Seeing double: 14 times rappers got their own wax figures
Rappers usually rack up various awards and honors, but securing a wax figure remains one of the most unique accolades out there. Longtime museums such as Madame Tussauds and small-time designers alike put in a lot of effort into recreating someone’s likeness.
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Though having a wax figure might feel like a tremendous feat, minor mistakes can make or break social media’s perception of the finished works — take Lil Wayne’s unfortunate experience with his distorted figure at the Hollywood Wax Museum for example. However, not all hope is lost. Some replicas, like those of Jack Harlow and Megan Thee Stallion, are impressively lifelike, from the hair texture to outfit details.
Continue scrolling to check out REVOLT’s round-up of the best, worst and downright strangest wax figures rappers have received throughout the years.
1. Lil Wayne
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In 2022, the Hollywood Wax Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee unveiled a wax likeness of Lil Wayne, which only went viral — and caught the rapper’s eye — a year later. His reaction was priceless: “[That] s**t ain’t me! You tried [though], and I appreciate the effort.” The figure wears red and blue plaid pants, holding open a white polka dot shirt to show off the rapper’s heavily tattooed torso. However, it struggles to fully replicate Lil Wayne’s ink, which fans know all too well at this point.
2. Nipsey Hussle
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Nipsey Hussle’s wax likeness took a whopping nine months to make, and according to fans, the hard work paid off. The artist behind the figure, Mr. Officials, shared behind-the-scenes footage of the process — including him painting on face tattoos, attaching hair one strand at a time, and accessorizing with items such as earrings, watches and an All Money In chain.
“They need to hire you for every wax figure from now on,” read one reply in the comments section. Another person urged, “Can we get a Hip Hop wax museum? Get this brother moving!”
3. Drake
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Like many other celebrities, Drake has a number of wax figures. In July, Madame Tussauds New York unveiled their creation of the Toronto rapper, decked out in white Air Force 1s, jeans and a brown sherpa jacket. The sculpture also flaunts a diamond chain, a bracelet, earrings and Drake's signature braids. Most notably, it is posed throwing up his iconic OVO sign — an homage to October’s Very Own that nods to the musician’s artistic identity.
4. Tupac Shakur
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Madame Tussauds helps keep the late Tupac Shakur’s image alive with unveilings in London and San Francisco. In honor of the “Keep Ya Head Up” artist’s birthday in June 2020, the museum rolled out an iteration of Shakur’s California-based wax figure sporting his signature bandana, jeans, a denim shirt, and a white tee underneath.
5. Nicki Minaj
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Sometimes, Madame Tussauds unveils some less-than-perfect wax figures. In 2015, the museum introduced a Nicki Minaj sculpture in Las Vegas, styled in the rapper’s iconic look from her “Anaconda” video — a black thong and gold chain bra set. Minaj quickly expressed her excitement about the wax replica in an Instagram post. However, while the ambiance and outfit are relatively spot-on, fans took to social media to mention that Minaj's facial features seemed slightly off.
Underneath the “Moment 4 Life” hitmaker’s post, one commenter said, “The body is on point, but I don't think the face looks like Nicki, I'm just saying.” Someone else joked, “They didn’t make you thick enough!”
6. Snoop Dogg
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Snoop Dogg donated his own clothing, including a letterman jacket, to Madame Tussauds Las Vegas. The museum’s carbon copy of the “Gin and Juice” star reportedly cost $300,000 to complete and marked the museum’s third replica of a rap artist — the first two being The Notorious B.I.G. and Shakur. On-brand for Snoop’s marijuana-heavy persona, the wax figure debuted on April 20, 2009.
7. The Notorious B.I.G.
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Twenty years after The Notorious B.I.G.’s tragic death, Madame Tussauds New York immortalized the iconic East Coast rapper. In a moving ceremony, his mother, Voletta Wallace, unveiled the lifelike statue of her son. The event was made even more special with a performance by the Brooklyn High School of the Arts choir, who sang “I’ll Be Missing You” by Diddy, who originally debuted the tribute song in 1997.
