- Best Biggie Sweatshirts Guide - April 24, 2023
- Best Eminem Action Figures Guide - April 21, 2023
- Best Jay Z Posters - February 2, 2023
When I say the name “Eminem”, you probably think of witty and rapid lyrical flows, the jaw-dropping rap battles from 8 Mile, or the countless beefs that the rapper has dominated with pure wit, intelligence, and skill. However, another thing that stands out about Eminem is his fashion sense, and whilst he would probably talk about this as being effortless in an attempt to prevent himself from seeming like he’s trying too hard, this rapper does have an iconic look that his fans love.
From tracksuits and trainers to jewelry and unique haircuts, Eminem quickly rose from being a chubby young rapper-wannabe to a fashion-clad superstar, but in my opinion, his most iconic piece of fashion gear is his hat. Over the years, Marshall has sported many different types of hats which you are too able to buy, and this is a rabbit hole I recently fell.
So – whether you’re a big fan of Eminem’s music and simply want to introduce some of his fashion into your life, or you simply took note of Eminem’s cool taste in snapbacks, this is the guide for you. I’m going to be explaining Eminem’s signature hat styles, and what to look for when buying your own, along with some of my recommendations. Read on to find out more!
Bottom Line Up Front: Eminem has always been a fan of hats and has worn many styles over the years including bucket hats, beanies, and baseball caps. Whilst my personal favorite is the white Kangol bucket hat, the most recent hat that Eminem has been wearing is the black Kangol Army-style Baseball cap.
What Kind of Hats Does Eminem Wear?
When discussing a particular fashion preference of a rapper, things usually are not too complicated. Take 2pac for instance – he invented his style of bandana-wearing and always wore the same diamond nose stud, so getting to the bottom of his style is pretty simple. However, this is not the case with Eminem, and this is largely due to the rapper’s lengthy career which is now pushing three decades!
So, what’s so complicated about Eminem’s taste in hats? Well, nothing in particular (although it is pretty unique), it’s simply because it has changed a lot over time. Whilst younger readers might be content with the assumption that Eminem always wears snapback caps, this is not true. Eminem has worn all sorts of different types of hats throughout his career, but the four main ones have always been snapbacks, army hats, bucket hats, and beanies.
Beanies and Bucket Hats
Let’s start with the latter two – bucket hats and beanies. I grew up listening to Eminem in the early ‘00s, with songs such as “The Real Slim Shady”, “Lose Yourself”, “Stan” and “Without Me” dominating my radio. I also loved to tune in to Eminem’s often hilarious music videos on TV channels such as MTV and magazines such as Q, and it was on these releases that I got used to seeing Eminem wearing beanies and bucket hats.
Remember reading a Q Magazine article on Eminem, and there was a huge glossy shot of Eminem on the feature page wearing a white Kangol bucket hat. In case you don’t know it already, this brand Kangol is going to become very familiar by the end of this article, but this was the first time I saw Eminem wearing the brand. I think Eminem was a true innovator regarding this head accessory – bucket hats are more popular today than ever before!
Overall, when I think of the first half of Eminem’s rap career, I think of beanies and bucket hats. As we’ll explore shortly, the rapper veered away from these styles and tried alternative head gear out which he stands by today, but beanies and bucket hats will always be the OG Eminem hats in my books.
Baseball Caps and Army Hats
As I mentioned just now, Eminem began to veer away from beanie and bucket hats around 10 or 15 years into his career, so did this mean that he’d no longer be wearing hats at all? Absolutely not – I think this was just the beginning of Eminem’s hat journey, as it wasn’t long before he started favoring Baseball caps. I would imagine that this was simply part of the process of becoming more mature, having children of his own, and developing a sense of Dad fashion, it’s a natural part of life!
However, this is not to say that Eminem looks any less cool with such a fashion change. During the late ‘00s, I started to see Eminem sporting minimalistic black baseball caps, and I thought these gave him a new authority that I’d never experienced before.
The beanies and bucket hats portrayed a feeling of youthfulness and development, but these new baseball caps screamed “I am the Rap God”. I don’t know of any better way of putting it, something about these caps just shifted Eminem’s stage presence up a notch.
Something interesting happened in the mid-’10s – Eminem began wearing Army-style caps, specifically produced by the brand Kangol. That’s right, it’s the same Kangol that produced Eminem’s bucket hats that we discussed earlier. I bet Kangol is super happy to see how loyal the Slim Shady has been across almost three decades!
These days, every time I see Eminem making an appearance whether it’s at a concert, music video, or photo shoot, he seems to be sporting a black Kangol army hat. I feel like this is Eminem’s final form, it just suits his style and face so well and he has been wearing this product for years now. Who knows, perhaps we will see further evolution in the future but for now, Eminem is all about the army caps.
What to Think about When Buying Eminem Hats
Later in this guide to the best Eminem hats, I will be providing you with some of my personal favorite product recommendations, and every one of these products follows a carefully curated list of criteria. Whilst I’m sure that you’ll like the look of at least one of my favorite Eminem hats, I think it’s important that you have a solid understanding of the criteria I used, so that you can do your own research and find some hats that I might have missed! Let’s dive into it.
