity – and her cementing of the relationship between fashion and hip-hop – has not always been recognized. Host Brittany Luse and fashion journalist Scarlett Newman make the case for why it's time Lil' Kim gets the credit she deserves.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey there, you're listening to it's been a minute from NPR.
0:06.4	I'm Brittany Luce.
0:08.1	Louis Vuitton's new creative director is for L Williams.
0:11.4	Kanye has easy and you can see the biggest stars like Megan the Stallion or Cardi B sitting
0:17.0	front row at the hottest fashion shows.
0:20.2	These days fashion and hip hop have become inseparable.
0:24.6	But it wasn't always that way.
0:26.6	So today I'd like to introduce you to one of the pathfinders who helped establish the
0:31.2	connection between hip hop and high fashion.
0:34.4	And you probably already know this style muse because she's the mother of the rap game
0:39.5	and the original Queen Bee.
0:42.0	Lil Kim.
0:43.0	I mean she really set the stage for self-presentation and female rap.
0:57.1	Scarlett Newman is a fashion and culture writer and someone I'm happy to call a friend.
1:02.6	She's also a big fan of Lil Kim.
1:05.3	How would you characterize Kim's long lasting fashion legacy?
1:08.6	Artistic, unapologetic, wrote the playbook.
1:13.4	I mean she influenced as generation of young girls to high fashion brands.
1:18.7	You know, that is a fashion icon.
1:22.2	If you think about the biggest women rappers of our time, Cardi B.
1:25.9	Megan Missalian, Nicki Minaj, their style that mix of attitude and high fashion, the
1:32.2	multi-colored wigs, sky scraping heels, the logos everywhere.
	...

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