Most Iconic Rapper Jeans Through the Decades

Through the years, rappers have propelled many denim brands into the spotlight, weaving the jeans they love into the fabric of each decade’s rap aesthetic. Whether it was Lil Wayne’s frequent shoutouts of EVISU or Ye wearing Balmain’s ever-so-popular Moto Jeans while calling out Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs, rappers and their denim pants have been inseparable for as long as we can remember.

During the ’90s and early 2000s, baggy jeans emblazoned with eye-catching graphics were a must-have in rappers’ wardrobes. Brands such as Red Monkey and Girbaud made it easy for those eager to stand out. In the 2010s, rappers’ style became more diverse as they switched between extravagant designs from True Religions and Amiri’s rockstar skinnys.

Despite the ever-changing trends in fashion and the return of the beloved baggy jeans and jorts, one thing has remained the same: Rappers aren’t afraid to flaunt their love of jeans. These are The Most Iconic Rapper Jeans Through the Decades.

Brooklyn-bred designer Carl Williams changed his name, time zone, and trajectory when launching Karl Kani in 1989. Founded in Los Angeles shortly after his Crenshaw clothing store was robbed and gangster rap was invading mainstream America, Williams re-emerged under the aspirational moniker (literally, Can I?) creating space for hip-hop fashion in department stores worldwide.

Embodying Brooklyn’s baggy aesthetic by way of wide-leg, heavyweight denim, Karl Kani shifted the silhouette of hip-hop in lockstep with the artists who were moving the needle. Early endorsement from bi-coastal multi-hyphenate Tupac Shakur wasn’t a one-off as Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Puff Daddy, and the Notorious B.I.G. all repped Kani on red carpets and photoshoots. Oversized jeans sagged beneath boxers and above bulky boots, all stacked to perfection and each baring Karl Kani branding.

Though Kani is often credited as the godfather of streetwear, or perhaps Moses to urban fashion taking over the mall, his ability to reconstruct workwear and seamlessly market his apparel via artists proved prophetic. Karl Kani was very visible for the entirety of the ‘90s, worn in rap videos and stocked by big box department stores.

After emerging as a denim upstart in LA in the early ‘80s, Guess gained traction through provocative black-and-white advertisements and well-branded attire as the ‘90s approached. Angled as aspirational and available at Bloomingdale’s, the luxury lens Guess grew to fit made it a mainstay on then-emerging rappers in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. It got all the way stamped in 1994 when a 29-year-old Nas, rapped, “When I dress, it’s never nothing less than Guess,” on Illmatic’s “Represent.”

Placing the denim label in dialogue with Bally’s, Hennesy, and Cazal, Guess became a status symbol synonymous with street ambition. Straighter in leg and lighter in wash than Karl Kani, Guess held weight in hip-hop in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s before going mostly dormant within the genre before an A$AP Rocky-assisted rebrand in the mid-2010s brought it back to relevance.

From the early 1990s to the 2000s, Marithé + François Girbaud was a stalwart of the rap aesthetic. The French brand’s unique design, particularly the colorful “M + FG”-branded Velcro straps looped around the thigh and above the bottom hem, made their denim a sought-after item by rappers far and wide. In 1991, Del tha Funky Homosapien became one of the first rappers to drop a bar about Girbaud’s loose-fitting denim: “It’s 3:30, and the bus was due at 2:35/I iron my Girbauds so I can wait with pride/I waited at the bus stop feeling kinda high,” he rapped on “The Wacky World of Mass Transit.” Following Girbaud’s growing popularity through the decade, more rappers started rocking the famous denim and referencing it on their tracks into the new millennium.

Some of the most prominent hip-hop artists of the ’90s rhymed about the brand’s denim, including Notorious B.I.G. (“I keep them in flavors like Timbos and Girbauds”); OutKast (“Hittin’ Girbauds and off these flows we havin’ the playa chill”); and Grand Puba (“Girbauds hangin’ baggy, Hilfiger on the top”). Rappers’ affinity for Girbauds carried over to the next generation with artists such as Lil Wayne (“Striped polo, five-pocket Girbaud”); Jim Jones (“Like Queens call the car dealer then the Girbaud dealer”); and A$AP Rocky (“Girbaud jeans with hologram straps and reflectors.”). And their appeal wasn’t gender-specific, with Da Brat also showing love (“And underneath my Girbauds and my boxer short”).

