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

Following the denim trend, one era at a time.

Mar 22, 2013
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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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The group is legendary for both their music and style. Take a look at them rocking dark denim and leather in the early '80s.

Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force (circa 1983)

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The Zulu Nation had crazy style. Denim-on-denim suits, otherwise known as Canadian Tuxedos, looked cool on these guys.

Run-D.M.C. (1984)

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The straight-legged denim that Run DMC rocked with their adidas is one of the most iconic looks in hip-hop history.

Beastie Boys (1984)

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Beastie Boys had their cuff game proper, early.

N.W.A (circa 1986)

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Light denim and cozy crewnecks were the go-to items for the West Coast clique before they style toughened up a bit.

Pete Rock (circa 1987)

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Pete Rock donned some basic jeans for a simple yet timeless look in this photo alongside Run-D.M.C.

Ice-T (circa 1988)

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Ice-T rocked some high-waist fitted jeans in the late '80s.

Salt-n-Pepa (circa 1988)

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Salt-n-Pepa's acid wash game was perfectly on-trend for the time.

Kriss Kross (1992)

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What better way to switch up the game than to literally wear your pants backwards?

2Pac (1993)

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Overalls were no longer for farmers. 2Pac sported the style in '93.

Ma$e (circa 1995)

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Denim shorts with cargo pockets were a popular fashion choice.

Mobb Deep (1995)

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Mobb Deep embodied the essential rugged look of the time.

Black Star (1998)

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Baggy dark denim was a popular switch from the regular blue.

DMX (circa 1998)

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Overalls maintained their relevancy for a bit longer.

St. Lunatics (2001)

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Jeans reached one of their baggiest points before cuts slimmed down in the same decade.

Dipset (2003)

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Even with extremely flashy outfits, the denim stayed loose and modest.

Pharrell (2006)

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The all-over print craze extended to the crotch of jeans.

50 Cent (2006)

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Black will always be the new black.

Soulja Boy (2007)

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Soulja Boy wouldn't let baggy denim die without a fight.

Jim Jones (circa 2008)

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Ed Hardy shirts and embellished True Religion jeans completed the "rock star" look.

New Boyz (2009)

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This is the extreme of the skinny jeans look.

OJ Da Juiceman (2010)

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LOLWUT. There are so many things wrong here. The fact that this happened only three years ago is especially alarming. Talk about a diversion.

Kanye West (2012)

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'Ye is one of the main reasons why hip-hop is pushing slimmer cuts these days. He's still ahead of the back with $1,000 Balmain denim, though.

Jay-Z (2012)

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He's rapped about how he can't wear skinny jeans, but the fit's grown too pervasive for Hov to ignore.

A$AP Rocky (2013)

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Rocky's been leading the way to hip-hop's new fashion frontier with waxed denim.

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