The Complex audience just handed Fabolous his flowers, and honestly, it's overdue.
After the audience re-ranked our top 35 best dressed New York rappers of all time, Fab shot all the way to the number one spot. In fact, as of this moment, 71% of the readers who voted thought that Fab’s original ranking of 19 was underrated.
Fab has had some of the most distinctive style eras in New York hip-hop history. From the throwback jersey era to the full Louis Vuitton fits to most recently pulling up to Madison Square Garden wearing a Knicks Pelle Pelle leather jacket to sit courtside, the man has never been shy about committing to a look. Throughout Fab’s career, plenty of New Yorkers have emulated these choices within their own wardrobes. Fab isn’t a rapper who dresses in luxury brands from head to toe. Many of his looks can easily be mimicked by his fanbase, which has made them connect with his style that much more.
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That isn’t to say that Fabolous has a flawless track record when it comes to his wardrobe. Part of why Fab gets slept on in these conversations comes down to the meme cycle. At some point the internet decided he was the patron saint of the "unc trying to stay relevant" joke, and that image stuck harder than it should have. For many people, those misses have become the defining element of his style moreso than the hits have.
But the Complex community’s votes prove that framing is a bit misleading. When people actually stop and think about the full scope of his catalog of fits, he can be placed in the conversation with heavy hitters like Jim Jones and Grand Puba. Leapfrogging from 19 to the top spot is not a small correction.
Fab’s move up the list wasn’t the only large change brought about by the voting. Jay-Z was originally ranked by Complex at number four. The audience moved him down to 11, a seven-spot descent, which is a bit confusing. Jay-Z's influence on New York fashion is undeniable. He was setting trends at a time when what rappers wore could shift an entire retail category. But there is some logic behind the audience caping for Fab more than an artist like Jay-Z who has arguably been more consistent and had more widespread impact.
There's a difference between setting trends and being remembered as a style icon. Jay's high points are real, but so are the hiccups, and the infamous button-up looks from the 2000s are burned into the cultural memory in a way that colors how people assess his overall run. That’s not unlike Fab. So, their style legacies are closer than you may initially think.
What this re-rank really does is show that style legacy isn't just about influence, it's about the specific moments and personal connections that people carry with them. Fab's visual identity holds up across eras in a way that doesn't get acknowledged enough in the critical conversation. The fact that people are still copying his looks from over two decades ago is no coincidence. That’s the mark of a true style icon.
So who got it right, us or the audience? I think the truth lives somewhere in between, but the people have certainly made a strong enough case. Maybe we need to stop sleeping on Fabolous.
