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 MOREMoncler is coming for summer with its line of little puffs Nike Nike’s ‘wild card’ Team Kits are already in actionThis Dutch designer’s ‘gay fantasy’ is full of farmers, pirates and sailors Nike Airmaxxing with singer-songwriter Simone RuthRosalía is my religion: Sacred street style from Lux Tour BarcelonaOakley Oakley’s new collection was designed to weather the storm Nike Airmaxxing with multidisciplinary creative Jake EliasThe best fashion exhibitions to see for spring 2026All the best dressed stars at Coachella 2026 Nike Airmaxxing with New York designer Annie Lian PumaPUMA and Jil Sander keep it simple with the K-Street Labubu obituary: Rot in hell you ugly little freaksEscape 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