Eminem’s Hats Vs. Eminem Hat Merchandise
Before we talk about specific Eminem hat properties, ask yourself the following question. Do you want an Eminem hat in the sense that it is a hat that Eminem would wear, or do you instead simply want to wear a piece of Eminem merchandise on your head, something that perhaps reads “Eminem” or your favorite song title? I think this is a really important question to consider as people have different preferences.
I’ve made sure to include at least two examples of each of these types of Eminem hats – two Eminem-branded hats, and three that are simply hats that Eminem wears or has worn. These recommendations should help you understand the distinction I am trying to make, and if you’re not a fan of them, they should at least help you find something similar that is to more your liking!
Style
The next criterion that I have included when considering my best Eminem hats recommendations is style. This is one of the main factors I considered when choosing products, because what is the point of a hat if it’s not stylish!?
If you’re looking for something that represents Eminem’s fashion sense, you should already know what your options are – beanies and bucket hats for old-school Eminem, or baseball and army caps for nu-school Eminem. However, if you’re looking for Eminem merch, you’ll have a few more options to choose from. Most of the Eminem hat merch I have come across online has been baseball caps, but who knows – maybe someone out there on Etsy produces Eminem top hats!
Color
Once you’ve sorted your style out, it’s now time to choose a color – this is another highly important criterion to consider for a similar reason to the last – color contributes to the style, after all! Now, if you’re buying Eminem merchandise hats, you’re probably going to be out of luck here as you will 95% of the time be looking at a black or white baseball cap. However, non-merch options are always going to have opportunities for customization, especially anything bought from Kangol.
That’s right – Eminem has always been into Kangol hats whether they’re baseball army caps or bucket hats, and one of the many reasons for this might be due to their extensive range. We’ll be looking at some specific examples later, but prepare to get your thinking cap on to decide which color you will choose!
In my product recommendations, I’ve made sure to list products that are customizable in color. There are a couple of fixed-color products, but the Kangal hats for example are available in all sorts of colors and shades. It’s an essential criterion in my opinion to ensure you can express your love for Eminem with style, and no list of the best Eminem hats would be complete without it!
Reviews
Last but certainly not least is reviews – whilst this doesn’t concern the appearance or feel of a hat at all, it’s absolutely essential to consider when looking for any product online. Perhaps you’ve decided you want to buy a black and red beanie combo just like Eminem, or maybe you’re switching it up with a pink bucket hat! You really can go crazy with customizing your hat to find something that works for you, but there is one thing that you should never forget to do – read the reviews.
For every Eminem hat recommendation that I provided in this guide, I’ve ensured to check through the reviews so that you don’t have to. All of the products have excellent ratings on websites such as Amazon, and there are plenty of glowing reviews to read through. Don’t just settle with my recommendations though – always check the reviews of products you are interested, it’ll help you avoid any potential disappointment!
My Top Eminem Hat Recommendations
We’ve finally reached the moment of truth – my personal top five Eminem hat recommendations! I’ve put a lot of time and effort into creating this list, ensuring that each product meets the requirements I mentioned earlier. I’ve also made sure to list a mixture of hats that Eminem would wear and hats that are designed as Eminem merch, so I’m sure there’ll be something for you here somewhere!
Band Monkey Eminem Unisex Snapback Cap
I always like to start my product recommendations with something that is budget and accessible to anyone reading, and that is why I’m kicking things off with the Band Monkey Eminem Unisex Snapback Cap. This is a minimalistic black snapback-style cap that sports the word “EMINEM” in uppercase, below a large print of the classic stylistic backward Eminem “E”.
This particular snapback was designed as officially licensed promo merch for the “Marshall Mathers LP 2”, so this is evidence that Eminem did still love snapbacks back in the old-school days! It’s a good product that represents a fantastic period in the rapper’s career, and best of all, it won’t even cost you $20!
Pros
- Minimalistic yet stylish
- Officially licensed
- Specifically designed for the “Marshall Mathers LP 2”
- Costs less than $20!
Cons
- The print and design are pretty generic and of average quality
- Only available in black
- Whilst the “MMLP2” sign on the back makes sense to us Eminem fans, other people might think you left the serial code on your hat!
- Eminem typically wears baseball caps over snapbacks
SZJXZ Baseball Cap Eminem Stan
The next Eminem hat on my recommendation lists is the SZJXZ Stan Baseball Cap, a similarly priced and styled product to the aforementioned snapback. However, instead of featuring a black snapback design, this is a baseball cap that is available in either black or white!
In the front-center of the had reads the word “STAN”, and anyone who doesn’t live under a rock will know what that means (well, the Eminem fans will anyway! Considering its higher-quality cotton and color customizability, I think this is a great product for anyone like me who often sheds a tear at the beauty that is “Stan” by Eminem and Dido.
