Mafioso

As the mid 90s arrived, hip hop fashion would settle into the identity that the 90s' period of the genre would be known for. 1994 marked the meteoric rise of popular East coast rapper the Notorious B.I.G. Biggie Smalls was declared the savior of East coast rap, as the rap game had been dominated in recent years by the likes of West coast rappers Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.

As Biggie shifted some of the power back to the East coast, he and his producer, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, would establish a new trend for hip hop: mafioso. Mafioso hip hop was product of the gangsta rap would had taken the place of the motivational, cautionary tales which hip hop began with. Biggie and Puffy's wardrobe were inspired by the mobster movies which they crafted their personas around. This look included custom suits, gold chains, and gator shoes. And once again, a hip hop fashion trend was inspired by what came before.