Pusha T credits Kanye West for “upgrading his style”.
The 41-year-old rapper – who is president of West’s record label, G.O.O.D. Music – has revealed that the ‘The Life of Pablo’ hitmaker helped him “step up” his wardrobe by teaching him about high fashion brands.
Speaking to Grailed, Pusha said: “I knew that once I got [signed] to G.O.O.D. Music, I had to upgrade my style. I knew that I had to step it up. Ye [West] put me on to brands that I wasn’t as knowledgeable about, brands like Phillip Lim; he definitely put me on Dries [Van Noten]. I was the ‘dope boy’ here next to more conscious, backpack rappers. It’s like, ‘How do I dope boy this high fashion?’”
The rapper also learned a lot of “fashion-forward” tips from ‘Happy’ singer Pharrell Williams.
Pusha said: “What people don’t know is, Pharrell has always been fashion-forward. When I met him, he was local. He wasn’t in the game, he wasn’t making money. We were riding our bikes through the streets type s**t. Still, he was always fashion forward.
“When we started playing with the idea of doing music, I was just learning from him. He always said, ‘Man, be a risk taker, number one, but also be identifiable. Have your style be identifiable and separate yourself.’”
And it’s not just his peers who have been influential as the Daytona’ hitmaker also admitted growing up in Virginia Beach had a “heavy influence” on his music and wardrobe.
He added: “Man. Virginia Beach, I have to say, was a melting pot for all types of people. During that time, the years in which I was growing up, we had a heavy, heavy New York influence.
“Virginia Beach was like the first Miami Beach. It was the first South Beach. Before there was Freaknik in Atlanta or Memorial Day in Miami, it was Virginia Beach. We saw everything. Every rapper was talking about coming to Virginia Beach. It was in everyone’s bars. You just got to see all of that energy, all of that style, all of that influence.”
