Hip-Hip and HBCU culture have gone hand in hand since the early 1990's, when rap artists rocked hoodies and sweatshirts from the African American College Alliance clothing line. Artists and pop culture icons were seen in music videos and popular major network television shows such as The Cosby Show and It's A Different World sporting the colorful gear, bearing the names of popular Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Morgan State, NC A&T, Howard University and Jackson State were all prominently displayed on television along with several other HBCU's, helping to make college cool for potential students. Popular programs such as Rap City and YO! MTV Raps featured artists as diverse as Snoop Dogg, EPMD, Kriss Kross, and Grand Puba rocking gear promoting HBCU's.
If It's A Different World caused an explosion of applicants to historically Black schools, the AACA gear definitely aided in the popularity as well, and Rock The Bells continues to celebrate and elevate HBCU culture.