Baby Phat defined the early aughts of Y2K style for a generation of women. In 1999, Kimora Lee Simmons launched the brand, blending glamorous living with the foundations of streetwear. The label brought a feminine flair to streetwear with blinged-out baby tees, velour tracksuits, puffer coats, and, most importantly, denim. The jeans were a popular staple, often adorned with the brand’s signature cat logo on the back pocket or along the leg. Baby Phat denim became a mainstay, so much so that in the 2003 hit “In Those Jeans,” Ginuwine name-dropped it on his list of jeans worn by women he most desired.

Throughout the 2000s, female rappers donned the brand, including Eve, Trina, and Lil Kim, who hit the runway at Baby Phat’s debut show in 2000. Fast-forward to the 2024 Grammys, where Ice Spice wore a custom Baby Phat two-piece denim set. The look channeled the ghetto fabulous energy of the 2000s, with a faux-fur trimmed jacket and skirt featuring a high middle slit and a long train. Her album is called Y2K!, after all.

Founded in 1991 by Hidehiko Yamane in Osaka, Japan, EVISU introduced Japanese raw denim to America in the early 2000s, and to rappers who loved boasting about the price (roughly $350 for a pair at the time), quality, and exclusivity of their clothing in their songs. Lil Wayne and Jay-Z were instrumental in ushering the premium seagull-branded denim into streetwear royalty. On various tracks, Lil Wayne declares EVISU essential to his wardrobe, most notably rapping in his motivational anthem “Hustler Musik”: “Black Peter Pan, fly ’til I die, what you are saying?/Bathing Ape, Yves Saint, Evisu what I stay in.” The bar described many of his looks at the time, in which he paired Bape camo hoodies and oversized outerwear with dark-washed denim.

Wayne wasn’t the only rapper to profess his love for the jeans on wax—Jay-Z (“These ain’t Diesel, n*gga, these is Evisu”), Jeezy (“Evisu jeans with the Bathing Apes”) and T.I (“Seen on the scene white tees and Evisu”) as well. In recent years, trendsetters Lil Uzi and Travis Scott, who landed a collaboration with EVISU in 2020, have thrust the brand back into the spotlight amid the revival of Y2K fashion.

Red Monkey was founded in 2002 in Hong Kong by Martin Ksohoh, who crafted innovative denim using cotton with soft lining. It was hard to miss a pair of Red Monkey (RMC) denim in the early 2000s, Jay-Z being among rappers who regularly wore them. The bold, intricate designs on the back set them apart, with heavily embroidered lions, dragons, and tsunami waves embellishing the pockets and surrounding space up to the yoke.

Jeezy and the late Shawty Lo also rapped about spending money on Red Monkey jeans and keeping money in them on the tracks “J.E.E.Z.Y” and “100000,” respectively. In 2020, Red Monkey released its Yoropiko Jay-Z exclusive denim, embroidered with the rapper’s iconic Roc-A-Fella hand symbol, reflecting his impact on the brand’s popularity.

Robin’s Jeans launched in 2005, imagined through the lens of a French immigrant obsessed with motorcycles, golden age cinema, and Native American folklore. The resulting product was a rock star aesthetic made in (and perhaps for) Los Angeles.

The at-one-point $400+ pants were quickly adopted by New York City rappers like French Montana. Cult cache, high prices, and rap’s late aughts flirtation with rock and roll fashion made Robin’s Jeans a status symbol for the loud and lavish. Fast forward to the mid 2010s and the winged jeans caught another wave, beloved by Fetty Wap, Chief Keef, Soulja Boy, and Kodak Black.

True Religion’s heavily stitched horseshoe back pockets were a true marker of the times. The brand’s premium jeans, featuring its iconic Super T stitch, gained popularity in hip-hop due to the influence of rappers like Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, and Jim Jones. Jones actually declared that he made the denim famous—and that he is equally responsible for the brand’s decline following its refusal to collaborate and compensate him for his influence. In 2011, 2 Chainz conveyed his love for TR by titling his mixtape T.R.U. REALigion, with cover art mirroring the brand’s signature font and a photo displaying the back of his jeans as he used the restroom.

