Fashion / IncomingListing every brand Jay Z has ever rapped aboutFrom Reebok to Rolex, Katherine Bernard charted every fashion namedrop in the rap God's twenty-year oeuvre for her 'Art as Wrench' projectShareLink copied ✔️November 18, 2014FashionIncomingTextEmma Hope Allwood Dazed contributor Katherine Bernard has got 99 problems, but methodically analysing the lyrics of Jay Z is no longer one (sorry, not sorry). After breaking down the overall prevalence of fashion brands in rap earlier this year, her project 'Art as Wrench' (an anagram of Shawn Carter, obviously) went deeper into the rabbit hole. Bernard looked through his discography chronologically, and with some help from friend, data engineer and creator of cool internet art Fred Benenson, charted the lyric, the type of fashion item, the album, the year, the song title, any guest artists, and whether Jay was referencing clothing on men or women – “It may not seem like it, but I do in fact have a social life,” she insists. The writer then arranged every fashion name drop into a tidy square, “which all together reads like a symbolic autobiography.” Launching today on Kickstarter with a series of limited edition prints and a t-shirt, the project is “about exploring an artist's evolution – his taste timeline,” she says, but it's not a simple progression from Reebok and Rocawear to Givenchy and Gucci – Benetton and Yankee caps get name drops as late as 2009's The Blueprint 3. “I don't think rappers are commenting on fashion – it's not something they are observing, they are influencing it,” says Bernard. “The most surprising thing is probably how much the list of brands becomes a narrative as you read it.” As for who's next? You'll have to work it out... “His name has the perfect anagram: Swanky Tee.” See the likes of #BEENTRILL#'s Heron Preston, Vogue's Lynn Yaeger and a chicken called Beyoncé get to grips with the t-shirt below: Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MOREGucci AW26: Everything you missed at Demna’s blockbuster runway debutStill got it! The 00s Mulberry Bayswater bag is making a comeback Reebok Your favourite Reeboks are getting a makeover Antonio MarrasAntonio Marras wants us to stop and smell the roses for AW26 Reebok How Dazed Clubbers are styling their Reebok ClassicsPrada’s frazzled Italian women stripped off multiple times adidas OriginalsSamuel L Jackson is on a quest to find his SuperstarsDiary of a debut: Inside Petra Fagerström’s London Fashion Week breakoutDazed China is launching in June 2026 – here’s what you need to knowHere’s everything you missed at London Fashion Week AW26Medusa’s Lover was the main attraction at Di Petsa AW26We Should All Be Fetishists: Unpacking Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Fendi debutEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy