The 20 Best Rapper-Owned Clothing Brands of All Time

20. Shady LTD.

Founding Rapper: Eminem
Signature Piece: Satin Baseball Jacket, Pinwheel Fitted Cap, Free Yayo Tee
Retail Launch: 2003

Eminem might not be modern moodboard fodder for the fashion types of today, but the hold he had on Middle America in the early 2000s is unmatched. In 2003, Marshall Mathers was riding high off the success of the highest selling hip-hop album of all time up to that point and an autobiographical film, 8 Mile, that opened at No. 1 and did over $242 million at the box office worldwide.

Em was as bankable and commercially viable as it got. A break between albums and award show visibility paved the path for Shady Ltd.: an urban wear imprint made in the image of Marshall’s alter ego.

Velour sweatsuits and curved bill hats played into the attire Em was already wearing, rebranded with his nickname and often branded with an eight as homage to the famous road he grew up on. Though the fabrics and cuts kept it hip-hop, the fonts and branding aligned more with nu metal merchandise of the day. In essence and eventual liquidation, it spoke to the core kid that saw Em in themselves: an outsider expressing themselves through hip hop not too proud to cop clothes off the clearance rack.

19. VOKAL/Apple Bottom

Founding Rapper: Nelly
Signature Piece: Durasheen Jerseys, Embroidered Hoodie, Logo Embroidered Denim
Retail Launch: 1997/2003

Nelly is about as entrepreneurial as it gets. Before buying into the Charlotte Bobcats (prior to Michael Jordan, mind you) or stocking 7/11 shelves with Pimp Juice, Nelly was launched Vokal.

Rising from the ranks of locally sold T-shirts to nationwide buy-ins at department stores, Vokal touched everything from heavyweight embroidered hoodies to throwback hoop gear that was more accessible than Mitchell & Ness. Dig through the crates and you’ll see St. Lunatics popping up on red carpets with Miskeen style headbands of the Vokal variety before achieving major distribution to a young Carmelo Anthony appearing in print ads.

On the tail end of a successful seven-year run, the savvy Nelly was smart enough to pack it in a crowded menswear space, pivoting to women’s denim and launching Apple Bottoms Jeans. Thanks to T-Pain, the brand will live forever. In 2025, it made a comeback with a Latto collab. Time will tell if the brand can capture the Y2K-obsessed youth or fade back into obscurity. Either way, Apple Bottom has left a better legacy than Nelly's original clothing venture.

18. Glo Gang

Founding Rapper: Chief Keef
Signature Piece: Glory Thorn Full-Zip Hoodie, Furry Glo Sun Bucket Hat, Sun Ski Mask
Retail Launch: 2014

In the 2010s, Chief Keef was helping catapult the Chicago Drill sound into the mainstream one YouTube upload at a time. On Instagram, he was creating timeless fit pics by popping collars on fitted designer polos while throwing up gang sides with one hand and holding up sagging True Religions with the other.

Fast forward through an Interscope signing, probation violations, and an exile from Chicago, Keef became more inventive and enterprising than he probably gets credit for. His Glo Gang clothing line is the best example.

In its decade-plus of existence, Glo Gang has grown from screen printed T-shirts spoofing Versace or True Religion to its own denim offerings, shape-shifting ski masks, and even official footwear. Collaborations with Bravest Studios and Malbon have opened doors to new audiences and further cemented it as a viable streetwear brand.

17. No Limit Solider Gear

Founding Rapper: Master P
Signature Piece: #99 Football Jersey, Camouflage Sweatshirt, Logo Tee, Fitted Baseball Cap
Retail Launch: 1999

Master P concerns himself with gold ceilings, not glass ones. Throughout the ‘90s, Percy Miller sold millions of records at Sam Goody, played professional basketball for the Charlotte Hornets, and signed Heisman winner Ricky Williams as an agent. The mind behind the 14k frames was working on achieving five different American Dreams at once, making noise in music, movies, sports, television, and fashion.

The latter materialized in the form of No Limit Soldier Gear. Named after the record store he started in Oakland and the multi-platinum label he ran out of New Orleans, the sportswear-tilted take on urban fashion was big on branding, heavy on embroidery, and capped off with camo whenever applicable. Valuable co-sign from Mystikal, Mia X, Silkk da Shocker, and even Snoop Dogg made the tank strong on TV and in the streets.

Though it didn’t quite capture the range of later rapper-led brands, it did pave the way for a Converse deal in footwear and an eventual economy-priced pivot with Walmart by way of P. Miller Designs.

