The Greatest Hip-Hop Bromances
A multitude of hip-hop's male pairings in one place.
1 / 11
Bromances to Remember - Some of hip-hop’s strongest pillars were built on bromances — think Run DMC in the '80s or Diddy and Biggie in the '90s. One of the latest bromances, Rae Sremmurd (which is actually literal since the pair are siblings) has raised eyebrows due to their being shirtless together on the latest cover of The Fader magazine. The story was perhaps a blessing in disguise since it’s pushed a discussion of male interpersonal relationships in hip-hop. Hip-hop’s greatest moments usually came from a pair of great minds bonding over shared origins and ideas. So let’s take a look at some of the genre’s greatest bromances. – Jon Reyes (Photos from left: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images, Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Live Nation)
2 / 11
Jay Z & Kanye West - The mogul and producer began their bromance at the top of the millennium when one of Kanye’s tracks (“This Can’t Be Life”) made it to The Dynasty compilation album. As one of the producers on Jay’s classic The Blueprint, the pair would grow closer over the years culminating in affectionate declarations in the form of records like “Last Call” and “Big Brother.”(Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images For BET)
3 / 11
Puff Daddy & the Notorious B.I.G. - This pair’s bromance is still one of the most remembered in hip-hop. It first kicked off when Puff discovered the rapper, but the two became a much stronger pair when Biggie walked away from Uptown Records to follow Puff to Bad Boy Records.(Photo: Jim Smeal/WireImage)
4 / 11
Lil Wayne & Birdman - Currently it’s one of the most volatile friendships, but it seemed to have soured many years after it began. Lil Wayne flourished under the Birdman tutelage in Cash Money, as the "father and son" bond led to some great music and business moves.(Photo: Doug Benc/Getty Images)
5 / 11
Tyler, the Creator & Earl Sweatshirt - These two are among the new echelon of bromances derived from being young, bright eyed, and void of caring about hip-hop’s masculinity. While Tyler seems to have bromances within Odd Future (Hodgy Beats, Taco, Jasper) none seem as creatively fulfilling as his bromance with Earl Sweatshirt. On par with a younger Jay Z and Kanye West, they both live comfortably outside their collaborations. That’s a true bromance.(Photo: Taylor Hill/WireImage for Governors Ball Music Festival)
ADVERTISEMENT