Hip Hop Style Becoming Illegal Throughout the US
It seems that wearing your pants low is slowly becoming illegal in the United States. Some counties have already adopted indecency laws that prohibit the wearing of clothing that expose underwear. If charged, people could face hefty fines or even prison sentences.
“Behind the indecency laws may be the real issue — the hip-hop style itself, which critics say is worn as a badge of delinquency, with its distinctive walk conveying thuggish swagger and a disrespect for authority. Also at work is the larger issue of freedom of expression and the questions raised when fashion moves from being merely objectionable to illegal.” - NYTimes
It seems that every generation will disagree with the new fads. Hippies, Beatniks, etc… have all fought conformism and mainstream society. Hip hop music and style represents a new expression of individuality. If there is any disrespect among those who have the “distinctive walk conveying thuggish swagger and a disrespect for authority,” then society needs to ask themselves why are they delinquent? Why would they have a reason to disrespect authority? They say justice is blind but I don’t think that is always true.
Source: New York Times
Tags: hip hop, hip hop style, hip hop clothing, baggy pants illegal
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POSTED IN: Fashion, Feuds and Controversies
9 opinions for Hip Hop Style Becoming Illegal Throughout the US
harold
Sep 15, 2007 at 1:53 pm
i think people that take this law in then they are taking away a freedom to express ourselves through dress, so this law is not constitutional
steve
Feb 14, 2008 at 7:35 pm
good thing a real man attach his pants!!! that hip hop shit is a fagg’s fashion
Chris
Apr 28, 2008 at 9:20 pm
I have always heard that wearing your pants low started in prison as a way of telling other prisoners you were willing to, how shall I put it, “be on the receiving end”. Is this an urban legend or is it true?
Jyle
Apr 29, 2008 at 3:39 am
I believe that that would be an urban legend. The reason for the loose cloths fashion come from prison where a one size fits all suit was mandatory. And in the slammer, there is nothing to hold your pants up if they were too big. Something about belts being used as weapons or something.
Felastinos
Jun 7, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I wear a pants that’s bigger than ordinary, but i never sag them that my ass pops out!
Bab
Jun 16, 2008 at 7:23 pm
No.
Prisoners would just HANG themselves with belts.
That’s why.
Sarah
Aug 8, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I don’t think that the underwear hangin’ out is attractive or cool or anything, but I still don’t think that there should be a law against it because already the government has too much control over us.
Ziko
Sep 15, 2008 at 4:50 pm
i have no idea why they wear pants low,,,.. but i like it lol and i do wear like that too coz every hippi understand it eachother as like part of hip hop culture
Holly
Nov 11, 2008 at 3:18 pm
making a law against this is jus stupid. as if the police dnt have so muc to wory bout anyways. they alredy cnt fine half the people tht need to be fined for othr more important thngs. and also alot of police these days are racist n they mite cut off othr important duties jus to give an a black male a stupid fine. its there way of showin there style nd hw they feel.
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