16. Fetish

Founding Rapper: Eve
Signature Piece: Velour Tracksuits, Devil’s Tail Suede Purse
Retail Launch: 2003

Macy’s, Marc Ecko, and even UPN all wanted a piece of Eve. In 2003, Ruff Ryders' first lady was experiencing crossover success and investment in multiple categories. She launched her clothing line Fetish while playing a fictionalized fashion designer version of herself in a primetime sitcom.

Ranging from $48 jeans to $125 activewear, Fetish stole the show at MAGIC in Las Vegas before taking over the junior’s floor at Macy’s flagship store in New York. Delivery delays, changing production partners, and the demands of handing albums to Dr. Dre and making movies with Ice Cube kept Fetish from ever truly finding its footing. Still, the big swing to compete with Baby Phat and H&M all at once was gutsy and ahead of its time. What else would expect from a rapper who can go toe-to-toe with DMX, Drag-On, and Jadakiss on a record one day then record with Gwen Stefani or Michael Jackson the next? True to form, Eve was that girl.

15. Trukfit

Founding Rapper: Lil Wayne
Signature Piece: Tommy Tee, Logo Tee, Embroidered Flatbill Snapback
Retail Launch: 2012

Wordplay got Lil Wayne far in life. In 2012 and already 19 years into his career with four Carter classics under his belt, Weezy branched out into clothing with his skate-leaning brand Trukfit.

A double-entendre and acronym all at once, Trukfit paired the art of stealing and selling clothes straight off the truck with that of the hardware attached to Wayne’s late-stage love of skating. For the Genius readers out there, it also abbreviated "The Reason You Kill For It." Like we said, Wayne was here for the wordplay.

Early impressions were that of a Cash Money cash grab, but when viewing viral videos of Wayne kickflipping at The Berrics and realizing the freedom of his youth had been stolen by Billboard expectations, it kind of made sense. PacSun placement and the ability to own ‘urban skate’ – as cringe as that sounds – in stores like Dr. Jay’s was smart. Weezy constantly shouting out the label in lyrics gave briefly made it a uniform for his loyal fans. Eventual retooling by streetwear vet Kevin Leong added a bit of longevity to Trukfit as it offered a gateway for skate curious kids and second revenue stream for what would become Warped Tour Tunechi.

14. Benjamin Bixby

Founding Rapper: André 3000
Signature Piece: Experience Polo, Emblem Sweater
Retail Launch: 2008

Go through the Outkast videography, zoom in on Andre 3000, and you’ll see a timelapse account of everything everyone wasn’t wearing. Atlanta’s own André Lauren Benjamin, hip-hop’s biggest trendbucker, wasn't afraid to rock football pads when peers were wearing throwback jerseys. He had on turtle necks when Georgia was draped in tall tees. 3 Stacks always fearlessly went against the grain of what was widely considered hip-hop fashion.

In 2008, he decided to cash in on all that equity and risk taking. Benjamin Bixby, a menswear line lending comparison to Ralph Lauren and collared Canterbury rugby shirts of the time, was both familiar and a zag all at once. Launching in the time of candy-colored streetwear, heavy knit sweaters, tweed blazers, and Payne Stewart knickers were all bought in by Barney’s. A lawsuit over the line’s name shut down shop for well over a decade with André rebranding as Benji Bixby right in time for 2025’s Met Gala.

13. Play Cloths

Founding Rapper: Pusha T & Malice
Signature Piece: Running Jack Tee, Everything is Pusha T Tee
Retail Launch: 2008

Lacoste cardigans, Louis Vuitton Millionaire sunglasses, and Bape hoodies all achieved liner note love and MTV Jam of the Week endorsements from Clipse. After years of fashion houses and streetwear shops getting invaluable co-signs for cheap, Pusha T and Malice cashed in on all their equity to found Play Cloths.

Play Cloths hit the ground running upon its 2008 arrival. Complex coverage and promotional mixtapes spread the buzz faster than most streetwear start-ups could compete with, while a boots-on-the-ground approach to attending trade shows and appearing at boutiques leveraged distribution.

The label lasted a decade despite Malice’s retreat from rap and Pusha T’s couture come-up. It occupied an accessible lane in an increasingly crowded space. Always having a nose for nostalgia, a Clipse reunion recently brought back Play Cloths for a one-off merch moment at home in Virginia. We'd love to see a full revival.

12. AWGE

Founding Rapper: ASAP Rocky
Signature Piece: Mesh Trucker Hat, Layered Stacked Denim
Retail Launch: 2014

ASAP Rocky merged the avante garde garb of VFILES lore with hip-hop heads baptized in the spirit of Smack DVD.

This pioneering push allowed Rocky to work with Rick Owens on album art, collaborate with Jeremy Scott on sneakers, and even send shots at house heads on “Multiply.” Still, Rocky was decidedly against dropping a fashion line, stating he had too much respect for those that designed as a craft.

By 2014, the founding of his creative agency AWGE allowed Flacko to put on his consulting hat literally and figuratively, adorning a simple-yet-coveted trucker hat while signing talent such as Playboi Carti and collaborating on campaigns with Mercedes-Benz. A decade later, Rocky announced it was finally his time to walk the runway, not as an ambassador, but as a designer himself.

Back-to-back presentations for AWGE in Paris have received critical acclaim and made Flacko’s visions more of a reality. While unpredictable distribution and lack of concrete information mirror the delay of Don’t Be Dumb and the intentional uncertainty of what AWGE even means, it does raise the stakes for a true trailblazer who now completely owns his influence.

11. The Marathon Clothing

Founding Rapper: Nipsey Hussle
Signature Piece: Crenshaw Cap & Tee, Flag Logo Tee
Retail Launch: 2017

Putting what Nipsey Hussle meant to his community into words is something this author can’t do. Expressing what he was about through apparel? That’s something Nip was able to accomplish on the spot.

In his lifetime and through posthumous production, The Marathon Clothing has kept Nipsey’s name, mission, and spirit alive. Since starting in 2017, TMC’s Crenshaw caps and flag-bearing T-shirts speak volumes about the love Hussle had for his neighborhood and the love anyone he influenced had for him.

Both capsule collections with PUMA, a Fear of God collab, and variant versions of Lakers apparel produced by bootleggers express the endurance of Nip’s mission and that the marathon does, in fact, continue. Though brutally tragic that his life was taken in front of his store in his neighborhood, it poetically proves that Nipsey Hussle was someone who was constantly clocking in to do the work for his community, willing to leave it all on the line for the people he loved.

10 G-Unit Clothing

Founding Rapper: 50 Cent
Signature Piece: Square Tank Top, Terry Cloth Headband, Script Logo Tee, Property of Tee
Retail Launch: 2003

As an entrepreneur, 50 Cent was bulletproof in 2003. Backed by Eminem, Dr. Dre, and Jimmy Iovine, the Queens bully born Curtis Jackson had TV, radio, and the streets in a headlock. He rolled out one of the greatest rap debuts of all-time, while introducing hip-hop’s equivalent of The Beatles.

In an instant, G-Unit was hotter than any rap clique in the country, claiming cohorts on three coasts and amassing massive equity. Already existing infrastructure from Shady Records allowed G-Unit Clothing the ability to rollout and occupy retailers faster than tank tops could be cut.

Worn strategically on TRL appearances, award show stages, and on compilation covers, G-Unit was as strong and visible as a hip-hop clothing company ever got. While it eventually extended to a multi-million-dollar deal with Reebok, G-Unit Clothing clung to the peaks and valleys of 50’s career, living now through nostalgia and a valuable business lesson for 50’s other ventures.

9. Sp5der

Founding Rapper: Young Thug
Signature Piece: V2 Hoodie, V2 Sweatpant
Retail Launch: 2019

Sporting cheetah print children’s dresses as a skirted take on a tall tee, Young Thug's aesthetic risks early in his career, backed by stylist JoJo Zarur and flanked by five-star stunner Birdman, were enough to break the internet and subvert all genre guardrails on masculinity. As Thugger continued to craft hits and quiet critics who doubted his ability to deliver a cohesive project, he swiftly entered a space where he could find the same cohesiveness and accessibility in fashion.

Sp5der is as omnipresent on streaming superstars as it is at AAU tournament arrivals. Creating a real formula for the youth, the web-branded sweatsuits are aspirational in a clout economy driven by resale without feeling like rinse-and-repeat merch. Add in the fact that Jeffrey is back outside and attached at the hip to Mariah the Scientist? The legs of Sp5der are just starting to spread.

8. October's Very Own

Founding Rapper: Drake
Signature Piece: OG Owl Hoodie, Varsity Jackets, Air Jordan Capsule Collections
Retail Launch: 2011

It’s easy to forget in the midst of chart chatter and beef fallout that the Drake-led label October’s Very Own was once a boutique blog introducing the world to The Weeknd and posting Prodigy mixtapes. What started as a platform for Tumblr type taste-making evolved into a star-making label, multiple revered radio shows, and a clothing company.

Introduced during Drake’s Nothing Was the Same album run through VFILES-esque tees featuring the face of Jaden Smith and soon spanning to storefronts in New York, London, Los Angeles, and Toronto alike, the owl-branded apparel company caught real heat in the days of drop culture while still serving sustaining staples. Premium partnerships with Jordan Brand and every sports team imaginable opened doors and placed products in arenas as the world’s most powerful rapper wore the product in paparazzi photos, Instagram uploads, and courtside seats alike.

It’s tough to call where OVO goes next as Drake enters a new season of his career and prioritizes his Nike NOCTA partnership for special projects, but it’s easy to claim that at its height October’s Very Own was as widespread and well branded as any label on this list.

7. Golf Wang/Golf Le Fleur

Founding Rapper: Tyler, the Creator
Signature Piece: Rugby Shirt, Chenille G Hat, Converse One Star, Globe-Trotter Suitcase
Retail Launch: 2011

To say Tyler, the Creator singlehandedly resurrected streetwear would be a stretch, but he did play a huge role. His Fairfax origin story and arrival in a green Supreme hat created a surge of energy with a new generation.

In almost an instant, Tyler and his Odd Future family were able to mobilize their minions with Golf Wang: a streetwear line full of primary colors, donut-adorned graphic tees, and striped polos. Eye-catching crew socks captured Supreme and Stance shoppers alike, while brick and mortar locations put Tyler on the same streets as his heroes.

As Tyler grew up, so did his taste. While Golf Wang is still active and available, the luxury-leaning Golf le Fleur line likens the embroidered polos his favorite rappers wore in the early aughts with cut-and-sew outerwear approaching the designer houses those same mentors occupy now. Add in the fact that Vans, Converse, and Louis Vuitton have gotten in on Tyler’s vision and you have two lines with real reach and palpable juice.

6. Cactus Jack

Founding Rapper: Travis Scott
Signature Piece: Astroworld Tees & Hoodies, Air Jordan Collaborations, Audemars Piguet Watch
Retail Launch: 2017

Is anyone better at selling everything than Travis Scott? Inverting the energy of head-nodding hip-hop shows into raucous mosh pits, La Flame and his Cactus Jack collective have been able to brand luxury watches and soccer kits alike, taking every item known to man and making it part of his abstract world.

Flipping Nike signs and hamburgers would not be possible if the Cactus Jack imprint wasn’t able to blur the lines between merch and streetwear the same way Scott similarly skewed sonics and concerts. On the surface, Cactus Jack does not have the retail footprint or catalog of seasons that other brands on this list possess. But the power to turn products into vapor and reenergize even the biggest of brands? Nobody’s done it quiet like CJ before or since.

5. Wu Wear

Founding Rapper: RZA
Signature Piece: Graphic Tees, Embroidered Sweatshirts, Deville Boots
Retail Launch: 1995

The five-year plan RZA laid out for Wu-Tang Clan was much better than the one engineered by the old guy in Big Daddy. Spreading the wings of his flock by securing solo deals at various labels, the unity of the nine MCs was symbolized and commercialized by way of Wu Wear.

A partnership with Oliver “Power” Grant, Wu Wear went from a mail-order line living in liner notes to a formal storefront in Staten Island. Before long, wholesale accounts were opened and Wu Wear was said to clear as much as $25 million annually in its height.

The visionary concept was way ahead of its time in an era where promotional shirts were handed out for free in hopes of selling a CD. Seeing a bigger vision beyond screenprinting, Wu Wear worked to compete with sportswear companies of the time by making something truly artist-driven.

4. Sean John

Founding Rapper: Sean “P Diddy” Combs
Signature Piece: Velour Tracksuit, Unforgivable Cologne
Retail Launch: 1998

The legacy of Sean Combs is currently saturated in baby oil and made deplorable by domestic violence videos. A scent of nefarious acts and manipulation can’t be covered by a few sprays of Unforgivable cologne as a very public trial clouds the memories of Bad Boy’s glory days.

As the saying goes, two things can be true. While the current image of P. Diddy is that of persona non grata, the impact of his Sean John clothing empire is almost unprecedented. Founded in 1998 on the heels of No Way Out and the death of The Notorious BIG, Sean John secured Madison Ave. acclaim and runway presentations. More aspirational in presentation simply by being driven by Puff, the clothing company cleared $525 million in one year at its height.

