Hearing that .idk. did a collaboration with Lids HD shouldn’t be surprising. A quick scroll through the British-American rapper’s social media reveals he’s rarely without a hat, whether he’s posing for behind-the-scenes snaps in the studio or tearing it up on stage. The 59FIFTY cap is the F65 artist’s style staple—and once you cop one from his bold New Era collection, it’s sure to be yours, too.
With its signature high-rise crown and straight brim, the 59FIFTY style is instantly recognizable in the streetwear scene—but it wasn’t always. The hip-hop community helped bring the now-classic silhouette from its MLB-uniform origins into the mainstream in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Though just a kid at this time, .idk. recognized the cap’s effortless cool right away. It was the first hat he dreamed of owning. With hip-hop celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the timing for LHD X .idk to release the revamped 59FIFTY couldn’t be better.
For me to now be at a [level] where I can take my [designs] and place them on these hats, it's something that I could only have wished for back then. This collaboration is a dream come true.
Music history wasn’t the only thing on the rising rapper’s mind when he developed the collection. He also wanted to incorporate references to historic movements for racial equality, from the ‘60s to the present day. Each of the collection’s caps bears an embroidered .idk. “X” logo across the front, a symbol with multiple layers of meaning. In campaign footage for the collaboration, .idk invokes the metaphor that “X marks the spot” where one can start digging deeper into issues and uncover new knowledge.
“X is basically communication around the concept of racial equality, but through the form of love,” .idk explains.
The LHD X .idk 59FIFTY caps are available in three colorways: black, brown, and white-pinstripe. Colorful “Free Coast” patches adorn the sides of the caps, featuring a fusion of the Cape Coast, Ghana, and Freetown, Sierra Leone flags. The cities hold personal significance for the artist, as his father’s hometown is near Cape Coast and his mother hails from Freetown; the “Free Coast” movement symbolizes the two locations and their association with ideals of racial equality.
As with everything .idk. creates, there’s more to these caps than meets the eye—a peek under the visor reveals a lime-green satin interior. The “Shoot My Shot” rapper incorporates the pop of color into all of his collabs, precisely because it’s unexpected.
While .idk. will continue to focus on making the fresh tracks he’s known for, don’t be surprised if more collaborations follow.
“Anytime I have the opportunity to communicate through something that people organically gravitate to, I'll do that,” he says. “I like to share messages about things we need, and the things that we all want."
To commemorate the collaboration, Lids HD will host a live jazz performance featuring .idk. at the Lids Vegas Showcase location on Friday, November 17.
Shop the collection here LHD x .idk. here.
