Highlights from ComplexCon 2023
Photo Credit: Complex
For its seventh annual festival and marketplace, ComplexCon, a dynamic two-day convergence of pop culture, music, art, food, sports, innovation, activism, and education, returned to Long Beach on November 18 and 19. Enthusiasts poured onto the show floor to explore over 30 restaurants and 150 brands offering new releases and exclusive merchandise, including the rebirth of Kanye West's original brand, Pastelle, Netflix, WJW Golf, B.B. Simon, Crocs, Homme Femme, MEA Culpa, The Auracles, eBay, LG, and more. Everyone brought their appetites, and for good reason! The food vendors in the First We Feast Lagoon were heavy hitters, featuring All Flavor No Grease, The Boiling Crab, Trill Burgers & Tenders, Chicken & Mambo Sauce, Evil Cooks, EL AF Tacos, and more to fulfill every munchie.
On Saturday, November 18, ComplexCon's musical lineup debuted with Field Trip Recordings featuring Zack Bia & Friends, wowing audiences with standout performances and DJ sets all day. While there were over 100 different booths to visit, here are our highlighted favorite moments and activations from the weekend.
Day 1 Highlights:
If you're a hype beast, ComplexCon is a must-attend. Lewis Hamilton and Takashi Murakami displayed their limited edition drop for +44 titled “The Vegas Trip,” inspired by F1’s 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix. (Insert actual pics here)
Accessories took the spotlight as B.B. Simon unveiled the world's most expensive belt at $900,000, laced with 119 GIA-certified VS1 F color diamonds and crafted in 14k white gold by Avianne & Co.
Kalan. Frfr hosted meet and greets, unveiling the limited edition Two.Fr Racing merch, with 247Live Culture grabbing the exclusive workman shirt. Stay tuned to see how we style it.
Guests attended a live recording of 360 with Speedy and special guest Funny Marco, discussing Marco’s rise to fame and the importance of measuring success by the right standards, not just social media.
Chris Brown and his son appeared at the Auracles booth to celebrate the release of the Nami slide in two new colors, LAVA (Orange) and Neptune (Blue) exclusively at ComplexCon.
Day 2 Highlights:
B.B. Simon celebrated 35 years of business and 50 years of hip-hop, hosting a meet and greet with The Diplomats, and announcing the launch of their collaborative capsule collection.
Fans flocked to the Grand Ball Room for the highly anticipated Sneaker of the Year panel hosted by Joe La Puma, accompanied by Lil Yachty, DJ Clark Kent, Kristen Noel Crawley, and Jim Jones. After an intense debate, the Nike SB x Air Jordan 4 was formally crowned #1.
Jae Tips premiered his Grid Shadow 2 “What’s the Occasion?” collaboration with Saucony Grid, with the potential to be the sneaker of the year for next year's festival.
The moment that everyone was waiting for was the performances on the CATUS BUDDY Stage. Luh Tyler got the show started and performed some of his fan favorites like First Show, Back Flippin, and Law and Order.
Next up was LA’s own Kalan.Frfr. The crowd went wild as he performed some of his classics like Scorin, Never Lose You, Get Right Wit It, No Stopping, and his latest single featuring Tyga, Butterfly Coupe. Putting on for the city of LA he also brought out Blxst and 03Greedo to add that hometown touch.
Kid Cudi shuts down the stage at ComplexCon on Sunday in Long Beach.
Photo Credit: Complex
In advance of his upcoming album INSANO, Kid Cudi performed live in Long Beach, giving fans a sneak peek at new tracks, including the unheard song Superboy. For the duration of the performance, Cudi alternated between playing hits from the early era, such as GHOST!, and brand-new tracks, like the SoundCloud-only and BNYX-produced "MOST AIN'T DENNIS."
Sunday brought several celebrities seen hanging out and enjoying the vibes with the collective. Big names like Chief Keef, Iman Shumpert, the Clermont Twins, Jodie Woods, Nick Young, T.I., King Harris, Don Toliver, and more made this a weekend to remember! Be sure to check it out next year; you won't regret it!
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:
Meet Sharmaine Johnson, Senior Editor for 247 Live Culture!
Email: Sharmaine@247LCTV.com