Forever Fly: GQ Takes A Look At 20 Black Pioneers Of Style

Posted on March 3rd, 2010 - By Bossip Staff

Categories: Are You Feelin This Get Up?, For Your Viewing Pleasure, Making it Rain on Them Hoes, News

Yeah Yeah, we realize Black History Month is over, but at BOSSIP we like to celebrate year round. GQ Magazine came out with a list of 20 black men with a history of serious style and we wanted to share it with you. Take a look at Sidney Poitier’s style then pop the hood for 19 very fly guys!

Here’s Miles Davis looking pretty dapper. Each photo is tagged with the name of the person pictured, but if any of you would like more history on who you’re looking at, just let us know in the comments and we’ll do a special profile in the near future.

Which of these guys was the most stylish? Can you think of anyone they left off?

Source

  • http://www.worldwidewaddie.com Waddie G.

    Sam Cooke and Nat “King” Cole should have been on here.

  • elle345

    Who cares!!! My boyfriend thinks the same with me. He- is eight years older than me, lol. We met online at- A_g_e_m_i_n_g_le @ c.o..m a nice and free place for Younger- Women and Older Men, or Older Women and Younger Men, to- interact with each other. Maybe you wanna check out or- tell your friends.

  • Moanmyname

    Where’s bob Marley???

  • Rihanna’s Sharp n Pointy Fingernails Took The Oath

    Langston Hughes and Duke Ellington- men of the Harlem Renaissance- love them. Mathew Henson never got the accolades he deserved for being the first ever to make in an expedition to the N.Pole-the white boy that was with him did-major b.s. All of these men are beautiful. Great Post~

    Duke Ellington songs I recommend

    Rhapsody in Blue and Harlem Nocturne- amazing music~

  • Rihanna’s Sharp n Pointy Fingernails Took The Oath

    I meant p.s.*

  • hey now

    what no puffy or Jay z

  • hey now

    that was sarcasm!

  • bluekid

    LOL, Rihanna’s Sharp I agree with you about all you said and I just love the Duke.

  • Johnny Rotten

    Yeah, I agree. Where’s Bob Marley? And King Cole…

  • intuitivepisces

    Loved this!!! Of course we all know there are many black men who should be on this list — 20 Black Pioneers is just a taste.

  • whiteberry

    fresh

  • Gimmeabreak78

    @hey now

    what no puffy or Jay z
    _______________________________

    No T-Pain either. Who woulda thunk it? :)

  • Mike

    *had

  • DreTruth

    Style and profile – I love black men they drive me wild. Good looking GQ!

  • marlon

    I cant hate they doing it old school but puff def got that new age swag locked

  • Sepia830

    @Waddie G..

    I was thinking the same thing about Nat King Cole, who not only should have been on the list but should’ve been #1.

  • ratbastid

    Sam Cooke pioneered black ownership and control in the entertainment industry. He was also the first entertainer to sport a full afro when others were still going for the perm, pomade, and conk.

    You’re also forgetting Paul Robeson, Jack Johnson, and Malcolm X. And I’m sure there’s a lot more.
    Enough with these silly lists

  • http://falsemodesty.com d

    Miles my favorite, but James Baldwin should have definitely been on the list, think Marvin Gaye also

  • wifey06

    REAL BLACK MEN

    REAL BLACK PRIDE

    NON SELL OUT BLACKS TO THE WHITE INDUSTRY!!!

    BLACKS STOOD FOR SOMETHING BACK THEN. THEY HAD INTEGRITY

    OUR BLACK CELEBS NOW ARE JUST WHITE MAN MUSES OF WHAT BLACKS SHOULD BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    REAL BLACK MEN

    REAL BLACK PRIDE

    NON SELL OUT BLACKS TO THE WHITE INDUSTRY!!!

    BLACKS STOOD FOR SOMETHING BACK THEN. THEY HAD INTEGRITY

    OUR BLACK CELEBS NOW ARE JUST WHITE MAN MUSES OF WHAT BLACKS SHOULD BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    REAL BLACK MEN

    REAL BLACK PRIDE

    NON SELL OUT BLACKS TO THE WHITE INDUSTRY!!!

    BLACKS STOOD FOR SOMETHING BACK THEN. THEY HAD INTEGRITY

    OUR BLACK CELEBS NOW ARE JUST WHITE MAN MUSES OF WHAT BLACKS SHOULD BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    REAL BLACK MEN

    REAL BLACK PRIDE

    NON SELL OUT BLACKS TO THE WHITE INDUSTRY!!!

    BLACKS STOOD FOR SOMETHING BACK THEN. THEY HAD INTEGRITY

    OUR BLACK CELEBS NOW ARE JUST WHITE MAN MUSES OF WHAT BLACKS SHOULD BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    REAL BLACK MEN

    REAL BLACK PRIDE

    NON SELL OUT BLACKS TO THE WHITE INDUSTRY!!!

