Despite the flack Diddy and Bad Boy’s ‘97 roster earned for rocking shiny suits, the hate from flashless rappers never stopped them from being ahead of their time. This was the jiggy era in all its extravagent splendor; rappers were making money (or at least recoupable advances) off of their materialistic lyrics, and blinding fans with the reflection of their success was the ultimate way to show and prove. Need a refresher? Go back into Puff’s archive—the video for “Mo Money Mo Problems,” “Been Around the World,” all the way up to “Let’s Get It”—and you’ll realize that in the late ’90s “subtlety” was just a word that came between Styles P and Total in Bad Boy’s Soon To Be Dropped Dictionary.
Nowadays, fashion is even louder, as 2008 has ushered in a resurrection. Call it the Neo-Jiggy Era. The flat form of yesteryear’s track jackets and windbreakers have been given a slick new finish by trendy rappers like B.O.B. in this year’s L-R-G spring ad campaign and Pharrell for BBC/Ice Cream. Think shiny gear is here to stay, or a thing of the past? Hump or Dump it?
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