Welcome to the 47th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode we unfold Ye’s most iconic era, rewinding nearly two decades to examine West’s come up and signature style motifs.
The year was 2004 and Kanye West, a new name in the hip-hop scene, had just shocked the world with his debut album - The College Dropout. A first in a four part varsity-centric collective, the project sold 3.3 million copies upon release, making it his most successful tape to date. Instantly gaining notoriety for its use of samples, upbeat melodies and “chipmunk” pitching, the unconventional techniques were praised and set the tone for years to come.
The College Dropout marked a much needed refresh in the rap scene, breaking down notions of masculinity in a highly unique way. Prior to The College Dropout, the radio was coated in gangster rap, many songs speaking on topics akin to murder or being “street”. Yeezy stood up to this construct by rapping from the soul, looking within to express feelings of insecurity on “All Falls Down”, and ties thicker than water on “Family Business”. In doing so, he married the two parallels with a distinct artistry, furthering this mantra through his sense of style.
It was around this time Ye began preaching his allegiance to Polo Ralph Lauren, and coined the “Pink Polo” a signature of his namesake. This, alongside a Louis Vuitton backpack, gold watch and popped collar is what turned hip-hop on its head, directly rivaling the East Coast’s baggy wardrobe we’d become familiarized with. At the time, pink was still linked to romance and femininity, but West (with help from Cam’ron), revolutionized the tone into a symbol of prestige and wealth.
This style stuck for years to come, but in a 2020 interview with I-D, West accredited the origin of the pink polo to industry forefather Pharrell Williams, stating “Before I wore a pink polo you were wearing a pink polo. That lineage is mapped out and proven, and you can go from then all the way up to the moment we have in culture now.”