What do Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Nas have in common? If this were a music blog, attempting to answer that question could get a little complicated. Since this is a predominantly fashion-oriented blog (we like to mix things up), the answer to that question is quite simple – all three of these musicians are drawn to fashion to the point where they have done everything from creating their own labels to dropping designer’s names in verses on their records. Below, their most recent fashionable endeavors.
“Magna Carta Holy Grail” Album Cover
Let’s start with Jay-Z… because everything starts with Jay-Z, no? On his new album, “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” the rapper included a track called “Tom Ford” in which he raps: “I don’t pop Molly, I rock Tom Ford.”
For those unaware of what a “Molly” is, it’s a street term for MDMA, a pure form of Ecstasy. Well, that’s great, Jay-Z. You don’t do drugs because you prefer to rock Tom Ford suits. As for Mr. Ford, he told WWD that he was flattered at the idea: “I love that he gets a ‘high’ from my clothes.”
Roc on, Jay-Z. Roc on.
Then we have Kanye West. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in his mind. His collaboration with French fashion house A.P.C. was recently announced and according to the press release, it will consist of a pair of jeans, a hoodie and a t-shirt. That’s right, the collection consists of exactly one outfit. Following the birth of his first child with Kim Kardashian and a few weeks after dropping his sixth album “Yeezus,” Kanye is a busy man. He doesn’t have time to create collections, one look will have to do.
A.P.C. x Kanye Courtesy Photo
The press release also included a quaint story about how A.P.C. founder Jean Touitou had no idea West was a hip hop artist when they first spoke. No matter, apparently his persistence paid off and Touitou agreed to the collaboration which will be available in stores and online on July 14.
A look from HSTRY. Photo Courtesy of Grungy Gentleman
Finally, Nasir Jones, aka Nas, has embarked on his first fashion adventure and it’s looking pretty good for a first-timer. The rapper partnered with Jace Lipstein, founder of men’s style site Grungy Gentleman, to create HSTRY, a line of high-end men’s streetwear.
Nas provided input on materials and gave direction on the line, but the design of the 33-piece collection was placed in the able hands of Lipstein. Sounds like a good idea for a beginner since we’ve seen other rapping designers try and fail as they jump head-first into their first designing attempts. HSTRY will launch on Grungy Gentleman’s e-commerce site which goes live Aug. 1.
