Hip Hop fans claim Biggie, Pharrell, Clipse, and Cassidy were on the BAPE trend way before Soulja.
If there is a rapper holding down the record number of “firsts” in the industry, Soulja Boy takes the crown. The Rap icon has been in the industry for nearly two decades as he’s developed his career from an internet celebrity into an international superstar. If there is anyone who knows how to create a trend or go viral it’s Soulja Boy, and while he has been credited for being the “first” rapper to make certain moves, Hip Hop fans are calling foul on his comments about BAPE.
During a chat with Complex, Soulja made new claims, this time about the fashion brand BAPE (A Bathing Ape), but the public was quick to let him know that the Notorious B.I.G. and The Neptunes were the icons behind putting BAPE on the map.
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“I was the first rapper on BAPE period,” said Soulja. “I understand what they did and it’s respectable, but as far as the culture, as far as internet, as far as fashion, as far as the streets, the trap, the trenches, the kids and everything that matter, that was all off of the first album.” He mentioned his attire in the music video for “Crank That,” a visual that got “millions and millions of views.” Soulja added, “They know who started it. They know who set the trend.”
The responses are continuing to pour in as Pharrell has become a trending topic on social media. People have pointed out other artists who helped catapult BAPE into Hip Hop history, including Clipse and Cassidy. Did Soulja Boy really put the streets onto BAPE? Check out a few reactions below along with the rapper’s video and let us know what you think.