Puff Dandy: Where Hip Hop and High Culture of the 19th Century Collide
From the style of ‘Glamrock' featured in Velvet Goldmine, to the hair bands of the 1980's, one particular area of popular culture that saw an influx of dandyism in the 20 th century was music. This influx of dandified behavior also can be seen within hip hop, which has become one of the most popular urban cultural phenomena of the early 21 st century. Varying degrees of charismatic narcissism, self-display and extravagance all are aspects of hip hop as they are in dandyism. The criticism stemming from within hip hop of some of its more decadent and successful stars also displays structural similarity to the critiques of dandies in Fraser's Magazine and other 19 th century literary sources. This paper's task is to examine how dandyism remains an aspect of pop culture today. Despite its non-European Afro-Caribbean roots, hip hop is yet another popular musical and artistic form born in the 20 th century, in which dandyism is prevalent.
I. The Popularization of Dandyism
Dandyism is a term applied to an assortment of social mannerisms and philosophies prevalent amongst male aristocrats and other social elites in early 19 th century Europe . This culture, in which male femininity, haughty self-display and consumption are of utmost importance, was adopted by an increasingly diverse group of people by the turn of the 20 th century. As Rhonda Garelick points out, Villiers' book Eve of the Future Eden succeeded in synthesizing elite dandy culture and modern social phenomena generally associated with bourgeois North America . Through fictional representation of Thomas Edison, the author made the American inventor and popular icon seem similar to a dandy. Up until that point, the vulgar nature of things American and mass culture were particularly offensive to dandy authors in the Old World . Artists like Loie Fuller continued to synthesize popular entertainment and dandyism. As she herself remarked, Fuller was “born in America …but made in Paris .” The popularity of Fuller's dance and stagecraft with Old World crowds further paved the way for the incorporation of Americans into dandy culture. By the beginning of the 20 th century, dandyism had found a new playground within American popular culture. This allowed for its full integration within film and music.
II. Towards a Definition of Hip Hop
When discussing dandyism's relation to popular music, it is difficult to see how hip hop enters the picture. Hip hop culture is comprised of 4 crucial ‘elements' or creative urban performances which include: rapping or MCing, DJing or ‘turntablism,' breakdance and graffiti. At first glance, the culture seems filled with tradition about as distant from 19 th century European aristocratic social mores as can be imagined. Hip hop is typically associated with impoverished American minority populations in urban ghettos, who have little pretension of being educated as to the classical writings of antiquity. It is an art form in direct contrast to dandyism in numerous respects. After all, dandyism before Villiers was antonymous with American pop culture, and was limited to elite European circles. Knowledge of classical Greek and Roman texts, if only superficial, was necessary for any successful dandy as evidenced in Edward Bulwer-Lytton's Pelham: the Adventures of a Gentleman . In addition, as Barbey remarked in his classic work Dandyism , “although a Dandy is often impertinent, he is never vulgar.” Hip hop artists thrive when they are both. In the sense that hip hop abhors common etiquette, and revels in its own vulgarity of theme and language, where then can one find a connection to dandyism? Upon careful examination of hip hop performance, we can begin to draw specific connections.
Hip hop performance strives to possess the imagination of a crowd just as the behavior of a 19 th century dandy once did. Although the means are slightly different, the captivation of one's social peers is the goal. Anyone that has ever heard rap lyrics is aware of the constant narcissistic reference to self within many songs. Clever reference to self in hip hop music is a pre-requisite for the success of an artist. A name, which embodies all of the artist's pretensions to greatness, is also necessary. A recent perusal of www.sandboxautomatic.com , a website that specializes in the sale of hip hop on vinyl record, revealed the following names on its homepage: Cee-Knowledge , Akrobatik , DJ King Shameek , Lord Digga, Poor Righteous Teachers, Divine Mind, and Supremacy . The list of such pretentious rapper, DJ, breaker and graffiti writer names could be carried on infinitely, but will be limited for the sake of further argument and comparison.
Beyond the narcissism involved in the invention of names and self-reference within hip hop music the battling tradition further extends the comparison to dandyism. In reference to dandyish vanity, Barbey wrote the following:
can anything in the hierarchy of the sentiments be of greater use to society than the anxious research of others approval, this quenchless thirst for the applause of the gallery, which is called the love of glory in great things, and in small ones vanity?