Pros
- Customizable, available in both black or white
- A tribute to the amazing Eminem track “Stan”
- Could be worn by Dido fans too
- Classic Baseball cap adjustment style
Cons
- Anyone who does not know this song will be confused (although that’s not your problem!)
Satinior 4 Pieces Trawler Beanie
The last two Eminem hats that I have listed have been pieces of merchandise associated with the rapper, so let’s move on from that and focus on what Marshall would wear. As we discussed earlier, it’s not often you catch Eminem wearing a beanie hat these days, but if you did, I’d bet he’d be bringing back the classic red and black double beanie getup!
I found the perfect Amazon product for this – it’s a Satinior 4 Piece Beanie set, and it’s available in all sorts of different color combinations. However, my favorite is the pack that includes Black, Navy, Dark Gray, and Wine Red, because the Black and Wine Red are perfect for emulating that signature Eminem double beanie look!
Less than $20 for four beanies is a great price and Eminem would love that these are available in so many colors. The question is though, will you copy Eminem’s red and black drip or are you going to create your style!?
Pros
- Four beanie hats for ~$20 is a great value!
- Available in tons of color combinations
- One pack includes Black and Wine Red, perfect for imitating Eminem at a costume party!
Cons
- These days, Eminem doesn’t wear beanie hats
- Beanies hats are often looked down on in social situations, stupid I know!
Kangol Bermuda Bucket Hat
All of the Eminem hats that we have looked at so far have been pretty low-cost and generic, so, let’s step things up a notch and take a look at some more signature Eminem hats. Specifically, I’m talking about one brand only, and you guessed it – it’s Kangol.
Firstly, I want to recommend this fantastic Kangol Bermuda Bucket Hat in white – it’s just like the one I saw Slim wearing years ago in that photo shoot. There are tons of bucket hat brands around these days, but Kangol has always been the OG and you can see that in the quality even just by looking at the Amazon photos.
The little kangaroo logo is classic, and the hat is highly customizable, being available in all sorts of sizes including Small, Medium, Large, and XL. The hat is even available in five other colors – black, red, yellow, pink, and blue.
Some of these hats can certainly be a bit expensive depending on how you customize them, but the quality is very high and this is essentially THE official Eminem bucket hat. If you’ve got the cash to spend, I think this is an amazing purchasing opportunity for any Eminem fan!
Pros
- Kangol is a high-quality OG brand, much loved by Eminem
- Available in six different colors!
- Available in six different sizes too!
- Bucket hats are very fashionable these days
Cons
- Fairly expensive for the hat, although it’s a very high-quality product
Kangol Headwear Cotton Twill Army Baseball Cap
How could I possibly finish this guide without mentioning the classic Eminem Kangol Army Baseball Cap? Anyone who has seen a music video or photograph of Eminem in the last 10 years will know about this hat, Eminem has worn it all the time for a long time, showing his latest progression from Kangol bucket hats to the more mature army hat!
I’ll be real and say that I’m not as fond of this style as the bucket hat, but that’s just me. There’s no denying that it’s a must-have Eminem hat to any collector, and whilst they do offer his personal preference of black, it’s also available in other colors such as white and brown. Just like Kangol’s bucket hats, this hat can also be customized for seven different styles! I respect Kangol for these features, they’re pushing forward the hat industry for real!
Pros
- The latest addition to Eminem’s hat collection
- Another high-quality product by Kangol
- Available in nine colors!
- Available in seven sizes!
Cons
- Not everyone will like the style of this hat, it’s got quite a serious and stern feel to it
- Whilst many colors are available, they are all dull and earthy except for Cardinal Red
FAQ
Answer: Eminem has been known to wear all sorts of different hat styles throughout his career, but by far the most common are beanies and bucket hats in his early days, and baseball caps and army hats more recently.
Answer: Whilst Eminem has tried out hats from all sorts of different brands, he seems to have taken a particular shine to Kangol hats, particularly when it comes to bucket hats and army hats.
Answer: When choosing an Eminem hat, most of the criteria come down to what style and color you like the most, but each hat should also have excellent reviews!
Well, that’s just about everything that I know about the best Eminem hats, and if you’ve made it this far, you should hopefully have learned a lot! However, let’s take a quick moment to break all of this information down into some answers to the most frequently asked questions I receive on the topic!
Final Thoughts
Wow, we sure have covered a lot throughout this guide to the best Eminem hats! Whether you’re looking to add a little piece of Eminem’s style to your day-to-day outfit, or whether you simply want to rock up to an Eminem gig sporting a hat that reads “STAN”, there’s a huge selection out there and I hope that my guide has helped you navigate it.
I’m a huge fan of Eminem’s white Kangol bucket hat, but I understand that’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. There’s no denying that Eminem’s most recent hat is the black Kangol Army hat, but I’m not a fan of the style personally – you might have a different opinion though!
I wish you the best of luck on your journey, and always remember to keep your style unique! It’s great to be inspired by the fashion tastes of your favorite rapper, but don’t forget to add your spin to it, as Eminem would be disappointed if you simply copied his style. Happy shopping!
Looking for more interesting readings? Check out: