Once they become famous, singers tend to try to spread their wings beyond making music, looking for new ways to express themselves and to make more money at the same time, so we’re now we’re going to take a look at 13 rappers who own successful clothing lines.
Since celebrities like wearing pretty clothes all the time and, most often than not, they’re not seen wearing the same thing over and over again, creating their own clothing lines seems to be the logical next step for a long list of musicians, actors and so on.
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Fashion soon becomes second nature for people who often have to dress to impress and who have constant contact with designers. With the right push from their agents, many celebrities become fashion designers whether they have talent on their own or not. If the latter is true, then designer help is easy to come by and so a new clothes collection is born.
These clothing lines are often accessible as far as price goes and they’re easily marketable via their producers’ fame. The rapper’s fanbase makes up the primary buyer, but often, if they’re good enough, other people will buy them too. It depends, of course, on the products they’re selling, on the prices and the quality of the brand.
Most often than not, you’ll notice that the clothes in these lines are sporty, so they’ll probably fit quite nicely with a pair of athletic footwear. You can check out the 11 most popular brands of sport shoes in a separate article we published a while back.
In order to create our listing for the day, we took a look at several popular websites mentioning clothing lines coming from rappers. Each mention earned the rapper one point. If two or more got the same points, they were set apart by the number of years passed since their lines hit the shops and whether or not the clothes were still selling. All in all, here are 13 rappers who own successful clothing lines.
13. Eminem
Points – 2
The Real Slim Shady stood up and made an empire for himself. Starting out in an industry others didn’t feel like he belonged in due to his skin color, Eminem managed to become one of the most successful rappers, songwriters and record producers in the world. He also tried his hand at acting for a while, managing to have some success.
Eminem’s Shady Limited clothing line was launched quite a few years back and it included T-shirts and hats. After a break, the line came back with hoodies, t-shirts and other accessories. Fashion was never Eminem’s main focus, but his line was somewhat successful anyway.
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12. 50 Cent
Points – 2
Curtis James Jackson III, better known as 50 Cent, launched the G-Unit Clothing Company back in 2003 after he teamed up with Marc Ecko, the man behind Ecko Unlimited. The clothing line fits the “urban” style that is so popular and it includes hats, shirts and other accessories.
After five years this particular line went dead, but there have been discussions about relaunching production.
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11. Andre 3000
Points – 2
Better known as a member of rap group Outkast, André 3000 has always been stylish, something that was obvious in all the videos he appeared in. So, when he decided to launch a clothing line it wasn’t really a surprise for anyone.
The Benjamin Bixby clothing line is influenced by 1930s American football clubbers. The items were described as “preppy” by many, and they were quite popular for a while. The line went dead, but many expect it to be reborn at one point or another in the future, especially given André 3000’s fashion sense.
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10. Wu-Tang Clan
Points – 2
Back in the 90s, the Wu-Tang Clan was rising to fame so it seemed only natural that it wouldn’t take long before a clothing line would hit the stores. And that’s how things were, in the end, as the Wu Wear clothing line was launched. They were one of the first rappers to launch a brand of their own and it’s one of the longest lasting.
They’re still selling gear, including T-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, shorts, jackets, accessories and more. The items aren’t selling at luxury prices, but they’re not cheap either.
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9. Pusha T
Poits – 4
Pusha T is one of the rappers that are quite popular across the United States. His name is also tied to a brand line called Play Cloths which mostly consists of t-shirts. They’re covered in all types of messages that you might or might not enjoy wearing, but you can be quite choosy with what you pick since there are a lot of options. They’re also quite pricey, ranging from expensive to more expensive. Then again, if you want to pay $100 for a long sleeved shirt, then you’ve found the right place.
8. Nicki Minaj
Points – 4
Nicki Minaj has earned her fame thanks to her music, but also thanks to the way she looks. She has never been afraid to put her assets into the right light and it’s been obvious how much she loves fashion. The fact that she ended up launching a clothing line came as no surprise to fans.