Battling is a tradition within hip hop, where the vanity of the artists and the “applause of the gallery,” to which Barbey refers, is absolutely essential. Battling occurs in rap and DJ performance, and in breakdance. Although battles themselves are not violent, they often involve emotional repercussions for the loser. The object of a battle is to embarrass one's opponent by inspiring the greatest response from an audience through clever verbal and visual insults. This is done through a combination of one's skills as an artist, stage presence and the affectation of indifference and disinterest in an opponent's performance. Baudelaire writes that dandies are “blasé, or pretend to be so, for reasons of policy and caste.” In battling, the goal is to insult an opponent and tout oneself in such a fashion that the crowd reacts positively; never can any weakness be revealed. Sprezzatura , the art of concealing concerns, which was integral to dandies, is so amongst hip hop artists as well. Although, there is a connection to be made between battling and dueling, a past time of many 19 th century elites, the comparison here to the performance of a dandy at social occasions is more important. Barbey writes of Brummell:
He used to stand for a few minutes at the door of a ballroom, glance round, criticize it in a sentence, and disappear, applying the famous maxim of Dandyism:-“In society, stop until you have made your impression, then go.”
One is also reminded in this context of Eugene Onegin's ‘performance' at Tatyana's name-day ball. He exemplified haughty indifference in his treatment of Lensky, and courted Olga without deference to his competitor.
Other forms of hip hop performance have qualities, which resemble the social behavior of attention thirsty dandies such as Beau Brummell and Alexander Pushkin. Breakdance most frequently occurs at the center of a crowd on a dance floor. A circle is formed, which in turn retards everyone else's movement, forcing a concert audience to watch the dancers. Graffiti is an art form performed without deference to the law. It usually features an intricate hieroglyphic rendering of the name of the artist herself, displayed in a public location. One is reminded in this case of how Brummell refused social mores in the narcissistic presentation of himself at George IV's court. His charismatic refusal to wear a wig and violation of established social mores is analogous to the law breaking that occurs within graffiti, which is also done in an effort to gain recognition and see oneself on display.
Today's DJs show no concern for the original purpose of a turntable and record when they scratch vinyl against the needle in rhythm with the music. In part, a DJ's success is established by ironic popular cultural references that the crowd does not expect in reference to the music, a competitor or circumstance of location. Vague cultural references were constantly employed by Bulwer-Lytton's literary character Vincent in Pelham, or the Adventures of Gentleman , who would constantly relate classical texts to his present.
A further comparison that can be drawn between hip hop and dandyism is that one's legitimacy in both is established by a pretension to social class. To have struggled through adversity, real or feigned, is as important to hip hop artists as pretensions of aristocratic lineage were to dandies of the 19 th century. Vanilla Ice 's fall from the public limelight once reports alleged that he was originally from rural Iowa and not from the projects of Miami is particularly revealing in this context. Once his false connection to an urban upbringing was exposed, Vanilla Ice was lampooned as a fake by the American media. Similarly, Eugene de Rastignac, a character from Balzac's Pere Goriot , lives in fear of being exposed as a country bumpkin. He is certain to tout his connection to his cousin Mme. Beauseant, an influential member of the Parisian social elite, in establishing his social position. Despite this reversal in the emphasis of a particular social background, hip hop artists as well as dandies must engage in a careful display of their respective pasts in order to maintain social position.
III. Hip Hop vs. “Hip Pop” and the Emergence of Street Fashion
In recent years, a great deal of controversy surrounding the usage of the term ‘hip hop' has developed amongst artists who perform the genre themselves. Binary Star , an underground act from Michigan , claims that there are two different sorts of music commonly referred to as hip hop. They differentiate between hip hop and what they call “hip pop.” “Hip pop” is a term Binary Star applies to that which appears in the Top 40 radio rotation and receives mass distribution. They are by no means alone in their belief that there are great differences between the two genres derivative of this same tradition. Over the past decade, heavy rotation hip hop has become increasingly less concerned with its messages for social change, and more concerned with themes misogynistic, capitalistic and narcissistic in their nature. Because of the marketability of rap stars, hip hop's other elements have become secondary within the mainstream. The majority of artists that have any message for constructive social change remain obscure, because record companies are weary of themes too revolutionary in their political agenda, and believe the general public is generally disinterested in artists who moralize too often.
