Image via Complex Original
Recently, we fell into a glorious Internet wormhole of hip-hop and fashion from the 1990s. We trolled through the forums and scanned an entire decade's worth of magazine archives to find these throwback advertisements starring the biggest industry names rocking the flyest gear of the era.
Chances are these ads will transport you back to a magical time when you were first developing an interest in hip-hop and fashion. An interesting thing of note is that not many rappers were starring in ad campaigns in the first half of the decade. It was only until 1995 or so that companies realized that rappers were commercially viable. And this being pre-Internet, there are phone numbers on the ads (bonus points if you call to see if they still work). Phone numbers! When websites start showing up on the ads in the later part of the decade, most are accompanied by an email address, usually @AOL.com.
If your mind hasn't exploded from reading about how things worked before the world wide web, then click through these 90 advertisements. We've ranked the most stylish rappers of all time, and also documented the best overall trends of the 90s, so it was only natural that we combined the two worlds to look at The 90 Best Hip-Hop Fashion Ads of the '90s.
RELATED:Â Green Label - The 20 Best Hip Hop Fashions from the 90s
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90. Wu Wear
Rapper: Ghostface Killah and U-God
Year: 1995
89. Karl Kani
Rapper: Puff Daddy
Year: 1996
88. Lugz
Rapper: Outkast
Year: 1998
87. Pelle Pelle
Rapper: Redman
Year: 1995
86. Cross Colours
Rapper: Snoop Dogg
Year: 1993
85. Varcity
Rapper: Goodie Mob
Year: 1998
84. Verso
Rapper: Redman
Year: 1997
83. Pelle Pelle
Rapper: Cam'ron
Year: 1999
82. Starter
Rapper: Funkmaster Flex
Year: 1998
81. Lugz
Rapper: Snoop Dogg
Year: 1998
80. Slammin Gear
Rapper: Onyx
Year: 1994
79. Wu Wear
Rapper: Raekwon
Year: 1995
78. Lugz
Rapper: Master P, Silkk the Shocker, and C-Murder
Year: 1998
77. Ecko Unltd.
Rapper: Timbaland
Year: 1999
76. Starter
Rapper: Funkmaster Flex
Year: 1998
75. Rocawear
Rapper: Jay-Z
Year: 1999
74. Pelle Pelle
Rapper: Keith Murray
Year: 1995
73. Karl Kani
Rapper: Nas
Year: 1996
72. Lugz
Rapper: AZ
Year: 1996
71. Echo Unltd.
Rapper: Prodigy
Year: 1996
70. Pelle Pelle
Rapper: Run-D.M.C.
