Urbancore

"It's all good in the hood," he says, but deep down, he knows that the hood has many socioeconomic issues.

Other names

Urbanism, Gangstacore, Homiecore, Ghettocore, Streetcore, Urbex, Citycore, Metropolitan, High-End Street Style, Streetwear, High-End Streetwear

Decade of origin

1990s

Key motifs

cityscapes, graffiti, concrete architecture, parking lots, skyscrapers, alleyways, streets, streetwear, expensive brands

Key colours

neutrals - gray, black, beige; sometimes contrasted with bright paint colors, otherwise any colors, depending on the style

Key values

Materialism, expensive clothes (although you don't have to be materialistic to achieve this aesthetic), urban life

Related brands

Adidas
Alpha Industries
Avirex
Balenciaga
Chrome Hearts
Nike
Off White
Schott NYC
Supreme
Vans

Urbancore is an aesthetic based on imagery of urban cities and street life. Urbancore is associated to real-life, modern-day society and almost always is based in recent decades. As it is a really broad aesthetic, it can revolve around city streets and architecture, graffiti, skate parks at night, urban fashion and picnics. Similar to High School Dream, this aesthetic embodies a youthful and somewhat rebellious spirit of a teen living in a nostalgic time.

Visuals[]

As expected, Urbancore aesthetics focus heavily on the city and city life.

vandalism
graffiti
industrial architecture
- rooftops, alleyways, spaces between buildings
- train stations
- worn-down/empty buildings
- skyscrapers
- concrete

street fixtures, such as benches, street lamps, road signs
subways and underpasses
urban exploration
- unpopulated buildings such as warehouses
- barren concrete stairwells
dirty areas
- garbage clutter
- dumpsters
- concrete rubble

Fashion[]

Urbancore fashion draws heavily from Skater, Art Hoe, Hip-Hop and Nostalgiacore fashion, since this aesthetic is fairly active, a lot of the clothing is fashionable and breathable. A very particular kind of Urbancore fashion, Streetwear, is a style of casual clothing which became global in the 1990s. It grew from Californian surf and skate culture to encompass elements of sportswear, hip-hop, punk and Japanese street fashion and continued to grow and evolve from there.

This style can also be closely related to the Baddie aesthetic, which gravitates to brands like Nike, Jordan, and Louis Vuttion. This style includes:

Some Urbancore staples are:

Baggy pants or sweatpants (sometimes highly decorated with different textiles)
Brand-name oversized t-shirts/vintage brand name t-shirts
Dad hats/caps
Fanny packs
Short bubble/puffer jackets
Customized pants
Sports bras/racerback bras
Overalls
Brightly colored socks
Sneakers (usually Nike or Jordan) or flat-bottomed skating shoes
Sweaters over collared shirts
Chains/pants chains
Cargo pants
Flannels
Plaid skirts
Zippers and belts. LOTS of zippers and belts

Techwear[]

Main article: Techwear

Also popular in Urbancore is Techwear, clothing that serves a functionality other than acting as a body covering. This may include waterproofing or extra pockets. Its main influence is cyberpunk and the colour palette is often monochromatic. Techwear elements can include:

Shells
Rain coats
Fanny packs
Gore-tex or RIP-stop fabric trousers
Taped hoodies

Hypebeasts[]

Main article: Hypebeast

Hypebeasts are those, usually male, who collect limited-edition streetwear labels like Supreme, Palace, BAPE, Off-White and Yeezy. The clothes they buy are not defined really by their price, but mainly by their rarity. Because of such a high demand for limited edition items by some streetwear brands, retailers employ bouncers to manage crowds who are prepared to queue on the street for hours to buy the latest thing. Because of this demand, there is also an online market of reselling hypebeast stuff.

Hypebeasts usually wear clothing items that people would consider "drip". This style is somewhat looked down on in the fashion community because of its "big logo + hype shoes = fashion" mentality. This look can include:

Cargo pants (bright or dark colors)
Bucket hats (very popular amongst the high-end streetwear community)
Large T-Shirts, sweatshirts with brand logos or imagery
Branded jackets/outerwear
VERY expensive shoes/customized shoes and clothing, especially those with prominent logos

Media[]

Movies[]

New Jersey Drive (1995)
Fast & Furious franchise (2001-)
Freerunner (2011)
Brick Mansions (2014)
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Soul (2020)

TV Series[]

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-1996)
Rocket Power (1999-2004)
Downtown (1999)
The Boondocks (2005-2014)
Los Pulentos (2005-2009)
The Nutshack (2007-2011)
Jersey Shore (2009-2012)
Ridiculousness (2011-present)
Wild Grinders (2012-2015)

Video Games[]

Streets of Rage
Splatoon
Persona
The World Ends With You
Jet Set Radio
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Sleeping Dogs
Yakuza
Grand Theft Auto
Need for Speed (Underground–Carbon)

Music[]

Urbancore music, previously referred to as "urban contemporary music," is mainly Hip-Hop-oriented, though it has roots in Jazz, Funk, and Disco. Many genres of African-American, Caribbean, and Hispanic-American music fell under the "urban" category, such as EDM, Freestyle, Gangsta Rap, House, Metal, Pop Rap, Quiet Storm, R&B, Reggae, Reggaetón, Rock, and other forms of genre-bending music full of cross-pollination and creative experimentation. However, the use of "urban" as a music category has waned since the early 2020s following the murder of George Floyd. Previously, artists such as Tyler the Creator advocated for alternative names, as "urban" held derogatory and racist connotations towards Black and Latino Americans.

There are several subgenres and radio formats within Urbancore music, such as Adult R&B, previously known as "urban adult contemporary," and Rhythmic Contemporary. Adult R&B primarily encompasses older genres such as Traditional and Contemporary R&B, Disco, Soul, New Jack Swing, Old-School Hip-Hop, and Funk. It has a relaxed, sophisticated tone with similar feelings to a late-night drive. By contrast, Rhythmic Contemporary is more upbeat, including genres such as EDM and Pop.