Lil’ Kim’s “Hard Core” album is still setting trends nearly 26 years after its release. The rapper’s debut project is now the inspiration for the latest Supreme collection.
The legendary New York City streetwear brand is back with its Spring 2022 collection which features artwork, photos, and text prints across eight graphic T-shirts that will be available in staple black, grey and white shirts along with a variety of colors including pink, purple, red, turquoise, and yellow.
Among the latest drop is an item that pays homage to Lil’ Kim’s breakout album, “Hard Core,” and it’s stand out pull out poster. You know, the one that is arguably one of the best images in hip-hop history, period.
“Hard Core” was released on November 12, 1996 and featured some of the culture’s hottest bars and looks. The fashion from the “Crush on You” video alone have been the blueprint for Halloween costumes, bachelorette parties, you name it over the past two decades. It’s one that cannot be mentioned without giving credit to the rapper’s longtime friend and the style architect, Misa Hylton. Together the two singlehandedly changed hip-hop’s fashion game for the better and continue to have a long lasting impact on the culture til this day.
Now, Supreme is taking a slice of the nostalgia pie that keeps the world afloat with a tee-shirt that dons the infamous pull out poster where the Queen Bee sported a leopard print bikini coupled with a fuzzy-fringed dressing gown in a seductive pose. While the poster has been crowned one of hip-hop’s most iconic images, it also came with a lot of controversy.
“That was game-changing,” said the rapper in a previous interview where she also revealed that her mentor,The Notorious BIG, picked the photo. “So many women were hating on me – I was surprised…because it wasn’t tasteless. It was classy, it was cute.”
The look for the poster, also curated by Hylton, was actually purchased from contemporary costume designer Patricia Field’s NYC boutique where the ladies apparently shopped “every day.”
In the new collection, the back of the shirt will feature lyric’s from the “Not Tonight” lyricist’s guest verse on Mobb Deep’s “Quiet Storm,” where she quoted hip-hop royalty MC Lyte’s “Hot Damn, Ho Here We Go Again.”
The look book for the Supreme Spring 2022 Tees is currently available to view on the brand’s website.