The Evolution of Denim in Hip-Hop

See how fits and trends have changed from Run D.M.C.'s straight-legged fits to Kanye West's way of wearing jeans.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

Hip-hop's love affair with jeans is as diverse and varied as the genre itself. Long before today's slim cuts, baggy jeans by FUBU and Girbaud reigned supreme. Rappers like T.I. and Young Jeezy were name-checking Evisu and LL Cool J walked around with one pant leg rolled up. In the '80s, Run DMC and Big Daddy Kane were rocking straight-legged jeans with sneakers and a shorter hem that many dudes would be quick to label highwaters.

It took a long time for hip-hop and fashion to intersect in the way they do today—where Kanye West has a collaboration with French denim brand A.P.C. and Future stunts onstage in Givenchy kicks and Balmain jeans. So we charted the course of how hip-hop's denim obsession arrived at its current state. From the heyday of Tommy Hilfiger overalls (with one strap unhinged, of course) to the "premium" jeans craze that had dudes rocking tons of True Religion, a lot has changed in how rappers and their fans prefer their pants. Call us "jeaneoligists," if you must, here is The Evolution of Denim in Hip-Hop.

RELATED: A History of Versace in Hip-Hop
RELATED: A History of the Bucket Hat
RELATED: A History of Style Trends Started By Rappers

Run D.M.C. makes straight legged denim iconic.

Not Available Interstitial

Beastie Boys rock cuffed jeans.

Not Available Interstitial

Acid wash jeans lighten up the denim game.

Not Available Interstitial

Canadian tuxedos get West Coast love.

Not Available Interstitial

Ice-T makes high-waisted jeans look dangerous.

Not Available Interstitial

Kriss Kross turns the denim game backwards.

Not Available Interstitial

Marithé + François Girbaud jeans are a status symbol.

Not Available Interstitial

Cross Colours give jeans a message.

Not Available Interstitial

Overalls get thugged out.

Not Available Interstitial

Baggy and saggy becomes the only way to wear denim.

Not Available Interstitial

Tommy Hilfiger gives hip-hop an all-American makeover.

Not Available Interstitial

LL Cool J rolls one leg up for NYC.

Not Available Interstitial

F.U.B.U. brings in the era of hip-hop brands and rapper-owned clothing lines.

Not Available Interstitial

"Premium" denim permeates the rap game.

Not Available Interstitial

Japanese denim is deemed "next level" shit.

Not Available Interstitial

Young L.A. rappers and the "Dougie" and "Jerkin'" dance movements push the skinny jean look.

Not Available Interstitial

The skinny silhouette polarizes mainstream rappers.

Not Available Interstitial

High-fashion denim focuses on fit more than branding.

Not Available Interstitial

Denim jackets keep on truckin' with young rappers.

Not Available Interstitial

Stylish rappers make jean shorts acceptable.

Not Available Interstitial

A$AP Rocky and Kanye West popularize waxed, leather-like denim.

Not Available Interstitial

Trendsetters Kanye West and A$AP Rocky stack their jeans at the ankle.

Not Available Interstitial

Kanye West's A.P.C. collection sells out instantly.

Not Available Interstitial

Latest in Style