The "I'm Not A Rapper" T-Shirt

The first time I saw the "I'm Not a Rapper" t-shirts I felt some type of way about them. For some reason I took offense to it. I think the main reason I have a problem with it is because most of society see being a rapper as negative. So when black people wear that t-shirt I think they're saying "I'm black but I'm not negative." I see a rapper as being a talented individual that has a way with words to make anybody listening to it feel what they are saying. So why wouldn't you want to be that? And why the hell does it cost $34.99 for this t-shirt.

Comments

[Mos Def Master]

Whoah, $35! It should say, "I don't have any mney left" on it. The shirt is pretty ambiguous, and obviously, open to interpretation. Depends on the combo of a) who is wearing it, b) who the person is looking at the person wearing it.

[http://djxplicit.blogspot.com]

well, it could be for someone who gets tired of being asked "hey arent you bun b? no? oh! youre scarface then? no?" and so on.

and the cost is retarded.

[nastack]

On the shirts that I've seen like those, on the back it says "I'M JUST A HUSTLER WHO RAPS"

[Coop]

This is a reference to a Jigga lyric.

Implying I'm not a rapper, I'm a hustler. Come on kids, don't catch feelings.

[mrprettytony]

Why don't I get a white tee and write that shit on it. $35? Stop raping the hood bitches

[achat]

I believe it is the subtle, hand-silk-screened intricacies of the stars flanking the "A" that drives such a high price.

[Fresh]

"Why don't I get a white tee and write that shit on it."

Ha! Really though. I'm loving the fact that Loon has one of the shirts on in the picture gallery on the site. You damn skippy you're not.

[Ekliptec]

I agree that the shirts do carry a somewhat cultural message. The front display, "I'm Not A Rapper" is a nod that not all urban people are the mass media products we see projected on television and in movies, but we are streetwise entreprenurs or "hustlas" that are fortunate to have rap skills. I respect that the game is taking responsibility for self-branding, but I'm not sure if this particular instance is a forward step for us.

[Ekliptec]

I agree that the shirts do carry a somewhat cultural message. The front display, "I'm Not A Rapper" is a nod that not all urban people are the mass media products we see projected on television and in movies, but we are streetwise entreprenurs or "hustlas" that are fortunate to have rap skills. I respect that the game is taking responsibility for self-branding, but I'm not sure if this particular instance is a forward step for us.

[ra.T]

Please don't take offense on the person wearing the shirt.... I could wear one saying I don't hoop either..

Take offense to a society that is so willing to group us all together and limit us to only certain abilities.

I don't know your Black friend..
I can't sing..
Don't Dance..

Has anyone ever asked you if you were a scientist? or engineer?

Please!

[rand]

i agree with ra. T. i don't know the Jay line, so i don't really think of it in that context. But when i see "I'm not a rapper", i just think of it as another way of saying "don't pigeonhole me" just because i'm black, from an urban area, wear certain clothes, and so forth and so on.

its not that being a rapper is a bad thing, it just that the person underneath that shirt maybe so many other things or maybe someone altogether different than what mass public would assume. But the public only sees the exterior and from its assesment of whatever its thinks it sees on the outside the public will make snap judgements, sterotype and generalize.

[Mos Def Master]

Notice the shirt Mos is wearing in this shot from the Breed Love Odyssey Tour:

http://users.lmi.net/kyra/MosDefinitely/catalyst_show/htmls/cat23.html

[Mos Def Master]

Also, I hear that on the back of these shirts it reads:

"Just a Hustler with some smooth sounds" or "...that sounds smooth"

Brings a bit more context into things.

[Mr K]

You could of course go the more graphical route: http://www.komply.com/us/products/?id=17

These were designed with exactly the ' questioning negative connotations' in mind...

I'd actually like to know peoples' thoughts if y'all have the time...

[Shuttabugg]

I first saw these shirts in Toronto a year and a half ago.

The message on the back of the shirt varies. This shirt is not produced by one person. It's a hustle with a message.