“I’m a little emotional [because] I feel that that statue over there looks very much like my son. I wish it was real; I wish it was breathing,” Wallace told MTV, per NME.
8. Megan Thee Stallion
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Megan made double trouble at Madame Tussauds, gracing the Las Vegas and New York locations with two versions of herself in 2023. The first figure makes a tribute to the Houston native’s Good News artwork, as it sports a newsprint catsuit and matching cowboy hat. Meanwhile, the second wax replica wears glittering stage attire, including a diamante bikini, choker, a hat and arm covers.
“I honestly wanted to kiss myself,” Megan reacted. In comparison to some of the other creations, social media was mostly in agreeance on one thing: “[This is] hands down the best creation by the museum thus far.”
9. Jack Harlow
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“Everything just looks like he’s about to come to life,” Harlow said after seeing his wax statue for the first time in Madame Tussauds Las Vegas. The sculpture wore a custom-designed suit by Musika New York, which many fans will recognize from the Jackman. creator’s video for “Churchill Downs.” Accessories weren't overlooked either; the figure is decked out with diamond studs, a sleek Rolex, and a sparkling Kentucky-shaped pendant dangling from a chain in its hands.
“The wax one looks more like Jack [than] Jack,” claimed one fan. Per Billboard, the creation took roughly six months and 20 studio artists to complete.
10. Lil Nas X
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In September 2023, Lil Nas X made a special cameo at Madame Tussauds Hollywood to unveil his very own wax likeness. The replica wears the musician’s gold Versace armor suit from his 2021 Met Gala appearance, complete with the Versace earring, a gold choker, and Versace-themed nails. Notably, it's the first figure in Madame Tussauds' history to feature a grill.
“Never thought I would get the pleasure of meeting myself. The sexual tension was too much to [bear],” Lil Nas X hilariously captioned his Instagram post. His fans dubbed it the “best wax figure of all time” and the artist’s “evil twin,” among other witty remarks.
11. Pharrell Williams
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In a nod to Pharrell Williams’ look at the 56th annual Grammy Awards, Madame Tussauds recreated the ensemble down to every last detail. At the event, the Virginia native wore a red Adidas track jacket, Timberland shoes, and Vivienne Westwood’s Buffalo Hat, which the luxury label donated to the wax museum's studio artists. The process reportedly took over four months to wrap up.
“My favorite part of the process was just seeing how it works," Williams shared via a press statement, per BET. "There was a lot of standing there. Of course, it took a long time.”
12. Eminem
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Hollywood Wax Museum, the same company behind Lil Wayne’s statue, worked on a wax version of Eminem. Unfortunately, they seemingly missed the mark on this one, too. Located in Branson, Missouri, the Detroit rapper’s likeness sports a white T-shirt, leather jacket and a mean grin.
13. Will Smith
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Will Smith’s music and acting career cemented him as a legend. In 2013, Madame Tussauds paid homage to the Philadelphia native with his own lookalike. The museum introduced the figure to its London location alongside fellow actors George Clooney and Emma Watson. It was received with some varying opinions as one social media user claimed, “It has some features of Will Smith, [but] it's not very spot on,” whereas another thought, “This is pretty good.”
14. Lizzo
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Madame Tussauds Las Vegas honored Lizzo with a life-sized wax figure of herself wearing her 62nd annual Grammy Awards look — a strapless white Versace gown with a sweetheart neckline and silver beading throughout. In addition to a double necklace, other accessories include a feathery stole and white crystal-adorned strappy heels. The museum even nailed down the makeup and nails she flaunted that evening.
According to a fan, “[It] looks just like her, but what a stupid pose.” Someone else took issue with the detailing on her curves: “It's a beautiful wax figure of Lizzo, but why do they make her breasts look like that? They could have done a much better job.”
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