After filing for bankruptcy in 2017 and 2020, True Religion’s resurgence leaned on collaborations with 2 Chainz, Dreezy, and Chief Keef (whose song “True Religion Fein” dropped in 2012), as well as campaigns featuring Flo Milli, Saweetie, and NLE Choppa. This year, fanbases eager to crown their respective rap queen attempted to pit Latto, Sexxy Red, and Ice Spice against each other regarding who wore the popular jeans first.

According to Kanye West, a late-aughts shopping trip in Paris led to an idea and a request to Balmain’s then-creative director Christophe Decarnin: make a pair of motorcycle jeans.

As luck would have it, Decarnin obliged and West received a pair of light blue, distressed denim biker jeans just in time for the 2009 MTV VMA Awards. West would wear them while interrupting Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech, leading him to flee America and intern at Fendi where he and Virgil Abloh would allegedly pitch the concept of the leather jogging pants.

Spinning the block, West would return to the US and the good graces of the French fashion house, requesting Balmain make him a pair of ruby red leather motorcycle pants to wear at the 2011 NBA All-Star Game. Over the course of the decade, Balmain Moto Jeans would make their way onto a slew of hip-hop artists in actuality or homage with Kid Cudi even crafting a ballad inspired by the item. In time, the ribbed style was soon adopted by fast fashion companies around the world. Balmain Moto Jeans are still in circulation today.

Swedish and sustainable, Nudie Jeans launched in 2001 with ties to punk rock. Eventually, it earned status in hip-hop during the 2010s Blog Era. Synonymous with skinny cuts and genre-bending artists, Nudies got early play from a young Wale during his “W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.” rise. They paired well with pink box SB Dunks, but resulted in side eyes when rap’s elder statesmen were still donning baggy denim.

Years later, A$AP Rocky would revive the same skinny style through his “street goth” era. The snug fitting pants paid homage to Rocky’s SoHo note taking in the late aughts, flipped for the dark, designer aesthetic he ushered in alongside the A$AP Mob. Today, Nudie Jeans are still prevalent, leaning more into the selvedge denim and the eco-conscious crowd than co-signs from artists.

French ready-to-wear brand A.P.C. (Atelier de Production et de Création) cemented its place in rap fashion during the trend shift to slimmer fits. Founded in Paris in 1987 by Jean Touitou, A.P.C. offers a wide range of men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, but it was its raw denim that took the hip-hop world by storm. ASAP Rocky, Ye, and Kid Cudi were frequent wearers of the brand’s Petit Standard and Petit New Standard selvedge denim, which took some time to physically break into. Wearers earn their stripes as their jeans begin to crease and fade, creating a custom look.

Rappers instrumental to the sound of the 2010s often shouted out the brand—Kid Cudi and Lil Uzi among them. In 2013, Ye wore light-wash A.P.C. jeans and a heather gray short-sleeve hoodie, which he later released in his capsule collection with the brand that same year. Ye released a second collection with A.P.C. inspired by military archives the following year. Towards the end of the decade, the brand linked up with Kid Cudi for a collection inspired by his 2018 joint album with Ye, Kids See Ghosts.

Australian fashion label Ksubi entered the zeitgeist in the 2000s, thanks to collaborations with Jeremy Scott and stunts like letting live rats out on the catwalk.

In the 2010s, changes in ownership and licensing led to a new reputation as the unofficial denim brand of rage rap. Ties to Travis Scott in 2017 led to a range of distressed jeans made for the moshpit and an eventual next-gen business model for the brand. The likes of Playboi Carti, Danny Brown, and XXXTENTACION have immortalized Ksubi in lyrics. The brand has also tapped Trippie Redd, SLAWN, and the Juice WRLD estate for collaborative capsules throughout the 2020s.

Mike Amiri founded his namesake California-based fashion house in 2014, launching with a range of leather jackets, shirts, and denim. He often handcrafted stage pieces for rock ’n’ roll stars, designing with embellishments, patches, bandana prints, and shotgun effects. But that didn’t stop rappers from rapping about them. “Mike Amiri, Mike Amiri,” goes the chorus of the late Pop Smoke’s hit song “Dior.”

