Drake is not the only rapper going “Back to Back” in 2015, as Kanye West has become a two-time winner himself. Yeezy wins come from being a style icon for the guys. The 38-year-old rapper was named as the Most Stylish Man Of 2015 by GQ magazine.

This is the second time West nabbed the fashion title by the bible for high-end menswear (he won it in 2014). The “Blood on the Leaves″ rapper took to Twitter to thank the voters who made his victory possible.

The competition was stiff, but the Chicago native came equipped with an endorsement by the Kardashians, including his wife, Kim, who posted tweets urging their followers to support West’s campaign.

And after all of the votes were in, which topped out at over one million, West nabbed 520,119 votes in comparison to 445,073 for Lucky Blue.

From making the biggest splash at New York Fashion Week by debuting his Yeezus line for Adidas, to turning the sneaker game on its ear with his popular Yeezy Boost releases, it’s clear he made an impact in the fashion world in 2015.

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If you have not yet checked out Trinidad Jame$‘s latest clothing line “Gold Gang Gear,” then you are missing out on something big. The artist’s official website portrays his love for clothing and it’s well known that he has a history in the retail scene of Atlanta. In an interview with GQ magazine, he explains that fashion is “in general, part of the image. I was so much into fashion before music that it would be ridiculous for me to not start up from somewhere without getting the brand out there.” The XXL Freshman aims to bring street-wear to the upper echelon, “higher class, you know?”

Trinidad Jame$ apparently started this project after he started rapping. “It is all a part of the marketing and business plan behind music. When you get a chance to do something great, you got to capitalize on it. And capitalizing on it basically incorporates all the things that go along with it. You gotta have songs, you gotta have a movement, you gotta have people drawing portraits of you or whatever. So hey, why not make some clothes? If someone would take the time to draw a mural of you, then they’ll take the time to buy a shirt, a good shirt, you know?”

Trinidad Jame$ face on a shirt for 30$

Trinidad Jame$, who appears to answer all questions with a cryptic “you know?,” further elaborates on the time he dedicates to Gold Gang Gear. He explains that a close friend of his creates all of the designs, due to scheduling problems. He wishes to be more involved in the designing aspect of his clothing line, however he is “busy taking care of all other responsibilities that comes with [the brand].” Even though he has been on tour, he still finds time to look at the designs and tell the designer what he likes. This is admirable. Too many artists or public personalities sell their names and images to a brand without being involved in the creation of the products. Gladly, Trinidad Jame$ is not one of them.

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GQ Magazine had the opportunity to ask Mr. 3 Stacks a few questions regarding his role in Gillette’s ever-so-popular “Masters of Style” commercial, the possibility of another Outkast album and his forthcoming solo project.

GQ: So you’re doing Gillette commercials now.
Andre 3000: Gillette is getting into a space where guys are now, where guys are wearing more hair on their faces. If you watch the history of Gillette, they pretty much stayed on the path of the clean-shaven guy. This is the first time in their history, in like 110 years, that they’ve ever had guys in ads with hair on their faces. It’s a changing of the times and it says a lot about Gillette; they’re kind of moving with fashion.

GQ: I dig it. And you’re resurrecting your clothing line, Benjamin Bixby?
Andre 3000: Yes! But it will just be named Bixby this time. It’s going to be real exciting, I can’t say too much about it, but I can say this year and next year there’s going to be a lot of cool things coming from me fashion-wise. Bixby is one of them. Also musically, sound-wise, and fashion. You’ll see a lot of releases.

GQ: So does that mean we can expect to hear the album we’ve all be waiting on?
Andre 3000: It depends on which album you’re talking about.

