Sagging

The Ruben Abati’s generation doesn’t just get this, but it is here anyway. Since early 90s some of the boys in this great country of ours had been moving around with sagging trousers (pants). And in the 21st century Nigeria the sagging rate is alarming. This style has a history or do we say a myth? Let’s go there.

The sagging myth- A long time ago in the American correctional facilities the use of belts was prohibited; for the buckles of most belts were made of metal, the buckles could easily be converted into weapon (see Blood in Blood out) a frustrated inmate could also hang himself with the aid of a belt. As a result of the perceived danger in the use of belts in the American prisons the inmates were not allowed to wear belts, so they served time in sagging pants.

Freedom and paroles allowed x-prisoners to integrate with the members of the larger society and as the saying goes old habits die hard, the x-prisoners, especially those of African American origin, transferred this trend (sagging) to the American ghettoes. The OG’s, the hustlers who did time in the penitentiaries had a cult following among the street kids, these youths admired the street knowledge and the swagger of the x-cons, out of imitation, they easily sagged their pants too, identifying with their role models. The hip hop embraced this movement and sagging became a mainstream item.

Now we are back, Jay-Z’s Fade to Black concert at Madison Square, to a critical observer, the DVD showcases a classy hip hop figure with sagging pants. With a focus on Jigga during the concert, the overt show of pants hanging under or in the middle of his butts was absent but when the multi-millionaire hip hop mogul stylishly pulled his pants up at certain intervals on stage, it became glaring that forty something years old Shawn Carter stayed true to the culture. But he went about it with class.

Hip hop is a culture, a way of life. For instance, a lot of Muslim women can’t do without veils, the green, yellow (gold) and red colour as a symbol is righteous to a Rastafarian. The trousers (pants) of some out of the millions of males who identify with hip hop and those who are caught up in the trendy web will sag, but if you must sag your trousers (pants) let them sag with class.