With an investment portfolio that spans sports brands, streaming services and Ace of Spades champagne, it was only a matter of time before Mr Shawn Carter skipped past Dr Dre and Diddy to be crowned hip-hop’s first billionaire. And he’s certainly one of the most stylish members of the three-comma club. The Silicon Valley types who make up most of its ranks tend to wear a uniform of dad jeans, plain T-shirts and the occasional ill-fitting suit, but Jay-Z’s on-point outfits have been providing plenty of fodder for our Wish Lists.

Like any style icon worth his salt, Mr Carter isn’t averse to a little experimentation (dreadlocks, bandanas and brightly coloured two-pieces), but there are certain mainstays, from his TOM FORD tuxedos to his enviable watch collection, that make up his signature style. And so, on the occasion of his 50th birthday, we thought it apt to pick out five nuggets of fashion wisdom from his lyrical archive. Below, the rap god’s guide to “looking like wealth”.

“I don’t pop molly, I rock Tom Ford”

Hip-hop artists have always been fond of a designer name-drop, but Jay-Z’s 2013 track dedicated to Mr Tom Ford might just be the ultimate tribute. The Texan designer has long been Mr Carter’s tailor of choice, whether it’s for Mr Barack Obama’s inauguration, the Met Gala or the Grammys – and with good reason. Anyone who’s had the good fortune to wear a TOM FORD suit will attest that it’s impossible not to feel like a billion dollars.

“I might wear black for a year straight”

Jay-Z has been favouring a pretty vibrant colour palette of late (see the fuchsia Calvin Klein suit he wore to the 2018 Global Citizen Festival or the mint-green Dries Van Noten number in the “Apeshit” music video), but one of his most memorable fashion moments was a near religious fixation with all-black everything, right down to his Ray-Ban Wayfarers. We’re big fans of his recent looks, but there’s still something to be said for head-to-toe black. It might not be the most boundary-pushing choice, but, like Mr Carter himself, it shouts effortless cool.

“New watch alert: Hublots / Or the big-face Rollie, I got two of those”

Instagram-averse Jay-Z would be loath to call himself an influencer, but when it comes to luxury watches, there’s perhaps no better descriptor. Mr Carter is credited with being the first rapper to put Audemars Piguet on the map and even collaborated with the brand for a limited-edition line of Royal Oaks. More recently, his custom blue sapphire piece by Richard Mille made headlines for its eyewatering $2.5 million price tag, while Rolexes were handed out as invites to his charity gala. It’s an obsession that could inspire even the most modest dresser to lust after a little ice on the wrist.

“Leonardo Da Vinci flows / Riccardo Tisci Givenchy clothes”

If anyone can settle the question of whether fashion is art, it is avid collector Jay-Z. In “Picasso Baby”, he namechecks Mr Riccardo Tisci alongside Messrs Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko and Jean Michel Basquiat. During their Watch The Throne collaboration, both Jay-Z and Mr Kanye West were decked out in custom creations by the Italian designer, who also acted as the album’s art director. Mr Tisci’s tenure at Givenchy might have drawn to a close, but he’s now producing some of his finest work at Burberry. Check out this season’s collection for your own Mr Carter-approved masterpiece.

“Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game / Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can”

Being a “business, man” isn’t all about suits. A proud Brooklynite, Jay-Z’s classic Yankees baseball cap can be tracked from the first to the third Blueprint album, while Bathing Ape, Billionaire Boys Club and Been Trill have all been referenced in his songs. He may be a quinquagenarian, but Mr Carter’s still been stepping out in Puma sweatpants, Supreme sneakers and his own line of Paper Planes caps – proof that streetwear is very much an option for the mature gentleman.

The man featured in this story is not associated with and does not endorse MR PORTER or the products shown