Complex

Weekly Recap: Happy Birthday America!

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:37:41 +0000

Who does it better than us? We gave you 50 shots of America’s finest women! Happy Independence Day. [LINK]

Check out how you can cop the style from Do The Right Thing in 2009. Them Retro Kids ain’t got nothing on us! [LINK]

Take a look back tattoo O.G. and sneaker kingpin Mr. Cartoon’s sneaker collaborations. [LINK]

Way before Drake’s tittylicious video dropped, Michael Jackson had an arsenal of fine leading females. [LINK]

Mr. Hudson talks auto-tune, Drake video, and Kanye’s LV shoes. [LINK]

AND FROM THE COMPLEX NETWORK:

Sneaker News: Nike Alpholution Supreme-Cobra Commander-G.I. Joe Pack. [LINK]

Nice Kicks: Bread & Butter x Asics GT Lyte II “Salmon & Butter” pack. [LINK]

Das Gamer: New online features for Madden NFL 10 explained by EA Sports. [LINK]

Nah Right: Why don’t we just link ourselves? Drake interview and video are on point. [LINK]

SlamXHype: Interesting interview with artist Mark Allen Miller. [LINK]

Karmaloop TV: Get familiar with KLoop TV’s Daily Drop. [LINK]

On Smash: Maino vs. XXL in a push up contest. [LINK]

Just the Tips: How to Tie an Eastland Knot

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:36:29 +0000

Men’s Authentic Original Barrel Lace by Jeffrey’s; Click here to Buy It Now at Sperry Top-Sider, $80

We weren’t playin’ when we said we were riding hard for boat shoes this summer. They’re the quintessential summer shoe—you can wear ‘em with jeans, khaki’s or shorts. No matter which brand you go with—Sperry Top Sides, Eastlands, Vans—your summer will be all the better. And while there’s no right way to rock a pair, one of the most classic boat shoe looks involves having the laces tied up in a spiral that has become known as the Eastland Knot. As an added bonus to the Best of Boat Shoes post, Complex asked Eastland how to tie the eponymous knot. Thank us later.

STEP 1. Make a 1″ to 1 1/4″ loop. Bring the end of the lace around the loop.

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STEP 2. Twist the lace around the loop four to seven times.

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STEP 3. Slide the end of the lace through the loop.

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STEP 4. To finish the Eastland Knot, slide rolls toward the end of the lace, then pull tight.

Peer Pressure: The 5 Best Torrent Search Sites

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:32:22 +0000

The world of peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P) was dealt a serious blow yesterday as one of the most popular torrent search engines, The Pirate Bay, was reportedly purchased by the Sweden based Global Gaming Factory X for $7.74 million. While that’s great news for the people behind The Pirate Bay (TPB), it’s horrible news for all of its 20 million users, as TPB will now only distribute legal user uploaded content in an attempt to compete with YouTube. Good luck with that. You might want to start out by calling yourself something other than “The Pirate Bay.”

But we’ve seen this story before: a file sharing company gets taken down only to be replaced by it’s competitors. And though TPB will be missed, users will no doubt move on to the many other torrent sites on the ‘net. If you’re looking for a new go-to torrent search site, or just looking to get into the torrent game, check out our five favorite sites below…

ISOHUNT
• Launched: January 2003
• Overview: Founded by Canadian Gary Fung, Iso Hunt quickly boasted a following of 7.4 million users. The site features a clean interface, with no registration needed. Results are quick and prompt. You’ll have no problem finding the latest albums and movies with more than enough seeds to keep your downloads moving along quickly.

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DEMONOID
• Launched: April 2003
• Overview: The most exclusive site on the list, to access Demonoid’s user uploaded torrents you must be a member and to be member you must be invited or wait until they periodically open up their registration. You can thank the Canadian Recording Industry for that. Their strength lies in their community which doesn’t allow the uploading of pornography, and closely monitors every users download and upload ratio’s to make sure everyone gets the best use out of the site.

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MININOVA
• Launched: January 2005
• Overview: Launched as a follow up to the popular Supernova tracker, Mininova is one of the largest torrent sites on the net with over 8 million downloads. Mininova’s homepage shows the newest and most popular uploads in every genre featured on the site. It was reported that this past May they started trying out a content recognition system to sniff out any illegal content. As far as we can tell, they’re not doing a very good job.

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FENOPY
• Launched: March 2006
• Overview: A meta torrent search engine, Fenopy searches a number of different torrent sites.

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BTJUNKIE
• Launched: June 2005
• Overview: BTJunkie acts as a webcrawler for torrent sites across the ‘Net, searching both public and private trackers, kinda negating the need to join some membership only sites. It also offers some unique features like Torrentmail which is a service that emails you when certain new torrents are added.

