Lil Uzi Vert Is Changing . . . Into A Blouse
Lil Uzi Vert is a little weird.
Let me restate that. Lil Uzi Vert is very weird, however that is in fact a positive in today’s day and age.
Almost three months ago Lil Uzi Vert posted a picture where in it, he is wearing a dog collar chain, a woman’s blouse, and is a holding a purse.
What immediately followed was a backlash of social media brutally “roasting” Lil Uzi Vert for his fashion choice. Some focused on his hair, or his necklace, but most focused on the blouse and the purse because those are items usually worn by men.
This very negative backlash against Lil Uzi Vert made me think of what that means in terms of clothing being gender separated. What does this backlash in 2017 mean moving forward in fashion and the continued cultural consensus that clothing should be divided by gender?
Fashion trends have often been led by famous rap artists. However no rapper is as out there with their fashion sense as Lil Uzi Vert.
His choices of fashion challenge the status quo of what big time rap artists such as Drake, A$AP Rocky, Kanye West adhere to.
The hate that Lil Uzi received for his fashion choice was in fact not all from outsiders. Many of the roast videos that were put out were his fans or fans of the hip hop community.
Lil Uzi may be hated by some, but that does not mean he is unpopular or not influential. Other rappers defy the same fashion/gender norms with fashion (Young Thug, Jaden Smith, Kanye West, A$AP Rocky) however Lil Uzi Vert’s fashion choice created much more noise online. To see why, one has to look deep into the hip hop community as a whole.
Not everyone hated the idea of Uzi’s outlandish fashion sense however. Waka Flocka Flame, a previously prominent southern rapper spoke out about the hate Lil Uzi Vert received. In the post Waka responds to a meme made of Lil Uzi, comparing him to Nas, a monumental and famous rapper.
“This post ain’t bool,” he wrote in the caption. “[Lil Uzi Vert] is rock, not hip-hop! This generation has [Logic, J. Cole, Meek Mill, Kendrick Lamar] etc. Let my era be great!”
Waka Flocka hits right at the core that in the hip hop and black community often times gender bending and weirdness can be pushed away and made fun of. This divide within the hip hop community is in my opinion one of my least favorite aspects of it.
The effects of homophobia are apparent throughout rap, from the very beginning to present day. While this has been an accepted aspect of hip hop for a long time, as time goes on, fewer begin to represent these ideals. Lil Uzi Vert being roasted by the internet is a prime example of how the hip hop community represents its ideals and values through their actions online.
While Lil Uzi Vert might have his detractors in the hip hop community, he is growing more influential by the daily.
As a young rising rap star Lil Uzi Vert is one of the most listened to artists on SoundCloud.
The significance of Lil Uzi’s fashion choice is apparent when you look at the numbers. He was awarded Most Followers Gained in 2016 on Sound cloud, and should reclaim the title for 2017. With one of the largest followings of any new artist his influence is monumental going forward with gender norms, and not following the status quo.
While obviously not everyone can accept Lil Uzi’s choice to carry a purse and wear a blouse, it is monumental when you realize how many young people are receiving his message.
In an interview with Complex, Lil Uzi talks about how his goals have changed since he started.
“But now, I see I got fans. I really, really got people watching me and people are really f**cking with me. I just gotta keep delivering and keep this s**t going. It’s got to be a bit more than just money.”
With a mentality of looking past the money, and making real changes, Lil Uzi Vert could further become the voice piece of the youth. He could make monumental changes in our country in regards to gender norms in fashion and what is popular.
In a country that is so divided by hate and fear, Lil Uzi is pushing the boundaries on what is “normal” in fashion. This push away from normalcy, is a positive in our nation, when views towards LGBT communities have seen a push of negativity and hostility in the last 6 months.
Lil Uzi Vert has a voice for change, the only question is if he can use it.
