Have Rappers Influenced High End Fashion?

It's been said many times that high fashion is a dying art. The only reason that I know or care about luxury brand names is from listening to rappers boasting about the brands they can afford. My question is: In a time when clothes have gotten so cheap and Goodwill is the hip kids' favorite store, can rappers be credited for keeping high fashion cool? And do you think labels have altered their styles to appeal more to rap audiences, who are the ones lusting after that Gucci? I have no idea.

According to a study done by GQ, the number of times designers were mentioned has not gone up, to my surprise. Only Gucci and Versace have been significantly trending up, most likely due Gucci Mane's emergence in 2005 and the release of "Versace" by G Herbo in 2013.

High fashion attempts to limit itself to high society, whereas rappers typically boast about being rich but still street. Do you think luxury designers try to fight this association with street culture, or do they embrace it? Let me know your opinion!