There’s no hip-hop fashion, no streetwear, without the one and only April Walker. Her brand Walker Wear made her the first woman to dominate within the space, and kicked off an industry that would command billions of dollars.

Before Walker Wear she opened a Brooklyn boutique and custom shop named Fashion in Effect. The year was 1987, and it was there that she worked with the who’s who of hip-hop, Brooklyn, and the industry at-large. She styled Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G., Run-DMC, Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, and Method Man, to name a small few.

The way hip-hop dresses would be different if it weren’t for April Walker.

August 14, 2026

Nadirah Simmons

Apani B. Fly

August 14, 2026

Nadirah Simmons

Apani Nicole Smith
17 September 1974

Well-respected in indie hip-hop circles for her lyricism and collaborations, Apani released her first single “Estrogen” in 1996. She’s worked with prominent rappers like MF Doom, Pharoahe Monch, and Nujabes, and released her debut album Rhyme Related in 1999.