Few centenarians are as influential as Gucci. Since its creation in 1921, the Italian label has inspired many musicians, including Foxy Brown, Amy Winehouse, and Outkast. As it happens, the name "Gucci" is mentioned in some 22,705 songs! Here's a look back at the makings of this cultural phenomenon.
Turning 100 is certainly worth celebrating. For its centenary birthday, Gucci has partnered with the Italian platform Musixmatch to list all the songs in which the brand name appears. And the results span all genres, taking in jazz, psychedelic rock, Japanese punk, disco, hip-hop, Afrobeat, and more. "These genres serve as the musical backdrops to a century-long journey that the Gucci brand [has made] across multiple facets of society," notes Musixmatch.
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Among the songs mentioning the Italian fashion house are classics like the sultry You Got Good Taste that The Cramps dedicated to "all you Gucci bag carriers," or the funky He's the Greatest Dancer by Sister Sledge. The four singers praise the merits of a "champion of dance" who wears "the finest clothes," like Gucci.
Gucci enters the rap game
While the Italian label has earned a place in the repertoire of a diverse array of artists, it has found particular favour with some of the biggest names in hip-hop. From Cardi B to Saweetie, Future, Lil Pump, and Gucci Mane . . . the genre's hitmakers all seem to swear by the brand's extravagant and daring looks. Yet nothing predestined Gucci to one day dress the stars of the rap and hip-hop worlds.
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Initially, the brand's creations were inspired by the refinement and luxury of the equestrian world. Very quickly, they attracted a distinguished international clientele, who fell in love with this new Italian fashion house. Although Gucci's style was intended to be timeless and eternal in the beginning, things took a different turn in 2015 when Alessandro Michele became the brand's artistic director. Breaking the codes was the name of the game for the Italian designer, whose nonconformism became a real hallmark.
But rappers' fascination with Gucci is not so much linked to Alessandro Michele as to New Yorker Daniel Day, better known as Dapper Dan. In the 1980s, this Harlem tailor hijacked the logos of fashion houses to create trendy looks at a lower cost. He even made Gucci-monogrammed track jackets for Eric B and Rakim, two of his first hip-hop clients.