#WearTheMessage: 25 Hip Hop Clothing Brands You May Have Forgotten About

These brands are probably sitting in your closet somewhere.

Style Is Impetuous - Phat Farm. Ecko. Sean John. If you were born in the '80s, you probably remember these clothing brands as they were staples for anyone that listened to hip hop and wanted to represent. However, there were other brands spreading The Message that you may or may not remember. We decided to put together a list for the sake of nostalgia. Check them out right here.  (Photos from Left: Marithe Francois Girbaud, Dada Supreme)

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Style Is Impetuous - Phat Farm. Ecko. Sean John. If you were born in the '80s, you probably remember these clothing brands as they were staples for anyone that listened to hip hop and wanted to represent. However, there were other brands spreading The Message that you may or may not remember. We decided to put together a list for the sake of nostalgia. Check them out right here. (Photos from Left: Marithe Francois Girbaud, Dada Supreme)

Photo By Photos from Left: Marithe Francois Girbaud

1. Cross Colours - Calling Cross Colours a hip hop brand wouldn't do it justice. More specifically, it was the first politically driven hip hop brand that infused positive social messages with stylings popular among the hip hop crowd. At the time, this was unheard of as lifestyle apparel made by the hip hop crowd for the hip hop crowd had yet to be embraced by the mainstream.  (Photo: Cross Colours)

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1. Cross Colours - Calling Cross Colours a hip hop brand wouldn't do it justice. More specifically, it was the first politically driven hip hop brand that infused positive social messages with stylings popular among the hip hop crowd. At the time, this was unheard of as lifestyle apparel made by the hip hop crowd for the hip hop crowd had yet to be embraced by the mainstream. (Photo: Cross Colours)

2. Iceberg - Anyone that remembers the mid-to-late '90s vividly will remember this a staple among those who were balling (and enjoyed big pictures of Daffy Duck across their chest). Jay Z used to refer to himself as Iceberg Slim (a reference to the pimp-turned-writer) and was often seen wearing the brand. Turns out that the inspiration to start Rocawear came from the fact that every time he performed, Dame Dash (Hov's former manager) would see folks in the audience wearing the Iceberg brand.(Photo: Iceberg)

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2. Iceberg - Anyone that remembers the mid-to-late '90s vividly will remember this a staple among those who were balling (and enjoyed big pictures of Daffy Duck across their chest). Jay Z used to refer to himself as Iceberg Slim (a reference to the pimp-turned-writer) and was often seen wearing the brand. Turns out that the inspiration to start Rocawear came from the fact that every time he performed, Dame Dash (Hov's former manager) would see folks in the audience wearing the Iceberg brand.(Photo: Iceberg)

3. Coogi - "Livin' better now, Coogi sweater now" was the line that Biggie spit on his classic "Big Poppa." Prior to Big making this a staple for the jiggy crowd, it was know for being worn on occasion by Bill Cosby. (Photo: Coogi)

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3. Coogi - "Livin' better now, Coogi sweater now" was the line that Biggie spit on his classic "Big Poppa." Prior to Big making this a staple for the jiggy crowd, it was know for being worn on occasion by Bill Cosby. (Photo: Coogi)

4. Mecca - It's hard to say if Mecca made the same splash as, say, Cross Colours. However, if it's any condolence, you may recall seeing Derek Luke wearking a Mecca jersey in the Biggie biopic Notorious. If it was good enough for Diddy in '95, it must have been a hit.  (Photo: Mecca)

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4. Mecca - It's hard to say if Mecca made the same splash as, say, Cross Colours. However, if it's any condolence, you may recall seeing Derek Luke wearking a Mecca jersey in the Biggie biopic Notorious. If it was good enough for Diddy in '95, it must have been a hit. (Photo: Mecca)

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5. Akademiks - Akademiks might resonate more with the late '80s babies as it  began to take flight in the late '90s to early 2000s, which means if you were in high school around that time, you might very well own a sweat suit from them. Many will also recall that Fabolous used to shout them out a lot in his earlier mixtapes, as well as DJ Clue.  (Photo: Akademiks)

