ASAP Nast went in on musician Travis Scott on Snapchat yesterday (see video below), accusing the singer of stealing ASAP crew’s style. Stylist Ian Connor also appears in the video, which appears to have led to Scott unfollowing stylist Ian Connor on Twitter.
Oh Word? pic.twitter.com/WtE6de7RAY
— Ian Connor (@Souljaian) January 6, 2016
Nast says Scott’s music is “fire,” but says his style doesn’t belong to him “it’s mines.” Nast adds that he’s not the first to wear Stone Island or Nike, but claims he’s the first East Coast rapper to wear Stone Island. Nast also notes that years ago he and the ASAP crew had to fight accusations of being gay and weird in their own neighborhood and in SoHo clubs when they first wore items designed by Comme des Garçons, Raf Simons and Rick Ownens.
Nast’s views on Scott swagger jacking are amusing on some levels, like, this is what rap battling has come to? (Which, if no one is hurt/dies, we are here for it!) But it’s also fascinating because it speaks to trends and where they originate, and there is truth to what Nast says. While one could argue that Kanye West’s battle to elevate hoodwear preceded ASAP crew’s, there is no denying that Rocky and company entered the game with an agenda to undermine hip hop’s reputation for homophobia, in part because it felt outdated but also because its dictates hemmed in creative expression.
As well, ASAP is Harlem based and historically members of the famous Manhattan neighborhood have always taken pride in their flashy style, a precedence first set in rap at Dapper Dan’s, a legendary men’s clothing store known for its luxury customization jobs, a torch maintained by Dipolomat members Cam’ron and Jim Jones.
Nast’s editorial also speaks to the level of excitement in men’s fashion these days which many feel is putting women’s fashion to shame, a debate which always reminds us of Married to the Mob Leah McSweeney’s famous #Bitchism that foresaw so much: “Men are the new women.”
