This year, Pharrell became Louis Vuitton’s creative director of menswear. It was a monumental moment for hip-hop culture. After hip-hop culture inspired luxury brands for years, one of its most stylish icons was finally put in the driver’s seat. And it was especially fitting that Louis Vuitton was the first house to do this.
There is definitely no shortage of brand references in hip-hop. In fact, we've heard rappers mention sneaker brands, alcohol companies, and even tech conglomerates like Apple and its counterpart, Microsoft. But of course, there have also been plenty of fashion label mentions. Often, they name-drop labels and designer names to prove their style is unmatched and to show their fashion knowledge. In the '90s it was Versace, Tommy Hilfiger, and even Ralph Lauren. But one brand that remains timelessly fresh in the eyes of rappers is Louis Vuitton.
Whether it was belts, Takashi Murakami duffel bags, or Louis Vuitton sneakers by Virgil Abloh, MCs have been shouting out the French fashion house left and right. Cam'ron did it to show how he showers his girls with gifts. 2 Chainz vowed that when he died, he would be buried inside a Louis Vuitton store. And of course, Kanye West, the Louis Vuitton Don himself, certainly referenced the brand more times than we could count. Louis Vuitton has definitely enjoyed great success in the realm of rap. Here are some of the best Louis Vuitton references in hip-hop.
This year, Pharrell became Louis Vuitton’s creative director of menswear. It was a monumental moment for hip-hop culture. After hip-hop culture inspired luxury brands for years, one of its most stylish icons was finally put in the driver’s seat. And it was especially fitting that Louis Vuitton was the first house to do this.
There is definitely no shortage of brand references in hip-hop. In fact, we've heard rappers mention sneaker brands, alcohol companies, and even tech conglomerates like Apple and its counterpart, Microsoft. But of course, there have also been plenty of fashion label mentions. Often, they name-drop labels and designer names to prove their style is unmatched and to show their fashion knowledge. In the '90s it was Versace, Tommy Hilfiger, and even Ralph Lauren. But one brand that remains timelessly fresh in the eyes of rappers is Louis Vuitton.
Whether it was belts, Takashi Murakami duffel bags, or Louis Vuitton sneakers by Virgil Abloh, MCs have been shouting out the French fashion house left and right. Cam'ron did it to show how he showers his girls with gifts. 2 Chainz vowed that when he died, he would be buried inside a Louis Vuitton store. And of course, Kanye West, the Louis Vuitton Don himself, certainly referenced the brand more times than we could count. Louis Vuitton has definitely enjoyed great success in the realm of rap. Here are some of the best Louis Vuitton references in hip-hop.
Sir Mix-a-Lot "Swap Meet Louie" (1992)
Lyrics: "She says 'I wanna make your girlfriend look good' / Start buying all your Louie in the hood / And you’re sprung, on the two for one / Fake Louis is at the swap meet, son"
One of the best, and funniest, songs from Sir Mix-A-Lot’s 1992 album Mack Daddy has to be “Swap Meet Louie.” The entire track is an ode to anyone who’s gotten finessed when buying Louis Vuitton at a swap meet or flea market. Yes, that Louis Vuitton bag being sold for $50 on Canal Street is just too good to be true. There were a lot of LV references in this song, so it was tough to narrow it down to just one line. But this one's pretty funny and true. Chances are, you know someone who's shopped at the swap meet for a monogram belt or wallet.
50 Cent “Ghetto Quran” (1999)
Lyrics: “Helicopters, Rolls-Royces with Louis Vuitton interior / Might sound like I'm fantasizing, but son I'm dead serious”
A great Louis Vuitton bar from 50 Cent’s unreleased Columbia Records debut album Power of the Dollar. The song primarily details the history of the Supreme Team, an infamous South Jamaica, Queens gang. These specific lines by 50 Cent were commenting on the opulent lifestyle of Thomas “Tony Montana” Mickens, a prolific drug kingpin and money launderer from Queens. Mickens was only 26 when he got sentenced to 35 years in federal prison on drug, tax-evasion and money-laundering charges. His love for luxury cars, like the Louis Vuitton embellished Rolls-Royce that 50 referenced, is what led to his downfall. According to The New York Times, after a New Jersey state trooper caught Mickens speeding in a Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL, they discovered he had laundered tons of cash by buying cars under false names. It’s widely speculated that the infamous murder attempt on 50 Cent in 2000 was sparked by the amount of names he dropped on this track.
