The bag’s namesake, Jane Birkin, passed away this week.
By Jessica Bennett
News Editor
The Birkin bag has not only become a staple within the fashion industry over the last two decades, but a favorite line of luxury totes by some of the biggest names in the biz. From Mariah Carey to The City Girls, every “it” girl and guy has been seen rocking one, with rappers ranging from Jay-Z to Kendrick Lamar waxing poetic over the highly coveted handbags within their music.
Ranging anywhere from five to six figures, Hermes’ priciest accessory was introduced in the mid 1980s and was named after British-French actress and singer Jane Birkin, who, at the time, complained to chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas of not having an adequate weekender bag for her things.
While available to the elite from day one, Birkin became a mainstream accessory thanks to shows like Sex And The City, and eventually Hip-Hop culture, which has had a fascination with the purse ever since.
In honor of the late Jane Birkin who passed away this week, check out some of the most notable bars about the Birkin bag below.
Miami duo City Girls scored their first major hit with 2018’s “Act Up,” with JT’s opening distinguishing itself as a certified party-starter ever since.
“Real-a** bi**h, give a f**k ’bout a ni**a
Big Birkin bag, hold five, six figures
Stripes on my a** so he call this pu**y Tigger
F**kin’ on a scammin’ a**, rich a** ni**a.”
Hov dropped one of Hip-Hop’s earliest Birkin bars back in 2002 on The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse single, “03 Bonnie & Clyde” featuring future wife, Beyoncé.
“I keep you workin’ that Hermès Birkin bag
Manolo Blahnik Timbs, Aviator lens
600 drops, Mercedes Benz
The only time you wear Burberry to swim
And I don’t have to worry, only worry is him
She do anything necessary for him
And I do anything necessary for her
So don’t let the necessary occur, yup!”
The Brooklyn rhymer also dropped a Birkin reference during his opening verse on Beyoncé‘s B’Day single, “Deja Vu.”
“I used to run base like Juan Pierre
Now I run the bass, hi-hat, and the snare
I used to bag girls like Birkin Bags
Now I bagged B (Boy, you hurtin’ that).”
On Cardi B‘s “She Bad” featuring YG, the Compton rapper uses the hook to describe the luxury goods every “bad” chick should have in their possession, including the highly coveted Birkin.
“Gucci bag, Gucci bag, Gucci bag, Fendi bag
Prada bag, Louis bag, Gucci bag, Gucci bag
Birkin bag, she in the bag, she drip, she swag
Never mad, she glad, Louis bag, she in the bag.”
The Birkin babe brought back her bag fetish for “Up”, where she used alliteration to assert her dominance over her peers.
“Big bag bussin’ out the Bentley Bentayga
Man, Balenciaga Bardi back and all these bi**hes f**ked
It’s big bags bussin’ out the Bentley Bentayga, man
Birkin bag, Bardi back and all you bi**hes f**ked.”
Back in 2015, Meek Mill bragged on being the “plug” for his girl’s Birkin bags, who just so happened to be featured artist Nicki Minaj at the time.
“But now it’s all eyes on me, and it all lies on me
To say somethin’ to your pretty a**
Some hood sh*t, what you lookin’ at?
‘Cause I’m good for that, Birkin bags, I’m good for that
Might just be your plug for that
You might fall in love with that, got love for that.”
Lil Baby took to Drizzy track “Wants And Needs” to make it clear spoiling his lady and her child is nothing to a boss.
“I’m crackin’ my shell now, they see that I’m smarter
I gotta get money, I love to get charter
I gave her four Birkins and one’s for her daughter
I can’t let ’em down, walk around with my guard up
I’m screamin’ out ‘YOLO,’ yeah, that’s still the motto
I know I be on some sh*t that they ain’t thought of.”
Compton’s K. Dot took on a different perspective with his Birkin lines, imploring his listeners to reject the materialism often associated with Hip-Hop on Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers single, “N95.”
“Take off the Chanel, take off the Dolce, take off the Birkin bag
(Take it off)
Take all that designer bullsh*t off, and what do you have?”
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