Few people have impacted our culture the way Karl Kani did. Unanimously dubbed the ‘godfather of urban streetwear’, he is a true cultural legend, blazing a trail and popularizing a fashion lane in the early 90’s that had not yet fully emerged until he created it.

Standing out in his field as a black designer from the Starrett City projects in east Brooklyn who, with no formal fashion training or education, started showcasing, creating, and selling apparel that was designed in, and captured the energy and ethos of, the hood. It became the hip-hop style of the nineties, as well as a foundation for a tectonic shift in global fashion, and for the success of the numerous streetwear brands building from his success in decades since.

Generational icon Carl ‘Karl Kani’ Williams was the ignition of this – hustling for his vision, his brand, and his dream, and heavily endorsed by legendary hip-hop artists and NBA players as the epitome of their style and image.

At ADE Beats I sat down with the original visionary of that unique intersection between hip-hop music and urban streetwear, that has since changed the culture and birthed industries. We discussed his craftmanship, style, legacy, and footprint, and his pioneering and current contributions and how they shaped our culture in profound ways and continue to lay the foundation for generations of entrepreneurs, and how he has proactively adapted his cultural vision and strategies over time and developed his brand into exciting new chapters.

Revolutionizing the fashion culture and industry globally, as well as creating important new notions of ownership, artistic and economic practice, and vibrant interconnections between music and fashion.

Video by Iris de Vries