Not everyone associates baseball with hip-hop. But, truth be told, they are closely related. For example, using it as their walk-up song, many players today use hip-hop music. They can use it while they warm up as well. Ken Griffey Jr., Seattle Mariners superstar, used "Hip Hop Hooray" for a walk-up song back in 1993. Over time, it became a personal anthem of sorts for him.
So, when you think about it, there is little wonder why a White Sox cap and hip-hop might be closely associated. Today, baseball players including Yoenis Cespedes and Robinson Cano are in fact represented by Jay-Z's entertainment company, Roc Nation. Clearly, the relationship between baseball and hip-hop is closer than ever.
Hip-hop has definitely felt the influence of baseball where headwear is concerned. A mainstay in today's hip-hop culture is the wearing of fitted baseball caps. This association is particularly attractive for hip-hop fans and baseball fans alike, because it intersects their interests, giving them common ground upon which to stand.
In Chicago, the relationship between hip-hop and baseball is particularly deep. A Yankees cap may have been worn by Jay-Z, but it was all about White Sox fitted baseball caps in 90s rap videos. When rap was going mainstream, these fitted caps became a symbol of the culture. They gained popularity as rappers from both coasts donned them. The color scheme and design are timeless but simple.
The current design of the club, and also the most ubiquitous White Sox cap design, is taken from the White Sox logo of 1948. It was created by the grandchild of Charles (Chuck) Kaminski, the founding owner of the White Sox.
As suggested, the current White Sox logo design has its origin firmly planted in the design from the 1948. The Old English lettering at a diagonal was once again used at the direction of Rob Gallas, the senior vice president hired in 1989.
Sure, White Sox fans used to be the people wearing White Sox baseball caps. That all changed, however, around 1991 when, thanks to members of the rap group N.W.A., Ice Cube, Eazy E, Dr. Dre, and others, started wearing the caps on a regular basis and in music videos. For the White Sox baseball cap, this cultivated a newfound significance and marked a cultural shift. The cap became safely wearable, free from association with gang colors or symbols. Even those who didn't consider themselves baseball fans became fans of the hat with a clean feel and agreeable color scheme.
According to Ice Cube (back in July 2017), the black and white color scheme to which Chicago changed their colors was perfect for N.W.A. and other rap stars.
Needless to say, White Sox gear began to fly off the shelves in part because of N.W.A.'s popularity. Out of 26 baseball teams, White Sox product sales ranked 18th in 1990. By 1991, behind only the Oakland A's and the New York Yankees, White Sox gear ranked third!
As a side note, Chance the Wrapper gave this cap another boost in 2016 when he was seen wearing New Era’s special edition White Sox cap.
At Hat Heaven, we have a variety of White Sox caps. We also carry caps representing other baseball teams, the NFL, the NBA, and college teams. We have hats with catchy sayings or phrases and hats with no logos whatsoever. Browse through the various styles and colors of caps found at Hat Heaven. You're bound to find your new favorite.
