Source: Lisa Cortes / Lisa Cortes
In August, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of our beloved hip-hop music, artists, and culture. The little genre that few believed would make it grew to become a global sensation, and we celebrated with everything from listicles of the greatest M.C.s of all time to concerts with legends like Big Daddy Kane and Rakim. Acknowledging the contributions made by artists is certainly worthy of celebration. However, the impact of the Black women behind the hit records remains underexplored and undercelebrated. The Black women who worked as hip-hop executives in the 90s and 2000s were not just responsible for helping to cultivate the hip-hop sound and shaping the business landscape in hip-hop, but they were instrumental in shaping hip-hop fashion trends that we still rock to this day. Their contributions to the culture were as unique as their own personal style. Some of their names are less recognizable than the artists we’ve come to know and love. Yet, the impact of the decisions they made behind the scenes shaped the trajectory and aesthetics of the culture.
Before social media gave fans a glimpse into their favorite celebrity’s personal style, music videos, magazine covers, and live performances brought us some classic hip-hop looks that remain iconic today. From Mary’s around-the-way girl aesthetic, TLC with their hat to the back, to Mya rocking her jersey dresses. Yet, deciding what colors, clothes, and trends an artist will wear for an appearance isn’t always a solo endeavor. HelloBeautiful spoke to Lisa Cortés, a former executive at Def Jam label and former V.P. of A&R at Mercury Records, about the people behind the scenes who help craft the artist’s looks. “There is a great omission of the women who are behind the scenes. We know about the incredible artist, [but] there were…
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