Complex Blog » Style War http://www.complex.com/blogs Buy. Collect. Obsess. The original buyer's guide for men. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:24:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Kanye West Responds To His STYLE WAR Win! http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/29/kanye-west-responds-to-his-style-war-win/ http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/29/kanye-west-responds-to-his-style-war-win/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:56:55 +0000 Joe http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=29731 kanye-thank-you
Once we revealed Mr. West had beaten out his big bro Jay-Z in our month-long competition Style War, Kanye took to his blog to humbly say thanks to everyone who voted him as hip-hop’s style king. Here’s ’Ye’s fashion-centric rant, in case you haven’t seen it:

MAN I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY. THIS IS A REAL HONOR! THIS WHOLE YEAR HAS BEEN SO OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE…. FROM THE YEEZY’S TO THE LOUIE VUITTONS…. FROM HEARTLESS BEING THE NUMBER ONE SONG ON RADIO FOR THE FIRST QUATER OF THIS YEAR TO AMAZING BEING THE THEME SONG FOR THE NBA PLAYOFFS. IT MEANS A LOT TO BE ABLE TO GET RESPECT FROM MY CORE AND PEERS EVEN THOUGH EVERYBODY KNOWS I GET A LITTLE CRAZY WITH THE CLOTHES SOMETIMES. I’M ON VACAY RT NOW WITH A WHITE T ON. IT’S NICE TO READ SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR A CHANGE! PHARRELL PIONEERED WHAT I DO NOW. HE WAS THE ORIGINAL TO BREAK DOWN DOORS BETWEEN “REAL FASHION” AND HIP HOP WORLDS, DOING BEATS FOR NOREAGA AND RUNNING AROUND WITH THE MODEL CHICKS. ROSS GET’S REAL FRESH. TI HAS A GREAT EFFORTLESS SINCE OF STYLE. JAY HAS SET MAD TRENDS AND IS THE SINATRA OF OUR ERA. NOBODY IS AS FRESH AS RALPH LUAREN HIMSELF, ONLY ANDRE 3000 AND BENTLEY GET CLOSE BUT THERE’S STILL WORK TO DO. I THINK OLD MEN DRESS THE FRESHEST, NOT TRENDY AT ALL BUT SOMETIMES STILL COLORFUL AND INTERESTING. THEY’VE FIGURED OUT WHAT LOOKS GOOD ON THEM AND THEY STICK IT. THE UP HILL BATTLE WE HAVE AS HIP HOP ARTIST IS HIP HOP IS ROOTED IN TRENDS. TRUE STYLE AND TRENDS VERY SELDOMELY MEET. THAT’S WHY WE HAVE A TENDENCY TO WEAR STUFF THAT’S LAUGHABLE 2 YEARS LATER. WHEN I CAN SEE CRAZY STUFF I’VE WORN AND PEOPLE LAUGH AT ME, ALL I CAN DO IS LAUGH WITH YOU AND THINK, I HAD FUN THOUGH. THANKS AGAIN, MR. WEST

We thank everyone for voting in the competition as well. See you in line for the new Yeezy’s that drop this Saturday!

]]> http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/29/kanye-west-responds-to-his-style-war-win/feed/ 3 The Results Are In: Kanye West Wins STYLE WAR! http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/29/the-results-are-in-kanye-west-wins-style-war/ http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/29/the-results-are-in-kanye-west-wins-style-war/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:45:37 +0000 bfred http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=29683
All month long, Complex and Nah Right have been holding our STYLE WAR competition to determine who the best dressed rapper of all time is. After fighting things out in 5 rounds of bracket-style battles, sifting through 64 fashion-forward rappers, the voters have finally spoken: KANYE WEST is the STYLE WAR King!

In the final round, Complex’s current cover star received a whopping 77% of the vote against Jay-Z, who scored only 23% of the vote, despite taking out heavy-hitters like Biggie, T.I., and Diddy before going head-to-head with Kanye. Along the way, Mr. West also took out tough competitors like Pharrell, Lupe Fiasco and The Fresh Prince. Thank you to everyone who voted, and congratulations to everyone who won a prize along the way.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FINAL STYLE WAR BRACKET!