Retail Spotlight: Krudmart (Buffalo, NY)

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:13:54 +0000

STORE: Krudmart

CITY: Buffalo, NY

SINCE: 2006

FOUNDED BY: Steve Kay

PRICES: $$ (out of 5)

WHY WE COSIGN: Located in the antique district of Buffalo, Krudmart was designed to fit in with the rustic vibe of the neighborhood, but still stocks the sick streetwear and cool guy stuff so you don’t have to rock an ironic mustache or hipster trench coat to hang with the crew. This is also one of the dope online boutiques we’ve come across recently. Founded by Steve Kay, the shop mainly carries the coveted A.P.C. denim and most T-Shirts range from $20 - $30. Inside the shop, the walls are an artistic approach to streetwear brands and lifestyle but still has some skate roots and relaxed vibe.

BRANDS CARRIED: 10.Deep, Black Scale, Arkitip, Cheap Monday, Crooks & Castles, Durki, Flying Coffin, Fuct, Gentle Fawn, In4mation, Mishka, Ludwig, Reason, Sugarcraft, The Hundreds, Sabre Vision, and Quiet Life

WHAT’S NEXT: Expect future collaborations with Erik Brunetti of Fuct, artist Donny Miller and a design by Andy Mueller of The Quiet Life and Girl Skateboards.

See below for the store’s most popular items, more pictures of the space, and our interview with the founder, Steve Kay…

MOST POPULAR ITEMS:
BLACK SCALE T-SHIRT
Click here to Buy It Now at Krudmart, $32

DURKL x SABRE VISION SUNGLASSES BLUE
Click here to Buy It Now at Krudmart, $92

DURKL x SABRE VISION SUNGLASSES YELLOW
Click here to Buy It Now at Krudmart, $92

What was the inspiration behind Krudmart and how has it influenced the overall look and feel of your store?
Steve Kay: Krudmart was inspired by my life as a skateboarder pretty much from age seven. I’ve always wanted to run a skate shop or something like it. In my early 20s, I was working at a shop, gripping boards and the owner started having me sell things on eBay for him - that’s really where Krudmart came from.

The look and feel was influenced by my appreciation for the good old minimal design of the ’60s and ’70s. My good friend, Chadski helped me a lot with that. It evolved into something a bit different from that but we’re actually working on tweaking the design to take it back to the simplicity we started with.

As far as the retail store itself, we’re located in the antique district of Buffalo and thought it’d be great to make the store fit in with the vibe of the neighborhood. We went with some more rustic touches like vintage wainscoting salvaged from a historical downtown Buffalo courthouse, antique fixtures and an antelope head that my dad hunted out in Wyoming.

What trends can we anticipate for the Fall/Winter 2009 season?
Steve Kay: I think plaid and flannel is still going to be pretty prevalent. The hipsters haven’t fully killed that one yet. Adjustable hats are finally making their way back into favor after the choke hold New Era’s 5950 had on the industry for so long. I also think people will be washing their jeans again.

What do you foresee in menswear in 5 years?
Steve Kay: Everything being cyclical, we should see the return of oversize clothes. Dr. Martens or Ben Davis? But I hope that the lessons of the last few years will keep us in classic mode for a while. The t-shirt isn’t going anywhere but just regular shit. Clothes that fit properly, no gaudy prints. I’d like to see a little bit of the grown-up look sticking. Maybe some elements from higher end companies will trickle down to the streets. I’m happy to see things like American Apparel doing a slim-fitting short-sleeved button down. I’m hoping that’s a good indicator of what’s to come.

STORE INFO:
Krudmart
125 Elmwood Ave.
Buffalo NY 14201
716.566.6569
Monday – Saturday: 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Percy Carey’s Comic Book Corner: Grant Morrison Video Interview

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:57:34 +0000

[Each week, Complex columnist Percy Carey a.k.a. MF Grimm dives into the world of comic books with industry interviews, reviews and more. All MF Grimm music can now be purchased on Itunes. Follow Percy on Twitter here.]

I was honored to have the opportunity to interview Grant Morrison. My goal was to not ask questions that are repeated over and over again. Therefore, in this interview, I touched on a topic that didn’t solely benefit Morrison or myself.

We covered content beneficial to anyone who dreams of being in the comic book industry. I hope you enjoy the interview and I ask you to please leave comments so I can relay them back to Mr. Morrison. Thank you for watching!

Special thanks to Comics On Comics for the video coverage!

Buy It Now: Kidrobot x A-Trak Greatful Bear Vinyl Figure

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:29:33 +0000

A-Trak has been making moves lately, taking his start as Kanye’s awkward wonder-kid DJ and parlaying it into time in the spotlight as emerging style icon, putting Cudi on, and turning Fool’s Gold from a party series to a note-worthy record label. A-Trak’s visual partner in crime, Dust La Rock has been working with the young Canadian, designing Fool’s Gold graphic identities for a bit and A-Trak’s signature “Greatful Bear” icon, an image that the two just turned into an 8-inch 3-D vinyl figure with toy maker Kidrobot, which goes on sale today.