In the past decade, the hip hop fashion industry began to permeate all levels of life. Youth all over the world have adopted the baggy pants, jewelry and baseball hats worn backwards in their own wardrobes. With the help of a powerful international music industry, which includes fashion-filled music videos, modern day dandies in the mainstream have begun to exert an influence stronger than Beau Brummell could ever have conceived. Since the rise in popularity, fashion has begun to consume the lives of these artists. There exists a strong correlation between the popularity of some hip hop artists' music and their ability to compete within today's fashion market. The fact that their popularity is defined to a certain degree by their influence over fashion, further highlights the existence of dandyish traditions within hip hop. Thomas Carlyle wrote in Sartor Resartus :
A Dandy is a clothes-wearing Man, a Man whose trade, office and existence consists in the wearing of Clothes. Every faculty of his soul, spirit, purse and person is heroically consecrated to this one object, the wearing of clothes wisely and well: so that as others dress to live, he lives to dress.
The degree of importance of style and fashion to dandies exists within the hip hop industry as well. In 1985, Run-D.M.C. released their song “My Adidas,” which celebrated the fact that members of the hip hop community could often be spotted by their similar sneakers and sweat suits. The owners of the German company initially threatened to sue the group, but within a year they had negotiated a $1.5 million dollar deal to market a Run-D.M.C. line of sneakers. The marketing potential of one of the most popular hip hop groups in the world at the time had been realized.
Now artists such as Outkast , The Wu-Tang Clan and Puff Daddy all own their own different clothing lines. In its first year, Puff Daddy 's clothing line “Sean John,” named for his first and middle names, had sales exceeding $32 million. What is important to Puff Daddy is not the quality of his raps. He readily admits that his skills as a lyricist are not on par with the majority of his peers. His poetry, like that of many dandies before him, takes a secondary role to the creation of his own self-image. In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Puff Daddy appeared to have strong sentiments pertaining to his wardrobe. In reference to his clothes, Puff claims:
I've got a wide range of flavors that I like. What's appealing about fashion is that you're supposed to experiment. It's like your supply of color and you're a painter. You're supposed to have fun with it.
Puff Daddy is effectively understood as a poet of the cloth within a dandy framework. Despite his fashion fascination, Puff Daddy relies on his image of a rapper in order to market all of his apparel. Artists within hip hop's mainstream that do engage in fashion design have also realized the importance of Barbey's notion that to seem is to be.
It is only within this context, that we can begin to understand the critiques of artists like Sage Francis . In contrast to Puff Daddy , Eminem and others that are often seen with numerous scantily clad women, expensive luxury cars and designer clothing, Sage Francis affects quintessentially underground behavior. He is rumored to live in a trailer home, and is famous for wearing a wig reminiscent of an anachronistic mullet haircut to MC battles. Sage Francis ' “Narcissist” is a vehement critique of consumerism within hip hop and is particularly revealing in our effort to understand the fashion-obsessed mainstream. In Sage Francis' 2002 release, he reiterates themes many underground artists have touched upon in the past: they regard mainstream hip hop as a genre of music that is only concerned with image, and not the development of any constructive social message. In the eyes of many underground artists, that which receives radio airplay seems morally inferior. Quentin Crisp remarks in his preface to Barbey's Dandyism , dandies “remained shockingly indifferent to the plight of those poorer than themselves.” This is perhaps the most frequently critiqued aspect of mainstream music. While professing to remember their impoverished roots, and indeed establishing their own legitimacy by referencing their background in song, mainstream artists are faulted for their own self-interest and lack of concern for others.