]]> http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/29/the-results-are-in-kanye-west-wins-style-war/feed/ 21 Kanye & Jay-Z Face Off In STYLE WAR: The Final Battle! http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/27/kanye-jay-z-face-off-in-style-war-the-final-battle/ http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/27/kanye-jay-z-face-off-in-style-war-the-final-battle/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:14:28 +0000 bfred http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=29365
Little Brother vs Big Brother: Who Will Be #1?

When STYLE WAR started, there were 64 rappers competing for the title of Best Dressed Rapper of All-Time. But after 5 rounds, you the voters have narrowed things down to two MCs in the final battle. And it’s a tough choice:

JAY-Z vs KANYE WEST

These style icons are undoubtably two of the most influential trendsetters in popular culture, but they represent distinct eras: Hov was at the forefront of hip-hop fashion through the ’90s and early ’00s, while ’Ye has made his presence felt in the fashion world since debuting in ’04. Who deserves to win the all-time title? It’s up to you.

One final reminder to everyone: this competition isn’t about who the better rapper is. This isn’t a popularity contest. STYLE WAR is all about the look, not the lyrics. Cast your votes wisely!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE IN THE FINAL BATTLE


CLICK HERE TO SEE THE BRACKET FULL-SIZE!

]]> http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/27/kanye-jay-z-face-off-in-style-war-the-final-battle/feed/ 13 STYLE WAR’s Final Four: Vote Now! http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/22/style-wars-final-four-vote-now/ http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/22/style-wars-final-four-vote-now/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2009 17:46:15 +0000 bfred http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=28772
We’re only one week away from crowning a STYLE WAR winner!

In the last round, 4 hip-hop fashion icons were eliminated: Slick Rick, Pharrell, The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac. With only the Final 4 remaining, the competition is tougher than ever. Who will be crowned the best-dressed rapper of all-time? We just kicked off the Semi-Finals, which includes two epic battles:

KANYE WEST vs. THE FRESH PRINCE

JAY-Z vs. LIL WAYNE

Cast your votes wisely! The 2 winning rappers will go head-to-head in the Finals on Monday.

CLICK HERE TO START VOTING IN THE SEMI-FINALS!


CLICK HERE TO SEE THE BRACKET FULL-SIZE!

]]> http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/22/style-wars-final-four-vote-now/feed/ 4 Vote Now in STYLE WAR: Round 4! http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/20/vote-now-in-style-war-round-4/ http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/20/vote-now-in-style-war-round-4/#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:35:26 +0000 bfred http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=28197
After our third round of voting, we’re one step closer to a STYLE WAR winner!

Who will be crowned the best-dressed rapper of all-time?

In Round 3, you the voters eliminated Lupe Fiasco, LL Cool J, Andre 3000, T.I., Fabolous, Nas, Run and Nelly, leaving only STYLE WAR’s Elite 8 .

Round 4 just kicked off, which includes some epic new battles:

Kanye West vs. Pharrell
Jay-Z vs. The Notorious B.I.G.
Slick Rick vs. The Fresh Prince
Lil Wayne vs. 2Pac

The winners of these battles will advance to the semi-finals, so cast your votes wisely!

CLICK HERE TO START VOTING IN ROUND 4!


CLICK HERE TO SEE THE BRACKET FULL-SIZE!

]]> http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/20/vote-now-in-style-war-round-4/feed/ 7 Viva La Mexico! http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/17/viva-la-mexico/ http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/17/viva-la-mexico/#comments Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:25:26 +0000 donniek http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=28139 mexicolead11
Mexico might not be the safest place to be right now, but these mamacitas will make you reconsider relocating. [LINK]

Watch Devin The Dude’s hilarious “Guide To Game“, and laugh at our intern, Jaeki, who was shot down by uptight New York City women.

