Another brand that was cleverly themed was Fried Rice NYC, which kitted out its booth like a New York pizzeria. The flat pizza boxes doubled as gift boxes, and the larger items were put into giant black bags that put IKEA bags to shame. Maya Wang and her partner Nolan Mecham created Fried Rice on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and her baggy, whimsical garments were born out of the Afro Punk movement and incorporate elements of Hip Hop style and streetwear. They looked like they were doing brisk business, and indeed we saw lots of people wearing their ‘Fried Rice As Fuck’ tees around the convention. Fried Rice NYC is definitely a brand to watch.
Some honorable mentions include Micah Johnson’s AKU interactive sculpture. The character is inexplicably engaging, and the story is even more interesting. This former Major League Baseball player is a self-taught artist who came up with AKU a few years ago and has already been on the cover of Time magazine with it. We’d be remiss not to mention Japanese artist Verdy, who was ComplexCon’s artistic director and who created his signature characters for the logo. Verdy’s name is ubiquitous in the street art and streetwear world. He’s worked with everyone from BLACKPINK to Levi’s, and his ‘Girls Don’t Cry’ and ‘Wasted Youth’ designs are now legendary.
Saturday night’s concert was all about the Koreans. And you knew that simply by looking at the kids who were already lined up by 11 AM on Saturday as we entered ComplexCon. If the lineup felt like ex-boyband singers-turned rappers, it mostly was. Starting with OG Korean rapper Simon Dominic, the bill also included Gray, Loco, Coogie, and Woo Won-jae, who got some of the loudest screams of the night. The kids were out in full force for this one, flashing their phones and waving anything they could get their hands on. Proving the incredible staying power of all things Korean in Asia, Saturday night was a full house that set the stage for Sunday’s headliners.
Sunday was a vibe. 21 Savage was the biggest name, but interestingly they also included Lupe Fiasco and Korean MC pH-1. Lupe was one of the biggest names in the US Hip Hop game in the mid-2000s and was part of a new breed of rappers with thoughtful, poetic bars who paved the way for artists like Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino. pH-1 has become one of Korea’s biggest Hip Hop stars since he signed with H1GHER Music with Jay Park back in 2017. It’s fair to say that all three artists crushed it but in different ways. 21 Savage because he’s arguably the hottest rapper on the planet right now. Lupe Fiasco because I bet half the audience members didn’t realize those were his hits. pH-1 because this is Asia, and Koreans rule. Plus, they all turned in energetic, engaging sets with lots of bass and great visuals. It was a great way to end a great weekend.
Hong Kong showed out for ComplexCon and LiFTED can’t wait until its back next year.
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