(That's Beijing)
Updated: 2008-02-18 15:49

Apparently, middle-class kids in baggy jeans and oversized headphones don't really get the culture of hip-hop, but all this is set to change with the arrival of Bust Out.

Paco Ou, founder of Beijing's newest and largest streetwear emporium, plans to redefine the scene here. As well as selling distinctive technicolor print hoodies, authentic special edition sneakers, and one-of-a-kind T-shirts, Ou wants the store to be a platform from which to educate local youth on the origins of hip-hop culture and what it means in the Chinese context. “Poor kids from the south side of Beijing don't grow up with drugs and violence, but still have to hustle all day and have faith in themselves despite the odds,” he says. “This is part of what hip-hop is about.”

Having worked in apparel since the tender age of 15, Paco has had his share of hustling, and he's also learned to source the best products, 80 percent of which are exclusive to Bust Out. Some standout gear includes Levi's jeans (RMB 400-700), made from particularly raw denim intended for export to Japan, X-Large T-shirts (RMB 160), and Stussy Bandana Print T-shirts (RMB 160). Hoodies are the dominant outerwear with Prohibit (RMB 350), Hollywood Cartel (RMB 460), 686 (RMB 240), and Famous Stars and Stripes (RMB 240) among the more noteworthy brands.

All will surely appeal to the 15- to 25-year-olds who make up his primary clientele, but also to a certain middle-aged policeman, a Bust Out regular, who dresses in hip-hop style when he clocks off work. Hip-hop with Chinese characteristics indeed.

Bust Out
Daily 11am-10pm.
52-1 Longfusi Dajie (north of Dongsi Xidajie; the block between Dongsi Beidajie and Meishuguan Houjie), Dongcheng District
8404 9699