RUDE BOY Otherwise known as “rudie, rudi, and rudy”
Rude boy and rude girl were terms used to describe fans of Ska and 2tone music during the 70’s
The term rude boy was used to categorize groups of young people in london and Jamaica following Jamaica’s empancipation from British rule.
Rude boys were usually teenagers that were avid fans of reggae and ska music. Due to the mass migration of Jamaicans to the UK, this boom in creative rebellion melded heavily with other punk subcultures that were going on in Britain during the time.
“The rude boy culture came to define an ethos of self-worth, determination and creativity for a generation of migrants ready to strike back at a conservative and racist society.” – New York Times article “Rude Boy Style Can’t Fail” (2015)
Ska is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 50’s, came right before reggae. Combines elements of carribean music and jazz music.
Rude boy & race:
Style and dress within the rude boy subculture was definitely a way to subvert racial order and redefine blackness. It was a medium through which the youth could flip and reject the history that they had been reduced to commodities throughout history.
This sub-culture loudly announced a new attitude and confidence and that came through very clearly.
Make-up of outfit
Rude boy outfits were usually made up of awesome and fantastic hats, fedoras, tailored and cropped trousers, sunglasses, and blazers.
I found these pictures from a photography book called “100 ideas that changed Street Style” by Josh Sims in the New School Library. It’s from 2014.
These pictures kind of show how the rude boy culture interacted with other punk cultures in London like the skinhead movement and other punk movements and just also how heavily the style of the rude boy culture influenced these movements.
Current continuations
I found an article from 2015 from the New York Times called, “Rude Boy Style Can’t Fail” and this really helped me because it shows a modern representation of the legacy and rude boy style and how it lives on.
Photographer Dean Chalkley created a publication called “Return of the Rudeboy” in which he photographed portraits of people he thought re-birthed the essence and character of the rude boy.
The photographer explained that obviously the political climate has changed dramatically from what it was when this subculture came about but the same idea still stands which is young-people adopting a sense of self-worth and method of self expression to respond to the climate around them and kind of reclaim their identity.
Other current traces of the rude boy style of dress that I noticed are Andre 3000 from OutKast and Pharrell Williams with his signature hat
