Champion is a sportswear producer, and has produced uniforms for National Basketball Association teams. The brand can be found in Target and Wal-Mart. The brand is a subsidiary of the Sara Lee Corporation.
Champion sportswear has been a popular staple in hip hop and urban fashion since the early 1990s. The Champion hooded sweatshirt was heavily popularized by seminal 90s New York based rappers including Tribe Called Quest, Ill Al Skratch and Mobb Deep. These rappers were often seen wearing the iconic Champion hoodies in their music videos and during their live performances. Today, hardcore rappers like 50 cent, The Game, Ghostface Killah and Fat Joe have continued the tradition of wearing Champion hoodies in their music videos and during their television appearances. Many rappers have referenced Champion hoodies in their rhymes. Most notably, Nas name-dropped Champion’s trademark sweatshirt on DJ Kay Slay’s “Too Much For Me” in 2003 rapping,”I’m a braveheart in Carhartt and Champion hoodies”.