Today’s Buy It Now, is the Kidrobot x A-Trak x Dust La Rock “Greatful Bear”, essentially A-Trizzy as a Furry sucking down a tab of acid and rocking his calling card sunglasses—always a must when you’re messing with those psychotropicalsuperdingdongpills. Hit the jump for purchase info, and get on it, these are limited and priced to sell.

Kidrobot x A-Trak x Dust La Rock Greatful Bear
CLICK here to BUY IT NOW at kidrobot.com, $50

Book of the Week: Vans Off The Wall: Stories of Sole from Vans Originals

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:23:11 +0000

BOOK: Vans Book (published 6/09)

AUTHOR: Doug Palladini

FUN FACT: Vans has been holding it down for over 40 years and started making special customizaions in the early days of the company (when iD was still something that Freud talked about). Shoppers could bring their favorite fabric by the factory, and the Van Dorens would put together a pair of shoes for them that week. You can design your own Vans through the company site today.

WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING IT: While the kids are going nuts because Vans is O.G. skate, affordable, and there are about a billion colorways to choose from, this book breaks down a history of the company. History is boring, right? Author/curator Doug Palladini pre-empts your study hall whining by giving you the tales from the super heroes’ mouths. Chapters with skaters Tony Alva, Steve Caballero and John Cardiel; surfer Joel Tudor; music legends’ tales from the Warped Tour; and a photo essay on Frenchman Dimitri Coste’s crazy collection each show a facet of the company that you wouldn’t know otherwise. When it comes to reading we need a lot of pictures to look at, and this does the trick with 208 pages that include photographs by champions of the lens CR Stecyk, R. Grant Brittain, Art Brewer, and Trevor Graves.

CLICK HERE TO BUY “Vans Off The Wall: Stories of Sole from Vans Originals” FOR $25

The 10 Best Boat Shoes For Summer 2009

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:52:03 +0000

Even if the only deck you’ll be on this summer is in the back of your friends house, a nice pair of boat shoes should find their way into your wardrobe sooner than later. Yep, we’re still co-signing the boat shoe. If you’ve been paying attention, you’d have noticed a bunch of designers dropping their own renditions of the classic silhouette that up until a couple years ago was known solely as the footwear of the prep set.

From the OG Sperry Top-Sider to the more casual stylings of Vans and Band of Outsiders, Complex picked out the 10 Best Boat Shoes of the season. Just because you won’t be on a yacht this summer, doesn’t mean you can’t act as if. Word to Boiler Room.

VANS LEATHER ZAPATO DEL BARCO
Click Here To Buy It Now at Vans, $65

BAND OF OUTSIDERS SAFETY PIN
Click Here To Buy It Now at Forward, $215

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SPERRY TOP-SIDER ORIGINAL SEASONAL
Click Here To Buy It Now at Sperry Top-Sider, $85

GENERIC SURPLUS NAVY
Click Here To Buy It Now at Moxsie, $58

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QUODDY FOR SOUTH WILLARD OLIVE BROWN SUEDE
Click here to Buy It Now at South Willard, $225

A.P.C. BOAT SHOES
Click Here To Buy It Now at Tres Bien, $170

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URBAN OUTFITTERS BOAT SHOE
Click here to Buy it Now at Urban Outiftters, $40

ROGUES GALLERY BOAT SHOE BLACK
Click here to Buy It Now at Revolve Clothing, $308

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BROKEN-IN ORIGINAL SUEDE SPERRY TOP-SIDERS
Click here to Buy It Now J. Crew, $78

RALPH LAUREN TIERNEY BOAT SHOE
Click here to Buy It Now at Endless, $350

Politickin’ With John Brown: Michael Jackson’s Greatest Political Hits

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:41:28 +0000

In his weekly column, rapper John Brown—the self-proclaimed “King Of Da Burbz”—will be offering his insight into politics and current events to the Complex readers. Check out “Politickin With John Brown” every Thursday.

Michael Jackson was the most influential pop icon in modern history. So it’s no surprise that when he passed away last week, many political leaders from around the world delivered written condolences acknowledging his unparalleled impact. Some reporters even questioned President Obama’s lack of a formal response, noting that MJ had a long history of using his star power to influence humanitarian efforts.

In fact, MJ holds 13 different titles in the Guinness Book Of World Records, one of which names him as the most philanthropic pop star of all time—donating over $300 million to charities. So in honor of the King of Pop, here are some of MJ’s most high-profile encounters with the political world…

MJ Receives Presidential Public Safety Award From President Reagan, May 14, 1984
• At only 25, Mike’s name was ringing like his manager’s phone. Here he accepts an award for basically allowing his classic hit “Beat It” to be used for a campaign against drunk driving. Also, I can only assume that Reagan must have felt that the moonwalk really complimented his Star Wars program.

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MJ writes “We Are The World”, 1985
• With assistance from Nicole Ritchie’s dad, MJ wrote one of the most well-known hooks of all time and recruited 45 musical all-stars to hop on the track. Revenues exceeded $100 million and were donated to the humanitarian organization “USA for Africa,” which specifically helped to alleviate hunger in Somalia. ‘09 remix, anyone?

