The Most Memorable Beauty Moments in Hip-Hop

Image via Complex Original

Known as the “First Ladies of Hip-Hop,” Salt-N-Pepa burst onto the scene in the late 1980s with hairstyles that proved to be just as popular as their raps and visuals. Salt, Pepa, and DJ Spinderella debuted with lightly toned and highly styled asymmetrical bob haircuts that set the scene for beauty and hip-hop at the time. All over the world, fans of the trio mimicked their towering hairstyles, but little did they know (at the time) that the iconic bob came out of a tragic hair mistake. Pepa admitted in an episode on the Steve Harvey Show that her sister, a newly licensed beautician at the time, burned her hair off with a perm that resulted in having to shave off the sides. Nevertheless, the look took off instantly and was an alternative take on conventional hairstyles for women within hip-hop at the time. 

The debut of Rihanna’s bob was a symbolic point in her career. In addition to literally shedding hair, she was shedding the innocent, shy girl look that was associated with her previous albums. From this moment on, Rihanna took major risks when it came to her image with both hair and style. The jet black look was a drastic switch up from the flowing brown locks that we knew her for a la “Music Of The Sun” and “A Girl Like Me.” Ursula Stephen, aka the hairstylist that was responsible for Rih’s bob, said that it was a frantic decision that they ultimately had to hide from the superstar’s label, making most of the changes without their consent. The riskiness of cutting Rihanna’s hair turned out to be one of the most iconic and recognizable hairstyles of her career. #Bobyn forever!

Back in 2009, Cassie Ventura, aka Cassie, made headlines everywhere when she stepped out with a striking new look—one half of her head was shaved, while the remainder was styled in long layers. Up until that moment, Cassie primarily kept her locks full and long. The drastic change sparked an entire movement of women shaving the sides of their own heads. Cassie was inspired by the daring hairstyles that were prominent in the punk rock movement, but remixed it with a touch of classic femininity. She ultimately shaved both sides while appearing in Wiz Khalifa’s “Roll Up” music video. “I think the shaved-head trend is amazing. Definitely wasn’t the first,” she told MTV News. “But it’s definitely a fun trendsetting hairstyle. Really glad that I guess I made it mainstream is maybe the right word. And it’s inspiring. I like to see how other young girls remix it and add color and all of that.”

Since we came to know Amber Rose as Ye’s former girlfriend back in the day, she has evolved into an activist, author, and entrepreneur. What immediately stood out about her was her icy blonde buzzcut. Most celebrities then and now gravitate toward hairstyles that include long, flowing tresses. Amber’s buzzcut challenged the notions of femininity and made it known that you could still be sexy, mysterious, and high-fashion while rocking a look that virtually included no hair. A natural brunette, she has mentioned in the past that she bleaches her hair every three days as upkeep. The shaved head will always be her signature, but she’s been known to switch up her look entirely with a variety of wig hairstyles. “I think that I’d definitely seen Sinéad O’Connor’s ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ video,” she said in an interview. “I was inspired by her. And I grew up in Philly… Eve was really popular, and my friends said, ‘Please don’t do it, Amber, you’re gonna look crazy.’ And, of course, me being me, I rebelled against everyone and went straight down the middle at a barber shop. Fourteen years later, I still have it.”

As one-third of the ‘90s R&B group SWV, Cheryl “Coko” Gamble is the gospel-trained soprano of the trio known for keeping her nails super long. At the time, long nails in the way that Coko rocked them were popular among Black women, and even seen on prominent Black celebrities like Flo-Jo, an Olympic gold medalist who iconically ran races with long, curved nails that had intricate detailing. Coko grew her own nails out (nope, not acrylics) to rebel against a strict and religious upbringing. She was representative of a specific type of Black femininity and inspired women across salons everywhere to extend their nails to the highest power. 

In 2009, model and makeup artist Keyshia Ka’oir decided to wear blue lipstick on a night out. Little did she know that it would start an entire trend around this particular shade of blue. “My friends were all like, you can’t wear blue lipstick because people will make fun of you,” she told The Cut back in 2018. “I ignored them because I’m always a unique person and I always want to be over the edge.” That night, Ka’oir perfected her shade of lipstick by mixing blue eyeshadow with lip gloss. She knew she was onto something when the blogs started to cover her and her looks. The following year, she started her own makeup line, Ka’oir Cosmetics, which currently offers bright and highly pigmented lip colors, like pink, yellow, and purple. The success of her line eventually led to collaborations with Trina, Snooki, and Teyana Taylor, in which they each created their own shades with Ka’oir.

Lil’ Kim is a beauty queen—period. Her influence on fashion and beauty is totally undeniable. She is endlessly referenced and is very obviously on the mood boards of fashion designers, rappers, singers, and stylists. She was ahead of her time in many ways in terms of how she presented the Lil’ Kim persona, the logo wigs (created by Dionne Alexander) being a prime example of always being on the pulse of beauty trends. Alexander created Kim’s turquoise blue wig with the Chanel logo on the bang that is seen on the cover of Manhattan File magazine from 2001. The platinum wig with Versace Greek keys on top of it was also created by Alexander and worn by Kim at the Versace Spring/Summer couture show that same year. Alexander told Complex in 2020 that the logos were created by cutting out the designs on tracing paper and filling them in with Magic Marker. Years down the line, we’ve seen Cardi B and Nicki Minaj in their own iterations of logo wigs, and even Beyoncé has paid homage to the queen bee.

It’s hard to imagine a time where Mary J. Blige wasn’t seen in her signature nude glamour, which includes various shades of blonde hair (courtesy of Kim Kimble), natural makeup that brings out a certain glow, and a perfected nude lip. When she debuted in the ‘90s, for her, it was all about black/brown on the lips and eyes. You’ll rarely ever catch her in those types of makeup looks today. Nude glam is so synonymous with Mary J. Blige, so it was no surprise that she teamed up with MAC Cosmetics in 2019 to be the face of their “Love Me” lipstick campaign. Of the shades offered in the collection, she chose a nude lip (French Silk to be exact) to represent as it is her go-to. Black women often have trouble crafting a nude look, as that type of glamour isn’t typically marketed towards us, so it’s great Black women such as Mary (and other women of varying skin tones) to rock and feel comfortable in something that’s elegant and fresh. 

Late celebrity makeup artist Eric Ferrell was the genius behind Aaliyah’s overall glam. While they worked together, Ferrell combined bold and simple touches to create the flawless looks Aaliyah was known for. “No makeup” makeup became her signature and she always looked very fresh with minimal foundation or eyeshadow as if no makeup had been applied. He kept her lashes subtle and her lips topped with a clear or nude gloss. Even when the eyebrow trend was tweezed and super thin, Ferrell kept Aaliyah’s brows groomed, maintained, and thick, another technique that contributed to the overall natural look. All of these simplistic but effective beauty trends that Aaliyah set may have greatly differed from her counterparts at the time, but have proved to be timeless and influential. His artistry even inspired a posthumus “Mac Cosmetics x Aaliyah” makeup line that was released  in 2018.

As one of the most stylish men in the music industry, A$AP Rocky is always on the pulse of the latest trends of fashion and beauty. A few years ago, he started to incorporate intricately designed nail art into his personal style. Nail art is something that he feels men should be able to embrace without feeling “feminine.” In an interview with Vogue, he spoke of his nail designs that featured Prada motifs across all 10 fingers when he was shooting his collaboration with the brand. Rocky is among a growing number of male artists who are shedding old ideals of masculinity and are opting to express themselves without limits. Other artful designs he’s rocked include smiley faces, American flags, checkerboards, and flames. He also infamously had the phrase “FUCK OFF” etched across his middle fingers once he returned home from spending a month in a Swedish jail.

André 3000 has always been lauded for his futuristic and quirky style. By the time Outkast’s Stankonia album debuted in 2000, André had fully embraced his new rap persona with flamboyant outfits that coincided with a shocking platinum wig. The wig was first seen in the video for “Skew It On The Bar-B,” and was styled in a short shag cut. From then on he wore many in different styles and varying lengths in music videos and live performances. During the Outkast reunion tour in 2014, he paid homage to the golden era of the group by introducing a new version of the platinum wig, styled a la T-Boz in the ‘90s. In the late ‘90s to early 2000s, it was a major statement for a rapper to experiment with style, especially in the way that André did, as it challenged a limited idea of what Black masculinity was supposed to be. Today, we look back on those moments with nostalgia. 

Hip Hop duo Kid ‘n Play gained prominence during the genre’s golden age. At the same time, their signature hairstyle, the high-top fade, was growing in popularity among rap stars, hip-hop fans and athletes alike. The high-top fade hairstyle was created by shaving down the sides of the head while leaving the top with a towering flat top box effect. Self-expression materialized in so many fascinating ways in that period, and the high-top fade was an alternative way to sculpt Afro-textured hair into something fresh and new. At its peak, the flat-top was between eight and nine inches, according to Christopher Reid of Kid ‘n Play. 

The word “Barbie” is now synonymous with the Barbie herself, Nicki Minaj. In her early days of fame, she frequently experimented with vibrant makeup styles reminiscent of a Barbie doll. She wore color lipsticks, pastel-colored eyeshadows, and fluttering eyelashes, encapsulating a Barbie aesthetic. She was and still is a master in the wig department rocking colorful wigs (her longtime hair stylist was Kim Kimble) in an array of styles, a trend she popularized and has since inspired women in hip-hop since. There are endless tutorials on YouTube where creators show how to emulate her style. It’s no surprise that she was tapped for MAC’s Viva Glam campaign not once, but twice, and followed up a few years later with her own signature shades for the brand. The rapper has since opted for a more subtle look in the face and hair departments, but will always find an updated way to include those classic Barbie elements. 

Foxy Brown is a prime example of dark skinned beauty from the 1990s, but has proven to be a recent source of inspiration for women of all shades who want to emulate that classic 90s makeup look. Often praised for being a natural beauty, Foxy’s signature makeup look was usually comprised of soft, or sometimes no foundation, deep, burgundy lipstick, and those infamous pencil-thin eyebrows. Thin eyebrows were at their peak back in the day, but not many could pull them off as effortlessly as Foxy. Back in 1999, Foxy’s makeup artist, Mark Hayles, disclosed his entire process in giving her a flawless, natural beat. He mentions the process of accentuating her brows with an icy liner, saying “Her lids and brow bone get a champagne-colored shimmer shadow such as Stila Starlight.”