Kendrick Lamar has made no secret of his musical influences — 2Pac, DMX and JAY-Z, to name just a few — but when it comes to fashion, there’s one name in particular he holds in high regard.
The Pulitzer Prize-winner took to Twitter on Thursday (September 29) to pay tribute to fellow fashion-forward artist and Los Angeles native Taz Arnold.
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Kendrick posted a slideshow of Arnold’s bold sartorial choices, highlighting some of the eccentric, eye-catching and often custom outfits that he’s become famous for.
“the westside original,” he captioned the photos. “my mount rushmore of style.”
Aside from being a style icon, Taz Arnold is an accomplished musician and has actually collaborated with Kendrick Lamar in the past.
One-third of the genre-fusing L.A. group The Sa-Ra Creative Partners alongside Om’Mas Keith and Shafiq Husayn, Arnold co-produced three tracks on To Pimp a Butterfly, including “u,” “Momma” and “For Sale? (Interlude)”
“He’s ill man,” he told HipHopDX in 2015 of his work with Kendrick. “He directs people. He writes his own material to a whole other level. He writes your material. He’s like, ‘Can you say these parts?’ He’s good to work in the studio. I was very impressed with his acumen and his skill set.”
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K. Dot isn’t the only A-list rapper who worships at the altar of Taz Arnold; Kanye West cliqued up with him in the late ’00s, culminating in a famous photo of Ye, Arnold, Virgil Abloh, Don C, Fonzworth Bentley and Chris Julian turning heads at Paris Fashion Week in 2009.
“He’s always been ahead of everyone,” Don C told Complex in 2018 while reflecting on the group ‘fit pic. “He’s so ahead of the curve that we still think he looks weird. Nobody gives Taz the credit he deserves for as forward as he [was], before the internet.”
As for Kendrick Lamar’s own style journey, the Compton native has inked endorsement deals with Reebok, Nike and Converse since his mainstream breakthrough a decade ago.
In recent months, the pgLang co-founder has leveled up into the world of haute couture and luxury jewelry. For Dr. Dre’sSuper Bowl LVI Halftime Show in February, he wore a Louis Vuitton suit designed by the late Virgil Abloh, while his headlining set at Glastonbury Festival in June saw him sport a $3 million diamond-encrusted crown of thorns created by Tiffany & Co.
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“I wear this [crown] as a representation so you’ll never forget one of the greatest prophets to ever walk the Earth,” K. Dot told the crowd during his powerful performance, in which blood poured down his face from the crown of thorns. “We gon’ continue to try our best to walk in his image.”