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MJ Honored by President George Walker Bush as “Artist Of The Decade”, 1990
• In his second visit to the White House, MJ gets props from the former head of the CIA for being named “Artist Of The Decade”. You know whose phone got tapped after this ceremony.

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MJ sings “Heal The World” at President Clinton’s Inauguration, 1993
• Jackson, a supporter of the Democratic Party, looked out for Clinton and delivered this memorable performance at Mr. 42’s Inauguration. But when it came to groupies, Bill definitely gave MJ a run for his money.

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U.S. Congress Honors Michael Jackson, 2009
• In a rare show of formal recognition, members of the U.S. Congress held a moment of silence in honor of the legend’s untimely death. R.I.P.

Daily Style & Design News: July 2, 2009

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:37:41 +0000

Happy greatest weekend of the year! Here’s some dork explaining how fireworks work. Might help you keep from blowing your face off on Saturday. [Gizmodo]

Kanye is shitting his pants with excitement right now. The Drake vid is killing it, his Louis sneakers sold out the first day and Murakami just made the Kanye bear in gold paint. Hopefully he’s going to rant on the humble.[Supreme Being]

WeSC headphones w/ Medicom/Be@rbricks etc. to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Swedes. Slashhy! [High Snobiety]

Belvedere IX continues to co-op the frenchman ANDRÉ by moving the liquore with a Medicom man in pink and black. Dope. [Giltn]

Yep. Kanye interning at the GAP. And by interning, they mean “Also probably designing a collection for them.” Does that mean we might get another round of Spike Jones commercials when it drops? That would be awesssssome. [NY Mag]

Nike SB July releases. Ready…Seeeeeeet… [Nice Kicks]

The Ultimate Archive: Janet Jackson’s Hottest Pics

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:35:01 +0000

While the world mourned Michael Jackson’s passing, the sadness intensified when his sister, Janet, made a heartfelt speech at last Sunday’s BET Awards: “To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family,” she said. “And he will forever live in all of our hearts.”

Although it took his passing for the world to truly appreciate MJ’s greatness, we’re planning on acknowledging our other favorite Jackson while she’s still around. (No, we’re not talking about LaToya.) That’s right, Miss Janet Jackson has been our it-girl for 20 years-plus. So before you celebrate America’s birthday this weekend, check out the hottest pictures of Janet Jackson and appreciate her greatness…

ROLLING STONE, 1993

CLICK NEXT TO SEE MORE OF JANET’S HOTTEST PICS

Street Detail: Mr. Clean

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:16:55 +0000

NAME: Christopher Grubb

AGE: 26

OCCUPATION: Evening Producer

HOME BASE: Palm Beach, Florida

HAT: DQM

GLASSES: Moscot

SHIRT: Polo Ralph Lauren

JEANS: Rugby

SNEAKERS: Vans

What inspires your style? The ’50s is a pretty strong influence and skateboarding.

What city has the best style? New York, NY all day.

What movie best captures your style? Snatch by Guy Ritchie and RocknRolla.

Who has wack style? Perez Hilton.

What trend do you want to see die? Ripped jeans.

Most money you ever spent on a single item of clothing? $2,000 on a full length tweed coat.

Vote on whether this week’s subject is “Stylin” or “Wildin” below…

Favorite website? Complex.com [Ed.—thanks!]

Favorite online shop? DQM.

What do you collect? Bowler and trilby hats.

What is your favorite brand? Ralph Lauren.

What’s the most common statement people make about your style? I have confidence in anything I wear.

What’s the item currently in your closet you most regret buying? I bought a pair of Prada combat boots that I can’t wear with anything. They look cool by themselves though.

What do you see as the next big trend? A formal ‘50s look is coming back. People will buy suits that fit them well and wear them more often.

What is your dream job? A male masseuse for Megan Fox.

Who is your dream date? Megan Fox.

Last book read? Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

What is your trend-proof style advice for our readers? Always have a fresh clean white v-neck.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Want to be featured in our weekly Street Detail blog? Email a head-to-toe picture of yourself to: streetdetail@complex.com

Caught on Tape! The Craziest Tour de France Crashes

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:01:29 +0000

Happy sports holiday weekend everybody! On Saturday, July 4th, the Tour de France bike race kicks off, and…whooooooaaaaaaaaa, hold up a got-damned second! The Tour de France is starting on America’s birthday???!!! WTF!!!??? Maybe if those Frenchies hadn’t been so busy riding bikes and helped us go kick some…oh nevermind, we’re just gonna rename the thing the Tour de Freedom, how you like dem apples? And the freedom part of the Tour de Freedom includes the freedom to fall on your smug mug, so without further adieu (drat! They’re so insidious!), we present The Craziest Tour de France Crashes…

