So the Bad Boy reunion concert is going down this Friday and Saturday at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn (need ideas for what to wear? Click here). In celebration of the record label’s reunion, we thought we’d take a look back at some of its artists most iconic fashion moments.
Helmed by impresario Sean Puffy Combs, Bad Boy artists took notes from their leader, espousing a flashy, in your face, and swaggerific aesthetic. Behind many of the label’s red carpet and video looks were visionaries June Ambrose and Misa Hylton, who imagined chic choices that married over the top glamour with urban grit.
The ‘feel’ of the Bad Boy Empire was conveyed via scintillating music videos. Misa and June reminisced on their oevres d’art, and offered what they believed were the label’s 5 most stylish videos.
Read on and see if you agree!
1. Juicy
Misa Hylton mused, “Juicy is where it all started. The music was a new sound and Big had a delivery that was different and refreshing. The music video and the vibe of it was a reflection of the movement. It was the beginning. You didn’t see all of the fashion and the swagger, but you felt the lifestyle and the energy. Juicy marked the beginning of the movement.”
2. One More Chance.
Misa says, “[One More Chance embodies] the energy, the swagger, and the lifestyle of [Bad Boy Records]. Total, Heavy D, Mary J. Blige, and Faith [all made cameos on the video]. You got to see Faith and Biggie in a relationship and how they interacted musically.”
” Total [offered] a hip hop edgy B girl swag, topped off by Arnette sunglasses. Mary had the high ponytail and the bang and the hoop earrings. [It showed what fashion] was like from our perspective, [and showed] what it was to be hip hop and ghetto fabulous.”
3.Crush on You
The colors, hairstyles, and monochromatic wonderland of Lil Kim and Junior Mafia’s Crush on You video has had a lasting effect on pop culture, inspiring modern day Halloween costumes and on stage ensembles.
The changing colors were inspired by the Emerald City Sequence in The Wiz. Misa admitted, “It’s so common now to get colored hair. At that time that was really a big deal. I had to fight for that look. Lance Rivera, the director, backed me up and believed in my idea.” And video history was made.
4. Mo Money Mo Problems
Who can forget Mase and Puffy in mirrored hallways rocking shiny suits? The upbeat song was a celebration of life after the untimely passing Biggie Smalls. Puff Daddy tapped June Ambrose to find the perfect wardrobe pieces.
Ambrose said “We just lost a major hip hop icon and what the album did was celebrate the essence of his true spirit. It was a celebration.”
“It was a huge milestone for the hip hop industry. Here you are with gangster music. A life was taken from gangster lyrics and content, but we reintroduced the conversation. We brought fire, with inspirations from the Caribbean and Africa. I love shiny, so we used plastic covered nylon with obvious silhouettes like jean jackets. We took something very traditional and fit for the genre and made it very 2020. It was ahead of its time.”
5. I’ll be Missing You
The tribute video featured 112 in all white, saying goodbye to one of Hip Hop’s fallen soldiers. Faith sang the hook, dressed as a black widow, while Puff Daddy danced in the Rainbow walkway in Chicago O’Hare’s International Airport.
June Ambrose explained the ethos, saying, “We took that Motown artist development theory and created things that didn’t exist in the market place. [We took] high fashion and mashed it up with urban culture. You couldn’t get into fashion houses, so when fashion houses finally opened doors, [we stormed through!]. I put Puffy in a Chinchilla fur when he hosted Fashion Rocks with Anna Wintour. We represented ghetto glam. The ghetto was more about the attitude and taking something that was so aspirational and over the top and thugging it out, like wearing a Giorgio Armani suit hanging off your a*s. We had swag. And we did it our way.”
Misa Hylton added, “Everything we did had so much soul. There was this frequency and energy that encompassed everyone. Listen to the music. The image complements the music, which complemented the lifestyle. It was a really special time. We got to create from our heart authentically. Whenever you do that it’s going be successful.” Indeed.
In terms of what to expect for the Bad Boy Reunion concert, Deonte Nash, who is styling the show alongside Derek Roche and Marni Senofonte said, “ It’s truly going to be a moment. The fashion, the music, the staging, the artists, the family. You see the love. It’s like everyone had never separated. Whatever Puffy does, he takes it to levels unseen. This is his baby, these are his artists.”
I can’t wait to see! I’ll be in the building at Barclays on Saturday!
Which moments in Bad Boy history were most iconic to you?
And do you plan to see the Bad Boy Reunion concert when it comes to your town?