For Culture: PluggnB artists bend rap fashion’s gender norms

Almost eight months ago, my brother introduced me to a musician who recently signed to Travis Scotts Cactus Jack Records: SoFaygo. Although his music has never left my ears since then, it is his fashion that interests me the most. Like Jaden Smith and Young Thug, who are another gender-bending fashion influence in rap, SoFaygo is one of the newest artists to bring feminine fashion to the hypermasculine genre. SoFaygo create extraordinary revival of music and fashion which subverts the gender norms of both schools.

Rap since he was nine years old, PluggnB’s SoFaygo alternative genres originating from the music sharing platform Soundcloud before Lil Tecca, Roddy Ricch and SoFaygo bring it more to mainstream music. PluggnB relies on a heavy 808 and busy, sharp percussion underlined by soulful melodies and high-tempo bars to create a mix of trap, rap, and R&B.

While singing wasn’t limited to female artists, or rap to male artists, before that there were clear distinctions in hip-hop; in the many songs, female artists sing the hook while male artists tap the bar (see almost all Beyonc and Jay-Z collaboration catalogs). youuntil the late 2000s with Drake, it was rare to see a male artist crossing indiscriminately (and smoothly) between singing and rapping, and the opposite for female rappers. However, SoFaygo, among others PluggnB artist, combining two feminine singing and masculine rap.

Accompanying their gendered music, artists PluggnB have developed a wardrobe that reflects today’s androgynous fashion and blends in with classic rap styles. In addition to flamboyant bright colors, some artists wear tighter tops and skinny jeans and dye their hair bright colors. However, they kept their giant Cuban link chain and froze Patepk Philippe’s. Moreover, many who paint their nails dripping with VVS diamond rings. Even their onstage performances combine traditional onstage rap performances with the feminine routine that used to be screaming, yelling, and powerful hand movements accompanying softer dance moves like Lil Uzi Verts’ shoulder roll.

What I noticed most, however, was the move to emulate Black drag with outrageous onstage performances, eccentric behavior, and a mix of classic and modern, masculine and feminine, hard and soft. Now, this isn’t necessarily non-existent in hip-hop, but it’s certainly great to see a subgenre emerge that firmly embodies this previously persecuted behavior. This represents a subtle level of progress that these PluggnB artists have disrupted established norms that can sometimes veer towards homophobia and misogyny.

I feel this shows how music genres, musicians and their music are tied so closely to fashion and culture that the two fields seem almost inseparable. Rock, punk, and even pop music all have different styles and cultures that represent something. For heavy metal, this is a subversion of traditional standards, and for R&B an appreciation for the intimate. For PluggnB, it is a blend of femininity and masculinity, and one that reflects music itself.