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5. Akademiks - Akademiks might resonate more with the late '80s babies as it  began to take flight in the late '90s to early 2000s, which means if you were in high school around that time, you might very well own a sweat suit from them. Many will also recall that Fabolous used to shout them out a lot in his earlier mixtapes, as well as DJ Clue. (Photo: Akademiks)

6. Wu Wear - Back in the day, when people used to still buy physical albums, you would come across an order form in the CD cover on which you could order apparel from your favorite artists. Wu-Tang Clan certainly did this and, given their popularity at the time, it made sense for them to start a brand. They even had their own Wu Wear shop in their hometown of Staten Island. Though the brand slowly dissipated over the years, it recently came back as Wu Tang Brand Limited, featuring designs with slick song references that cater to the streetwear crowd. Given that many indie clothing brands have produced tribute shirts over the years, it makes sense for it to return to the market, albeit for hip hop's new generation.  (Photo: Wu-Wear)

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6. Wu Wear - Back in the day, when people used to still buy physical albums, you would come across an order form in the CD cover on which you could order apparel from your favorite artists. Wu-Tang Clan certainly did this and, given their popularity at the time, it made sense for them to start a brand. They even had their own Wu Wear shop in their hometown of Staten Island. Though the brand slowly dissipated over the years, it recently came back as Wu Tang Brand Limited, featuring designs with slick song references that cater to the streetwear crowd. Given that many indie clothing brands have produced tribute shirts over the years, it makes sense for it to return to the market, albeit for hip hop's new generation. (Photo: Wu-Wear)

7. Karl Kani - The founder of Karl Kani was actually partners with one of the founders of Cross Colours and the two helped bring the brand to the forefront. Though Cross Colours planted the flag first, Karl Kani was the first to be tagged as a hip hop fashion brand, setting the template for the likes of Russell Simmons and Diddy to launch their respective brands.   (Photo: Karl Kani)

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7. Karl Kani - The founder of Karl Kani was actually partners with one of the founders of Cross Colours and the two helped bring the brand to the forefront. Though Cross Colours planted the flag first, Karl Kani was the first to be tagged as a hip hop fashion brand, setting the template for the likes of Russell Simmons and Diddy to launch their respective brands.  (Photo: Karl Kani)

8. Enyce - For anyone hat has noticed, the name is inspired by the initials "NYC," the same city in which the brand originated. However, it's pronounced "en-nee-chay," which gives it a Latin twist. It faded out of popularity after a number of years and was purchased by Diddy in 2008, but it never returned to prominence.  (Photo: Enyce)

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8. Enyce - For anyone hat has noticed, the name is inspired by the initials "NYC," the same city in which the brand originated. However, it's pronounced "en-nee-chay," which gives it a Latin twist. It faded out of popularity after a number of years and was purchased by Diddy in 2008, but it never returned to prominence. (Photo: Enyce)

9. PNB Nation - PNB stood for Post No Bills; you usually see it around construction sites and it's done to notify street teams and loiterers that their posters are unwelcome. The clothing brand was geared towards the graffiti-centric crowd as graffiti is usually found alongside (or underneath) the posters. It fell into obscurity after a few years and was almost resurrected by Nick Cannon, but it never quite caught on.  (Photo: PNB Nation)

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9. PNB Nation - PNB stood for Post No Bills; you usually see it around construction sites and it's done to notify street teams and loiterers that their posters are unwelcome. The clothing brand was geared towards the graffiti-centric crowd as graffiti is usually found alongside (or underneath) the posters. It fell into obscurity after a few years and was almost resurrected by Nick Cannon, but it never quite caught on. (Photo: PNB Nation)

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Fat Joe - This New Jersey-based rapper was able to conquer his fear of flying with a little liquid courage. "I was afraid of flying for, like, 10 years. I just got over that a year ago," he shared recently. "One day, I just felt like, 'Yo, I'm gonna drink a whole lot of liquor and get it over with once and for all.'" Joe probably saved himself a lot of time — before he conquered his fear, he maintained his busy tour schedule on wheels. "I just drove everywhere. Four days to Cali on the tour bus, man."(Photo: Cindy Ord/BET/Getty Images for BET)