Up here, the shirts simply said "I'm not a rapper". Many people see a black dude with baggy clothes, a fade and cell phone and automatically conclude that this individual is an entertainer. This was a way of saying "don't pigeonhole me"... as was mentioned above.

I'm inspired by this. I think I'm going to wear a t-shirt that says, "I just have an afro". On the back it'll say "No, you can't touch it, yes it's my real hair, no I can't style your hair like it, and yes, I think you're an ass for asking me if I sing because my afro makes me look like a f---ing singer."

[Page]

The front of the t-shirt reads
Im not a rapper

The back of the shirt reads
Just a hustler that raps good.

any more comments or inquires HOLLA
imnotarapper@gmail.com

bigapplesworld.com
imnotarapper.com

[Page]

35$ is that really a high price to have a unique T-Shirt that is highly endorsed by so many known Entertainers.
Think about it.
Read the BiG Apple Interview on Hiphopcanada.com

[o-so-swyft]

WELL,
COMMENTS, SUGESTIONS AND PERSONAL OPINIONS ARE A MAJOUR PART OF THE GAME AND ONE MAIN REASON WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO... WE'RE GLAD TO SEE THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY READ THE SHIRTS MESSAGE FOR WHAT ITS WORTH, INSTEAD OF MAKING SILLY YET CLEVER COMMENTS... ALOT OF YOU I GUESS CANT RELATE TO THE REASON OR ISSUE THAT CAUSED THIS T-SHIRT MOVEMENT BUT LOOK AROUND YOU ANYDAY OF THE WEEK EVEN IN YOUR OWN FAMILY AND YOU'LL SEE HARD WORKING INTELECTUAL BUSINESS MEN AND WOMEN MAKING A GOOD LIVING WITH THE TALENTS THEY WERE GIVEN. URBAN/BLACK SOCIETY MEMBERS, WHO ARE FINANCIALLY STABLE AND MAKING ENDS MEAT PUSHING A BENZ OR A BIG BODY TRUCK MAYBE A CHAIN SOME BLING OR WHAT NOT, AND THEY'RE NOT DOING SO BY SELING DRUGS... WOW! ARD TO BELIEVE, MAYBE TO SOME OF YA'LL BUT THIS SHIRT WAS INTENDED FOR THOSE PEOPLE, THE EVERYDAY HUSTLER... SURE WE CAN RAP BUT WHY STOP THERE, IF WE HUSTLE HARDER IN LIFE WE CAN GET MORE OUT OF IT, BUT IF IT DOESNT WORK OUT AND SOCIETY STILL SHUTS US OUT THEN BET YA LAST DOLLAR WE GONNA RAP!
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ACTUALLY READ THIS AND HOPEFULLY IT SETS IN WITH YA'LL...
O-SO-SWYFT A&R IM NOT A RAPPER
SWAGG' FACTORY
BIGAPPLESWORLD.COM
PS/ THERE IS NO PRICE ON GETTING HEARD AND GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS, JUST GRATIFICATION HOMIE!

POWERFULL T SHIRT = $34.99
THE LOOK ON THEIR FACES WHEN THEY GET THE PICTURE = PRICELESS

[t-rexxx]

swag aint cheap

[t-rexxx]

i just read the definition of the "the im not a rapper t-shirt" on the website www.bigapplesworld.com where it explains that its not a negative to be an artist but its hopeless to be just a rapper. rappers are broke. an artist must be a huslter/business man or at least have a team behind him/her that can conduct business on a competitive level , promotions marketing etc. therefore all who were confused prior to this posting i hope i brought some clarity- one love get money
swag aint cheap
oh ya -im not a rapper

[5it]

that shirt sick ass hell dunt kno y yall hating cuz yall cant afford it

[Nate1 MPC]

for the real hip hop gear,
designed by a writer...

check the www.shopnewskool.com site.

dope designs..no bs.

nate1 yall.....

Bay Area Hip Hop.....

