Lil Wayne is one of today’s top fashion icons, with a unique style, surprising fans

The Greatest Lil Wayne Costumes Ever

Lil Wayne has always been recognized for his unique sense of style. A look back at some of his most stylish looks is provided.

Since it’s Lil Wayne’s 41st birthday today, it’s the ideal opportunity to look back on some of the iconic rapper’s best performances throughout the years. Lil Wayne had a distinct sense of style even when he was a member of the Hоt Boys, sporting bandanas and huge white T-shirts. Lil Wayne has always had an unusual sense of style, from his spat with Pusha T and Pharrell in the 2000s over who popularized BAPE to his brilliantly colored animal print leggings paired with Takashi Murakami Louis Vuitton belts in the 2010s. On certain days, he would come out dressed in luxury clothing with iced out chains, making him appear like the waviest rapper around. At other moments, he seemed more like a bewildered youngster who had just left a Zumiez store, wondering whether wearing skate brands from a mall would somehow improve his skateboarding skills. To Lil Wayne’s credit, he did improve to a pass. Even in modern times, Weezy never fails to show off his own flair, whether he’s walking the red carpet in head-to-toe Balenciaga to receive an award or appearing in an OVO commercial representing his favorite NFL club.

Whether you like it or not, you have to admire him for being creative. Weezy has never wavered from who he is. See some of the most stylish looks he’s worn throughout his career below in honor of his birthday.

Most Valuable Item: Cash Money Chain

1999 saw the release of “Bling Bling.” Therefore, it was only fitting that Cash Money’s whole ensemble at the Soul Train Awards that year highlighted their jewels. Their watches, Cash Money chains, and diamond bracelets looked amazing with the white T-shirt, loose denim pants (that seemed to be personalized with flames on the cuff), and white Reebok Classics—a Southern trademark. Wayne accessorized his appearance with a scarf knotted over his cornrows, whereas everyone else wore a cap. Here’s infant Wayne discovering his artistic voice and creating his own look. —Harris Hughes

Soul Train Music Awards’ 14th AnnualThe best outfits of Lil Wayne, sourced from Getty/Ron GalellaWhen: the year 2000

Unique Item: The Coordinating Iceberg Pullovers

A huge flashback to Weezy F. Baby’s early years with Baby. When this picture was shot during the 14th Annual Soul Train Music Awards, Lil Wanye was just 17 years old. In addition to some substantial jewelry, he is seen here with his instructor Birdman, sporting identical red Iceberg crewneck sweaters. Lil Wayne started making waves as one of the Hоt Boys, a rap group, around the time this picture was shot. However, he started his career as a solo artist once Tha Block Is Hоt, his first album, was published. Carter won The Source’s “Best New Artist” award for Tha Block Is Hоt, which went platinum after debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. “To be precise, two million of them are gravy. But without my clique and Jeezy, I couldn’t have succeeded,” Wayne said while standing on stage with Birdman, Mannie Fresh, Slim, and other Cash Money members at an awards press conference. Recall that Cash Money was so successful at this time that they were thinking about purchasing the notorious Magnolia Housing Projects in New Orleans. Interestingly enough, Baby’s Iceberg beanie with the Bart Simpson logo—which was seen during one of Lil Wayne’s first performances on Rap City—became the most recognizable part of this outfit that endured throughout the artist’s ascent to prominence in the early 2000s. —Lei Takanashi

2005 BET Awards: [Image sourced from Getty]

Best-in-Class: Camo BAPE Hoodie

The late 2000s BAPE era is among Weezy’s most esteemed fashion periods. Among his most iconic looks at the 2005 BET Awards was this specific purple suit. He wore a pair of similarly baggy blue trousers, a purple BAPE camo zip sweatshirt, and black and grey patent leather Bapestas as shoes. A Billionaire Boys Club T-shirt, another popular streetwear brand of the moment and the creation of Pharrell and Nigo, peeks through the partly zipped hoodie. Ironically, at the time, BAPE is credited with helping to ignite a feud between Lil Wayne and the Clipse. After Wayne appeared on an equally memorable Vibe cover in 2006, where he was doused in colorful bits of BAPE, Clipse produced the song “Mr. Me Too” and took a jab at him for supposedly copying their style. At the time, BAPE was made famous in the US in large part by Clipse and Pharrell. Although the rappers’ spat ultimately died down and Pusha T has subsequently said that the concept that BAPE started the cоnflict was misconstrued, Wayne did address the subject when it was hоt at the time, back in a 2006 Complex issue.

You are speaking to the greatest. Speak to me as if I’m the finest person you know. I see nothing except fuckιng Clipse. Man, hurry up. Weezy, dude. To become hоt, B, they had to perform a song with us. “What Became Of That Boy?” Come on, B. Dog, don’t do that,” Lil Wayne says. “You are speaking with a freaking legend right now. Fourteen years, B. How long have those n****s been in existence? Pharrell, who the Һell is he? Is he really someone you respect? You all felt the n**** was strange since he wore bapes. You guys thought it was hоt when I wore it. Man, come on. Come on, now.

Years later, Wayne acknowledged that Pharrell had a major influence on his first interest in BAPE, saying to Complex, “I think that seeing it on Pharrell and being like, ‘What is that colorful camouflage?'” That’s what I need.—With Mike DeStefano

MTV “TRL” VisitMichael Loccisano via Getty/Lil Wayne’s Best OutfitsWhen: in 2006

Particularly Impressive: The Ice Cream T-Shirt

This fits Lil Wayne from the late 2000s well. Here, Weezy is making an appearance on MTV’s well-known TRL program while sporting an all-black Boston Red Sox suited, baggy camouflage cargo pants, skate sneakers, and a crispy Ice Cream T-shirt. Lil Wayne had recently released Tha Carter II, the album that debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, at this stage in his career. Later that year, Lil Wayne’s mixtape Dedication 2 was released, which further helped to further his fаme. Despite being Weezy’s sixteenth mixtape, the DJ Drаmа-produced album is still regarded as one of his greatest releases to date. But it’s sort of weird that Lil Wayne was wearing a Pharrell T-shirt given that he had previously made some disparaging remarks about his fashion choices in the previously mentioned Complex magazine cover story that came out later that year. —Lei Takanashi