A Brief History of the Best Yves Saint Laurent References in Rap

Celebrate Yves Saint Laurent's birthday with the best moments rappers have referenced him.

August 1, 2014

Not Available Lead — Image via Complex Original

The proof is in the raps: YSL is hands down a top brand that the fashion-forward swag lords of hip-hop favor. The homie Yves Saint Laurent is easily one of the most frequently name-dropped designers in today's bars by everyone from Kanye to Trina. On today, his 77th birthday, we toast to both the legend and the ever-rewarding intersection of hip-hop and high fashion with the fifteen best references to YSL in recent history. There were definitely enough to choose from. Read A Brief History of Yves Saint Laurent References in Rap and make sure you rock some SLP in the streets tonight to celebrate.

Meek Mill, "Pandemonium"

"Million ways to get this money, you gon get it/

On the grind twenty-four/seven, I'm with it/

YSL swagger, wrist wear frigid/

Jumping out the Phantom like a motherfucking midget"

Meek's documented love for YSL goes all the way back to his first major look with MMG.

Jay Z, "All Around the World"

"Party at Bungalow Eight, when I stay/

pool look like a hundred Beyoncés/

a couple fianceés, I'm the new DeVante/

"Come and talk to me" mami in the ea-sy, Yves Saint/

Laurent, I hope, she ain't too young"

Foreshadowing?

Nas, "Play on Playa"

"Throwin carnations at my tombstone/

In my new home, meet Moms in my Yves Saint Laurent suit on/

Then we do a dance/

Like my man Luther Jam, but my verse came first"

So Nas' vision of heaven imagines YSL as the dress code? Sounds about right.

Tyga, "I'm So Raw"

"Fly nigga, I don't wear if it's in the mall/

Seen it on the blogs, these muhfuckas cost/

Yves Saint Laurent, you can tell by the fonts"

Pretty sure you can get YSL in some malls too but where Tyga chooses to shop is none of our business.

Juelz Santana, "Awesome"

"Looking like a bag of mula, got me thinking bout the jeweler/

Not a ring, but a watch, matching Rollies how I do ya

YSL, Chanel, Celine McQueen

That's a must, none of that Canal street stuff"

Spoken like a true New Yorker.

Rick Ross, "Take It to the Head"

"She got all them purses, I say in my verses/

YSL and Hermes and barely scratch the surface"

It's deeper than rap, way deeper, apparently.

Trina, "Head Turner"

"In a day, I can get what you get in a month/

Ching, ching, ching, spend that on some Yves Saint Laurent/

Ching, ching, ching, spend that on some Yves Saint Laurent"

Got it.

Ghostface Killah, "Different Time Zones"

"Glasshouse/

I reside by the library/

Yves Saint Laurent frames/

Sipping Ciroc berry"

Is there any other acceptable way to take in some literature?

2 Chainz, "No Lie"

"YSL belt buckle, y'all niggas sure is looking!"

2 Chainz is the poster boy for dressing to troll.

Nicki Minaj, "She Likes Me"

"We was at the Heat game, peeped game, let him see the g-string/

Yves Saint Laurent, size fives, a petite frame"

Thirst-trapping IRL.

Cam'ron & Vado, "La Bamba"

"Played the restaurant, in the Yves Saint Laurent/

Patent leather, black and decker, did your girl, played yo aunt"

Cam'rons non sequitur game is too next-level. At least he was fresh to death whilst playing your aunt, though.

Future, "Turn on the Lights"

"Is that her in the VIP line?/

With the Vuitton and the Yves Saint Laurent"

Such a classic start to one of the most important romance songs of our generation.

Kanye West, "Diamonds From Sierra Leone"

"Close your eyes and imagine, feel the magic/

Vegas on acid/

Seen through Yves Saint Laurent glasses"

Dope opening bars and much lighter than his other notable reference in 808s and Heartbreak's "Pinocchio Story": "There is no YSL that they could sell/To get my heart, out of this hell/And my mind, out of this jail."