GQ: A new ‘Kast album!
Andre 3000: There’s been a lot of talk on the Internet about an OutKast album and I have to say that as of now, there are no plans for another OutKast album. There’s a lot of music on the horizon. I’ve been living off the excitement of new artists. I’ve been privileged to have these new artists kind of reach out and grab back and say, “Hey, Andre, we want you on this song.” So I’ve been taking those calls and for the last two years, I’ve been doing collaborations. So these new artists have kind of been keeping me alive. I’ve just really been feeding off of that and this year I think I’m planning to do a solo project. I don’t know when it will come out, but hopefully it’ll come out this year. As far as OutKast, I really don’t know if or when that will happen.

GQ: What’s the new solo album going to be like?
Andre 3000: The only thing I can really say is I’m going to get back to having fun because that’s what it was all about when I started this in high school—with OutKast—those were like high school dreams. I’m 36 now, so I have grown-man dreams. This album will just be me being myself as normal.

GQ: Random question: Drake quotes your song, “Spottieottiedopaliscious,” and says, “Who else wants to fuck with Hollywood Cole.” I’ve had heated debates with Atlanta natives who say it’s “Hollywood Court” [a notoriously tough Atlanta project building.] Settle the debate once and for all!
Andre 3000: Holly Court. And it’s funny because J. Cole sampled it [playing off of the word “Cole”]. When they asked for clearance, I told him and his team that I wasn’t saying “Cole,” that I was saying “Court,” but they wanted to use it anyway. [laughs] So I was like, “Okay.”

GQ: What do you think is the biggest misconception about you?
Andre 3000: I’ve never gotten that question. This biggest misconception… that it’s easy for me, I guess, is the biggest misconception. People think you kind of ride on this wave, this non-human wave, and I think that’s kind of wrong to put that on entertainers. But I think that’s a big thing for me. People talk about Andre 3000, they talk about fashion, they talk about film, they talk about music, and it’s almost like they put you in this place, but it’s work. It’s hard work just like anything else.

GQ: At this point in your career, after the sold out shows, movies, diamond-selling records, what keeps you inspired?
Andre 3000: Creating. Creating. But it’s always been that. It’s funny, I don’t even consider myself a rapper, I don’t consider myself a designer, or even an actor. I kind of got that opportunity through the opportunities I had before. I was acting before I started rapping. These things just came. I just like creating stuff and trying to make good work, whatever it is. I don’t care if it’s designing toothbrushes. It’s just making cool stuff to leave behind, that’s all it is, it’s nothing more.

GQ: You’re a perfectionist. Would you change anything about any of your songs?
Andre 3000: I couldn’t. I really couldn’t change anything. As an artist you can sit and tinker with stuff forever. You can add and take away but I think that’s kind of the importance of having someone over you saying, “We need this, this is a deadline.” Sometimes those oppositions or those who push and pull are needed because we’ll just sit and tinker forever. There are actually songs on The Love Below that were not finished, but that’s how they are, that’s how it came out.

GQ: Like the last track, “A Life in the Day of Benjamin André (Incomplete).”
Andre 3000: Exactly! We were up like three days straight drinking Red Bull or whatever, finishing that album. I just knew I wanted to put that on there, but it wasn’t done, but it was enough.

GQ: Expectations for your next album couldn’t be higher. What are you most afraid of? 
Andre 3000: The biggest fear is me thinking about it too much—and that’s why I’m just trying to catch the energy just like I’ve done before. What you all have heard before, I was not thinking, I was just going on cruise control. I was just going at it like any artist. When you look at the Wayne, when you look at the Kanye… I can tell when an artist is in the zone because they’re not thinking and that’s when you’re at your best. So I’m just hoping, at this point, I don’t let my history get in front of my future. You know what I mean?

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 Action Bronson,  the Queens rapper with a classic New York delivery that parallels Ghostface Killah, has a telling fixation about food. In an article with GQ, Bronson, who is a student of the culinary arts, breakdowns his top five favorite spots for grub here in New York.  From imported Italian goods to original Halal trucks, take Bronson’s list as a possible itinerary to try some authentic NY eats.

