Kanye West said it best when he blogged “THESE ARE ALL HISTORY IN THE MAKING” when he referred to our recent Eminem cover, and our Complex covers in general. Rather than asking an artist to simply pose in front of a backdrop, we try to make events out of our covers, and through artist x talent pairings, innovative technology, and outside-the-box thinking, it’s been a pretty solid year for the male cover stars this year.
Whether it was Kanye West x Chris Milk’s digitalized reciprocation of ‘Ye’s face, Kid Cudi hand-picking AUGOR to illustrate his nightmares, or Jeezy x Espo and Clipse x KAWS, 2009 has been a ground-breaking year for us. Yesterday we asked you to vote on which girl cover you thought was the hottest, today we ask which guy cover you thought was the hottest coolest, dopest, sickest, most innovative, etc etc. Check the rundown from Jan ‘09- to Jan 2010 and cast your vote below…
Believe it or not, the year is winding down and holiday season is upon us. We don’t know how it got here so quickly, but Turkey Day is tomorrow! We’ll be busy eating with friends and family just like everyone else, but there’s no way we’d leave you guys hanging over the long weekend. We know it’ll be tough using the Internet without new Complex content for a few days, but we’ve compiled this list of some of the best recent posts to keep the readers occupied. Hit the jump for essential posts in the categories of Girls, Style, Music, Sports, and Movies/TV (plus a surprise) and we promise we’ll be back by the time you’re done munching leftovers…
Believe it or not, we’re fast approaching the end of the Aughts—a.k.a. the the first decade of the 2000s. It’s been an interesting 10 years to say the least, so Complex decided to put together a series documenting the Best of the 2000s, where we count down our 100 favorite everything. Last week, we kicked things off with the Top 100 Albums (click here if you missed it), and we’ll be releasing a new list every week through November.
Next up in the series is the 100 Best Sneakers of the last 10 years. If you’re like us, you bought a ton of models—some classics, some not-so-classic—in the past 3,000+ days. Included in the list you’ll see all the holy-grail-status SBs, Jordans and other standout models from your favorite brands. Check out which kicks made the top 100, and let us know how you feel in the comments…
• CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TOP 100 SNEAKERS OF THE 2000s
List compiled by Joe LaPuma and Bradley Carbone with help from DJ Clark Kent, Mayor, and Damian Bulluck.
In case you hadn’t yet heard the news, Max B.’s conviction in that robbery-murder case in New Jersey has ended in a 75-year prison sentence. For a dude who didn’t pull any triggers, that seems a bit steep, but we digress. Despite the sadness of the occasion, we refuse to be swept into the outpouring of grief that is engulfing the Internet today, and instead choose to celebrate young Charley Wingate the way he would want us to: by reliving a few of his waviest moments. We’ll miss you, Max; hip-hop is about to get a whole lot more boring. Owwwwwwww!
It’s September, which means back to school time is upon us. And what sneaker is more appropriate for school than the Nike Dunk? In 1985, Nike released the original Dunk Hi sneaker to heavy-match with the uniforms of top-tier college basketball teams. Now, 24 years later, we’ve seen everyone from graffiti artists and super brands to cool-guy stores and rock bands put their spin on the iconic silhouette.
The sneaker is Nike’s canvas, and while we’re sure you’ve bought a bunch in your lifetime, we’re hoping you bought some of the right ones. With the spirit of the kids going back to the books, we put together a master list of what we felt are the 50 Best Nike Dunks Of All Time—minus SBs (that list is coming later, so don’t try to do it first!). See which styles made the cut, and have fun strolling down memory lane after the jump. Class is in session.
Click on the image to view a bigger version of the cover.
Here at Complex, we take pride in creating some of the sexiest images to ever hit the newsstand. So we’re thrilled to announce that one of our all-time most talked-about female covers—Aubrey O’Day from October 2008—has been nominated in Amazon.com’s “Best Covers of the Year” contest. In the category of “Sexiest Cover,” the Aubrey image is going up against covers from Vanity Fair, The Advocate, New York, and Elle. And after looking at the nominees, we think you’ll agree that Complex can’t be beat. Follow the link below to help us out!
One’s ATL-bred and the smartest R&B chick in the game; the other’s Kanye’s mystery muse from South Philly. What Keri Hilson and Amber Rose have in common, though, is hotness that makes Hades seem balmy. Well, that and appearances in Complex’s August/September issue.