IV. “All you bitches be acting like ladies:” Fraser's and the Hip Hop Underground
Dandyism's greatest critics of the early 19 th century wrote for Fraser's Magazine , a periodical published by William Maginn out of Grub Street in London . This wave of press was part of the Victorian Reaction, which began during the 1830's just after Regent dandy George IV's death. Most contributors to the magazine were low paid writers from Ireland and Scotland . They expressed discontent with the idleness and wealth of the English elite, and through their writing, critiqued aristocratic institutions of power. In multiple cases, these critiques were aimed at prominent Dandies of the day such as Lord Bulwer-Lytton, who was considered an effeminate, amoral and conspicuous drain on English society. According to John Sutherland, who recently wrote a piece on the famous dandy author's life, “Bulwer was burlesqued, lampooned, blackguarded and indicted as a ‘corrupter of youth' in William Maginn's Fraser's Magazine .” In the eyes of Fraser's contributors, contemporary dandy writers like Bulwer-Lytton were nothing more than pretension; their themes, as well as their talents, left much to be desired. Similar themes are echoed in lyrical rap critiques of the mainstream written by hip hop underground artists today. The resemblance in the critiques of what has been termed dandyish behavior lends further evidence to the notion that hip hop is yet another arena of popular culture, which is affected by dandyism. Let us examine excerpts from the writings of William Makepeace Thackeray, a prominent contributor to Frazer's , and see where in rap lyrics the themes of his critiques are reiterated.
In “Mr. Yellowplush's Ajew,” Thackeray parodies Bulwer-Lytton through the fictional character “Bullwig.” Thackeray's character speaks with an outrageous lisp, which suggests the effeminate, perhaps homosexual character of the author being attacked. Statements like “the blood in my veins comes puwified thwough ten thousand years of chivalwous ancestwy” highlight the absurdity of aristocratic pretension, especially emanating from someone, who Thackeray clearly considers unfit for any position of social leadership. The character is also referred to many times as a “wuss,” a term generally applied to someone that is thought of as weak-willed, effeminate or homosexual.
A hip hop critique of effeminacy amongst dandies in the mainstream is best represented on a DJ mixtape by Eddie Ill and D.L. entitled “Scenes of the Underworld.” As the name suggests, “Scenes of the Underworld” is a classic example of underground hip hop. It features smooth beatmixing, clever rhymes and rapid, technically complex scratching. The tape also contains powerful, yet misogynistic and homophobic critiques of mainstream artists. Most of these critiques are based on what the artists themselves consider an effeminate, indeed homosexual fascination with fashion amongst their more popular counterparts. During the freestyle session on the second side of the tape, the MC Avatar defines his own superiority through his personal conception of masculinity. He claims that rappers in the mainstream lack legitimacy, both as men and as artists, as their fascination with jewelry and fashion makes them seem “like ladies.” On an earlier song, Rock One claims that he will “leave you [the mainstream MC] flaming like a gay man down on Christopher Street .” This violent homophobia is problematic on numerous levels, but it is reminiscent of critiques of dandies in Fraser's and thus lends further evidence to the possibility of dandyism within hip hop.
There is a distinction to be made between the underground's difficulties with the mainstream and Fraser's critique of dandies. One is tied to a new sort of materialism and conspicuous consumption present late capitalism that did not exist to the same degree during the early 19 th century. Today's fashion industry is fueled by modern media like radio, the Internet and television, making trends in clothing more powerful than they were in the days of George IV. To understand a critique of today's fashion industry, one must take into account not only the materialistic and narcissistic aspects of its advertisement and consumption, but also its unparalleled prevalence throughout modern consciousness. The waistcoat and buckled boot never were to gain the international same popularity Tommy Hilfiger jackets, Nike sneakers and even Sean John hooded sweatshirts now have. However, quintessential aspects of the dandy wardrobe like the waistcoat, monocle and cravat may be regarded as the 19 th century predecessors to the accouterments of the hip hop generation. In both cases these examples of men's fashion established the identity of their owners and their belonging within their particular social context.
Conclusion:
Despite obvious similarities between 19 th century dandyism and hip hop, one must be careful in making this connection. It is important that we identify the racial dynamic present in this predominantly African-American cultural phenomenon. In hip hop, a critique of racial power hierarchies that limit minority economic and political participation in the United States is often an aspect of the music and art. It is incorrect to assume that broader messages are only to be found in explicitly political material. As Tricia Rosa, author of Black Noise , points out:
To dismiss rappers who do not choose “political” as having no politically resistive role ignores the complex web of institutional policing to which all rappers are subjected.
