You recognise the faces below right? You know that’s Kendrick. You know that’s Rhi Rhi. And you know that’s Swizz Beats. But what about their hats? Well, the person responsible for A-listers rocking these snapbacks goes by the name 40 oz VAN.
This New Yorker has been around for some time perfecting his hussle. Back in 2009 he used to host downtown BBQ’s and hand out complimentary 40 oz malt liquor. From this he gained not only his nickname but also a lot of popularity. His blog though, is where his true fame stems from. The theme is beautiful exotic girls and hip hop. He started with just a few pictures and then added a contribution link. From then on the ball started rolling and as it stands today the page has over 11 million hits – 40ozvannyc.tumblr.com (NSFW).
As 40 oz explains, once he had such a massive following, why not utilize it? This is where the snapbacks came in. He wanted something that looked high end but still appealed to his streetwear following. After the first samples seemed to catch on he came with his Balmain inspired snapback. The next a Givenchy stars style. Each one continued to do better than it’s predecessor and he has now gone international with his most recent project; a collaboration with the London brand ‘Trapstar’. The reason for the hats becoming as popular as they are today is that people want to buy a piece of 40’s lifestyle. You may not be able to smoke blunts on top of Manhattans’ rooftops with beautiful women all around you, but you can buy the same hat that represents that life.
If you want to find out more about the man behind the hats we recommend you watch his interview with rap radar. As you can see he’s really humble and the hunger for success is still there. Look out for this man in the future!
