For his first tour, the 22-year-old rapper $not has a pretty easy wardrobe; a hoodie. In fact, the Flordia based rapper has made this look his aesthetic. A black hoodie with his hood scrunched to his face and black airforce ones.
In this current climate, new artists usually have a crazy social media tactic that catapults their career but leaves a questionable reputation for listeners. Instead, $not has let his mysterious flair and music ultimately grow his following. “You will get so much further in life by being authentic,” he tells ESSENCE. And according to his numbers, he’s right. He currently holds over 400k followers on social media and an average of 2 million listeners on Spotify a month. With only a few hit singles like ‘Gosha‘ and ‘Megan,’ the rapper is gearing up first his first project to drop this year.
On his North American tour, ESSENCE got a chance to chat with $not about authenticity, his favorite designers, and what his hoodie symbolizes for him. Read below.
NH: There are certain musicians who have an aesthetic, yours has obviously been wearing a hoodie. What does that symbolize for you?
$NOT: I used to wear my hoodie up in high school because I’d be in my own world and it turned into my brand as I started to make music. It started to get people’s attention a lot so I stuck with it.
NH: You’re on tour right now. I can imagine getting ready for your set is pretty simple but are there any specific hoodies/brands you like? Are there any you don’t like? What makes a hoodie bad?
$NOT: On this tour, I’ve been wearing a black Champion hoodie and my merch that’s available at shows. I really like hoodies from Palm Angels and Supreme and there is one smaller brand called Famine that I will wear any hoody that they make.There are two things that make a hoodie bad. The first is when it doesn’t have strings in the hood and the second is when it’s a zip-up.
“If I’m able to provide for my family and take care of myself then what does what other people think about me matter at all?” – $NOT
NH: I always struggle with if I should wear my chains tucked in or outside of the hoodie. Which is a better look?
$NOT: I think that wearing them outside might look good on you but personally I wear mine on the inside. I don’t have too many chains because I’m more a bracelet dude.
NH: We normally see artists coming into the industry trying to live above their means, and being unauthentic when it comes to their style but, you’ve managed to keep it consistent. How important is authenticity to you?
$NOT: You will get so much further in life by being authentic. It seems like everyone is so caught up in trying to be perceived as successful instead of actually being successful. If I’m able to provide for my family and take care of myself then what does what other people think about me matter at all?
NH: What are your favorite fashion brands out right now?
$NOT: Famine, Stone Island, Marashi, Nike (black AF1s only), Louis Vuitton, Off-White x Nike.
