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An 8 ball

The eight-ball or 8-ball jacket is a style of leather jacket created by San Francisco–based designer Michael Hoban in 1990.[1] The style is characterized by bright color-blocking and large black and white decals on the back and sleeves, made to look like the eight ball used in some cue sports.[1] The eight-ball design was particularly popular in hip-hop fashion because the eight ball is symbolically associated with winning, risk, and misfortune.[a][3][4][5] The term "eight ball" is also slang for an eighth of an ounce of cocaine, although Hoban has stated that the drug connotation was unintentional.[1][6][7]

Eight-ball jackets were trendy during the 1990s, particularly in New York City, before quickly falling out of fashion.[1] Hoban's jackets retailed for up to $800 originally, making them status symbols in the city's East Coast hip hop scene.[1][8] They were popularized by hip-hop stars such as Kid 'n Play and Salt-N-Pepa, who wore the jackets in the video for "Push It".[9][10] Some rappers referenced the jackets in their songs.[7] They were also popular with athletes like Darryl Strawberry and Bobby Bonilla.[1]

The popularity of the jackets among youth led to many owners being violently robbed for them, often at knife- or gunpoint. Occasionally, they escalated into shootings, some of which were fatal.[11][12][13] In December 1990, it was reported that five New York youths had been shot and killed in coat-related robberies over the preceding four weeks; two were explicitly tied to eight-ball jackets.[14] In 2009, two suspects in a 1991 cold case robbery-murder associated to an eight-ball jacket were arrested.[15][16]

Hoban's designs, particularly the eight-ball jacket, were commonly counterfeited or bootlegged by other designers. Harlem-based designer Dapper Dan, known for his custom knockoffs of high-end brands targeted to a hip-hop audience, produced luxury versions of the eight-ball jacket that retailed for $1200.[1][17] Low-end counterfeit versions of the jacket sold for as little as $300, compared to the $800 cost of the genuine article.[8] Hoban fought back by sending cease and desist letters to leather shops creating knockoff jackets and suing those who refused to stop. Eight shops settled out of court with agreements to stop making the knockoffs. Hoban eventually partnered with one shop to create licensed versions, called "Wear Me by Michael Hoban", which used lower-quality materials and sold at a lower price point than the mainline jackets.[18]

Legacy

Since the fading of the initial trend, the jacket has largely been regarded with disdain. By 1992, New York hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest was using the jacket as a lyrical diss in the track "Show Business."[1] The Seinfeld character David Puddy wore one in the season nine episode "The Reverse Peephole" (1998), to the horror of his girlfriend Elaine Benes.[19] The episode's writer, Spike Feresten, later stated that he had deliberately tried to make the jacket uncool by associating it with the unfashionable character, telling The New York Times, "Obviously, it didn’t work...It's like herpes. It will always be around and some people will have it."[1] Bronx-based comedian Daniel Baker was quoted in the Times describing the jackets as being "like colorful skin on a poisonous snake...It’s nature’s attempt at warning you that this person should be avoided."[1]

Despite the negative associations, the style has occasionally resurfaced in street fashion since the 1990s, often described as a retro or "throwback" style.[1][20][21] Ben Detrick wrote of its cyclical popularity in a 2014 New York Times article: "Like a leathery cicada, it makes its periodic return, bolstered by iconic simplicity and nefarious associations."[1] In the 2010s, streetwear brands Stüssy and Supreme produced eight-ball jackets, although Stüssy co-founder Frank Sinatra Jr. (no relation to the singer), noted that their appreciation was ironic, stating, "You cannot take the eight ball seriously."[1][22] In 2014, a New York man was charged with assault after slapping a woman who taunted him about his eight-ball jacket; the charges were dropped after a cell phone video of the incident showed she had struck him first.[23]

The jackets remain iconic in hip hop culture, referenced in lyrics and sometimes seen in music videos.[9][24] In 2014, rapper T.I. wore one in his music video for the single "About the Money".[1] Rapper Missy Elliot wore a jacket inspired by the eight-ball jacket in the music video for her 2015 single "WTF (Where They From)".[25]

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ In eight-ball and other pool billiards games, the eight ball is the money ball. Legally pocketing it wins the game, but illegally pocketing it results in a loss.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Detrick, Ben (2014-12-24). "A '90s Jacket Comes Back Into Fashion". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  2. ^ Meurin, Dawn (1993). Billiards: Official Rules & Records Book. SP Books. pp. 98–99. ISBN 978-1-56171-210-6.
  3. ^ Pooley, Eric (1991-08-05). "Kids with Guns". New York Magazine. p. 24.
  4. ^ Olderr, Steven (2017-02-10). Symbolism: A Comprehensive Dictionary, 2d ed. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-9067-7.
  5. ^ Romero, Elena (2012-04-06). Free Stylin': How Hip Hop Changed the Fashion Industry. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-38647-3.
  6. ^ Nordegren, Thomas (2002). The A-Z Encyclopedia of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Universal-Publishers. p. 268. ISBN 978-1-58112-404-0.
  7. ^ a b Buiso, Gary (2014-11-23). "8-ball jacket creator praises subway slapper's style". New York Post. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  8. ^ a b Krier, Beth Ann (1992-03-13). "One of a Kind". The Los Angeles Times. pp. E1. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  9. ^ a b "The 20 Coolest Types of Jackets in Hip-Hop History". Complex. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  10. ^ "From Sade to Siouxsie Sioux: 15 Music Goddesses to Make You Reconsider '80s Style". Vogue. 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  11. ^ McKinley Jr, James C. (December 9, 1990). "Two teen-agers slain in Brooklyn". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  12. ^ "Students Rewrite Fashion Rules In Styles From Baggy to Bizarre". The New York Times. 1991-12-08. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  13. ^ Corbett, Don (1991-01-07). "Teens dressed for distress". The Herald-News. pp. A1. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  14. ^ "Costly coats can mean death for owners". The Billings Gazette. Associated Press. 1990-12-20. pp. 6–A. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  15. ^ "Man busted in 1991 8-ball jacket killing". Daily News. 2009-06-14. p. 24. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  16. ^ Cook, Rhonda (June 13, 2009). "Cobb County man fights extradition in NY murder case". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  17. ^ Darcella, Aria (September 11, 2017). "Gucci Enlists Dapper Dan For Its New Campaign". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  18. ^ Krier, Beth Ann (1992-03-13). "One of a Kind, continued". The Los Angeles Times. pp. E8. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  19. ^ Eloise, Marianne (2019-07-05). "The 30 Best Elaine Moments on Seinfeld". Vulture. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  20. ^ Simmons, Ted. "Watch Migos Perform 'Bad and Boujee' on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' - XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  21. ^ Campbell, Amy (2019-10-08). "How Wu-Tang: An American Saga Became A Seminal Display Of Iconic '90s Hip-Hop Fashion". GQ. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  22. ^ Lee, Don (10 January 1996). "Stussy Inc. President to Step Down". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
  23. ^ Yaniv, Oren (2014-11-14). "Slapping 8-ball in the corner closet". New York Daily News. p. 20. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  24. ^ Richards, Chris (April 16, 2020). "Nightlife is on hold in D.C. — but local music still flows through our headphones". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-01-27.
  25. ^ Rodulfo, Kristina (2015-11-17). "Meet the Masterminds Behind Missy's "WTF" Video". Elle. Retrieved 2021-12-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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