Cam’ron “Soap Opera” (2004)
Lyrics: “You eat Louis, shit Gucci, breathe Chanel / Karl Lagerfeld acting like Gargamel”
Cam’ron spoils his girls so much that they practically eat, breathe, and shit designer labels. This might be the contender for one of the hardest Louis Vuitton bars ever dropped. Who else could drop a bar about a Louis Vuitton collaborator like the late Karl Lagerfeld with Gargamel from the Smurfs? Only Killa Cam, man. Although this is a great Louis Vuitton bar from Cam’ron, his most iconic moment with the brand has to be his appearance as Rico in Paid in Full. Cam’ron really donned Alpo Martinez’s Louis Vuitton snorkel in the film, a bootleg designed by the one and only Dapper Dan.
Kanye West "Last Call" (2004)
Lyrics: "I'm Kan, the Louis Vuitton Don / Bought my mom a purse, now she Louis Vuitton Mom"
This bar marks one of the first times Kanye West dubbed himself the Louis Vuitton Don. And trust that Yeezy didn’t gas himself up. When West pulled up to pose for this photo for the 47th Annual Grammy Award Nominations, he knew what type of timing he was on. West really came through flexing this beautiful LV scarf. West was nominated for a whopping 10 Grammy Awards that year. He received the most Grammy nominations that year and won three of them, which included Best Rap Album for The College Dropout. He likely brought Donda a Louis Vuitton purse after securing that Grammy.
Kanye West "Stronger" (2007)
Lyrics: "I'm trippin', I'm caught up in the moment right? / This is Louis Vuitton Don night / So we gon' do everything that Kan like"
Another Kanye Louis Vuitton reference? Yes, because Graduation alone had so many mentions. Yeezy sure loved the fashion house. It was during this era when Kanye really picked up on that scarf/bandana wave. Along with those ridiculous shutter shades, West was commonly seen rocking a Louis Vuitton scarf with a Takashi Murakami monogram print. It’s extremely fitting, considering that the cover of Graduation was drawn by the Japanese artist that defined the Marc Jacobs era of the brand.
Jay Z "Jockin' Jay-Z" (2008)
Lyrics: "I'm some ghetto chic, I'm where the hood and high fashion meet / Oooh wee I'm like the camouflage Louis"
The reference was definitely on point because who didn't want a camo Louis when this song came out? Although Jay-Z always keeps his fits on the chiller side, he’s definitely been seen rocking a Louis Vuitton piece here and there. Hov seems to be more about the accessories, as shown in photos of him in a LV beanie or carrying an ostrich skin backpack. In this photo with Fab, he’s seen wearing a subtle Louis Vuitton jacket that features the brand’s Gaston logo. But the most iconic Louis Vuitton piece Jay-Z’s been captured in has to be the black Louis Vuitton Jaspers he rocked during The Blueprint 3 Tour. “All black everything.”
Kanye West "I'm The Shit (Remix)" (2009)
Lyrics: "I got them Yeezys on my feet, I got them Louies in the sto' / And I dropped another album, 'fore we finished up the tour"
Kanye West’s relationship with Louis Vuitton came to a head in 2009, when he released a line of sneakers that’s gone down in history. During Paris Men’s Fashion Week in 2009, Kanye West uploaded a video of himself sitting inside a Parisian hotel room surrounded by pairs of Louis Vuitton sneakers that were shamelessly named after his closest friends at the time. In typical Yeezy fashion, West gloated about becoming the first rapper to ever collaborate with the gilded French luxury house. Going so far as to announce that he was changing his name from the “Louis Vuitton Don” to “Martin Louis The King Jr.” while sitting next to the same Goyard suitcase he held when Tommy Ton photographed that iconic squad fit pic seen around the world. Upon release, the Louis Vuitton Jaspers, Dons and Mr. Hudsons became instant sneaker grails and are still highly sought after today.
Big Sean on "Fat Raps (Remix)" (2010)
Lyrics: "Your girl show me L-O-V-E / I dropped the O and E, and just took the LV / That's Louis Vuitton luggage / Every time you see my passport, Damier print"
As Big Sean’s Cartier frames already suggest, he’s a fan of the finer things in life. Whether it’s a rare pair of suede monogram lace-ups or a Keepall designed by Jeff Koons, Sean Don keeps that Louis V bag on him.