Velour sweatsuits and embroidered T-shirts laced in the signature cursive font brought a level of elegance and recognition to urban wear unseen at the time. Cologne, kids clothing, and even suiting scored department stores across the country and around the world. While recent findings surrounding its founder lessen the legacy, the success it had and the barriers it broke were historic.

3. Rocawear

Founding Rapper: Jay Z
Signature Piece: Logo Beanie, Dark Wash Denim Trucker Jacket, Embroidered Jeans
Retail Launch: 1999

Jay Z’s ability to tell a story on wax made him an icon. His ability to tell a story through product made him a billionaire.

Achieving commercial and cultural success with the release of 1998’s Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life, the storied street salesman of the ‘80s and lauded lifestyle rapper of the ‘90s was working on a seismic way to scale as a new millennium approached. Enter Rocawear, a clothing company founded by Hova and his longtime business partners.

Slowly introducing apparel and branding by way of red carpet appearances and award show performances, Rocawear entered the public zeitgeist on the chest of the Jiggaman. He’d pop up at parties and fashion shows wearing his own offerings. He even outfitted the entire St. John’s student section at a 1999 Midnight Madness event.

Transitioning from Iceberg Slim to the young, black Ralph Lauren, Jay Z made millions and expanded his acumen through clothing. A more militant State Property spinoff line spawned from it, with Roc-a-Wear’s annual sales said to have hit $700 million in its height. Like many brands from the aughts, the youth has reignited Rocawear's flame just a bit by way of vintage pieces. Spotted frequently in Kai Cenat's fit dumps, the Roc could be poised for a fledged comeback sooner or later.

2. Yeezy

Founding Rapper: Ye fka Kanye West
Signature Pieces: Season 1 Sweats, Gap Round Jacket, Calabasas Track Pant
Retail Launch: 2015

Yeezy, the derelict design label led by Ye fka Kanye West ,takes the No. 2 spot on our list. Funny enough, it might be the third best brand Ye ever came up with.

Following failed attempts to hit the market with Mascotte, a surefire Polo parody branded by the Dropout Bear, and Pastelle, a menswear-meets-streetwear spin on the best work from Marc Jacobs and American Apparel, Yeezy came to be in 2015 after numerous false starts. It was worth the wait as a New York Fashion Week show stopped the world in its tracks. Tonal takes on outerwear, basics, and intimates created an aesthetic that was haute and homeless all at once.

The initial mission to democratize fashion had its merit as couture houses and economy priced pariahs all bent to Ye’s brave new look. Like much of West’s work in the past decade, it often became hard to follow and tough to tell who was manipulating who. Collaborative Calabasas track pants with Adidas, oversized sweatshirts by Balenciaga, and the viral Round Jacket done with Gap all caused a stir online and were actually worn in real life.

Sadly, it’s tough to tell just where Yeezy goes from here as bridges have been burnt with all partners and Ye’s behavior is more unpredictablethan ever before. Despite the question marks, Yeezy currently boasts a fully-stocked web store full of basics all clocking in under $100, proof that Ye finally achieved his vision to democratize fashion for the masses. Beyond his own line, Yeezy’s undeniable influence will live on through the hundreds, if not thousands, of copycats that adopted Ye’s uniform of earth-toned basics a decade ago.

1. BBC ICECREAM

Founding Rapper: Pharrell Williams
Signature Pieces: BBC Logo Tee & Crewneck, BBC Ice Cream Full-Zip Hoodie
Retail Launch: 2003

No rapper has navigated the world of fashion with more class, impact, and imagination than Pharrell. Breaking into the industry with the guidance of NIGO, Skateboard P’s work in apparel has aged as well as he has, bringing a genre-fluid approach to hip-hop that’s taken the form of bedazzled logo tees, full-zip sweatshirts, and accessories likened to his own lens.

The start of Billionaire Boys Club in brought boutique aesthetics and A Bathing Ape learnings to Western hip-hop fashion, quickly adopted by fashionable founders on this list like Jay Z and Clipse. When tasked with taking it wider in access but more skate in orientation, Ice Cream offered a louder take on graphic t-shirts, all-over print tops, and crotch branded jeans far removed from the tall tees or preppy polos that bounded hip-hop at the time.

Now at the helm of Louis Vuitton Men's, P still nods to his early work with BBC and Ice Cream through his own outfits and offerings to this day. While BBC Ice Cream still produces seasonal collections over 20 years later, they aren’t celebrated in the same way. Its scaled availability and changing hands of ownership have taken a toll on its reputation. Still, countless individuals seek out vintage pieces from the brand’s heyday. The design have had a lasting impression on the design language of streetwear. The impact P’s brands have had is immeasurable.