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10. FJ560 - Thinking about it now, Fat Joe's brand from the late '90s was somewhat obscure. We actually couldn't even find a logo for it. If you go on eBay or do a quick Google search, random articles of clothing will pop up. Alas, there's no defining pic of him or Pun in the archives we could use to highlight this NY classic. (Photo: Cindy Ord/BET/Getty Images for BET)

11. Willie Esco - The interesting part about Willie Esco is that it never blew up quite like these other brands, but it is still mentioned alongside them. Granted, the cultural reference point will forever live in infamy as Jay Z mentioned it in reference to Nas' modeling choices on the diss track "Takeover."  (Photo: Willie Esco)

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11. Willie Esco - The interesting part about Willie Esco is that it never blew up quite like these other brands, but it is still mentioned alongside them. Granted, the cultural reference point will forever live in infamy as Jay Z mentioned it in reference to Nas' modeling choices on the diss track "Takeover." (Photo: Willie Esco)

12. Lugz - Lugz never really caught on the way most of these other brands did, but they kept landing these shoe deals with folks like Birdman and Funkmaster Flex, so you always saw their ads in magazines. You would almost forget that they were a clothing brand at one point. If anyone reading this owns a pair of Funk Flex driving shoes, give yourself a pat on the back. (Photo: Lugz)

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12. Lugz - Lugz never really caught on the way most of these other brands did, but they kept landing these shoe deals with folks like Birdman and Funkmaster Flex, so you always saw their ads in magazines. You would almost forget that they were a clothing brand at one point. If anyone reading this owns a pair of Funk Flex driving shoes, give yourself a pat on the back. (Photo: Lugz)

13. Vokal - Ah yes, Nelly's brand from the early 2000s. Remember his line from "Hot in Herre"? "Vokal tank top on at this point"— it was the trademark piece from the line.  (Photo: Vokal)

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13. Vokal - Ah yes, Nelly's brand from the early 2000s. Remember his line from "Hot in Herre"? "Vokal tank top on at this point"— it was the trademark piece from the line. (Photo: Vokal)

14. OutKast Brand - At some point, OutKast decided to get with an apparel company that slapped their logo on some shirts and pants and sell it at various stores. It wasn't necessarily a bad idea — Andre 3000 and Big Boi were known for their impeccable style. However, that wasn't reflected in this clothing line. Later on, Andre took a chance with his uber luxurious Benjamin Bixby brand, which also dissolved eventually. Whatever the case, maybe you'll get a glimpse of those brands at BET Experience, which is being headlined by none other than OutKast.  (Photo: Outkast)

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14. OutKast Brand - At some point, OutKast decided to get with an apparel company that slapped their logo on some shirts and pants and sell it at various stores. It wasn't necessarily a bad idea — Andre 3000 and Big Boi were known for their impeccable style. However, that wasn't reflected in this clothing line. Later on, Andre took a chance with his uber luxurious Benjamin Bixby brand, which also dissolved eventually. Whatever the case, maybe you'll get a glimpse of those brands at BET Experience, which is being headlined by none other than OutKast. (Photo: Outkast)

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Snoop Dogg - Snoop chopped it up with former Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca in a 2005 spot. They promised to sell the whips to the general public at the employee-discount rate. "If the ride is more fly, then you must buy," Snoop insisted. (Photo: Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for BET)

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15. Snoop Dogg Apparel - The Snoop Dogg line was pretty much the same as the OutKast one — lots of T-shirts and pants; lots of Snoop Dogg logos. We couldn't be mad though, Snoop was having a renaissance and it was only right that he have a clothing line that reflected it.(Photo: Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for BET)

16. Brooklyn Mint - Oh you didn't know? Before Diddy took the high road with Sean John, Biggie tried to get his foot in the hip hop fashion door with Brooklyn Mint. It didn't go past a few shirts, but just like the artist who started it, we wonder what the line could have been if he had lived. It was actually resurrected some years back and, as recent as two years ago, it was announced that his daughter T'yanna would take a shot at overseeing it.   (Photo: Brooklyn Mint)