Wale "Lotus Flower Bomb" (2011)
Lyrics: "So I clap for her, she deserves an applause / Shawty working so hard, she deserves that Vuitton"
Wale already knows that the greatest gift you can buy for your girl is a Louis Vuitton bag. Like many other rappers on this list, Wale has clearly been a longtime supporter of the French luxury house. He’s been photographed in both Virgil Abloh’s latest pieces and Stephen Sprouse T-shirts from the brand’s first creative director of menswear, Marc Jacobs. However, Wale’s most memorable moment with the brand was when he created a custom pair of Air Jordan IV’s inspired by Kanye West’s Louis Vuitton “Dons” sneakers.
2 Chainz "Birthday Song" (2012)
Lyrics: "Yeah birthday, it's your birthday / If I die, bury me inside that Louis store"
It may only be a rap line, but we wouldn't be surprised if 2 Chainz was serious. As many of us know, 2 Chainz has always been an avid wearer of Louis Vuitton and other expensive designer gear. He’s even said his love for Louis Vuitton sneakers has trumped his love for classic footwear such as Air Jordans, Air Force 1s and Dunks. “I don’t diss a sneakerhead who wears that type of stuff, but these don’t wrinkle,” said Tity Boi while flexing a pair of Orange LV Acapulcos in a 2012 interview. "The thing about these is you just need to get the [shoe] strings washed. I had these shoes for months, worn thousands of times to me, and they got no bends or creasing. It’s like you get your money’s worth.”
Pharrell on "Pretty Flacko (Remix)" (2012)
Lyrics: "I wore Louboutins before they knew what they was / They like, 'Louis Vuitton? Naw, uh huh, cuz' / That's when I realized they didn't know what they was"
Kanye West aside, we can’t underestimate the impact Pharrell always had on Louis Vuitton. In 2004, Marc Jacobs asked Pharrell and Nigo to design a pair of Louis Vuitton sunglasses. Those frames were dubbed the Millionaires and lived on to become one of the most iconic pairs of sunglasses within hip-hop history. Originally sold for $1,200, they were inspired by aviators and Pharrell described them as being “one part Tony Montana, one part Notorious B.I.G.” The glasses came in black, red, and purple colorways with a gold trim. during Virgil Abloh’s tenure at Louis Vuitton, he re-issued the sunglasses as the Millionaire 1.1. Aside from sunglasses, Pharrell also designed a jewelry line for Louis Vuitton in 2008. He's certainly come a long way since then.
Skepta “That’s Not Me” (2014)
Lyrics: “Yeah, I used to wear LV / I put it all in the bin 'cause that's not me / True, I used to look like you / But dressing like a mess? Nah, that's not me”
It could be argued that these bars about ditching designer brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci put the Grime veteran Skepta back on the map—“That’s Not Me” is what we considered to be the most impactful Grime song released in the 2010s. When being questioned about this specific bar, Skepta expressed that he wanted to wear brands that were more representative of people of color. “I wanted to get back to wearing clothes that are for us. The marketing teams at Nike and JD Sports, they came for us. The people modeling in the windows are people like Jamal from SBTV,” Skepta told i-D in 2016. “I want the kids to see that maybe they should be aligning themselves not just with a price range, but the people who are designing for you.” After Virgil Abloh became Louis Vuitton’s first Black creative director of menswear, Skepta was seen sporting many of Abloh’s pieces and sitting front row at his runway shows.
Lil Uzi Vert “Seven Million” (2016)
Lyrics: “Yeah, might need a better dude / Louis Vuitton, the Gabbana, Prada, the better shoes”
As these bars from “Seven Million” show, Lil Uzi Vert has never been one to skimp on his style. And anyone who follows his Instagram knows he’s posted crazy fit pics that capture him wearing Louis Vuitton from head to toe. “Lil Uzi isn't even human. To me he is an Impressionist painter replacing pigments with readymade brands and clothes,” Virgil Abloh told GQ in 2019.
Travis Scott “High Fashion” (2016)
Lyrics: “Maison Margiela blunts, Louis Vuitton double cups / Designer drugs, you get seamed up if it tastes cut”
These bars from Travis Scott take the meaning of high fashion to a whole new level. Although none of us can really imagine what a Masion Margiela blunt or a Louis Vuitton double cup is like, we’re sure Travis can vouch for what he’s talking about here. Scott has always been a big LV fan and has been seen rocking everything from vintage Takashi Murakami Keepall bags to Abloh’s most iconic pieces. However, his most memorable LV outfit has to either be the Supreme x Louis Vuitton ensemble he wore during Paris Fashion Week in 2017 or the LV belt he wore to the Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show.