CURB YOUR DOG!
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SOMEBODY FORGOT TO HAND-SIGNAL!
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SOMEBODY TRYING TO SABOTAGE LANCE! (0:41)
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HOW DO YOU SAY “CHEAT!” IN FRENCH?
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SOMEBODY CALL PETA!
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TWO WORDS: TALLER GUARDRAIL
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EFFIN’ FRENCH COPS…
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THANKS, BUT NO THANKS
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YO HOMIE, YOU HIT LIKE A CYCLIST!
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A LITTLE CLOSE TO THE BARRIER, IF ABDU SAY SO MYSELF
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DON’T COUNT YOUR POULETS…

Lakai Manchester Select

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:17:55 +0000

If you thought Lakai’s only solid silhouette was the Telford, consider yourself out of the loop. For its summer line, the skate brand brought back the Manchester Selects in pop-y colors that make sense for warm weather. If you’re not into these blue suede shoes, check for the turquoise or red colorups that will help you standout at the bbq this weekend. Available now, for a measly $46 a pair. Steal.
www.lakai.com

Wake N’ Watch: Drake “Best I Ever Had” + Exclusive Interview

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:00:40 +0000

Finally. After months of everyone bumping Drake’s “Best I Ever Had”—sweat pants, hair-tied, chillin’ with no makeup on—the biggest song in the country finally gets a video. A video directed by Complex homie Kanye West, no less. And it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. This past week, the Toronto native’s smash single rocketed up 24 spots to #3 on the Billboard charts, right as he solidified his much gossiped-about record deal.

Just before premiering the highly anticipated video (whatup, OnSMASH!), Drake stopped by the Complex office to discuss working with Kanye, the truth about his new deal, his handicapped experience at the 2009 BET Awards and his thoughts on World Star Hip Hop’s newfound love of Degrassi…

Interview By Damien Scott

Complex: Everyone’s been waiting on this video. Can you take us through the making of it?

Drake: Yeah. The video is directed by Kanye West. Basically we decided, as opposed to taking ourselves super serious, we just wanted to have some fun with it. Myself, being a young man, a young single man at that, I kind of wanted to be real about the way I function with women at this current point in my life. Which is, I don’t have one woman that I call my girl. There’s different girls in my life that play different roles and I see at different times, but collectively they kind of make up the roster of happiness for me [Laughs].

Complex: Understandable. So what’s the concept?

Drake: The concept of the video is, I’m a coach at a high school and the girls of my life are all on my high school basketball team. Throughout the video you see us prepping for this big championship game, and my team ends up losing. You see the looks on their faces at the end of the video, but the moral of the story, I guess, is win or lose, you can still be the best to somebody. When women see the video and see all the breast and ass, hopefully they don’t take offense. Hopefully they see the real meaning.

Complex: Well, now they’ll know.

Drake: [Laughs.] Now they’ll know.

Complex: Kanye is known as kind of a control freak. How was it working with him on set with him directing?

Drake: Me and Kanye have a great eye to eye. I can’t speak for anybody else, but I would give Kanye the utmost credit for actually being one of the most understanding creative people that I have worked with. I think me and Kanye have mutual respect for each another and I listen to what he has to say regardless, ’cause I trust him. I don’t really fight his suggestions [Laughs.] But he was great. It was a long day and I just thank him for dedicating the time he dedicated. He was great.

Complex: Speaking of basketball, you tore your ACL playing basketball, right?

Drake: Yes sir. It was intense casual, I guess [Laughs]. It was just a regular pick up game and I just took the wrong step.

Complex: Damn, that’s horrible. At the BET Awards this past Sunday, everyone was shocked to see you sitting on a stool. Did you ever think to yourself, Maybe I shouldn’t perform?

Drake: That, actually—to be honest—was a terrible idea that I’ll never do to myself again. [Laughs] But I was being pressed from different areas to perform, and I think what really happened at the BET Awards is with the passing of Mike, the climate really changed, as far as the award show goes. I don’t think it called for us to perform “Every Girl” and “Always Strapped,” and I think it was an award show filled with tributes and music and these genuine heartfelt speeches. And to sort of climax out of a very tongue-in-cheek point, and then people misconstruing Wayne’s daughters and her friends coming out on stage…

Complex: Yeah, it really was an awkward moment.

Drake: Yeah, it was just timed very poorly and it definitely wasn’t planned like that, but with that being said, it is what is. I believe in Wayne and myself and it’s nothing we can’t bounce back from. To anyone who was offended, my personal apologies, it wasn’t intended to offend anybody.

Complex: Watching it at home, the BET Awards seemed to be a mess. Did it seem that way in person?

Drake: Well, I can only speak for my portion of it. I had asked for something very specific for my performance and none of those were met, as far as production value, so…

Complex: That’s BET for you…

Drake: I understood my situation, as far as sitting in one place, and figured there was a way to make it interesting. But when I looked around and noticed that none of that was going on [laughs], I kind of just realized that it was going to be a loss for me. But at the end of the day, it is what it is.

