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E40 Tell me when to go

After ten years brewing in the ghetto pockets of the San Francisco Bay Area, hyphy is starting to spill over into the mainstream and culture vultures (a bit behind the eight ball) are hailing it as urban culture’s new frontier.

Hyphy (slang for hyperactive) originates from the “sydeshow” or sideshow culture which has existed in West Coast hip hop culture since the eightes where youths would gather in cars, often blockading intersections, to party in the streets.

Much of the culture has to do with cars, a competitive interest in souping up vehicles with flashy rims, activities such as doughnuts and Ghost-ridin’ the Whipdriver (where the driver puts the car in neutral and dances alongside the open door while the car is in motion) are interlinked with this, much to the distress of the local police. The upbeat style of rap that dominates allows disciples to “get retarded” and bust out the ridiculous, hyperbolic moves that define this style.

Talkin’ Funny Talk
Having established a lexicon all of their own, hyphy-speak is a myriad of urban concepts and whacky words from flambosting (showing off) to Yadadaholla (you know what I mean or “do you know what I holler”) to straight-splazza (dancing on top of a moving car whilst high.)

The movement’s expressed motto is Go Dumb which is apparently a rally call for followers to gather and express themselves in rebellion of society’s criticism of uncivilised behaviour.
The region of its origin, Oakland, has something of a chip on its shoulder for being overlooked and copied without credit in previous hip hop explosions such as crunk. Hyphy, it has been said, is this group’s turn to be recognised.

And you can’t miss them. The uniform is the usual baggy jeans, teamed with dreadlocks, “stunna shades” (oversized aviator style sunglasses) and statement t-shirts that hang almost to the knees including the I’m Lovin’ It t- shirt with an inverted Golden Arches forming the W (Westside gang symbol) or the Killafornia logo. Al Pacino’s Scarface is also an idol. The Timberland shoe company have long been associated with urban streetwear and the hip hop culture, they have adapted their trademark yellow shoe to a fluorescent high top in a bid to capture the hyphy mood.
As this style steps out of the ghetto and into the suburbs, the internet has come to play a paramount role for manufacturers who are utilising message boards to gauge responses to different designs before they hit the shops. A picture of a t-shirt on a site that attracts strong thumbs down response need never be made.

Hyphy Hip Hops Over Here

All well and good, you say, but what’s this got to do with me.

More than you may think. With the evolution of hyphy music from gritty hip hop to a style littered with electronica flourishes or even “hyphy house” the style is becoming more widely spread into the dance music scene. Both the dance culture and hyphy have one very obvious commonality, they both worship at the altar of ecstasy.

Drug culture and the musical flexibility of the hyphy genre have leant themselves to a nascent scene that is not limited to a new sound of music, but has given birth to hybrid fashion trend coming to a music festival near you.

That’s right folks, the fluro crew has just as much to do with hyphy as it does late eighties aerobics wear.

Californian culture has always been on the brighter side of life and Australian youth fashion has been an obvious heir to the beachside flavours. Let’s see if the rest of the hyphy bag of tricks is taken up by Aussie youngsters any time soon.

Article By Estelle Pigott

Tags: hyphy, San Francisco Bay Area, sideshow