Playboi Carti “Run it Up” (2019)
Lyrics: “All of this kush in my lung / Rockin’ that Louis Vuitton / Put my light dreads in a bun”
Since Playboi Carti is one of the most well-dressed rappers today, it’s no surprise that he loves Louis Vuitton and even walked in a runway show for the French luxury house. Sir Cartier closed out Virgil Abloh’s Spring/Summer 2019 show, which was Abloh’s first collection as the brand’s creative director of menswear. “This is Black history,” Playboi Carti told The New York Times.“It’s monumental. This is Louis. This is the top dog. No disrespect to Vetements, but my mom, my dad, my auntie, my great-grandmother know what Louis is.” Carti donned a silver leather rain poncho with Louis Vuitton patches, “Yellow Brick Road” staple jeans, a chain, and a pair of LV trainers for the show.
Westside Gunn “Scotties” (2019)
Lyrics: “Ayo, ain't no boomin' back, the Louis V lumberjack / Havin' paperwork parties for killin' all fuckin' rats (Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom)”
Although Louis Vuitton has never made a lumberjack print to the best of our knowledge, it’s a creative way for Gunn to describe the brand’s checkered Damier print. Alongside Pop Smoke, Westside Gunn was personally invited to a Louis Vuitton show by Virgil Abloh in 2020. In an interview with Complex, Gunn explained the unique fit he wore to Abloh’s Fall/Winter 2020 runway show. “I wore a hockey jersey to the Louis Vuitton show, bro. It was legendary. The colors matched with everything,” he said. “That was just one of those moments. I wanted to chill and relax that day. I'm going to come in with the hoodie and hockey jersey on because everybody else is going to be rocking Louis.”
Pop Smoke “Christopher Walking” (2020)
Lyrics: “Just 'cause I dance, don't think I'm pussy, don't make me pull up with the stick (Woo, stick, stick) / I got a Louis V bag to match with the 'fit (Louis V, Louis V, Louis)”
As we all know, the late Pop Smoke was a big fan of designer clothes, especially Louis Vuitton and Dior. And one of the rapper’s biggest moments before tragically passing away was attending Paris Fashion Week in 2020. It was where Pop Smoke filmed the music video for “Shake the Room,” which was directed by none other than Louis Vuitton’s former creative director of menswear, Virgil Abloh—who invited the Brooklyn rapper to Paris. “I got in touch with [Pop Smoke and Westside Gunn] myself because I wanted them to come to Paris for the first time and not have to deal with the scrutiny, or that feeling of ‘You don't belong here,’ that we did when we were there 10 years before,” Abloh told Complex. “It was literally the idea that I’m paying homage to them because I was listening to their music when I made these collections. I want you to sit front row and feel like you belong here too because you were my inspiration.”
Lil Durk and Gunna “What Happened To Virgil” (2022)
Lyrics: “Louis down, man, this shit came from Virgil / Oh my God, what happened to Virgil?”
In November of 2021, Virgil Abloh tragically passed away from cancer at the age of 41. It was a shocking loss not just for fashion but for the hip-hop community at large. During his entire tenure at Louis Vuitton, Abloh tirelessly advocated for hip-hop culture. Whether it was through highlighting underground artists like Reggieknow or platforming subcultures like graffiti, Abloh generously used his platform. In 2022, Lil Durk and Gunna released “What Happened to Virgil.” The song was a standout on Durk’s 7220 album and was less about fashion and more about dealing with traumatic losses. The video for the song was filmed by Cole Bennett and inspired by Abloh’s posthumous Fall/Winter 2022 Louis Vuitton show. It was an apt tribute to Abloh’s legacy.
Tyler, the Creator and Nigo “Come On, Let’s Go” (2022)
Lyrics: “And we got supper on the upper deck and the orchestra / Gon' play that shit I scored (Woo), for LV Abloh projects (Yeah)”
This standout Tyler, the Creator track from Nigo’s I Know NIGO album was coincidentally produced by Pharrell and features a humble bar from T that references his work on Abloh’s Fall/Winter 2022 Louis Vuitton show. Tyler composed and scored the entire show. “[Virgil was] good-hearted,” Tyler told Fast Company weeks after his death. “I remember being weird. Like, ‘Why he fuck with everybody?’ Years ago. Not in a bad way, but I couldn’t—my hating, pretentious ass couldn’t fathom that someone could have such an open heart like that. And it took me a while to understand that. And I’m just like, ‘You are actually a fucking angel. You’re an angel, bro.’” Abloh’s legacy will never be forgotten.