In celebration of BAPE’s 25th anniversary in 2018, the legendary Japanese streetwear brand put together a hip-hop heavy concert. Coined The BAPE Heads Show, it featured appearances and performances from rap stars Kid Cudi, Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, Pusha-T and Lil Yachty, and was just another example of BAPE’s appreciation of hip-hop. Not long after, the brand worn by many of rap music’s most influential stars from the Notorious B.I.G. to Kanye West, recently unveiled that it extended the growing list of rap artists it has collaborated with on apparel and accessories to include a capsule collection with Drake’s October’s Very Own. BAPE’s OVO collab included co-branded shirts, hoodies, face masks, hats, phone cases and keychains. Since this one is for the books, here’s a look at some of BAPE’s other memorable hip-hop collaborations.
Pharrell Williams
Dropped in 2006
An OG fan of the Japanese brand, Pharrell Williams sported BAPE kicks before most of us even knew what they were. He designed several colorful pairs of BAPE’s Roadsta silhouette in 2006.
Kanye West
Dropped in 2006
One of the Louie Vuitton Don’s first high-profile sneaker collabs came in the mid-2000s when he designed the “Dropout Bear” BAPESTA.
Kid Cudi
Dropped in 2010
A former BAPE employee, Kid Cudi worked with the brand in 2010 on the limited edition Kid Cudi Rager T-shirt. The tee dropped around the release of Cudi’s second album Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager.
Big Sean, Pusha T, Flatbush ZOMBiES and Wiz Khalifa
Dropped in 2015
After rocking BAPE religiously throughout their careers, the likes of Big Sean, Pusha T, Flatbush ZOMBiES, Wiz Khalifa and others got their chance to inspire their own BAPE pieces for the 10th anniversary of the opening of BAPE’s NYC location.
Lil Wayne
Dropped in 2019
Another rapper who has been rocking BAPE for a minute is Lil Wayne. Although the Grammy Award-winner wasn’t involved in the design process for the BAPE x UGG collaboration, the platinum star was chosen as the face of the campaign.
Lil Yachty
Dropped in 2019
Lil Yachty’s capsule collection with BAPE included hoodies and T-shirts that featured Lil Boat’s very own Baby Milo character.
Photos via BAPE
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