Hydraulics and Hip-Hop: Story of Lowrider Culture in Americ

A part of American vehicle culture
Lowrider is pleasing to the eye
It started like this…

In the U.S., there is a unique vehicle culture that often pleases people’s eyes. Among them, the Lowrider, which modifies the lower part of the vehicle body to lower the ride height and change the height of the axle by installing hydraulic power, is reminiscent of a vehicle running around and often appears in various media.

In particular, it has become established in the hip-hop culture of the western U.S., appearing in the music videos of many hip-hop artists. Even now, Lowrider vehicles are often seen in the west of the U.S. Let’s take a closer look at why they appeared and their origins.

A Culture of Latin American Immigrants
Resisting Mainstream White Culture

It is not known precisely when the Lowrider culture began. It is known to have developed in the Mexican immigrant community in the U.S. from the 1940s to 1950s. In addition to the air suspension, which is the biggest feature, another feature is that the vehicle is mainly tuned to large sedans and decorated with chrome wheels, high-performance audio, and handmade paint decorations.

In contrast to hot rod tuning, another popular tuning method at the time, which developed with an emphasis on speed, Lowrider reflected the slow and leisurely tone, one of Mexican immigrants’ culture and lifestyles. This also differentiated them from the Americans at the time. Resist the white culture that was the mainstream of society, and their efforts to express their views are reflected in the vehicle.

Spread to the African-American Community
A Symbol of Hip-Hop Culture

For that reason, such vehicles were regulated in areas where lowriders were prevalent. However, they escaped crackdowns and survived for a long time, and they have continued to spread to Latinos and then to African Americans. At the same time, as African-American music, hip-hop, and rap music became mainstream culture, they also solidified their position as one of the symbolic elements of hip-hop, especially in the Western U.S.

In particular, if we look at hip-hop music videos from the 1980s and ’90s, they show off their presence without falling into hip-hop culture, appearing in most of the videos. As time goes by, hip-hop has become a uniquely American vehicle culture rather than the exclusive domain of a specific group or race, and we can enjoy various shows and performances.

Mainly tuning American large sedans
From non-mainstream culture to mainstream culture

Another notable feature is that the representative model used in Lowriders is Chevrolet’s sedan. The main models are Chevrolet Impala and Bel Air, and other premium American sedans such as Cadillac, Buick, and Pontiac are also converted into Lowriders.

Lowriders resist mainstream society and express their individuality while belonging to the non-mainstream. This was reflected in automobiles, which became icons that expanded into a wide range of areas, including music and art. It is interesting to see that they are now having a positive impact, becoming part of the mainstream culture of vehicle enthusiasts beyond the U.S. and around the world.