In many cases, the political messages of hip hop music are to be found in subtle critiques of racism and other means of limitation, which threaten minority participation within certain social structures. Therefore, the assumption that dandyism in hip hop is simply an adoption of a European aristocratic aesthetic does not take into account the relative social position of minority populations behind its production. Yinka Shonibare's art piece “Portraits of a Victorian Dandy,” serves to strike the viewer in the same manner as mainstream hip hop does. The appropriation of European elite culture, and the appearance of black men within social spheres from which African Diaspora are usually barred challenges the average viewer. Inherent in the consumption of such art is the consideration of racial hierarchies within society. In this sense, dandyism, even within decadent mainstream hip hop, can serve an important, constructive social function. It can be more than art solely for art's sake.
However, the preceding discussion of hip hop's 4 elements establishes a connection between popular culture of today and dandyism that must be considered beyond terms of protest. The performance of each of these urban art forms involves the captivation of audiences through the employment of dandyish means: sprezzatura , self-reference and display. The employment of dress allowed dandy figures, both historical and fictional, to succeed in achieving a level of prominence within their particular social environment. It is by the same means that many hip hop artists establish themselves within the fashion-driven music industry. In the case of Puff Daddy and others, lyrical ability rarely plays a role in the achievement of stardom. The offensive consumption and pretension to talent bothers critics within the genre, who use their own music to call into question the masculinity, sexual orientation and decadence of their peers. The similarity between the behavior, performance and criticism of hip hop artists and that of dandies during the 19 th century sheds light on the lasting effect this social trend continues to have within diverse American cultural traditions.
Appendix:
Text of Sage Francis ' “Narcissist:”
I don't look at myself in the mirror because I'm a narcissist
I simply like to watch myself exist...(breathes into mirror)
Now I'm in a fog and mist...(breathes into mirror)
Now my reflection is anonymous...
Ponder this:
I've seen a reflection of my soul in the store window
Caught in limbo 'cause I was dressed all in Timbo's (Timberland)
Having vivid fantasies of playing Polo with Ralph Lauren on a Tommy Hill
And my paper thin spirit was still grieving from the Versace kill
In Florida. Opened the door to the store and I walked through the corridor
To see they had a blow out sale on Nautica
But I've always been a Lord of the button down Flies?
And being they were half-priced, I just passed 'em on by...looking for Levis
But Guess...what? All my favorite clothing lines and hip designs
Were being liquidized and it made me sick to my eyes
I don't understand...when I had no ends...the price was quick to rise
I'd buy a pair of "trends" even if they didn't fit my size
Purchase a surplus of "fads" from merchants whose ads
Made these cheap ass fabrics that were so worthless and sad
Just look priceless. They used unethical devices
To attack my sense of self-worth during my prepubescent crisis
It fed into my insecurities, so instead of being righteous
I want everyone to see me like this. "Kid, it's all about who looks the nicest"
Ice is falling off my Rolie (Rolex) onto my body "Shoot!
I hope to hell it doesn't melt and ruin my Armani suit."
While I'm sweatin' this...some kid who doesn't got any loot
Is buying my necklace along with my same exact khakis and army boots
"What This is blasphemous!"
Since Adidas tried changing its logo there ain't been nothing as wack as this
It's probably a stunt being pulled by Animal Rights activists
Because of all that Third World country garbage, but I'm a pacifist
So while these monkeys sweat over my name brands that exchange hands
From enslaved lands, I wonder if I'm the same man
Without reward...for what I bought but CAN'T still afford
This is the type of self-realization that might have killed the Lord
I didn't mind working for free as a walking billboard
But now I want my money back...as my ice spilled and poured
Onto the floor I did see a distorted reflection of my Nike hat
Now I don't know how others might react
For me it was an unsightly act that helped me get my psyche back
I stood 5 feet back, afraid that it might strike me like "Shaclack clack!"
You think I'm kidding? Think it's no big thing?
What I saw made my heart hurt, stomach turn, throat burn, teeth cringe, spine tingle, and ribs sting
I noticed that the swoosh symbol was nothing but a whip in mid-swing...