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16. Brooklyn Mint - Oh you didn't know? Before Diddy took the high road with Sean John, Biggie tried to get his foot in the hip hop fashion door with Brooklyn Mint. It didn't go past a few shirts, but just like the artist who started it, we wonder what the line could have been if he had lived. It was actually resurrected some years back and, as recent as two years ago, it was announced that his daughter T'yanna would take a shot at overseeing it.   (Photo: Brooklyn Mint)

17. FUBU - Truth be told, you probably haven't forgotten about this brand. FUBU didn't just embody hip hop, it embodied being successful, black and stylish at a time that many of the brands were being produced by music artists. The founder, Daymond John, is probably best known for being on the series Shark Tank these days, but his credentials go back to making FUBU one of the premier lifestyle brands in the late '90s. The brand's acronym stood for For Us, By Us, and had clothing collaborations with the likes of the New York Knicks and the Harlem Globetrotters in its prime. And did we mention these collaorations were sold in major department stores?   Fun Fact: LL Cool J was frequently in ads for the brand and even managed to shout them out in an ad he did for The GAP (yes, you read that correctly) back in the day.   (Photo: FUBU)

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17. FUBU - Truth be told, you probably haven't forgotten about this brand. FUBU didn't just embody hip hop, it embodied being successful, black and stylish at a time that many of the brands were being produced by music artists. The founder, Daymond John, is probably best known for being on the series Shark Tank these days, but his credentials go back to making FUBU one of the premier lifestyle brands in the late '90s. The brand's acronym stood for For Us, By Us, and had clothing collaborations with the likes of the New York Knicks and the Harlem Globetrotters in its prime. And did we mention these collaorations were sold in major department stores? Fun Fact: LL Cool J was frequently in ads for the brand and even managed to shout them out in an ad he did for The GAP (yes, you read that correctly) back in the day.  (Photo: FUBU)

18. Fetish - At one point, Eve had chicks rocking Fetish velour sweats from East to West. Not to mention the brand got a little bit of shine on her UPN sitcom. (Photo: Derek Reed / Picture Group)

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18. Fetish - At one point, Eve had chicks rocking Fetish velour sweats from East to West. Not to mention the brand got a little bit of shine on her UPN sitcom. (Photo: Derek Reed / Picture Group)

19. Shady Clothing LTD + G-Unit Clothing - These were technically both under the Ecko umbrella, but since they had their own period of decadence, we decided to let them shine. 50 literally got his own clothing line not long after Eminem launched his. Both brands had the same type of gear: hoodies, sweatpants, T-shirts, etc. However, the G-Unit brand has one item of significance to its credit: the wifebeater (or A-shirt for political correctness). Many will recall  that their a-shirts had thick straps that came in multiple colors. To this day, if you walk into a discount store you may very well see bootleg versions of it.  (Photos from Left: Shady LTD, G-Unit)

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19. Shady Clothing LTD + G-Unit Clothing - These were technically both under the Ecko umbrella, but since they had their own period of decadence, we decided to let them shine. 50 literally got his own clothing line not long after Eminem launched his. Both brands had the same type of gear: hoodies, sweatpants, T-shirts, etc. However, the G-Unit brand has one item of significance to its credit: the wifebeater (or A-shirt for political correctness). Many will recall  that their a-shirts had thick straps that came in multiple colors. To this day, if you walk into a discount store you may very well see bootleg versions of it. (Photos from Left: Shady LTD, G-Unit)

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20. Ruff Ryders Denim - Yes, Ruff Ryders had a denim brand back in the day. We can't say it lasted too long, but if you watch any old Ruff Ryders videos, you may be able to spot one of them wearing a denim outfit with the insignia.  Fun fact: Dr. Dre is wearing Ruff Ryders denim in the movie Training Day during the scene on the roof.  (Photo: Ruff Ryders Denim)

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20. Ruff Ryders Denim - Yes, Ruff Ryders had a denim brand back in the day. We can't say it lasted too long, but if you watch any old Ruff Ryders videos, you may be able to spot one of them wearing a denim outfit with the insignia. Fun fact: Dr. Dre is wearing Ruff Ryders denim in the movie Training Day during the scene on the roof. (Photo: Ruff Ryders Denim)

