In the premiere episode of 'Blueprint,' legendary music exec Jimmy Iovine sits down with Complex Editor-In-Chief Noah Callahan-Bever to talk founding Interscope Records with artists like Tupac & Marilyn Manson, the motivation behind Beats by Dre and being obsessed with streaming music.
Todd McFarlane opens up about his career as a comic book artist that includes making Spider-Man cooler and creating the Spawn character. He also shares his blueprint to launching Image Comics and McFarlane Toys.
Daniel Arsham started design firm Snarkitecture to blend art and architecture, became the first visual artist signed with Adidas, and translated fine arts for the masses with creative installations seen around the worldwide.
Joie Manda's ascent from passing out club flyers to becoming EVP of Interscope/Geffen/A&M is unheard of. With building the careers of Rick Ross, Vince Staples, 2 Chainz, plus more, Manda rose through the ranks at Asylum Records, Def Jam, Warner Bros., and now Interscope.
Radio icon Angie Martinez shares how at 16 years old she used her passion for music to kickoff her career with an internship at a local Miami station. "The Voice of New York," would later surmount a career that spans over 20 years and includes two rap albums, a New York Times best-selling book, a Tidal podcast, plus more.
While Hollywood underestimated Will Packer, the self-taught super producer developed nine No. 1 films and pulled in $1 billion at the box office. From his Atlanta estate, he shows Complex how he proved the bankability of people of color and helped launch the careers of Kevin Hart, Idris Elba, and more.
Queens-bred Ronnie Fieg infamously went from 13-year-old stockboy to brand mogul by mastering the limited-edition sneaker drop and trafficking unique products that feel special to KITH devotees.
Charles D. King made history as he rose from the mailroom of William Morris agency to its first African-American partner, spearheading the careers of everyone from Oprah and Tyler Perry to Missy Elliott and Janet Jackson. Here, he chronicles how he left WME to launch Macro, a multicultural media company responsible for Fences, one of 2016's biggest films.
John McPheters helped bring the consignment model to footwear at Flight Club then struck out on his own with Stadium Goods, taking the company from conception to nine figures in just two years with no ceiling in sight.
Over 10 million "roommates" visit The Shade Room each day to get the latest in celeb news, thanks to 26-year-old Angie Nwandu, who went from foster care and unemployment to formatting the tabloids for the social media generation.
Pat "The Manager" Corcoran and Chancelor "The Rapper" Bennett, two self-taught kids from Chicago, set the bar for what independent artists can achieve. Pat the Manager details how the two met, the backlash around the release of Coloring Book, and the one thing that threatened their independence.
Pusha T got into rap as a kid looking up to his big brother. After their group, Clipse, disbanded, Pusha went solo, connected with Kanye West, became president of G.O.O.D. Music, and has remained relevant in rap for nearly two decades.
Jon Buscemi details how he went from Wall Street to founding an eponymous lifestyle brand that marries hip-hop to high fashion.
From Run DMC to Roc-a-Fella, from DMX to Young Thug, Lyor Cohen discovered and broke some of the most prolific musical acts of our time at the helm of the biggest labels. In a conversation that spans his decades of leadership in the industry, he shares how failing as a party promoter led him to working for Russell Simmons, how he invented the 360 deal, surviving the turmoil of the business, and the feeling in his gut that propels him to this day.
Elliott Wilson has helmed the most respected hip-hop publications, from ego trip to XXL to The Source. He takes Complex on his journey from his early journalistic influences to a tense standoff with Benzino as editor-in-chief of XXL to reinventing himself as founder of Rap Radar and now editorial director of hip-hop culture and content for Tidal.
Scooter Braun is a visionary for the self-made, social media age. After catching the eye of Jermaine Dupri as the hottest young party promoter in Atlanta, Braun signed and diligently broke Asher Roth and Justin Bieber. He went on to manage a bevy of global pop stars to expand his company into other facets of entertainment and to weather some very public storms, all while gathering a following as big as some of his acts.
KAWS went from a skater kid doing graffiti around New York City to illustrating the beloved animated series Doug to creating instantly recognizable pop art that gained visibility the world over. The artist, painter, designer and toymaker details how he linked with Nigo and Pharrell in Japan, collaborated with Jordan and Uniqlo for sold-out capsules, and created motifs that elevated fine art into the cultural zeitgeist.
Cheo Hodari Coker grew up an outsider in Storrs, Connecticut, where hip-hop was his lifeline to cultural identity. He finessed his way into hip-hop journalism while a student at Stanford University before establishing a name for himself at the Los Angeles Times, The Source, and other premier music outlets. From a physical altercation with the Wu-Tang Clan to writing Biggie's biography, Cheo took his rich experiences to Hollywood, selling scripts, producing shows like Southland and Ray Donovan and now being the mastermind behind the hit Netflix series Luke Cage.
As a kid, A-Trak was a natural turntablist who became a five-time world champion by age 18. His love for DJing and knack for remixes put him in connection with Kanye West at a pivotal time in both their careers. He would go on to launch Fool’s Gold Records and enjoy tremendous success due to the global popularity of EDM, while continuing to reinvent himself.