Bronson, GQ

Tai Pan
Flushing, Queens
“It’s Indo-Chinese Halal fusion. It sounds weird but pretty much basically what it is Indian food cooked Chinese style, in woks and stuff like that, you know? The chili-fried lamb, it’s the most divine thing in the world. Extra, extra spicy. The meat is cooked perfectly—it’s actually fried very shallow in a little bit of oil, it’s tossed with all kinds of chili peppers. Get it with a side order of the sweet corn soup. That dish—there’s something about it that just talks to me.”

Teitel Brothers 
Arthur Avenue, Bronx 
“You got to go to Arthur Avenue to Teitel Brothers. It’s a butcher shop where they sell all kinds of cured meats and cheeses and stuff like that. There’s no prepared foods. But you have to get the gypsy salami, you have to get the fresh muzzarell, and you have to get the mixed olives—the Tunisian mix. And just take it and go sit in the park. Get a nice bread from Madonia Brothers and that’s it. Your day is set in the Bronx, you don’t have to do anything else. That’s the best place in the world right there.”

Halal Trucks 
Garment District, Manhattan
“I would have to say my favorite place in Manhattan is probably the food trucks on 27th and Broadway, they’re the original Halal trucks in the Garment District. They’re the first ones that ever, ever had that yellow chicken with all the turmeric and curry spices on it. You know how every place that you go now has Halal food, everywhere you go has the Halal cart, right? This was the first one that I remember in my life.”

Sahara 
Gravesend, Brooklyn
“Got to take you to Sahara. It’s one of my favorite places in the world because, you know, I grew up going there. It’s a Turkish kabob grill fancy dining type place. My whole family, we would always have little parties over there. Every time someone would have a wedding or a birthday party, we would always go to Sahara. My favorite dish is the baby lamb chops. I think lamb is my favorite thing on the earth. These people don’t care about having a big-name chef; it’s very authentic. The people are from other countries, it’s not like the chef is bringing the people in—it’s the food and the family atmosphere and stuff like that.”

Grom Gelato
West Village, Manhattan
“My boy Josh Rosinski, he put me onto this gelato spot downtown, it’s called Grom. It’s literally the most amazing shit ever. You will never, ever taste anything like that. It’s like the most intense flavors that you’ll ever have in your life. Everything is 100% authentic. And gelato is just one of those things, you know? I’m a sucker for sweets. I get the pistachio and the dark Aztec chocolate.”

 

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Earlier this year we announced the arrival of “Hip-Hop: A Cultural Odyssey“; a coffee table read chronicling key players in the hip-hop game over the past 50 years. Although the book first hit stores back in February, it continues to gain a wealth of press as GQ Magazine recommended it to readers just two weeks ago, and numerous celebrities continue to jump on in support of the project. The book is starting to gain notice around the globe too:

On Friday night the Red Bull Studios housed the launch of the celebrated hip hop book, Hip Hop: A Cultural Odyssey- a compendium of artists and cultural figures featuring in the hip hop world over the last 50 years. The books took centre stage in the studio lounge, with people pouring in to lust after its thick glossy pages. At 15 lbs, the sheer weight of the book is a fitting representation of heavyweight influence that hip hop has had on contemporary culture as we know it. The content reads like any hip-hoppers wet dream, chock full of a cross section of hip hop culture including the often omitted graffiti artists, along with producers, DJs, and of course, some of the biggest artists in history- my favourites were Snoop Dogg in a Burberry shower cap followed by more poignant ones of Eminem looking strung out surrounded by crumpled lyric-covered scraps of paper. Beautifully shot, they show the diversity, humour and rise of a culture that was bubbling underground for many years in the US, and has re-written how we see beats, rhymes and life today.

So, we at RESPECT. suggest you check out “Hip-Hop: A Cultural Odyssey” if you haven’t done so already. We’ll allow Method Man and Masta Killa to give you a little sneak-peak below:

Via Red Bull UK

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