Christopher Wallace better known as the Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls is widely recognized as one of the best rappers ever. Several rappers have previously noted how influential the late artist emcee has influenced today’s music.
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But what you may not know is that Biggie was also a fashion icon. And several of his favorite brands are still popular today because of his influence. Lets take a look at some of the Notorious B.I.G.’s most iconic looks.
During Biggie’s rise to fame in the 1990s, streetwear fashion became wildly popular. Brands such as FUBU, Jordan, and Nautica were running the hip-hop fashion scene. But streetwear brand Karl Kani also boomed in the 1990s because of Biggie Smalls. Kani’s jerseys, polo shirts, and hats were a regular part of his rotation.
Here he is wearing a Karl Kani denim zip up on the cover of VIBE magazine in 1996.
In the 1990s, the budding gangster rap genre saw many rappers wear black or other dark-colored clothing. However, Biggie took a different approach. The Brooklyn-born artist would often wear colorful knit sweaters by the brand Coogi, which was considered a risky move for his brand. That risk ended up paying major dividends as the Coogi sweater became one of Biggie’s signature look and his name is synonymous with the brand today. Coogi even did a collaboration capsule with the rap star post-humously.
Below is a photo of his wearing the famed brand in front of the World Trade Center in the 1990s. Photographed by Cho Modu.
With rap still on the rise in the 1990s, the fashion trends were starting to incorporate luxury into the streetwear look. And Biggie was able to bridge that gap whenever he donned the Versace brand on the red carpet. The star emcee would wear different items from the brand from the luxurious silk shirts down to the medusa head sunglasses. The popularity of the brand today can largely be attributed to Biggie’s influence.
Below is a photo of him donning a Versace shirt with Versace sunglasses in the “Hypnotize” video