Complex: How did you feel when you heard Mike passed?

Drake : Shocking. Because Michael is just one of those people that you just kind of expect to always be there—he’s Michael Jackson. He’s like one of those guys you never think about…

Complex: …as a real person?

Drake: Yeah. I just never thought Mike could die. And it’s tragic. I know before this tour, a lot of people never had the opportunity to see Mike perform. It’s unfortunate and I always find it interesting to see when people pass away and people find this new found love for the person

Complex: Yeah, a lot of people were saying if Mike never passed, a lot of the comedians would have still gone on making jokes and what not.

Drake: Yeah, you know it’s just…it’s a very interesting thing when somebody passes away and people sort of…the world loves Michael Jackson, I just think that there are certain people who use it as an opportunity to talk more. With that being said, I always appreciated what Mike did and my condolences go out to Mike’s family.

Complex: For real. Going back to your music, “Best I Ever Had” jumped to #3 on the Billboard charts. And then you announced yesterday that you signed your deal with Universal…

Drake: Nah…I definitely want to clear this up, I didn’t sign to Universal. I’m actually signed to… a lot of people were telling me, “Oh, you should do it independent.” I’m actually 100% independent. I signed to Cortez Bryant and G. Roberson, my managers, so I signed a joint venture between Aspire Music Group, which is them, and Young Money. So the only part that Universal plays is P&D [pressing and distribution]. I’m not a Universal artist. I’m signed to myself.

Complex: What does Young Money bring to the table?

Drake: Since the beginning of this, Lil’ Wayne has always put himself out there on behalf of me, from spitting my verse at the VMAs, to jumping on the songs that I needed him on and always promoting me. Right now it’s more about building up Young Money, as opposed to what Young Money brings to the table at this point. Obviously, what Young Money brings to the table is Lil’ Wayne. He’s a powerhouse and I felt it was only fair to stay loyal. I thought it was only fair for him to get that look and I wanted the YM logo on the album and to make sure that he knows that I don’t take what he did for me for granted.

Complex: You were entertaining other offers from Atlantic and Interscope, right?

Drake: I can definitely say that I wanted to be over at Interscope for a while, but it wouldn’t allow me to work with Wayne the way that I wanted to work with Wayne. I had to make a sacrifice. But with that being said, if we sell some records and people actually see how the record deal breaks down… Somebody told me they saw my deal the other day and they said it was one of the worst record deals in history [for] the label. That’s a good thing for me. I own everything, I have 100% creative control, I own all my masters, everything. I’m blessed to be in that situation. If we sell some records, I think we’ll just add to the historic pace that this has been going at.

Complex: There was a feeling that if you didn’t sign to a major label, that would signal the demise of the record industry.

Drake: I think that it all depends on the success on the project. I can have this conversation with you and tell you the impact I think it may have, especially when the details of the deal get out. But it’s all dependent on what I do. I first have to make the right album that will sell some records. With that being said, I definitely think it could cause a bit of a shift if we find a way to sell a million records.

Complex: What made you want to strive to stay independent?

Drake: Since I started, I’ve always been giving my music away for free…I’ve always kind of done it for the people, you know? So I just want them to still have some attachment to this project. I don’t want to lose my fans completely because they support me in a way that’s more than just listening to my music. They support me like we’re friends. They support me like they have emotions invested in it. So I want there to be a challenge to it, so when it drops, they’re looking at the numbers, they’re maybe even clicking it twice on iTunes just to prove a point. I want it to be fun, man. This shit is just not exciting if it’s so straight forward like, “I’m putting a record out, go to the store and buy it” and there’s so many people behind it, it has nothing to do with me. You know? It’s like, fuck it, let’s just have fun, let’s see if we can shake up the world, let’s see if we can fuck with the system. I just figure it’d make it more interesting on the album day.

Complex: There were rumors of a $4 million bonus…

Drake: [Laughs] Where is it? Tell me where it is, I’ll go pick it up right now. I got some money. I got a little money. I’ll be alright for a couple months.

Complex: Lately there have been a couple videos on World Star Hip-Hop showing you in your Degrassi days. It doesn’t seem like your past bothers you in any regard…

Drake: I think World Star Hip-Hop thinks it bothers me. There was a time in my life when I really lashed out against World Star Hip-Hop. And it wasn’t World Star Hip-Hop the site, ’cause I’m not gonna pretend like I don’t go there every day. It was just the way people look at World Star Hip-Hop as an outlet for them to talk about shit. There are artists that I feel could be doing a lot better for themselves that go on there and kill their own careers by just talking too much, and I think that they took that personally and now all they do is air Degrassi clips of me and potential things that could embarrass me. But with me, man…the great thing about me being me in this game is that I’ve been so honest up until this point, I really have nothing to hide, I don’t fear any clip, you know? It’s out there already, everyone knows that’s my story. At the end of the day, it’s part of me, it’s my stepping stone. I’m proud of every moment thus far.