Only 16 contestants left in our epic Style Wars. Can Lupe’s street oriented style outshine Kanye’s futuristic outfits? Click to vote HERE.

Why did our former covergirl, Cassie, decide to blaze her head? We don’t know. But now she’s up for our Wifey or Trifey challenge.

With these blows to the nuts (pause), the NBA might need to ask their players to start rocking cups.

And From The Complex Network
Bastardly: Evan Rachel Wood likes to play with guns and ropes. [LINK]

Nice Kicks: Don’t forget about Solebox x Puma R698. [LINK]

Nah Right: Killa Cam talks about his days as a college ball player. [LINK]

Daily Drop: Win these Starks Laces. Easily. [LINK]

High Snobiety: Check out the preview for Neighborhood’s 15th Anniversary t-shirts. [LINK]

Sneaker News: Nike Zoom MVP Trash Talk keeps you hustling on the court. [LINK]

Das Gamer: Sexy “Harper’s Island” Actress Ali Liebert Loves Playing Rock Band. [LINK]

OnSMASH: BK MC, Skyzoo drops a new single for his mixtape, “The Power of Words”. [LINK]

Kicks on Fire: You can never have too many Jordans. Air Jordan True Flight-White/Laser Blue-Black. [LINK]

]]> http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/17/viva-la-mexico/feed/ 0 Vote Now in STYLE WAR: Round 3! http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/15/vote-now-in-style-war-round-3/ http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/15/vote-now-in-style-war-round-3/#comments Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:30:18 +0000 bfred http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=27591
After our second round of voting, we’re one step closer to a STYLE WAR winner!

Who will be crowned the best-dressed rapper of all-time?

In Round 2, you the voters (don’t blame us!) eliminated some heavy-hitters like Ghostface, Young Jeezy, Cam’ron, Rakim, Diddy, Snoop Dogg and Jim Jones, which brings us to STYLE WAR’s final Sweet 16 (pause).

We just kicked off Round 3, which includes some epic new battles:

Kanye West vs. Lupe Fiasco, Slick Rick vs. Run, Andre 3000 vs. Pharrell, LL Cool J vs. The Fresh Prince, Jay-Z vs. T.I., Biggie vs. Nelly, Lil Wayne vs. Nas and Fabolous vs. 2Pac. Cast your votes wisely!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER & START VOTING IN ROUND 3!


CLICK HERE TO SEE THE BRACKET FULL-SIZE!

]]> http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/15/vote-now-in-style-war-round-3/feed/ 4 Cast Your Votes Now For STYLE WAR: Round 2! http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/13/cast-your-votes-now-for-style-war-round-2/ http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/13/cast-your-votes-now-for-style-war-round-2/#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 19:22:51 +0000 bfred http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=27232
Last week, we launched STYLE WAR, an NCAA bracket-style competition where you can vote to decide who the best-dressed rapper of all time is. In case you missed it, we started with 64 rappers, and half of those have now been eliminated, including heavy-hitters like 50 Cent, Pimp C, Eazy-E, Juelz Santana and Big Daddy Kane (who, in a surprising upset, was knocked out by The Fresh Prince…Big Willie Style!).

Whether or not you registered in Round 1, now’s the time to get voting in Round 2, which includes some interesting battles like Kanye vs. Busta, Andre 3000 vs Common, Jim Jones vs. Lil Wayne, 2Pac vs. Snoop, Jay-Z vs. Diddy, Slick Rick vs. Flavor Flav, Ghostface vs. Pharrell and 9 other nail-biting match-ups. Cast your votes wisely!

CLICK HERE TO START VOTING IN ROUND 2!


CLICK HERE TO SEE THE BRACKET FULL-SIZE!