Year: 1999
69. Sean John
Rapper: Puff Daddy and Mase
Year: 1999
68. True Baller
Rapper: Cam'ron and Charli Baltimore
Year: 1998
67. Pelle Pelle
Rapper: Krayzie Bone
Year: 1999
66. Lugz
Rapper: KRS-One
Year: 1999
65. Starter
Rapper: Funkmaster Flex
Year: 1998
64. Esco
Rapper: Nas
Year: 1999
63. Pelle Pelle
Rapper: Warren G
Year: 1995
62. Lugz
Rapper: Snoop Dogg
Year: 1997
61. Johnny Blaze
Rapper: Guru, Pete Rock, Big Daddy Kane
Year: 1998
60. Pelle Pelle
Rapper: The Luniz
Year: 1995
59. Karl Kani
Rapper: Dr. Dre
Year: 1995
58. Lugz
Rapper: Rakim
Year: 1997
57. Pelle Pelle
Rapper: Trackmasters
Year: 1996
56. Rocawear
Rapper: Jay-Z, Damon Dash, and Memphis Bleek
Year: 1999
55. Pelle Pelle
Rapper: The Alkoholiks
Year: 1995
54. Lugz
Rapper: Snoop Dogg
Year: 1997
53. Karl Kani
Rapper: Tupac
Year: 1995
52. Ecko Unltd.
Rapper: Capone-N-Noreaga
Year: 1999
51. Pelle Pelle
Rapper: The Luniz
Year: 1995
50. Lugz
Rapper: Erick Sermon
Year: 1994
49. Johnny Blaze
Rapper: Capone-N-Noreaga
Year: 1998
48. Iceberg
Rapper: The Lox
Year: 1999
47. Lugz
Rapper: Ed Lover and Doctor Dre
Year: 1996
46. Helly Hansen
Rapper: Funkmaster Flex
Year: 1997
45. Fubu
Rapper: LL Cool J
Year: 1997
44. Lugz
Rapper: Ed Lover
Year: 1997
43. Echo Unltd.
Rapper: Large Professor
Year: 1996
42. Esco
Rapper: Nas
Year: 1999
41. Lugz
Rapper: Kid Capri
Year: 1998
40. Davoucci
Rapper: Charli Baltimore and Snake
Year: 1999
39. Davoucci
Rapper: Smif-n-Wessun
Year: 1995
38. Ecko Unltd.
Rapper: Prince Paul
Year: 1999
37. Davoucci
Rapper: Lil' Kim and Junior Mafia
Year: 1996
36. Helly Hansen
Rapper: Dead Prez
Year: 1997
35. Echo Unltd.
Rapper: Buckshot
Year: 1996
34. Calvin Klein
Rapper: Marky Mark
Year: 1993
33. Davoucci
Rapper: Noreaga and Mona Lisa
Year: 1997
32. Boss
Rapper: D-Dot aka The Madd Rapper
Year: 1997
31. Conart
Rapper: Method Man
Year: 1994
30. Davoucci
Rapper: Buckshot
Year: 1997
29. Ecko Unltd.
Rapper: Beatnuts
Year: 1999
28. Hoodwear
Rapper: Fat Joe, Big Pun, and Armageddon
Year: 1999
27. Karl Kani
Rapper: Tupac
Year: 1995
26. Antonio Ansaldi
Rapper: The Lox
Year: 1997
25. Lugz
Rapper: Keith Murray and Redman
Year: 1995
24. Ecko Unltd.
Rapper: KRS-One
Year: 1999
23. Verso
Rapper: Redman
Year: 1997
22. Iceberg
Rapper: Lil' Kim
Year: 1999
21. Davoucci
Rapper: Smif-n-Wessun
Year: 1997
20. Starter
Rapper: DJ Jazzy Jeff
Year: 1993
19. FJ650
Rapper: Terror Squad
Year: 1997
18. Echo Unltd.
Rapper: Havoc
Year: 1996
17. Davoucci
Rapper: Gina Thompson, Guru, Lil' Kim, Junior Mafia
Year: 1996
16. Boss
Rapper: Rakim
Year: 1998
15. Lugz
Rapper: Keith Murray and Redman
Year: 1995
14. Balla
Rapper: The Lox
Year: 1999
13. Pelle Pelle
Rapper: Guru
Year: 1996
12. Avirex
Rapper: Brand Nubian
Year: 1999
11. Karl Kani
Rapper: Nas
Year: 1996
10. Ecko Unltd.
Rapper: Jermaine Dupri
Year: 1999
9. Davoucci
Rapper: Ghostface Killah
Year: 1997
8. All City Athletiques by Phat Farm
Rapper: Jay-Z
Year: 1998
7. Calvin Klein
Rapper: Foxy Brown
Year: 1999
6. Antonio Ansaldi
Rapper: Mase
Year: 1997
5. Helly Hansen
Rapper: Mobb Deep
Year: 1997
4. Pelle Pelle
Rapper: Cam'ron
Year: 1999
3. Cross Colours
Rapper: Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
Year: 1993
2. Wu Wear
Rapper: U-God
Year: 1998
1. Karl Kani
Rapper: Tupac
Year: 1995
