The Most Stylish Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979
Who were the best-dressed MCs in hip-hop history?

Image via Complex Original

We all know rap isn't just about music. In 2013, we don't just consume hip-hop with our ears; it's an all-immersive, multimedia experience. If we can't see something, it may as well not be happening.
Even the most stubborn rap purist can't lie: Image matters. As a result, what a rapper wears counts—big time. When Nas switched from fatigues to pink suits in the mid-'90s, he was saying something. Eric B and Rakim's Paid in Full is one of the most iconic album covers of all time, and a good deal of the credit goes to the unforgettable matching Dapper Dan jackets they were rocking. Kanye makes just as many headlines for the stuff he wears as for the music he makes.
We've already run down of the greatest rappers year by year since hip-hop first hit wax. But some of those legends don't belong anywhere near this list: The Most Stylish Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979. Read on, look back, and step up your wardrobe.
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1979: Grandmaster Caz

1980: Kurtis Blow

1981: Kool Moe Dee

1982: Afrika Bambaataa

1983: Ecstasy of Whodini

1984: DMC

1985: LL Cool J

1986: DMC

1987: Rakim

1988: Slick Rick

1990: Q-Tip

1989: Big Daddy Kane

1991: Eazy-E

1992: Grand Puba

1993: Mike D

1994: Biggie

1995: Raekwon

1996: Tupac

1997: Biggie

1998: Mase

1999: Diddy

2000: Ghostface Killah

2001: Fabolous

2002: Pharrell

2003: Andre 3000

2004: Cam'ron

2005: Kanye West

2006: Lupe Fiasco

2007: Pharrell Williams

2008: Kanye West

2009: Kid Cudi

2010: Kanye West

2011: Jay-Z

2012: A$AP Rocky

2013: Kanye West
