Side Hustle: Young Buck’s Jewelry, Lil Wayne’s Foreign Money

You used to just admire your favorite rapper for his flow or your favorite singer for her pitch, but these days it seems like swagger and style are taking the front seat for our affections.

So many artists are becoming designers, that it seems launching a clothing line is part of their record contracts.

Though many lines go unnoticed, others excel with quirky names and delicious designs.

Rappers, songbirds and even Hip-Hop reality stars have your fashion infatuations covered as they get set to release their own lines of clothing, handbags and jewelry.

This year rap veteran LL Cool J will launch Todd Smith, a line he promises to be sexy but upscale. Although he announced the line in 2007, he will officially launch in February with a big fashion show.

LL will be very much involved in every process of his line – even selecting which stores will carry the exclusive apparel. [The above photo was actually taken  at AllHipHop.com’s  2007 AllHipHop Week Fashion Show, which LL hosted with model Liris Cross.]

LL’s G-Unit affiliate Young Buck is trying his luck with the launch of David Brown Clothing and Jewelry. Though details of the clothes are sketchy you could expect the usual t-shirts and jeans fixed with a flashy David Brown logo.

Lil Wayne fans are eagerly awaiting both The Carter 3 and his two clothing lines. “The best rapper alive” Lil Wayne hopes to become “the best designer alive” when he releases Foreign Money for men and Double U for women. While particulars for Double U are being withheld Foreign Money is said to mimic his already rock star style. Not-so-baggy jeans and fitted tees are the predicted blueprint for his male line.

Juelz Santana will debut his line RoyElz at the MAGIC Convention next month in Las Vegas. This line has been a long time coming, as Juelz had to put production on hold due to a family illness. Going through numerous samples to make certain the line does not imitate Dipset Capo Jim Jones’ Nostic clothing line has also held up the process.

And leave it to bad girl Rihanna to do things differently. Not yet ready to launch her own line, the style star will have Marc Jacobs do all the work for her. He will design two handbags named in her honor. The bags’ spring unveiling will range from $1000 to $2000.

Vanessa and Angela Simmons are ready to reveal their Pastry clothing line. This is expanding upon their already successful Pastry shoe line, which they debuted via their family show Run’s House. The clothes will include bright colors and designs on simple sweatpants and t-shirts, and will be released around the same time as the Pastry handbag collection.

The uber trendy Kanye West is making the fashion world wait impatiently for Pastelle. Kanye vows not to launch his line until the design samples are perfect. He has even announced he will wait as long as it takes, so for now you’ll have to settle for him donning other designers.

Black Eyed Peas front man Will.I.Am is ready to bring his fashion sense to the forefront. He recently partnered with Antik Denim to create i.am.Antik, a fresh remix to the already attractive denim line.Stay tuned for more Hip-Hop celebrity fashion updates. After all, everyone should have a side hustle!