[Konvict]

anyone got tracks from dis mixtape

[C.]

Big Apple is the Creater, the genius..

www.fashionfreakers.com - we sell the authentics too !

[C]

[img]www.fashionfreakers.com/newbanner1.jpg[/img]

[url]www.fashionfreakers.com.com[/url]

[Kay]

Eyy , Dont diss Apple .
I got a 'Im not a rapper , just a hustler that can rap good' tee N it's sick .

I' basically met big apple (crestor of the shirt) ,. Tune into his show Big apples world / (every wednesday @ 2:30 am )On sun tv . (channel 16 for canadianz) i live close 2 where Apple is

[Juice]

the shirts are Poppin, im Juice Of Kamakacci, check us out www.kamakacci.com we do biz with apple, the shirts brought SWAGG TO toronto, before apple and us.. Kamakacci. toronto youth were lost on what to wear to clubs/ school. so holla....I HUSTLE HARD! shouts out to talk of t.o / www.talkofto.com

holla

www.kamakacci.com

[kk]

yo
no need to be dissin up big apple for this. this movemetn is large. he one of my bestfriends and just doing his business.

Me and my girls wear his shirts that read:

I'M NOT *A* MODEL

I JUST GET PAID
FOR LOOKIN GOOD

[Yo mamas man]

aint it funny how "achat" was dissin loon. Why the hell were you on the site anyway if you think he cant rap? Were you just beating off to the pics u cake?

[Logikal Ethix of POOR MAN MILITIA]

I feel what Apple is doing,at the end of the day he brought alot of attention to toronto so that other entrepenuers can shine. My ppls and I started the STOLEN FROM AFRICA clothing line/Movement here in Toronto as a way to remember our ancestors and to confront Black opression(something that many want to deny) But the Movement is stronger then ever, getting the community to think about REAL issues that affect us world wide Join the forum @
www.StolenFromAfrica.com

STOLEN FROM AFRICA...IT IS WHAT IT IS!!

[john]

this is just another scam. I actually ordered one of these shirts from these guys. They are based out of Canada. So basically 'big apple' is a big fuckin wanna b. Anyways, they have totally non existent customer support, despite processing my pay pal order and taking my money, they took forever to actually send the package.

So after playing email tag for at least 1 month (they reply once a week or so), i told them i would tell pay pal how fucked up they are. Pay pal unfortunately has a limitation of 45 days from the day of the purchase to file a complaint. They got away without sending the t shirt to me.

The moral of the story is they suck, dont waste your time with them.

[PatCook]

I took my backpack and spray painted in black, then took a silver leafing pen and wrote "I'm not a rapper" in the exact same style of the tee.

It cost all of $14.

And the reference of the shirt is to a Jay Z lyric. "Im not a rapper Im a hustler who raps good."

[bo0gz]

www.myspace.com/antbo0gz

why are you going so hard it is just a t-shirt[you ever heard of the saying evr1 is a rapper well it is jus poking fun at that idea]GET A SENSE OF HUMOR BROO

www.myspace.com/antbo0gz

[Rich Massiah]

Stop All The Hating.
I.N.A.Rapper Rich Massiah.
We Now Provide The Swagg In Your Life.
www.swaggnews.com www.imnotarapper.com
www.swaggerliciousgirls.com www.swagg.tv

Seeing Is Believing. We Are The Magnet.
We Set The Trends. Ya Dig

Get Money Don't Watch Ours.
Swagg- See.What.A.G.Got
Swagg- Smell.What.A.G.Got

[arvhin]

Wearing funny shirts always indicate that the person is somewhat interesting and have a good personality.

[eddie]

I'M NOT A MODEL®
imnotamodel.com

[Anon]

LOL Yall mufuckas try n act like you got money and big pockets then you complain about $35 for a fuckin tshirt!!

Act right

[White Boy]

I'm not black, I'm not from the hood, no one who sees me would ever think I rap, but I do love hip-hop. Can I wear this shirt?