Owen Kohl
Bibliography
Books and Printed Publications -
Barbey D'Aurevilly, Jules. Dandyism , preface by Quentin Crisp. New York , New York : PAJ Publications, 1988.
Baudelaire, Charles. “The Painter of Modern Life” in The Painter of Modern Life and Other Essays . London : Phaidon Press Limited, 1991.
Bulwer-Lytton, Edward. Pelham or the Adventures of a Gentleman . New York : George Routledge and Sons, 1873.
Carlyle, Thomas. “Sartor Resartus.” New York : E.P. Dutton & Co. Inc.
Garelick, Rhonda K. Rising Star: Dandyism, Gender, and Performance in the Fin de Siecle . Princeton , New Jersey : Princeton University Press, 1988.
George, Nelson. Hip Hop America . New York , New York : Penguin Putnam Inc., 1988.
Pushkin, Alexander. Eugene Onegin , translation by James A. Falen. New York : Oxford University Press, 1998.
Rose, Tricia. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America . Hanover , New Hampshire : Wesleyan University Press, 1994.
Sutherland, John. “'Ho, Diomed:' Bulwer-Lytton, the great unreadable” from TLS . July 28, 2000.
Thackeray, William Makepeace. The Yellowplush Papers Etc. New York : Fred DeFau and Company.
Villiers de l'Isle, Adam. Eve of the Future Eden . Lawrence , Kansas : Coronado Press, 1981.
Recordings -
Eddie Ill and D.L. 's “Scenes of the Underworld”
Online Materials (in order of appearance) -
www.sandboxautomatic.com. Accessed: 5/4/02.
www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,6563,00.html . Accessed: 5/1/02.
www.non-prophets.com . Accessed: 5/3/02.
There has been little speculation as to the etymology of the name Puff Daddy , who has since changed his title to the abbreviated P. Diddy . However, the resemblance of the name to the English proverbial term meaning homosexual, or someone who displays an elite aesthetic is somewhat telling within the context of this paper.
Villiers de l'Isle, Adam. Eve of the Future Eden . Lawrence , Kansas : Coronado Press, 1981.
Garelick, Rhonda K. Rising Star : Dandyism, Gender, and Performance in the Fin de Siecle . Princeton , New Jersey : Princeton University Press, 1988. pg. 104.
Bulwer-Lytton, Edward. Pelham or the Adventures of a Gentleman . New York : George Routledge and Sons, 1873.
Barbey D'Aurevilly, Jules. Dandyism . New York , New York : PAJ Publications, 1988. pg. 62.
www.sandboxautomatic.com . Accessed: 5/4/02.
Baudelaire, Charles. “The Painter of Modern Life” in The Painter of Modern Life and Other Essays . London : Phaidon Press Limited, 1991. pg. 9.
Pushkin, Alexander. Eugene Onegin , translation by James A. Falen. New York : Oxford University Press, 1998. pgs. 133-155.
Balzac, Honore de. Pere Goriot , translation by Henry Reed. New York , New York : Penguin Putnam Inc., 1962.
Carlyle, Thomas. “Sartor Resartus.” New York : E.P. Dutton & Co. Inc. pg. 204.
George, Nelson. Hip Hop America . New York , New York : Penguin Putnam Inc., 1988. pg. 156
www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,6563,00.html . Accessed: 5/1/02.
Barbey D'Aurevilly, Jules. Dandyism , preface by Quentin Crisp. New York , New York : PAJ Publications, 1988: pg. 7.
Avatar on “Freestyle” on side B of Eddie Ill and D.L. 's “Scenes of the Underworld”
Sutherland, John. “'Ho, Diomed:' Bulwer-Lytton, the great unreadable” from TLS . July 28, 2000. pg. 12.
Thackeray, William Makepeace. The Yellowplush Papers Etc. New York : Fred DeFau and Company. pg. 143.
Avatar on “Freestyle” on side B of Eddie Ill and D.L. 's “Scenes of the Underworld”
Rock One on “Freestyle” on side A of Eddie Ill and D.L. 's “Scenes of the Underworld”
Rose, Tricia. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America . Hanover , New Hampshire : Wesleyan University Press, 1994. pg. 173.
www.non-prophets.com . Accessed: 5/3/02.