Leather Hat Worn by Chief Rocker Busy Bee

Many of Busy Bee’s stage outfits, including the hat seen here, were designed by famous designer Dapper Dan. As New York’s premier designer of custom leather goods, Dapper Dan worked out of his boutique on 125th Street in Harlem tailoring to all the city’s top Hip-Hop artists. His boutique operated from 1982–92 and is most associated with introducing high fashion to the Hip-Hop world. Dan's trademark was his bold and unauthorized usage of logos from high-end luxury brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Fendi. 

Known for his comedic rhymes, old school MC, Busy Bee/Chief Rocker Busy Bee/Busy Bee Starski (David Parker, b. 1962) gained a large following from MC rap battles in the Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. Busy Bee who was known for his fashion sense was a member of the Cassanova Gang who were also admired for their dress style. When he became a famous local DJ, his fashion sense also added to his popularity. He was called “Busy Bee Starski” because he was known to switch from one rap group to the next and his peers said his rhyming style was like Love Bug Starski. Busy Bee worked with several New York’s best Hip-Hop DJs, including Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Busy Bee’s legacy as an expert jive-rapper known made an impact on the early years of Hip-Hop for his humorous and crowd-motivating rhymes.