Back in the mid-90s, street cred wasn’t about likes or followers—it was about what you owned, what you wore, and what you knew. If you had any of these, you weren’t just cool—you were certified legendary in the halls of your middle school.
1. Owning a Starter Jacket (Even If You Didn’t Watch Sports)
Did you actually care about the Charlotte Hornets or Chicago Bulls? Probably not. But you needed that oversized satin Starter jacket to prove you were somebody.
2. Having a Clear Landline Phone That Lit Up When It Rang
Nothing screamed peak 90s like a transparent phone that glowed neon when your BFF called. Bonus points if you stretched the cord across the house for privacy.
3. Being Able to Rewind a Cassette Tape to the Perfect Spot Using Just Your Intuition
No fancy digital tracking—just pure skill and a deep understanding of tape tension. If you could land on the start of your favorite song on the first try, respect.
4. Knowing All the Words to “Shoop” by Salt-N-Pepa
If you could flawlessly rap Salt-N-Pepa’s Shoop (or at least pretend you could during the fast part), your cool factor skyrocketed instantly.
5. Wearing JNCO Jeans That Could Fit a Whole Textbook in the Back Pocket
The wider the leg, the cooler you were. Who needed a backpack when your jeans could literally carry half your locker?
6. Mastering the Art of Recording the Perfect Mixtape Off the Radio
Waiting hours for your favorite song to come on, only to have the DJ talk over the intro? A true mixtape pro knew exactly when to hit record.
7. Owning a Tamagotchi and Actually Keeping It Alive
If you managed to keep your pixelated pet alive longer than a week without it turning into an angel, you were basically a responsible adult.
8. Getting Your Hair Highlighted with a Cap and Hook
Sitting in a salon while someone yanked tiny strands of hair through a plastic cap with a metal hook? Peak beauty torture. But worth it for those streaky highlights.
9. Owning a Beeper and Actually Knowing the Codes
Having a beeper was only half the battle. If you knew the secret numeric codes—like 143 (I love you) or 823 (thinking of you)—you were operating at another level of cool.
10. Rocking a Choker Necklace (Stretchy or Velvet, It Didn’t Matter)
If you didn’t have a black stretchy tattoo choker or a velvet ribbon tied around your neck, were you even trying?
11. Rolling Up One Pant Leg Like LL Cool J
Did we understand why we did this? No. Did we all do it anyway? Absolutely.
12. Owning a Discman (Even If It Skipped Constantly)
Bringing your CD collection to school in a Case Logic binder was a major flex, but actually owning a Discman? Next-level cool—even if every step you took made it skip like crazy.
If you had even one of these, your 90s street cred was undeniable. If you had all of them? Bow down, because you were iconic. What did we miss? Drop your best 90s flex in the comments!
