In its 45-year existence, hip-hop has emerged a pop culture mainstay. It’s long made black culture desirable, set music trends and taken fashion to new heights. Harlem legend and fashion icon Dapper Dan is but one example of the boundless ingenuity that is intrinsically woven into the fabric of rap. And Sony wants to bring to light an indispensable component of that legacy.
The entertainment giant recently announced it is developing a biopic based on Daniel “Dapper Dan” Day’s upcoming memoir, due out in 2019 by Random House. NBC’s Jerrod Carmichael (The Carmichael Show) is tapped to write and produce the project alongside Sony-based producer Josh Bratman of Immersive Pictures, while Dapper Dan and his son and brand manager, Jelani Day are set to executive produce.
A triumphant coming-of-age story, the film is backdropped by a changing Harlem and follows the man many have come to know as the “Godfather of Hip-Hop Fashion.” Dapper Dan is credited for pioneering high-end streetwear in the early 1980s, outfitting luminaries such as LL Cool J, Eric B & Rakim, Salt-N-Pepa, Aaliyah, JAY-Z and more in an era during which rap music was ascending.
The news comes after Gucci announced in September 2017 a partnership with Dapper Dan to relaunch his iconic 125th Street atelier (a first for any designer retailer in Harlem), in addition to a capsule collection. Talk about a full circle moment.