How the Fit of Jeans Has Changed in Hip-Hop: A Visual Timeline

Following the denim trend, one era at a time.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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There's one article of clothing that's remained timeless in hip-hop fashion. No, it's not Flavor Flav's clock, nor is it Kanye West's shutter shades, and it most definitely isn't Cam'ron's fuzzy pink hat. We're talking about jeans. Yes, everyone wears them, and has for decades, but rap has a particularly special relationship with denim.

The Beastie Boys were cuffing their jeans to give us a good look at their adidas in the '80s, and pants got baggy enough to fit two people in one pair in the '90s. These days, A$AP Rocky is rocking waxed denim and even Jay-Z has succumbed to slimmer cuts.

With all of that in mind, here's a visual timeline of How the Fit of Jeans Has Changed in Hip-Hop.

Written by Tannis Spencer (@LaVisionary)

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Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (circa 1981)

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Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force (circa 1983)

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Run-D.M.C. (1984)

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Beastie Boys (1984)

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N.W.A (circa 1986)

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Pete Rock (circa 1987)

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Ice-T (circa 1988)

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Salt-n-Pepa (circa 1988)

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Kriss Kross (1992)

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2Pac (1993)

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Ma$e (circa 1995)

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Mobb Deep (1995)

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Black Star (1998)

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DMX (circa 1998)

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St. Lunatics (2001)

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Dipset (2003)

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Pharrell (2006)

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50 Cent (2006)

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Soulja Boy (2007)

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Jim Jones (circa 2008)

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New Boyz (2009)

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OJ Da Juiceman (2010)

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Kanye West (2012)

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Jay-Z (2012)

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A$AP Rocky (2013)

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