The line includes women’s clothes and it’s divided into two – couture and classic. Dresses, jackets, bottoms, tops and one-pieces are included. As you’d expect, the couture collection features more expensive items, while the Classic one is more accessible for those whose pockets don’t run quite that deep.
7. Tyga
Points – 4
Last Kings is a clothing line launched by rapper Tyga. Most of the items in the line are dedicated to men, including t-shirts, hoodies and pants, as well as hats, beanies, and a wide range of accessories. While the line has some fans, others consider it to be quite tacky.
The items are reasonably priced, which might help attract more buyers. The line is quite controversial, which earned it more fame, as Tyga’s former business partner Chuon Gen Lee has decided to sue the rapper, saying he is stealing her concepts.
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6. T.I.
Points – 4
T.I. is another rapper that’s been quite proficient in creating a clothing brand. AKOO, which stands for A King of Oneself, features “fine quality streetwear for gentlemen of exceptional style,” as the site states.
It includes t-shirts, knit items, polos, pants, outwear, sweaters and plenty of accessories to complete your look. None of the items are overly expensive, but they’re not exactly cheap either. You can put together a nice outfit without breaking the bank and people are quite happy with the quality of the items, which is why T.I. has found its place in this list of rappers who own successful clothing lines.
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5. Jim Jones
Points – 4
Jim Jones is another rapper that has created a pretty popular clothing line. New Vamp City has been around since 1999 and it has fared quite well over the years. The brand sells t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, hats, pants, tank tops and more.
Considering just how many rapper-born brands have been created and died since 1999, it’s quite refreshing to see one that has made it and that’s still going strong as New Vamp City.
4. Sean Combs
Points – 4
Created in 1998, Sean John is the clothing brand of one of the most famous rappers out there. Since he’s gone through so many name changes (Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy, Puffy), it’s nice to see that at least his clothing line has kept its identity over the years.
Sean John is actually one of the most successful brands of its like. Many musicians like Puffy himself have helped advertise his clothing line, including Mariah Carey, Usher, Pharrell Williams, Busta Rhymes and more.
The line includes clothes that are sporty yet classy, but they’re on the more expensive side when it comes to prices. If you want, there’s also footwear, watches and even kids’ clothes to buy, on top of the regular t-shirts, pants and jackets.
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3. Pharrell Williams
Points – 6
The singer, songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams has not one, but two clothing lines under his name. Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream both consist of T-shirts, polos, outwear, suits, shirts, hats, sneakers, underwear, socks, accessories; pretty much everything you could wish for.
The brands have been around since 2005 and they’ve both been doing quite well, even though the items are a bit on the pricey side. Even so, investors are coming from multiple sides, pouring money into the brands, which is a big success for the rapper.
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2. Jay Z
Points – 6
Jay Z’s clothing line Rocawear is quite possibly one of the most popular of them all, especially since it’s been around for quite a while now. The brand was introduced back in 1999 and has been going strong ever since. Its co-founders are Jay Z and Damon Dash and their names have helped the brand reach a point where it has annual sales of $700 million.
Originally catering to men looking for various street sportswear, it now sells clothes for children and juniors, as well as women, people who are “big and tall,” plus size and so on. The line includes t-shirts, headwear, jewelry, sunglasses, belts, handbags, pants, and so on.
The items have accessible prices and the clothes are all quite nice, so you’re sure to find something you like among the many options available.
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1. Lil Wayne
Points – 7
Lil Wayne may not be the most beloved rapper out there, but he’s certainly one that has a successful clothing line. Trukfit is a line that’s quite popular right now, featuring tops, t-shirts, sweatshirts, pants, shorts, as well as hats and accessories.
The items are not exactly cheap, but they’re not exorbitantly priced either. If you really want to try out the clothes in this line you should be ready to spend a pretty penny on a full outfit. Either way, you’ll then be able to pride yourself in wearing a rapper’s brand, if that’s something to pride yourself with, anyway.
Somehow, Lil Wayne’s clothing line got the most mentions across the websites we scoured to find more about these rappers that are so successful in the fashion industry. That puts him at the top of the list of the 13 rappers who own successful clothing lines.
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