Look, you’ve already checked out their galleries (Keri | Amber), and we know what the topic of conversation at every barbershop, prison yard, and other magazine office (so we hear!) has been for the past week: Who’s hotter? We love ’em both equally, but there’s no reason you can’t weigh in on the topic. Check out a few highlights from both shoots below, and then vote in our Poll of Pulchritude to Crown the Hottest Complex Woman from our latest issue. That’s right, we’re the Fox News of this shit (maybe just a touch less racist): We report, you decide!
By now you’ve probably read our August/September cover story with Kid Cudi, and although it was Cudi’s most personal interview yet, there were a lot of other gems Scott gave us that didn’t make it into the magazine.
Let’s just say Cudi kept it 1-hundred with us, like all the way 1-hundred. Since the issue is now officially on newsstands everywhere (go cop!), we figured we’d share the bonus material that was left on the cutting room floor. In the uncut raw conversation, the kid from Cleveland talks about growing up in Ohio, his eagerness to join the Navy, run-ins with the law, and how he really felt when Consequence took a jab at him. Read on for the realness…
After Kid Cudiperformed at Seattle’s Summer Jam, our friends at the rapper’s #1 fansite Datnewcudi.com got a moment to speak to him about the Complex cover story. In the video interview Cudi expresses why he felt the need to be so honest in our cover story, and also gives fans a background on his history with Complex before he landed the cover. Props to DatNewCudi for getting this interview up literally the day after we leaked the cover. That’s how you internet, people. Be sure to check out the links below if you missed them yesterday…
Back on his first (and only) official mixtape Kid Cudi rapped, “They say I’m Complex like the magazine, I want my closet complex like the magazine.” A bit of foreshadowing? Perhaps, because the G.O.O.D. Music MC is now a Complex cover star, appearing on our August/September 2009 issue, the annual Style & Design special, which officially hits stands on August 11.
The self-proclaimed lonely stoner is currently on The Great Hangover Tour with Asher Roth, and has fans eagerly awaiting his debut album The Man On The Moon: End Of Day, which is now set for September 15. His melody-heavy raps bring an innovative sound to the game, which is why we paired him up with graf artist AUGOR for some illustrations that show Cudi battling his demons. We just put the whole story up online, and you’ll see that Cudi really invited us inside the mind of Scott Mescudi. You think you know, but you have no idea…
Well, Olivia Munn graces the July/August issue of Playboy, and we must admit, we got a small case of déjà vu when we scoped it on the newsstands. The cover features the host of G4’s Attack Of The Show in a red bikini, coming out of a pool. Funny, we executed the same idea for our cover shoot…over a year and a half ago! But hey, maybe we’re a little biased, so we’re just gonna ask you: whose cover are you feeling more, the Complex issue that came out in February/March 2008, or Playboy’s that came out…yesterday? Cast your vote below…
Last week we showed you our sit-down with newly drafted Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. Now, watch us go one-on-one with ESPN correspondent and all-around hottie Erin Andrews.
The sizzling sideline reporter talks about playing video games, how she would enjoy a dinner date with Justin Timberlake, and what movies make her cry. Trust us, she sits atop Mt. Wifey. Check the video below.
If you're an aspiring designer, artist or just an anime fan looking for some exposure, then pay attention. Complex and SPIKE TV’s hit series Afro Samurai are holding a contest to find the hottest Afro Samurai inspired design from a fan.
Not only will the winner get all the e-fame you could ever want, you'll also get to see your design printed on a limited edition T-Shirt. Awesome.
Last Friday night, we headed to 21 Mercer St. to do battle with ?uestlove in the first round of the Nike Sportswear ID Royale. The competition puts 32 contenders in a March Madness-style bracket with one champion emerging victorious after five weeks of competition.
The theme of the competition is to design a shoe that “best represents the greatest college basketball team of all time.” Our Dunk design was inspired by the classic colorway of the Nike Air Flight Huarache that Michigan's Fab 5 wore back in 1992'maybe not the “greatest” team ever, but definitely a squad (and shoe) that forever changed the game. We're not really sure what ?uest was inspired by…perhaps Homer Simpson? Sorry homie, we’re just trying to advance our votes, we ain’t trying to make you the butt of our jokes. Vote Complex HERE (you can vote as many times as you want) before March 18.
Last month, Complex held a listening party for former cover subject Jim Jones at Ella in NYC. Besides party goers indulging in the open bar courtesy of JC Cognac, Dame Dash's son DJ Heir$ Boogz spun hits at the densely-packed venue.
Jones' forthcoming album Pray IV Reign, which drops March 24th, was played for the first time, and Jimmy even made an impromptu speech. Watch the listening session go down in the video below to see Jones, Dash, and Dip Set affiliate Mel Matrix Popping Off (pause)…
