Image via Complex Original
In case you've been living under a rock, Marithé + François Girbaud, the French denim company that's had numerous hip-hop stalwarts rocking it for decades, is going bankrupt. If you're a total nerd about hip-hop and clothing, like us, then you can probably think of a couple of rap songs that name drop the brand.
It turns out there are a lot more than we thought. We racked our brains and thought about the funny and random shout-outs the Girbaud got, and the diverse array of rappers that are familiar with the brand. Arranged in chronological order, here's A Brief History of Girbaud References In Hip-Hop.
Del the Funky Homosapien “The Wacky World of Mass Transit” (1991)
Del the Funky Homosapien “The Wacky World of Mass Transit” (1991)
Lyrics: “Because 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.”
Damn, remember when ironing your jeans was so necessary?
De La Soul “Oodles of O’s” (1991)
De La Soul “Oodles of O’s” (1991)
Lyrics: " Pos prints the peace on his jeans or Girbauds/But let the herd know if beef they wanna throw.”
Yooo De La Soul knows what's good with printed pants though.
Pete Rock f/ C.L. Smooth & Grand Puba "Skinz" (1992)
Pete Rock f/ C.L. Smooth & Grand Puba "Skinz" (1992)
Lyrics: “But anyway, you know the resume/Time to drop the Girbauds and parlay, hey.” (Grand Puba)
Can you fault Grand Puba for trying to get directly to the business?
The Notorious B.I.G. “Friend of Mine” (1994)
The Notorious B.I.G. “Friend of Mine” (1994)
Lyrics: " You see, I don't sweat these hoes/I keep them in flavors like Timbos and Girbauds.”
Biggie was a man of variety, and you couldn't blame him.
Mystikal “Y’all Ain’t Ready Yet” (1995)
Mystikal “Y’all Ain’t Ready Yet” (1995)
Lyrics: “Give a fuck about these raggly ass hoes/Grippin’ my nuts as I strut in my baggy ass Girbauds.”
It just wouldn't be a Mystikal line if there wasn't a reference to holding his dick.
Outkast “Two Dope Boyz (In A Cadillac)” (1996)
Outkast “Two Dope Boyz (In A Cadillac)” (1996)
Lyrics: " It goes chromes to the Fleetwoods, Coups to the Villes/Hittin’ Girbauds and off these flows we havin’ the playa chill.”
We're not sure how one hits Girbauds, but sure...
Fugees “Nappy Heads (Remix)” (1996)
Fugees “Nappy Heads (Remix)” (1996)
Lyrics: “A Mister Three Piece Suit/Check the square roots, Girbauds and Timberland boots.”
This is Lauryn Hill's description of a successful man in the '90s.
Master P “Mr. ice Cream Man” (1996)
Master P “Mr. ice Cream Man” (1996)
Lyrics: “Hit the blocks dressed in white with some baggy Girbauds/A pocket full of stones, 3 G's and tryin’ to lose these hoes.”
Master P had room for the stones and 3 G's in his baggy Girbauds though.
Common f/ Chantay Savage “Reminding Me (Of Sef)” (1997)
Common f/ Chantay Savage “Reminding Me (Of Sef)” (1997)
Lyrics: “Girbauds and Guess jeans we was takin’ in/Cranes and freight trains we was breakin’ in.”
Apparently Girbauds and Guess jeans were pretty essential attire to doing hood rat things in the '90s.
The Luniz “Scope” (1997)
The Luniz “Scope” (1997)
Lyrics: “Walked to the house and the bitch had about 12 kids(small world!)/Hangin on my brand new Girbauds/What's wrong wit my nose, I got a shit stain on my clothes.”
Wow that is both trifling and hilarious.
Puff Daddy f/ Jadakiss, Lil Kim, The Notorious B.I.G. & Sheek Louch “It's All About The Benjamins (Remix)” (1997)
Puff Daddy f/ Jadakiss, Lil Kim, The Notorious B.I.G. & Sheek Louch “It's All About The Benjamins (Remix)” (1997)
Lyrics: “I'm with Mo' sippers, watched by gold diggers/Rocking Girbaud denims with gold zippers.” (Jadakiss)
When this song came out it pretty much addressed everything that you needed to be a baller, except Girbauds. Thanks for ratifying that, Jadakiss.
Juvenile “Ha” (1998)
Juvenile “Ha” (1998)
Lyrics: “You keep your body clean ha/You got a lot of Girbaud jeans ha.”
The only two things Juvenile requires in a woman.
