Young Thug is not here for anybody’s gender roles. From donning Gucci dresses and women’s jeans, Thugger consistently and consciously tears down the limitations of black masculinity and does it while perpetuating a style that’s all his own. The 24-year old rapper continued to express his non-binary style selections as he showed off how he rocks Calvin Klein gear in their recent campaign, adding himself to the long list of star-studded celebs who’ve modeled for the iconic brand.
“I feel like it’s no such thing as gender.”
His approach to style and fashion is simply about the fit and how he feels in his clothing. In an interview with GQ magazine last year, Thug revealed that “90 percent” of his closet was full of women’s clothing. The reason being because they are slimmer and simply fit his aesthetic, but seeing a man in more effeminate clothing isn’t a new concept. Young Thug’s fashion choices could be seen as an extension of the late David Bowie or even Prince, and aren’t far off from the crop top wearing Kid Cudi or the skirt-cladding, Jaden Smith. But despite his hip-hop presence, it doesn’t make him immune from the homophobic and masculinity critics who claim that his style doesn’t fit within the bounds of hip-hop culture. Which begs the question where does the hip hop delegation draw the line and where are the rules that mandate what an artist can or can’t wear because of their gender?
Gender is comprised of what you make it. It’s not mandated by anyone else and as the world continues to show, work is being done to address and affirm all sides of the spectrum of gender identity. Young Thug’s presence as a gender non-conforming artist shouldn’t be antagonized because of it’s difference. It should be praised. He stands as a representation of the sides of black masculinity that exist and that we don’t see enough.
All opinions aside, the fact remains that you can’t put Young Thug into a box and no matter what you call him, he loves it all. Whether he’s rocking the hell out of a pair of skinny jeans or a Givenchy dress previously worn by your favorite female celeb, the only thing we should really be asking is who wore it best.
