Here's the History Behind the Jordan Brand Flight Suit Drake Rocked at OVO Fest

Nice Kicks drops a brief history lesson on the Jordan Brand flight suit, the same 'fit Drake rocked at the sixth annual OVO Fest.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

Though he completely killed it during last night’s OVO Fest performance, Drake still received his fair share of shade thrown by social media—specifically for rocking two Jordan Brand flight suits.

People quickly called out the rapper for his style choice, comparing the ‘fit to a Power Ranger of Ghostbusters costume; however, it was clear many people didn’t know what the suit actually was—nor were they aware of the history behind the design.

Well thanks to the crew over at Nice Kicks, we now have the back story.

Turns out the origins of the design go all the way back to the Nike Air Force 1 rollout, but didn’t really catch on until Michael Jordan rocked it when he debuted his iconic Air Jordan 1 sneaker. According to Nice Kicks, the first iterations fused the traditional track suit with aviation flight suits, and were available in black/red and black/royal colorways. Since then, the design has experienced a handful of updates and revivals, which were sparked by both NBA athletes and high-profile rappers during the late 1980s and early ‘90s. Eazy-E and Will Smith were two of the artists credited for giving new life to the outfit nearly three decades ago. And now, it looks like one of today’s most influential rappers is attempting to bring it back.

Though we’ve insisted that Drake is no style icon, he definitely has pull within the hip-hop community. And he just might have enough momentum to make the Jordan Brand flight suit cool again. So will it happen? Only time will tell.

To read the full history of this storied suit, go to Nice Kick’s website

Latest in Style