The Windy City Hip Hop Project

From the very beginning, the hip-hop ethos has been tied to fashion. Run-DMC wore Adidas on their feet. LL Cool J rocked a Kangol on his head. And N.W.A. wrapped themselves in jet-black Raiders Starter jackets. As the hip-hop genre has evolved, the fashion, tightly tethered, has followed in stride.

Even as the financial side of the hip-hop music industry – for performers and distributors – has stagnated, the clothing and fashion segment has exploded. Major artists and executives have launched clothing lines and even underground producers and emcees often operate custom tee shirt printing businesses to make extra cash on the side.

It is within this music-fashion framework that the Bassment exists. A hip-hop clothing boutique, the Bassment has been a Chicago staple since 2002.

“Whether you need a new fitted hat, a fly tee shirt, the hottest mix tape on the street, we’ve got it all right here. It’s you’re one stop shop, it’s the Bassment,” pitches Shabazz, the owner and founder of the Bassment.

Stepping into the shop to escape the bustling traffic of North Ashland Avenue, you’re immediately struck by the polished hardwood floors, tidy glass cases full of CD’s and brightly colored custom shoes, hats and tee shirts the wave from the graffiti-tagged walls.

But it wasn’t always that way.

“We started off in, literally, a basement with a $500 credit card,” says Shabazz, a former DJ and native of Rogers Park.

Like the hip-hop scene itself, the shop has undergone a significant transformation over the years.

“We basically started as a music store — selling CD’s, DVD’s,” Shabazz explains. “Throughout the years, as technology did its thing, CD sales haven’t been what they used to be. So, we basically adapted to our environment and turned the store into a lifestyle store.”

The Bassment’s stock is replete with vibrant, splashy and exclusive street wear from distributors like Crooks and Castles and T.I.T.S., as is the prevailing trend in hip-hop fashion today. In an attempt to capitalize on the industry’s graphic tee shirt trend, the store recently started printing Chicago-themed tee shirts under the guidance of South Side graphic artist and old school emcee Doc Mananoff.

While other hip-hop boutique shops have failed in recent years, Shabazz says that the Bassment has persevered by adapting with the times and being willing to try new things to navigate the rocky economy.

“We try to stay relevant to the scene. Whether it’s bringing an artist into our store, throwing an event somewhere else, coming out with a tee shirt, online marketing, you know, staying relevant. If you sit down and relax people are gonna forget about you and then it’s a wrap. Time to close your doors.”

Stan, a customer from Cabrini-Green, says he visits the Bassment every couple months for exclusive music.

“In recent years, they got more variety,” he says. “I used to always come here for the mix tapes and the DVD’s, but now they got clothes. There’s not a lot of stores that have music and clothes. They usually have one or the other.”

In addition to carrying a broad inventory, the Bassment also moonlights as a venue for performances, rap competitions and music videos.

A backroom, originally used to house sound systems the store rents out, was transformed into an open show space some years back. Unlike the glossy, fresh look of the store, the backroom has an edgy, street corner feel evoked by exposed bricks walls soaked in graffiti and a craggy concrete floor.

Every Friday, the Bassment hosts an event they call Sessions that attracts dozens of community members who come out to see a show or perform themselves.

“If you’ve never done a show before at a club or a venue, our store is basically the spot to start at,” Shabazz says. “We welcome all local artists to come out, whether you’re a DJ, emcee or anything like that. Come in, you can rap, you can sing, whatever it is, get off the streets and do something positive.”

One week it’s a beat battle, the next a freestyle competition. In May, the Bassment installed huge flat screen TV’s and hosted a video game competition. Last Friday, they hosted an after party for a porn convention and held a fashion model call.

“I don’t know many shops like the Bassment,” says Angel Perez, 23, one of the store’s 10 staff members. “We’re unique. We’re one of a kind, pretty much.”

The shop’s longevity, relative to the volatile industry and gentrified community in which the Bassment operates, has also turned it into a destination for popular local acts and famous out-of-towners.

“Whenever there’s somebody’s in town, they ask ‘Where are we supposed to go, what is there to do in Chicago?” Shabazz says. “You know, the first name that pops up is the Bassment. We have all kinds of artists coming in here from Lupe to T.I., KRS-ONE, Swizz Beatz. If they’re in Chicago they’re gonna come.”

While notoriety within Chicago’s hip-hop circles is nice, Shabazz said he’s more focused on being a positive force in the community and promoting something he loves.

“It’s hard work, man, but, you know, what else are we gonna do? It’s what we do. We love it. That’s the main thing. If you don’t love it, get out of the game. You’ve got to really have your heart into it.”