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Suit Jacket Formerly Owned by Professor X
Suit Jacket Formerly Owned by Professor X

Suit Jacket Formerly Owned by Professor X

Performing artist Professor X
Associated name X Clan
Datec.1990
Mediumpolyester
DimensionsOverall (Width x Length x Chest): 33 1/16 × 34 7/16 × 24 in. (83.979 × 87.471 × 60.96 cm), shoulders?
Credit LineMoPOP permanent collection
Object number1999.477.3
Text Entries

This suit jacket was formerly owned by Professor X (Lumumba Carson) of the Brooklyn-based X-Clan. Like this suit jacket, every garment and accessory worn by X-Clan members is considered to possess its own unique energy or spirit. As the leader of one of Rap’s most Afrocentric groups, Professor X commonly adorned himself in garments similar to those worn by many African tribal chieftains. Professor X and his group mates wore African medallions and were often dressed in clothing with the Black nationalist colors of red, black and green. 

The Afrocentric or African-centered style and political thinking that emerged in the late ’80s and early ’90s of Hip-Hop culture was all about Black people getting in touch with their African roots. This style and political lyricism meant embracing the African culture and lifestyle. Artists who participated in Afrocentric fashions wore Black nationalist colors that dominated the clothing and fashion, accompanied with African print hats, clothing, chains, and medallions. 

Leader of the ’90s Hip-Hop group X-Clan, Professor X, Baba Professor X the Overseer, or PXO, (Lumumba Carson, 1956-2006) was born the son of a Brooklyn-based activist, Black nationalist, and community leader. Professor X began his Hip-Hop career as a promoter for the Hip-Hop group Whodini. Discovered by Paradise Gray, Professor X was considered a lyrical mastermind in Hip-Hop with his politically conscious and Afrocentric lyricism. Like the bald Professor X of the X-Men, he was intelligent and a mentor. Professor X often noted that the X-Clan had a “purpose that continues beyond our records.” That purpose was the uplift of African-Americans through self-awareness and historical knowledge. He is also known for the sound of his signature catch phrase, “Vanglorious! This is protected by the Red, the Black, and the Green with a key, sissy!,” that he delivered at the beginning of X-Clan’s 1990 song “Funkin’ Lesson.”

Brown polyester jacket with pink Egyptian hieroglyphics prints. Gold and red stitching on shoulders, cuffs and bottom of jacket. Four brown buttons sit in the middle of jacket.
CopyrightThis work is issued under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) License. For more information, go to https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
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Suit Trousers Formerly Owned by Professor X
Professor X
Date: c. 1990
Medium: polyester
Object number: 1999.477.4
Crown with Ankh Symbol and Outline of Africa Hat Formerly Owned by Professor X
Professor X
Date: 1990-1995
Medium: leather
Object number: 1999.477.1
Crown with Ankh Symbol Formerly Owned by Professor X
Professor X
Date: c. 1990
Medium: leather
Object number: 1999.477.2
Two-Strand Necklace Formerly Owned by Professor X
Professor X
Date: c. 1990
Medium: shell, plastic
Object number: 1999.477.9
Wood Bead Necklace Formerly Owned by Professor X
Professor X
Date: c. 1990
Medium: wood
Object number: 1999.477.11
Cane Formerly Owned by Professor X
Professor X
Date: c. 1990
Medium: wood
Object number: 1999.477.5
Amber Necklace Formerly Owned by Professor X
Professor X
Date: c. 1990
Medium: wood
Object number: 1999.477.6
Coconut Shell Necklace Formerly Owned by Professor X
Professor X
Date: c. 1990
Medium: shell
Object number: 1999.477.7
Wood and Metal Necklace Formerly Owned by Professor X
Professor X
Date: c. 1990
Medium: wood, metal
Object number: 1999.477.8
Public Enemy Baseball Jacket Formerly Owned by Chuck D
Chuck D
Date: c. 1990
Medium: polyester
Object number: 2001.448.2
Zulu Nation Pendant Formerly Owned by Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa
Date: c. 1970
Medium: polyester; cord; metalwork
Object number: 1998.854.20
X-Clan Airbrushed Shirt
Professor X
Date: 1990-1995
Medium: cotton (textile)
Object number: 1999.477.13
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