After moving from Hong Kong to Texas as a teenager, Mary H.K. Choi fell in love with reading and knew she wanted to turn her passion for magazines into something greater. She got her chance when she left for NYC and landed an internship at Mass Appeal, which she funneled into a gig at XXL and, eventually, her own magazine, MissBehave. From there, she redefined the writer's role in the digital age, crafting powerful works across a variety of mediums, including issue #1 of Lady Deadpool, DJ Khaled's biography The Keys and her new YA book, Emergency Contact.
A listless writer and rapper from South Central LA, "Punch" went from having interest in music but no concrete goals to teaming up with Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith and discovering the artists who came to be known as the Black Hippy Crew. As Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, and ScHoolboy Q began to make waves, Punch underwent trial by fire, learning how to break acts, maneuver out of bad industry deals, and expand the label. In 2017, he steered both Kendrick Lamar and SZA to a breakout year, racking up Grammys, commercial success and critical acclaim, and cementing Top Dawg Entertainment as hip-hop's premier independent label.
Ever since he was a kid, Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd knew he wanted to write songs. He got his first chance in high school, when he wrote "Anywhere" for R&B group 112. From there he'd go on to help craft numerous hits, including 112's "Peaches and Cream" and multiple chart-toppers with producer Scott Storch. It wasn't until he teamed with pop star Justin Bieber, however, that he got the credit he deserved as a go-to hitmaker.
A master of rhythm and melody, Timbaland always knew he had a gift when it came to music. He'd put it to good use in producing a number of groundbreaking works for the likes of Missy Elliott, Ginuwine, Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake. But with fame came delusion and addiction, which trumped his extreme talent. Now, sober and revitalized, Timb has fallen in love with the art form again and set his sights on a new goal: create a classic that will mark the next chapter in his career, just as Quincy Jones did with Thriller.
On the Blueprint premiere, Cole Bennett breaks down how his passion for the Chicago rap scene and relationships with rappers like Famous Dex and Lil Uzi Vert jump-started his lucrative brand, Lyrical Lemonade.
Bozoma Saint John, Netflix’s first Black woman in the C-Suite, talks about breaking through the ceiling in tech, ignoring racist rhetoric while overseeing Beyoncé’s Super Bowl performance, and how working with Beats by Dre helped her deal with grief.
From pioneering Chicago’s drill movement to signing the late Juice WRLD and Kid Laroi, Lil Bibby has transitioned from rapper to top music exec with his imprint, Grade A Productions. Here, the rising mogul documents how he leveled up in the business world.
At 19 years old, Kristen Noel Crawley, traveled from the Midwest to L.A. with $250 in her pocket, starting a long entrepreneurial journey that has led to KNC Beauty, a multi-million dollar skincare brand. Here are the lessons she learned along the way.
Colm Dillane was a small-town kid who didn’t exactly fit into the NYC scene when he moved to the big city at age 13. Find out how he eventually created his own Blueprint to define his version of “cool” through clothing and music with his KidSuper brand.
Jermaine Dupri’s discovery of rap duo Kris Kross at the age of 19 became the springboard for a 25-year career that has spawned 33 No. 1 hits across genres and an induction into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. Find out how Jermaine worked with Usher, Xscape, Bow Wow, and more to become a forefather of the Atlanta music scene on Blueprint.
On the Blueprint premiere, Mona Scott-Young breaks down her journey, from managing artists like Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott to finding her passion for producing television and going on to create the groundbreaking reality franchise Love & Hip-Hop.
Kacey Lynch took a leap of faith when he went to Coachella and gave out one of his beanies for free. Soon after, Tyler The Creator, Anderson Paak, and countless publications showcased his designs. Find out how Kacey created a streetwear brand identity rooted in his hometown of South Central L.A.
After securing two WNBA championships, All-Star Renee Montgomery made a career-changing decision to opt-out of the 2020 season and devote her focus to social justice reform. When LeBron James expressed interest in assembling an ownership group for the Atlanta Dream, it ignited an unexpected dream in Renee: to be a WNBA owner and make history.
Adin Ross always knew he had an entertaining personality. Fresh from high school, Ross accumulated endless hours streaming himself playing NBA2K and GTA on Twitch. But then Adin became more than just a gamer—soon he was buddying up with rappers like Sheck Wes and Lil Uzi Vert to appear in his Twitch streams and building a huge community of fans around his engaging, and at times controversial, online persona.
The music bug started for DJ Drama in Philly at age 13 with his first turntable, and continued through Clark Atlanta University, where his name began to ring bells. Soon came the birth of his legendary "Gangsta Grillz" series, spawning collaborations with T.I., Young Jeezy, and Lil Wayne that revolutionized the mixtape game. And then, the feds tried to shut down his operation forever. Bowed but not broken, DJ Drama re-emerged with a second life as a music mogul whose Generation Now record label continues his legacy of uncovering emerging talent, including Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow—and whose voice is still loud and clear on Tyler, the Creator's Grammy-nominated album.
Hasan Piker always knew he had a knack for debunking arguments. Starting off as a fill-in host for the YouTube news show “The Young Turks,” Hasan garnered attention for his political analysis around the 2016 elections. Soon after, he started combining news commentary with Twitch streaming under the handle hasanabi, creating the prototype of a new kind of political pundit. No matter how controversial the topic, Hasan has never shied away from offering his uncensored opinions. His determination to educate and inform has made him one of the most-viewed, most-subscribed-to, and at times, most-talked-about streamer on Twitch.