“Camo shorts go with anything I wanna wear…”
From Biggie’s iconic Timberlands to Wiz’s well-loved Chucks, hip hop has constantly and consistently influenced streetwear. Denver is no exception.
At Denver Fashion Week, streetwear had a notable influence. Even beyond the night dedicated to this style, elements of streetwear could be spotted on stage throughout the week from custom bombers and loud prints to‘90s denim and baggy cargos.
Don MegaTron, Photo by Roxanna Carrasco
For that reason, hip hop’s direct presence on stage at Denver Fashion Week is only fitting. Denver-based rap artist Don MegaTron hosted and performed at the week’s Streetwear and Sustainable events.
As a prominent name on Denver-based independent label Trackyon Music, MegaTron is at the forefront of the city’s ever-growing hip hop circuit. Having grown up in 303 territory, he has witnessed the growth of hip hop from the underground to the undercurrent that spans through the city.
At the same time, Don MegaTron is no stranger to the Denver fashion scene.
MegaTron started modeling when he was 18 years old and, as such, grew into young adulthood collaborating with local designers and creatives in the fashion industry. Previous to his role as host and performer, MegaTron participated in Denver Fashion Week as a model and behind-the-scenes. Entrenched in the city’s fashion culture, MegaTron is keenly familiar with how it intertwines with Denver’s evolving music scene.
“I really just fell in love with Denver fashion because it was unique. It wasn’t LA. It wasn’t New York. It’s not Detroit, but we also like vans. We’ve had these different eras where we’ve seen fashion evolve and grow,” said MegaTron. “You see someone take materials and make something from nothing and make a garment that’s unique to here, and it’s all about the love and the intention that you’re putting into it. The dope thing about music is that it’s the exact thing–the love, the intention, the power that I put behind my words that creates this melody and beat that creates elements that stimulate your mind”
On the night of the Streetwear show, MegaTron energized the sold-out crowd with performances of his releases “Gwapamole” and “PRIMETIME.”
At the Sustainable show, MegaTron donned an unreleased letterman CRWN cap from local brand GLD’N BRWN. When it comes to personal style, MegaTron stays innovative: like his music, he views fashion as an opportunity for authentic expression of self. Alongside that aspect, supporting local artists is an essential element to MegaTron‘s style and a pillar of the collaborative mentality that MegaTron consistently maintains: by supporting each other, Denver creatives can make space for innovation, unified growth, and national success.
For his final performance of the week, MegaTron was joined by fellow Trackyon emcee Hanzo the Phantom. Though Hanzo the Phantom‘s personal style may seem more subdued, it is no less intentional. Opting for darker colors and emphasizing comfort, Hanzo the Phantom still sprinkles in classic elements of hip hop style, often letting his sneakers take the spotlight. During his performance at Sustainable Night, he rocked a shadowy fit, adding flair with a pair of RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Dunks.
Throughout their performance, the pair’s chemistry crackled, demonstrating their expertise in hyping up any audience, no matter the venue.
Hanzo the Phantom
“The expressions of yourself go hand-in-hand when it comes to music and fashion. If you have a great outfit and you have great theme music, it makes you feel good,” said MegaTron. “Music and fashion just make people feel good about themselves. They identify with the pain, the struggles, the happiness, the energy, the beat, whatever it is, it resonates and it keeps people’s attention.”
The onstage chemistry and passion between Hanzo the Phantom and Don MegaTron transfers behind the scenes: the pair are energetic about strengthening Denver hip hop’s reputation—not only within their hometown but across the nation. Between opening for Tech Nine in Nebraska, selling out shows in West Hollywood, and independently funding a tour to Seattle, Arlington, Detroit and Denver, the artists of Trackyon are making an effort to put Denver on the map as a prominent city for hip hop.
“Denver is a very dense concentration of talent that is untapped,” said Hanzo the Phantom. “A lot of people will say that Denver’s problem is that we don’t have A&Rs and we don’t have labels and we don’t have music business. What we’re doing is creating a culture in the city. Not just conforming to ‘what do we think Denver hip hop needs to be?’–we do what Denver hip hop needs to be for us.”
Without major music labels within the city, this deep pool of talent remains underrated and underappreciated. Because no Denver rap artist has burst the bubble into the mainstream—there’s no clear path forward for creatives who know they can produce something that resonates.
This reality indicates a challenge–but it also opens the door for opportunity to take risks, make moves that have never been made before, and blaze a path themselves.
“We’re Denver’s best kept secret. All the artists out here can do similar things, but when you ask who’s putting it all together–team by team, person by person, play by play-I don’t think there’s anyone that’s doing it like us. I don’t think there’s anybody that’s going to do it like us,” said MegaTron. “And what we’re trailblazing on is for people who are 10 and 12 years old right now and have no idea that they’re going to be the leaders of this Denver hip hop scene that take it over one day. But if they watch us and they follow us, they’ll have a blueprint and they’ll have an idea on how to do things.”
Because there’s no blueprint, Don MegaTron and Hanzo the Phantom are instead taking matters into their own hands. They seek to create a culture built on connection, accountability, and consistency.
One way of creating such a culture is not simply by being the first but instead, in their words–and, hailing “Wu-Tang Forever,” in Drake’s words, too–by “doing it right.” To Don MegaTron and Hanzo the Phantom, doing it right means artists must not only believe in individual talent but also ask themselves what they can contribute to help those around them chase their dreams.
“It ain’t about who did it first, it’s about who did it right,” said Hanzo the Phantom. “What makes us special is that we expect a level of professionalism mixed with ‘I can help you, you can help me.’ And that’s our mentality and that’s the mentality that affects change.”
They believe the best way to establish that blueprint is through unifying Denver creatives – from rappers and producers to designers and stylists. This unification will create a platform where everyone wins: by helping each other, Denver creatives can help themselves.
What makes Denver unique in both fashion and hip hop is the willingness to innovate, the willingness to self express by combining unexpected elements and taking risks. Unification of these unique individuals, then, can create a bigger platform to put Denver on the map as a city with a culture unlike any other.
With the two already so closely tied, strengthening the relationship between Denver hip hop artists and creatives in the fashion industry is a natural step toward unification and success.
Don MegaTron and Hanzo the Phantom with fellow Trackyon artist Teach (right) and intern Trey Slim
“It’s so important that we set the tone. It’s so important that we set precedent. It’s so important that we set the vibe and the understanding of what it means to be a professional Denver rap artist,” said MegaTron. “We don’t have ‘the one,’ someone who has undoubtedly broken through into the mainstream and is now considered a mainstream artist. Imagine if Denver was leading in that unification, with artists from every side of the spectrum and we’re unifying it and making that bigger than what it is. And if we unify, maybe that’s a platform that changes things. And maybe out of that platform, there arises ‘the one.’”
Above all else, Don MegaTron and Hanzo the Phantom emphasize the passion behind the project.
“We quit school because of recess. We do this because there’s a love and a passion that creates this fun environment that people can feed off of and believe in,” said MegaTron.
Don MegaTron and Hanzo the Phantom can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.
All photography by Roxanna Carrasco.