21. Dada Supreme - Yes, y'all, Dada Supreme was once so hot that a kid from Toronto by the name of Aubrey had a matching outfit from the line. Much like Lugz, it became infamous for its footwear, in particular the Chris Webber C-Dubbz model (which he actually wore on the court) and Latrell Sprewell's hideous Sprees, which hadmini spinners (yes, as in rims) on the side of the heel. (Photo: Dada Supreme)

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21. Dada Supreme - Yes, y'all, Dada Supreme was once so hot that a kid from Toronto by the name of Aubrey had a matching outfit from the line. Much like Lugz, it became infamous for its footwear, in particular the Chris Webber C-Dubbz model (which he actually wore on the court) and Latrell Sprewell's hideous Sprees, which hadmini spinners (yes, as in rims) on the side of the heel. (Photo: Dada Supreme)

22. Marithe Francois Girbaud - Why Girbaud became hot is hard to say. It might be because of its French origins, which lends itself to sounding classy. When it became hot is easier to pinpoint: The mid-'90s. There's a ton of rap lyrics that have mentioned them, from the likes of OutKast to Biggie. Their most memorable article of clothing: those jeans with the straps by the knees.   (Photo: Marithe Francois Girbaud clothing co)

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22. Marithe Francois Girbaud - Why Girbaud became hot is hard to say. It might be because of its French origins, which lends itself to sounding classy. When it became hot is easier to pinpoint: The mid-'90s. There's a ton of rap lyrics that have mentioned them, from the likes of OutKast to Biggie. Their most memorable article of clothing: those jeans with the straps by the knees. (Photo: Marithe Francois Girbaud clothing co)

23. Bushi - FJ560 was to Fat Joe what Bushi was to Busta Rhymes. Yes, for those that don't remember, Busta Rhymes had his own clothing line at one point. Given his success in the '90s and the fact that a lot of rappers were starting clothing lines around the same time, it made sense for him to do it. (Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images)

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23. Bushi - FJ560 was to Fat Joe what Bushi was to Busta Rhymes. Yes, for those that don't remember, Busta Rhymes had his own clothing line at one point. Given his success in the '90s and the fact that a lot of rappers were starting clothing lines around the same time, it made sense for him to do it. (Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images)

24. Pelle Pelle - Your older brother probably has one of their leather jackets in his closet. Pelle Pelle's roots date back to the '70s, with their stylings catering to b-boy types and party-goers. The movie Notorious features a lot of Pelle Pelle apparel due to Biggie's affinity for the brand.  (Photo: Pelle Pelle)

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24. Pelle Pelle - Your older brother probably has one of their leather jackets in his closet. Pelle Pelle's roots date back to the '70s, with their stylings catering to b-boy types and party-goers. The movie Notorious features a lot of Pelle Pelle apparel due to Biggie's affinity for the brand. (Photo: Pelle Pelle)

25. School of Hard Knocks - School of Hard Knocks is one of those forgotten gems. The name itself could be a reference to many things; older folks usually equate it with prison, younger folks usually think of Jay Z's album Volume II...Hard Knock Life. You could also use it as an analogy for learning and progressing through unconventional means. Whatever the meaning behind it, School of Hard Knocks was pretty impactful in Queens, NY, in the early 2000s. Started by Gerard Murray in the '90s, it began as one T-shirt with the name of the borough and the number 7 on it (likely a reference to the 7 train). They later created shirts for other boroughs and soon became a national brand. Over the years, it fell out of favor as the times and trends changed. However, it still goes down as one of NY's most inventive brands.   (Photo: School of Hard Knocks)

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25. School of Hard Knocks - School of Hard Knocks is one of those forgotten gems. The name itself could be a reference to many things; older folks usually equate it with prison, younger folks usually think of Jay Z's album Volume II...Hard Knock Life. You could also use it as an analogy for learning and progressing through unconventional means. Whatever the meaning behind it, School of Hard Knocks was pretty impactful in Queens, NY, in the early 2000s. Started by Gerard Murray in the '90s, it began as one T-shirt with the name of the borough and the number 7 on it (likely a reference to the 7 train). They later created shirts for other boroughs and soon became a national brand. Over the years, it fell out of favor as the times and trends changed. However, it still goes down as one of NY's most inventive brands.  (Photo: School of Hard Knocks)