The Most Stylish L.A. Rappers Right Now

Image via Complex Original

Neighborhood: Inglewood
Signature style: Dressing like the most normal guy, except not.

There are certain rappers whose voice and content perfectly match their delivery. Skeme is one of those rappers. The Ingelwood native's shrill-vocals and humorous jabs go perfectly with his day-off, and often eccentric style. Skeme doesn't dress too crazy—most of the time he dresses like a regular guy—but he's not afraid to let his hair grow out, lounge in cozy gear, and rock Euro-appropriate adidas clothing. Props to Skeme for representing the every-man with low-key creativity.

Neighborhood: Compton
Signature style: Chains; backwards 5-panel caps; tattoos and tank tops.

Tyga has come some ways since he first told us to put the "lime in the coconut and twist it all up." The change wasn't just in music. He's also cruised into a consistent personal style.

Recently, the Compton rapper saw himself score his own sneaker with Reebok, the T-Raww, but his interest in clothing doesn't stop with his sneaker game. Tyga has taken an interest in high-end clothing, but mixing it with streetwear to create a purely L.A. vibe—all while showing off a little ink. But the best part of Tyga's style is his hat selection, consistently rocking a backwards 5-panel cap—a look that's hard to mess up.

Neighborhood: Mid-City
Signature style: Custom jerseys; dad swag.

Nearly 20 years deep in the rap game, Murs still sounds as fresh and energetic today as when he was making underground classics with 3 Melancholy Gypsies or the Living Legends crew. And you can sense Murs' lust for everything in not just his simple but upbeat rhymes, but also his way of dress.

A well-known neglector of anything typical to hip-hop, Murs has called out rappers for wearing dress-like jerseys in the early 2000s and even rejected jewelry. "I got a little money, and I could have bought a chain, but my momma would have killed me, simple and plain," Murs related on his second album with 9th Wonder, Murray's Revenge.

Still, that doesn't stop Murs from rocking custom jerseys (that fit), connecting with underground hip-hop's backpack culture, and rocking a 5-panel cap. Or simply dressing appropriately for the newest stage of his life: being a dad.

Neighborhood: Inglewood
Signature style: Shirts buttoned to the top; plenty of prints.

Blu arrived in L.A. hip-hop at just the right time—his 2007 debut album with producer Exile, Below the Heavens, rekindled a conscious but easy-to-digest form of hip-hop on the West Coast. There's a stylish demeanor to Blu's music—his uplifting lyrics have a bounce that don't come off as overly-emotional, but as an airy lift to down-trodden thoughts.

Blu's style also adds a dynamic to his swagger. The emcee keeps it simple—he rocks button-up shirts (buttoned-up, literally, to the top), printed 5-panel caps, and anything with a cool print. The West Coast, especially L.A., is a warm and simple place, and Blu's style is reflection of his surroundings.

Neighborhood: Compton
Signature style: Custom pieces; Air Jordans.

From the days of his revered debut album to now, The Game has always dressed pretty cool. Not too long ago, the Compton rapper linked up with Dr. Romanelli to score custom pieces made of a collage of Huf items and two pairs of 1 of 1 Converse Weapon sneakers. At the same time, The Game also wore a camo-print Staple sweatshirt—connecting with the East Coast streetwear scene, much like how his full-hearted delivery took notes from '90s East Coast rappers.

Neighborhood: South L.A.
Signature style: Crewneck sweatshirts; braids.

Nipsey Hussle was a welcomed throwback on the L.A. rap scene. The rapper's slim frame and braids may have reminded folks of a certain Doggystyle emcee, but that's where the Snoop Dogg comparisons stop. The rapper has a streetwear-friendly appearance, but much like his music, it's easy to tell there's something rugged under the surface that the Crenshaw and Slauson-repping emcee is concealing.

His personal style is a mix between a kid posted on Fairfax and a legitimate G. L.A. is usually pretty warm, but don't expect to see Hussle without his signature slightly-oversized crewneck sweatshirt. It's a simple look, but he's about to hold his own with other style heavyweights, Kendrick Lamar and Dom Kennedy.

Neighborhood: Compton
Signature style: Showing off his ink. 

YG's flow really isn't like other L.A. rappers on this list, and his style is also a little different. Sure, he's covered in tats like Tyga, and they both wear leather garments, but there's something extra West Coast about the way YG puts himself together. Maybe it's rocking a windbreaker jacket and channeling L.A. rap acts from the '90s? Or maybe it's wearing sunglasses to perform on stage at night. But the laid-back cool portrayed by YG is something we need to take notes on. Swag, sprezzatura, whatever you want to call it, this kid has it—in abundance.

Neighborhood: Pasadena
Signature style: Streetwear; mellow shirts for a cool high.

Hodgy Beats, a member of the Odd Future crew, gained notoriety as himself and Tyler, The Creator stormed around Jimmy Fallon's late night stage in 2011—terrorizing national television in the process. But Hodgy lives a different life than his Odd Future brethren. For starters, he likes to indulge in the green; Tyler does not. And while both men are stylish in their own right, they do make separate wardrobe choices. 

You can expect to see Hodgy in similar Supreme and Odd Future gear, but once again, Hodgy's lifted tendencies influence his streetwear style selections. You can expect to see the rapper rocking Huf Plantlife sock and the OF hat the reads "high," a logo designed by fellow crew member, Domo Genesis.