RELATED:
• Drake Talks Young Money, Kanye Comparisons & Ghostwriting (Feb. 2009)
• Complex’s Best of 2009 (So Far): The Top 10 Albums (Drake @ #3)
• 50 Cent Talks “Power” Cologne And Drake Comparisons
• Mr. Hudson Talks Auto-Tune, Drake Video, & Kanye’s LV Shoes
• 10 Exclusive Retail Deals For Rap’s New Generation

Katy Perry Rocks The Mic

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:56:37 +0000

Our current cover girl, Katy Perry, is doing her thing overseas these days. [Bastardly]

Watch this sneak preview of Eminem’s upcoming “Beautiful” video. [Nah Right]

Model Bar Refaeli’s nude art exhibit means you don’t have pretend like you’re interested in museums. [Flisted]

Here’s 6 things you didn’t know about the Bruno movie. [CoedMag]

The work day is over. Celebrate by looking at pics of these hotties. [Double Viking]

Jordan Fusions get a bad rep, but these aren’t so bad. [Nice Kicks]

So this is why we have a Russian girl fetish. [Holy Taco]

Madonna continues to kill the Louis Vuitton ad campaigns. [PopCrunch]

20 Must-Have Products For July 4th Weekend

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:55:39 +0000

Technically, summer starts on June 21, but everyone knows the warm-weather season doesn’t officially pop off until July 4, when the fireworks light up the sky while you’re chilling next to your (or someone else’s) girl with a hot dog in one hand and a cold beer in the other. We know you’re currently in the process of planning and preparing your own celebration for our nation’s 233rd birthday.

So, to help you out, Complex has compiled 20 of our favorite products to help make your Fourth of July weekend all the more dope. From hot sauce (heads in the know carry their own) to sunscreen (ditto), we got you covered. The girl on the other hand? We can’t help you with that…

10.DEEP THE KERIN KAMIKAZE CYCLING CAP
Click here to Buy It Now at Karmaloop, $28

TOM FORD CYRILLE
Click here to Buy It Now at Aloha Rag, $390

BAND OF OUTSIDERS BUTTON UP
Click here to Buy It Now at Opening Ceremony, $220

LOOMSTATE JEANS FABIAN CHINO
Click here to Buy It Now at Revolve Clothing, $156

PEGLEG NYC FOR OPENING CEREMONY PATRIOT TANK TOP
Click here to Buy It Now at Opening Ceremony, $95

INSIGHT CONFUSION BOARD SHORT
Click here to Buy It Now at Swell, $52

STÜSSY DELUXE HARROW STRIPE CREW
Click here to Buy It Now at Revolve Clothing, $48

adidas COUNTRY O
Click here to Buy It Now at Shoe Biz, $85

LACOSTE TOURNOIS MER BEACH TOWEL
Click here to Buy It Now at Macys, $30

MASTER-PIECE P01 BACKPACK
Click here to Buy It Now at Opening Ceremony, $405

RVCA HOT DEEZY BEACH
Click here to Buy It Now at Revolve Clothing, $53

PETER THOMAS ROTH CONTINUOUS MIST SPF 30
Click here to Buy It Now at Blue Mercury, $28

IMAINGO2 PORTABLE SPEAKERS
Click here to Buy It Now at iMAINGO, $40

THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO
Click here to Buy It Now at Amazon, $16

SCRABBLE TRAVEL FOLIO EDITION
Click here to Buy It Now at Barnes & Noble, $14

TACHIKARA S05 PERFORMANCE SOCCER BALL
Click here to Buy It Now at Amazon, $17

DAKINE COOLER BAG 2009
Click here to Buy It Now at S2AS, $65

JIM BEAM RED STAGG
Click here to Buy It Now at Shopper’s Vineyard, $20

WEBER 386002 WEBER Q100 GRILL
Click here to Buy It Now at Ace Hardware, $149

TABASCO GREEN PEPPER SAUCE
Click here to Buy It Now at Tabasco, $4

When Rappers Attack: 10 Memorable Fan Beatdowns

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:38:25 +0000

Last weekend, Wale caused a bit of a ruckus when he got into a physical confrontation with a fan at the Sneaker Pimps concert in NYC. Something like a “I’m Olubowale Folarin, bitch!” moment, if you will. Video footage finally surfaced yesterday, and we can’t say that we were too surprised by the whole ordeal.

Rappers have been smacking up fans for decades now, but the advent of Flipcam and camera-phone technology has guaranteed that each of these precious moments is captured on ~~film~~ micro hard drive. Keep on reading to watch our 10 Most Memorable Fan Beatdowns…

50 CENT
YEAR: 2006
• Watch this fan bust out a move from The Matrix before Curtis pushes him off stage.

GUCCI MANE
YEAR: 2005
• Hoes always jock Gucci and apparently some of them get punched in the grill too…yet everyone still loves him. Chris Brown needs to have a sit-down with this dude.