As the rap aesthetic continued to trend in favor of slimmer-fitting jeans, Amiri’s signature skinny, distressed denim claimed its place in the wardrobe of Migos, Gunna, and Lil Baby. Post-Pop Smoke, Amiri became the uniform for all drill rappers, really becoming the standard for the scene. The brand eventually became one of the most mentioned brands in hip-hop music.

PURPLE is one of the more affordable luxury denim brands, offering a range of skinny, slim, straight, and baggy styles with various treatments and constructions—and all with the brand’s signature hang tag on the back. Young rappers such as NBA Youngboy and NLE Choppa incorporated the skinnier fit into their wardrobes, but it is UGK legend Bun B who had one of the most impactful relationships with the SoHo-based brand. Bun B and PURPLE’s partnership evolved with the Texas rapper wearing various custom looks designed by PURPLE’s co-founder and Houston native Luke Cosby at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. One of the ensembles featured a pair of black resin boot-cut jeans with black studs along the sides. Previously, the brand collaborated with Westside Gunn on a denim capsule adorned with “GXFR” (Griselda x Fashion Rebels) across the front and embroidered scorpions along the sides—very reminiscent of early 2000s denim.

Chrome Hearts was founded in 1988 by Richard Stark, John Bowman, and Leonard Kamhout, initially specializing in leather and heavy metals. Its gothic and punk-inspired denim and accessories have since become status symbols among today’s rap stars. The placement of Chrome Hearts’ signature cross motif is the focal point of its patch denim, featuring various colors, textures, and patterns, as well as a price tag of up to $2,000—that is, if you can purchase them at retail (resale value can run 10 times that).

In 2020, Lil Uzi (“Look at my back, Chrome Heart tags”) and Gunna (“Chrome Hearts skinnies but the pockets obese”) explicitly showed their support for Chrome Hearts in lyrics and track titles. In 2021, Drake took his affinity for Chrome Hearts a step further, linking up with the brand for a collaboration to celebrate the release of his album Certified Lover Boy. The collection featured none other than a pair of cross patch denim, which he was a frequent wearer of in late 2019, in a monochromatic blue design. Chrome Hearts denim has remained a mainstay in the wardrobes of Offset, Lil Baby, and Central Cee, and there’s no indication that its popularity will fade anytime soon.

In 2019, following his work as a DJ and stint as Ye’s creative director, Tremaine Emory founded Denim Tears, anchored on awareness about racism in America. The brand’s jackets, tees, and denim frequently feature iconography such as the Pan-African flags, imagery surrounding historical events and figures, and the now-famous cotton wreath. In 2020, Ye was one of the first rappers spotted wearing the all-over wreath-printed jeans as he sat courtside at NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago. The staple jeans quickly gained popularity within the hip-hop community, with trendsetters A$AP Rocky and Travis Scott further pushing the brand into the public eye.

The popularity continues beyond top rap artists, trickling down to their stylish kids. In a 2022 Instagram photo, Cardi B and Offset made Denim Tears a family affair by sporting matching Denim Tears sets with their children. The following year, Cardi B mentioned the brand on Latto’s track “Put It On The Floor Again,” rapping, “N***a, cry for what? Bitch, these are Denim Tears.” She probably won’t be the last to drop the brand’s name in a bar.

In March 2024, Cheer Guo, Cheng Lin, and Huaijin Wang’s streetwear passion project Birth of Royal Child was born. Within two months, the brand’s bedazzled 20K Diamond Jeans were going viral, landing on the likes of Gunna, Future, NLE Choppa, and Playboi Carti.

Often baggy and always bustdown, the Swarovski crystal adorned denim met the moment of outlandish stunting on stage and on the ‘gram. Across eras and hemispheres, Birth of Royal Child’s 20K denim line has been beloved by everyone from Fabolous to LISA.

Celine was founded in 1945 in Paris. Over the course of the fashion house’s history, Celine largely loomed outside of the culture. In the 2010s, the likes of Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, and Pharrell donned Celine on occasion in pronounced elegance, while trap stalwarts wore Celine logo apparel as if it were luxury streetwear.

It wasn’t until 2025 in New Orleans when Kendrick Lamar performed in Celine Flares that the designer brand had a denim moment that made musical waves. Worn by Lamar during his Super Bowl Halftime Performance, the bell bottom jeans proved to be the most talked about attire worn by Lamar, and swiftly sold out soon after.

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