Neighborhood: Inglewood
Signature style: Peas & Carrots Intl.; letterman jackets. 

It feels like Casey Veggies has been rapping forever, because he has. Young Veggies has yet to turn 20 years old, but he has been putting out albums since he was 14. Now a partner in Peas & Carrots Intl., the rapper's style has always reflected streetwear, and there appears to be no divergence from that path. Instead of rocking strictly graphic T-shirts, raw denim and the hottest sneakers, Veggies switches things up. He's been known to be a big fan of varsity jackets, even rhyming: "destroy all you n*****, see me in my Nike letterman." 

But the rapper inked a deal with Puma, likes to sport Timberlands (which can be tough in L.A. heat), and has even put out his collection with Peas & Carrots. Did we mention that he's only 19?

Neighborhood: Carson
Signature style: Staying rough and tough with his afro puffs. 

Ab-Soul is no longer just the sidekick to Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q. The fully-haired emcee was named to this year's XXL Freshman Class, and has cultivated a style that puts him on his own plane.

It's tough to call yourself Ab in L.A. (for those unfamiliar, this guy is a local legend), but the emcee's flow and flare give him a full thumbs-up from purveyors of the city's hip-hop lineage. The rapper's style revolves around his rarely-combed hair, a dark pair of shades, and a simple hat—but what we endorse most about Ab's style is his reluctance to rely heavily on popular or hyped brands. He's a shining example of a rapper who doesn't wear over-played trends to stay fresh.

Neighborhood: Ladera Heights
Signature style: Supreme; cut-off shorts; high socks.

Tyler, The Creator might troll the world for his own enjoyment, but the emcee and producer is also known for his heavy addiction to New York skate brand, Supreme. Tyler is not just a counter-culture fan favorite, he's caught the eye of Pharrell, Kanye West, and Yasiin Bey. If Tyler's not dipped in Supreme, he's probably in gear from his own brand, Odd Future, chilling with Terry Richardson or one of the coolest guys of all time, Glenn O'Brien.

Regardless of how many people he might piss off, Tyler's off-kilter music and fashion-sense continue to win him fans, whether celebrities, angsty teens, or regular folks. Since his explosion, you might have noticed way, way more people rocking Supreme. Thank Tyler, the #influencer for that.

Neighborhood: South Central
Signature style: Gettin' buckets.

If there's one thing you need to know about Schoolboy Q's style, it's bucket hats. The Top Dawg Ent. emcee might chill with Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky, but his personal style is expressly his own. We spotted him in a Supreme hockey jersey at SXSW, but the weed-and-brew emcee has something peculiar about the way he dresses and rocks the mic. His lyrics soak up an East Coast influence, while his dress and flow place him amongst rappers who came out of L.A.'s Project Blowed—a result of hip-hop's growing "hippy" movement.

In addition to his 360-brimmed hat collection, you can catch Q in hoodies, tees, camo shorts, and even a drug rug. Perfect for his under-the-influence rhymes.

Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Signature style: Tons of Supreme; dressing like a skater (who actually skates).

If you've followed the story of Earl Sweatshirt over the past couple years, you'll know his personal life has been just as intriguing as his rhymes. The son of South Africa's poet laureate, Earl disappeared at the peak of his hype to attend a program for misguided youth. Upon his return in 2012, Earl not only went on a lyrical tear, he also upgraded his style.

In an industry full of skater wannabes, Earl has legit credibility, and his friendship with Jason Dill confirms that. Just like a lot of his skate counterparts, Earl digs a healthy amount of Supreme, tie-dye shirts, bucket hats, and anything that's comfortable when tearing down stages or skating down the block. Still, the best part of Earl's style is that he dresses like himself, and he has only just begun. 

Neighborhood: Leimert Park
Signature style: Gear that has been cool since the '80s; a fresh pair of tennis shoes.

Dom Kennedy is your local legend, even if you're not from Leimert Park, or L.A. for that matter. The confident but laid-back emcee gained a following of like-minded fans by posting his daily 'fits on NikeTalk. At the time, Kennedy's focus tended to revolve around his footwork, but like any committed sneakerhead, he sported fresh gear to boot.

Kennedy's style mirrored the neighborhood he grew up in as years passed and the emcee gained more notoriety for his sneaker-related anthems. In his reflective track 1997, Kennedy raps, "Back in '97, man, my uncle wore the Gucci, and he rocked Polo, and he wore the Stussy." He may be rapping about years foregone, but Kennedy's rhymes not only envision his uncle's style, but his own, too. You can catch him in clothes any of us would wear: fitted hats, jean jackets, bucket caps, graphic T-shirts—always repping his hometown, L.A.

Neighborhood: Compton
Signature style: High-end (yet approachable) pieces splashed with a touch of streetwear.

Kendrick Lamar rose to prominence in 2012 in a flash quicker than his flow, and we're not just talking about the Compton emcee's music. Two years ago, Lamar was known amongst hip-hop die-hards for his mixtapes, but over the course of the past year, we've seen the maturation of his style—on and off the mic. Musically, the Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City rapper takes cues from underground West Coast legends, but his style is reflection of rap's increasing interest in high-end clothing and streetwear.

We've seen Lamar go from the kid in jeans and a T-shirt, to rocking street goth brands like Hood By Air. He gives sound fashion advice, too. Kendrick Lamar isn't just the best emcee on the West Coast, he's also a style influencer, one L.A. should be proud to have raised.