SNOOP DOGG
YEAR: 2006
• This fan (who eventually sued Snoop for $22 million) must have had a little too much gin and juice when he hopped on stage. He should have sued the swarm of goons that put him out of commission.

PITBULL
YEAR: 2009
• Most concert altercations result in some type of interruption, but after Pitbull clocks this fan he keeps rapping like it never happened. Gully.

JOAQUIN PHOENIX
YEAR: 2009
• We’re just going to go with the whole “Joaquin is a rapper now” thing. He certainly acted like one when he jumped into the crowd to confront a heckler at this Miami concert.

DIP SET
YEAR: 2003
• Like true bosses, Killa and Capo never got their hands dirty during this Philly brawl, although they came close. And like a true rider, Freekey Zeekey winds up in the middle of it all.

AKON
YEAR: 2007
• More of a singer than rapper, Akon has enough hip-hop cred to belong here. Plus, hurling an unsuspecting teenager off stage is awesome no matter what type of music you make.

MAINO
YEAR: 2008
• Yeah, the Brooklyn rapper said “hi” to this hater in his own special way. We’re just wondering who he’s going to smack when those first-week numbers come in.

AXL ROSE
YEAR: 1991
• The Guns N’ Roses frontman might be a rocker, but Lil’ Wayne claims to be one too and hip-hoppers still show him love. Besides, Axl was fucking up fans long before your favorite rapper was.

Pharrell
YEAR: 2008
• One minute you’re shaking hands with your idol and the next minute he’s pushing you off stage. You ain’t heard that he swallow guys?

Worldwide Wednesday: The 50 Hottest American Women

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:30:10 +0000

Hear ye! Hear ye! This Saturday is Independence Day and although America is turning 233, our breasts are still as perky as ever! Today’s Worldwide Wednesday is unlike any other that has come before it because it’s about more than just acknowledging beautiful women—it’s about capturing the American spirit. It’s about things like rejoicing in the freedom to eat greasy fast food until you have to wear Costco sweatpants, or in this case, celebrating the liberty to gawk at scantily-clad women you’ll never be able to sleep with.

So, to honor the Fourth of July, we’ve put together a list of honey dips from all 50 states who not only please the eyes, but also exemplify what it means to be a beautiful woman from the best country in the world. For those of you with short attention spans, you best pop an Adderall ’cause this list is a biggie. As for the rest of you, sit back with a cold sixer from Wisconsin, a bag of something sweet from California, and behold: the hottest women in the United States of America (in alphabetical order, of course)…

ALABAMA: Courtney Cox (Birmingham, AL)
ALL-AMERICAN CRED: We’ve still got nothing but love for the girl that gave us an excuse to watch Friends. After all, Americans did invent the TV sitcom.

ALASKA: Sarah Palin (Wasilla, AK)
ALL-AMERICAN CRED: What’s more American than running for vice-president? If all else fails at least she can fall back on royalty checks.

CLICK NEXT TO SEE THE SEXIEST WOMEN FROM ARIZONA AND ARKANSAS!

The 10 Best Michael Jackson Tribute T-Shirts

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:56:17 +0000

The second the news hit, you knew the T-shirt kids were going to strike, and they did. The ravenous pack of hyenas hooked into Adobe Suite CS3 have been overloading the Complex server with Michael Jackson tribute tees—and some of them have actually been quite good. MJ is dead, and while a 100%-cotton graphic isn’t going to bring him back, it sure will help you let the world know that you knew who he was, and that you’re “down.” Call it ambulance-chasing or call it memorializing, but check the jump for the best Michael Jackson T-Shirts (and one WTF? item) going on sale over the next few days to commemorate the King of Pop’s life…

PRINT LIBATION
Click Here To Buy It Now at Print Libation, $30
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NEFF LONG LIVE THE KING *Available next Tuesday at selected retailers
Click Here To Buy It Now at Neff Headwear, $20
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TRENDY SHIRT MICHAEL JACKSON
Click Here To Buy It Now at Trendy Shirt, $13
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DIAMOND MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE
*Available July 3 at Diamond Supply Co. 507 N. Fairfax Los Angeles, California 323.944.0117

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OVER THE STRIPES THE KING
Click Here To Buy It Now at Oki-ni, $82
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ONE WAY NORTH JACKSON TRIBUTE
Click Here To Buy It Now at One Way North, $24
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CAKED OUT WHO’S BAD
Click Here To Buy It Now at Caked Out, $24
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NY123 BAD
Click Here To Buy It Now at NY123, $18
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DISTURBIA CLOTHING BAD
Click Here To Buy It Now at Disturbia Clothing, $27
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ZAZZLE MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE
Click Here To Buy It Now at Zazzle, $22
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BONUS: WTF? ITEM
ONION BAG x NIKE 08/09 USA HOME SOCCER JERSEY MJ TRIBUTE
Click Here To Buy It Now at Onion Bag, $90