Karl Kani

Born Carl Williams in Costa Rica, Karl Kani built the denim label most closely tied to 1990s rap. Tupac Shakur was rarely seen without the Karl Kani logo at the height of his fame, and in 1994 he appeared in the brand's campaign without charging a fee. Kani has said he was the first to develop the baggy jean, a claim worth reading as his own. He stands here for a wave of Black-owned labels, including Cross Colours from 1989 and FUBU from 1992, that proved the people who made hip-hop style could own the business of it too.