Big Tymers f/ Lil Wayne “Top of The Line Nigga” (1998)
Big Tymers f/ Lil Wayne “Top of The Line Nigga” (1998)
Lyrics: “I sticks to the cool/Reeboks and Girbauds/It's all about a mill/These hoes, diamonds and golds.”
Leave it to the Big Tymers to stick to the basics: Reeboks and Girbauds.
Da Brat “Fuck You” (2000)
Da Brat “Fuck You” (2000)
Lyrics: “And underneath my Girbauds and my boxer shorts/I rock Iceberg sports and Da Brat prints of all sorts.”
Of course Da Brat rocked Girbauds.
Cam’ron f/ Juelz Santana “Double Up” (2000)
Cam’ron f/ Juelz Santana “Double Up” (2000)
Lyrics: "I rather stand on poles with grams and o's/White shirt, construction Timbs, a pair Girbauds.” (Juelz Santana)
Juelz Santana outlines his basic uniform at the time.
Lil' Flip f/ Juvenile & Skip “I Can Do Dat (Remix)” (2000)
Lil' Flip f/ Juvenile & Skip “I Can Do Dat (Remix)” (2000)
Lyrics: “I still wear boxers wit Girbauds (I can do dat)/I can bag a whole block full of O's (I can do dat).” (Juvenile)
Fact: Juvenile has probably rapped about Girbauds more than anyone else on this list. It's him that spits this line on the Lil' Flip remix.
Ghostface Killah f/ Method Man, Raekwon & Superb “Flowers” (2001)
Ghostface Killah f/ Method Man, Raekwon & Superb “Flowers” (2001)
Lyrics: "And the .38, snub-nose, striking a pose/Baby girl spilled her drink on my clothes, the new Girbauds/Louis Rich, Hot Nikks, nigga what's happening?” (Method Man)
It's gotta suck to have someone spill a drink on your new shuttle jeans.
Redman “Diggy Doc” (2001)
Redman “Diggy Doc” (2001)
Lyrics: “Unload from my Girbauds and make it hot for homey/I puff so much of that green I bleed guacamole.”
You probably do not wanna see what Redman's packing beneath his Girbauds. Unless it's a bag of weed.
Tech N9ne “Devil Boy” (2003)
Tech N9ne “Devil Boy” (2003)
Lyrics: “I pose as angels clothes is mangled/Instead of Girbaud and Kangols.”
The arcane rapper opts for a mangled look instead of clean Girbauds and Kangol caps.
T.I. “Kingofdasouth” (2003)
T.I. “Kingofdasouth” (2003)
Lyrics: “Puttin' holes in yo' Girbaud wettin' up yo' Polos/44's and Callico's a black and a chrome/Lettin' loose and splackin' your dome.”
Do not fuck with the KING. He will ruin your jeans. With bullets.
The Notorious B.I.G. f/ R. Kelly & Charlie Wilson “Mi Casa” (2005)
The Notorious B.I.G. f/ R. Kelly & Charlie Wilson “Mi Casa” (2005)
Lyrics: “You see, I don't sweat these hoes/I keep 'em in flavors like Timbos and Girbauds/Bitches just like to play the merry-go.”
A posthumous Biggie verse that keeps it 100.
UNK f/ E-40, Jim Jones & T-Pain “2 Step (Remix)” (2007)
UNK f/ E-40, Jim Jones & T-Pain “2 Step (Remix)” (2007)
Lyrics: “Like Queens call the car dealer then the Girbaud dealer/Now we out at Vegas, poker face with the card dealer.” (Jim Jones)
Jim Jones drops this line on the UNK track.
Lil Wayne “Lightin’ Up My (La La La)” (2008)
Lil Wayne “Lightin’ Up My (La La La)” (2008)
Lyrics: “Used to sport the Gucci boots nigga, no laces/Striped polo, five pocket Girbaud/Mama got a two totter, I'm rockin' dolo.”
Weezy definitely dropped this verse before the jeggings days.
Jay Electronica “My Uzi Weighs A Ton” (2010)
Jay Electronica “My Uzi Weighs A Ton” (2010)
Lyrics: "While cats rock three-sixty waves, white tees, Girbauds, and Diadoras/Young guns is raised in the little shop of horror.”
Off the Victory mixtape, this banger really goes. The Diadora reference is also pretty on-point.
Heems “Coca Cola Freestyle” (2012)
Heems “Coca Cola Freestyle” (2012)
Lyrics: “Had the all black StarTAC in the Girbaud jeans (Mahonia black)/The Polo Rugby, my style real mean (and Nautica).”
Heems takes the throwback thing seriously. Now we gotta go find our old pagers and Nautica sneakers.