]]> http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/13/cast-your-votes-now-for-style-war-round-2/feed/ 3 5 Rappers Who Didn’t Make The STYLE WAR Cut http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/09/5-rappers-who-didnt-make-the-style-war-cut/ http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/09/5-rappers-who-didnt-make-the-style-war-cut/#comments Thu, 09 Apr 2009 22:01:24 +0000 bfred http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=27037
Yesterday, we launched a new competition called STYLE WAR, where we’re asking you to vote to decide who the best-dressed rapper of all-time is. Right now (in Round 1), there are a whopping 64 rappers competing for the belt (click here to register and begin voting if you haven’t already).

We tried our best to represent a diverse cross-section of different regions and styles of dress, from Cam’ron’s pink Harlem style to Snoop’s blue crip clothes. Almost all of hip-hop’s heavyweights are represented, but there were a few big names who didn’t make the cut. We think they’re all great rappers, but we agreed that they didn’t deserve to be recognized for their fashion sense. Read on to find out why we left out folks like Eminem, Ludacris and more…


EMINEM
Despite being the most famous (and arguably the best) rapper in the entire world, Slim Shady never developed a superstar fashion sense to match. Even with all that money, Em was never really able to move past his overwhelmingly generic Jordan sweatsuit and white Tee look. Also, one thing in racial relations that definitely hasn’t changed since Obama’s election: white boys still look corny in du-rags. Sorry.


LUDACRIS
It’s not that Luda is a bad dresser per se (okay, sometimes he is), it’s just that he’s always been more of a fashion follower than a trendsetter. Despite being one of the most consistent hitmakers in hip-hop and one of the most lyrical mouths of the south, Luda has never found a look that really works for him. Maybe he should stick to the Hollywood-friendly formal wear he’s been rocking lately, because his ability to keep up with hip-hop fashion trends has always been questionable.


TWISTA
The Tung Twista might rap fast, but he’s a little slow when it comes to dressing well. Too often, his outfits cross the line from outrageous to just ugly. Also, if you’re standing next to Don Magic Juan and you’re the crazy looking one…that really says something.


DR. DRE
The good Doctor might be the greatest producer of all time, but he’s one of hip-hop’s most boring dressers. Sure, he looked pretty cool back in his NWA days, but he was basically just sticking to the uniform established by Eazy-E. Since then, Dre manages to look a little uncomfortable no matter what he has on, kind of like an alien wearing clothes for the first time.


SOULJA BOY
It’s not that Soulja Boy has wack style (although we’re sure some of you might disagree with that statement). What’s the real reason he wasn’t included in STYLE WAR? He’s too young, people! You’ll notice that almost everyone featured in the contest put out albums before 2007. To recognize the new generation of MCs—including Soulja Boy, Kid Cudi, Plies, Wale and more—we’ll be holding a special vote next week to decide the Best Dressed New Rapper. Stay tuned!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OFFICIAL STYLE WAR BRACKET!

]]> http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/09/5-rappers-who-didnt-make-the-style-war-cut/feed/ 9 Register Now For Complex & Nah Right’s STYLE WAR! http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/08/register-now-for-complex-nah-rights-style-war/ http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/08/register-now-for-complex-nah-rights-style-war/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:38:06 +0000 bfred http://www.complex.com/blogs/?p=26819
Hip-hop fans love arguing about who’s the best rapper of all time. Is it Jay? Big? Rakim? ’Pac? But here at Complex, we’ve been having a different argument: Who’s The Best-Dressed Rapper Of All Time?

To settle the argument, Complex.com teamed up with our hip-hop homies at Nah Right for a new voting competition called STYLE WAR. Now that your NCAA brackets are cleaned out, we’ve got a new bracket of 64 rappers, from Slick Rick to Kanye West, competing to be the most stylish rapper of all time. There’s even a chance to win some pretty dope prizes for anyone who votes. And remember, this isn’t about who’s the best rapper—Style War is all about he look, not the lyrics. Cast your votes wisely!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER & START VOTING IN STYLE WAR!


CLICK HERE TO SEE THE BRACKET FULL-SIZE!

]]> http://www.complex.com/blogs/2009/04/08/register-now-for-complex-nah-rights-style-war/feed/ 8