What you have before you is the final issue of Vibe magazine. It’s true, Vibe is closing shop. I was going to say that I called it months ago but, really, who didn’t see this one coming?

Says the New York Times:

Vibe, one of the nation’s leading popular music magazines, is closing immediately, a spokeswoman said Tuesday. Word leaked to music and media news Web sites early this afternoon, and the spokeswoman, Tracy Nguyen, said the Vibe staff would be formally notified in a meeting at 2 p.m. She said she did not know how many people would be laid off as a result of the closure.

Vibe’s closure leaves just one large-circulation magazine, The Source, focusing on hip-hop and R&B. The Source has had its own troubles, going through a bankruptcy and emerging under new ownership last year. A rock-focused magazine, Blender, folded last year.

It’s worth noting that Vibe’s demise says more about the collapse of print advertising than it does the decline of hip-hop or even the music business. Sadly, this one hits close to heart not only because I actually read it. Plus, I have some friends there who now have to go find new jobs in this sh*tty economy.

[Cover via: Rap Radar]

[Raise a glass of milk to: Randy Exclusive]

Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone
And another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey, I’m gonna get you too
Another one bites the dust

That suicide watch list is getting REALLY long now. [The Smoking Section]

Welcome to the Obama Era, where you’re required to follow a strict code of conduct in accordance with the new image of urban youth under President Obama. That means: no jeans, no neck tattoos, no hoodies, and no belt buckles wider than 12 inches. Welcome to a world where “hoe” will once again mean a farming tool used for digging the soil. Oh, and you know those soft-porn ads that constitute half the pages in The Source magazine? You can kiss them goodbye as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Click on the image to enlarge

When Biggie uttered that rhyme in ‘93, he needed The Source to validate his skills. Now The Source needs Biggie’s lyrics to validate their brand. My, how times have changed.

The Source magazine is trying to climb out of the enormous ditch that Dave Mays and Benzino dug years ago. Their 20th-anniversary issue signals a sense of renewal and focus. They even hired revered movie director Spike Lee to oversee the cover shoot for their September issue. The new issue, out next week, features 4 separate covers of hip-hop giants Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Nas, and Queen Latifah.

Part of the transformation takes place in the magazine’s content department. It appears that music coverage will no longer be a major focus, while more emphasis will be placed on social discourse. “We’re just going to expand on what The Source has always done well,” says Londell McMillan, one of the new owners. He added: “a core focus but not 80 percent of the book.”

Best of luck to the team as they try to rebuild The Source brand.

Tatyana Ali is one reason to pick up the August issue of KING. She talks about everything from working with a prominent 2Pac collaborator to becoming an Obama surrogate.
Read the rest of this entry »

Shock value is still a virtue in Game’s world.