10 Bad Hip-Hop Fashion Choices

The poets Kris Kross once said, “’Cause inside out is wiggity-wiggity-wiggity-wack!” And then they turned around and wore their clothes backwards aka “totally krossed out.” Kris Kross caused the brief phenomenon of choosing sheer discomfort when wearing pants in the name of fashion. There is nothing less painful than attempting to put your pants on backwards. Nothing. However, Kris Kross made us think it was cool. Thanks Chris Kelly and Chris Smith. You almost neutered the ‘90s.

When parents warn their kids that tattoos are permanent, they aren’t referring to a rose on the ankle. They’re secretly referring to facial tattoos. What started as a fun-loving activity in the prison system has now infiltrated hip-hop. Tears, crucifixes, butterflies that morph into letters L.A. -- these are all examples of the ink that ends up on rappers’ faces. We see you, Soulja Boy. However, don’t put them on yours. You are not famous, and you’ll be fired from your job at the bank.

If you've watched the classic '80s flick 'Coming to America,' then you remember Soul Glo. Truth be told, Ice Cube was the godfather of the Jheri Curl, especially as Dough Boy in 'Boyz N The Hood.' Here’s the thing: Cube and the late Eazy E were the kind of guys who could rock a Jheri Curl and no one would tell them differently because they’d get pistol whipped. Anyone else with a curl -- see Snoop Lion above -- just looked like their hair was wet all day.

“Tell PETA my mink is draggin’ on the floor,” says Kanye West on his track 'Cold.' Before that, Slick Rick said, “Tell PETA my mink and eye patch are draggin’ on the floor.” OK, he never said that, but he and his ‘80s comrades made the mink largely popular. Then people like DJ Quik stepped out on red carpets rocking the fur. It signified the ultimate success for a rapper. Little did they know James Earl Jones outshined everyone in 'Coming to America' by wearing an entire tiger on his body. What is that? Velvet?

Gold teeth are different from “grillz” or “fronts.” See, grillz take up almost an entire row of teeth. Gold teeth hook on to a single tooth and sometimes look like one tooth is fashionably rotting in the middle of a person’s smile. They’ve been a thing since the ‘80s -- thanks Slick Rick, once again -- and are still present today. Wiz Khalifa is a big supporter of the single gold tooth. However, Danny Brown is not. Matter of fact, he’s not a supporter of teeth.

The shiny suit signified something way bigger than just a suit with reflective fabric. It’s what most hip-hop purists like to regard as the end of the Golden Era. Diddy -- or Puffy back then -- showed up in ’97 wearing a suit that belonged on a game show. His wardrobe choice spoke volumes, considering hip-hop was still wearing jeans and Timbs. While some looked at a shiny suit with disdain for its musical meaning, others invested in it. And that’s why Sean John is still in business, kids.

Ugh, this thing. For anyone too young to remember the Claymation show known as 'The Gumby Show,' he was this weird green guy with a horse friend named Pokey. They used to roll around into balls and then back into shape. Gumby’s head was shaped like a highway off-ramp. Rappers, singers -- like Bobby Brown above and actors thought it was a good idea to do their hair like that. Then everyday people started doing it. Then everyone realized it was silly and they all cut their hair. The end.

This is George Clinton’s fault. He made people believe that a sensible wig was befitting for anyone with a flair for neon and a smidgen of low dignity. When Lil’ Kim showed up two decades later in her 'Crush on You' video wearing every different colored wig known to man, fans were like “How cute!” Then they started doing it. That’s when it stopped being cute. Nicki Minaj brings it back: cute. Her Barbz in wigs: not cute.

There’s a theory, you know. If one can’t fit into jeans, then one simply should not wear them. That may be a made up theory, but let’s call it true for right now. When the jeggings emerged, they were a hybrid of jeans and leggings. For those who loved denim but not the fit, these were supposedly the answer, even though they look like they’re painted on. Then Lil Wayne wore them and everything went downhill.

Who knew “Hammer Time” came with pants that could hold the entire cast of '19 Kids and Counting'? The other thing about MC Hammer’s pants is that they tapered at the bottom. So, literally, they ballooned in the hip area and were the pattern of curtains in a ‘70s home. It was a weird time for fashion altogether when Hammer introduced these jams to the world in 1990. It’s even weirder that he’s still wearing them 22 years later.