    BLACKS STOOD FOR SOMETHING BACK THEN. THEY HAD INTEGRITY

    OUR BLACK CELEBS NOW ARE JUST WHITE MAN MUSES OF WHAT BLACKS SHOULD BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    REAL BLACK MEN

    REAL BLACK PRIDE

    NON SELL OUT BLACKS TO THE WHITE INDUSTRY!!!

    BLACKS STOOD FOR SOMETHING BACK THEN. THEY HAD INTEGRITY

    OUR BLACK CELEBS NOW ARE JUST WHITE MAN MUSES OF WHAT BLACKS SHOULD BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Thatbitch

    Prince, MJ, Sam Cooke and Nat should have all made the list. And Nat king Cole should have easily been #1.

  • Aunt Viv

    This is a good list. Hardly exhaustive, but a good list nonetheless…

  • FattDoll

    Michael Jackson should obviously have been there…like DUH!!!!!….Did they not witness the “daperness” that was Mike??

  • Nina

    Although the pictures are great, it only shows men. What about the stylish sisters back in the day? Coretta Scott King, Diana Ross, Earth Kitt, Grace Jones, Tammy Terrell, etc…

  • rain

    Beautiful black man

  • Sticky-n-Sweet

    Man, do they make Black men like this anymore? Hold up, I’m having a son, I will definitely do my part. I agree, Robert Nestor Marley should have been on this list, as should James Baldwin, and Nat King Cole. Now these are the kinds of Black men I want to see more of!

  • Sticky-n-Sweet

    Malcolm X and MLK could dress too, btw. Love Huey Newton too!

  • Aunt Viv

    @ Nina,

    GQ is a men’s magazine, and not of the King Magazine ilk, that is why this story is focused only on stylish men.

  • maalscience

    no one will probably see this since my post will be at the bottom, but i think you should do a post on Basquiat. he was hip hop, died mad young and paintings are worth millions of millions of dollars. i heard of him but really didn’t hear of him, if you know what i mean. Thanks

  • mariska

    Charlie Parker should be on it!

  • Rrrrroe Ski Love- A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

    Where is Billie Dee Wiliams? Where is Flip Wilson? Where is Gregory Hines? Where is Oscar Micheoux? (spelling)

  • chaka1

    Go ahead. How many of them were married to white women? blah blah blah…

  • chaka1

    I wish black men would dress like this now…

  • Goodlookin’

    Where is Cab Calloway? Where is Billy Dee Williams? They should be on this list. You cannot limit this list to 20 when there are so many.

  • http://aol ebonieladi

    Have to add Dominique Wilkins to that list too.

  • Rrrrroe Ski Love- A mind is a terrible thing to waste.

    Where is Lil Wayne and the shirtless Baby or Manny Fresh? hehe

  • Lanette

    MALCOM X Should have been on the list. he was fly and smart.

  • Virginia News

    @ ratbastid, “You’re also forgetting Paul Robeson, Jack Johnson, and Malcolm X. And I’m sure there’s a lot more.”

    They didn’t forget those three brothers. GQ was SCARED of those three brothers.

  • http://mugu@yaro.com Mugu Yaro

    Malcom X, Muhammad Ali, P.Diddy…..the beat goes on.

  • GTRUTH33

    BLACK MEN HAVE ALWAYS HAD A NATURAL “SWAG”. IT JUST FLOWS OFF THEM SO SMOOTH. THAT’S WHY OUR BLACK MEN ARE ALWAYS COPIED-FROM THE WAY THEY DRESS, TO THE WAY THEY WALK, TALK, AND NOW DAYS DOWN TO THE WAY THEY CUT THERE HAIR. IF ANY BODY BEING SWAGGER JACKED IT’S US-SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME. EVERYBODY HATE ON US AND EVERYTHING WE DO UNTIL THEY STUDY HOW TO DO IT AND THEN IT’S HIP TO THEM.

    I NEED TO MAKE A SHIRT THAT SAYS “WE THE REAL THING, YOU JUST A SIDELINE, HATING A$$- SWAG JACKER”- SOMETHING LIKE THAT LOL…

  • Han Dee

    Malcolm x should defintely be on this list. That was a fly brotha right there. And so haaaandsoooome!

    THESE are the REAL black men that young boys should be aspiring to be, not two-dimensional, materialistic, sub par, ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ fools like P Diddy, Soulja Boy and all the other swagga-jackin’ rappers who go around acting out and just being plain dumb.

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    I LOVE MY BLACK PPL!

  • real black is chocolate

    We need more chocolate/dark-skinned black kids in all the world!

    because black kids it’s golds for this world

    i’m so happy to be black men!

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  • DESMOND

    They should have put Minister Farrakhan on there.

    He stays freshly dipped. I seen him with a single breasted cream colored suit on with some shoes to match. He came through the airport and erbody paused.

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