Print: The Illustrated Guide To The Fall Of Blaze

Friday, July 28 06:00 AM
The Illustrated Guide To The Fall Of Blaze
Once upon a time, back when Russell Simmons still made rap records; the music industry was abuzz with anticipation for Vibe's spin-off magazine Blaze. The competition was shook…until the first issue came out. To mark what would have been the two-year anniversary of the Hindenblaze, we present a crash course on how to avoid fumbling a platinum opportunity: Oh, the humanity. Lesson 1: Cannibalism is bad. Former CEO Keith Clinkscales wanted Blaze to go head-up with the Source and force Vibe to grow into a role as the proverbial "black Vanity Fair." But owner Bob Miller, editorial director Gil Rogin and former Vibe editor Danyel Smith refused to give up that moneymaking No Limit coverage. That left Blaze with the likes of Drag-On on the cover and a newsstand sales chart that looked like CDNOW's stock price. Lesson 2: Nothing but Net. Blaze, Vibe, Spin (and even Tennis?) could have the premier sites for their market right now if they diverted some of the $12 million they tossed down the Blaze sinkhole for developing their respective web properties. Lesson 3: Old Man Rogin. Here is a guy who writes books about fencing making decisions for a hip-hop magazine. When he wasn't killing stories offensive to his 60-year-old sensibilities, Gil Rogin spent most of his time literally foaming at the mouth over female employees. He also had a penchant for bad-mouthing Clinkscales, and hollering, "I decide what goes into this magazine!" Lesson 4: Chapeaux Bas! Spotlight-starved Blaze editor Jesse Washington began his reign of error with a self-serving complaint about being held at gunpoint by Wyclef Jean. Where did he think he was, Brill's Content? You didn't hear the Source's Dave Mays whining about being attacked by rappers when they still had ad money left to spend. For all his rhetoric about real journalism, Washington wasn't man enough to write that Haitian Jack was the one issuing death threats during Clef's stick-up. Canibus album didn't sell jack anyway. Lesson 5: Mississippi Goddamn. Faced with evaporating influence over content decisions, Clinkscales "forgot" to tell his perpetually high editor Washington that he had promised anonymity to The Madd Rapper. Then he "forgot" to tell Smith that he had promised a Faith cover to Puffy. When Washington sued Deric Angelettie and Smith spiked the Faith cover, Puffy barked on Clinkscales like he was Suge Knight. Lesson 6: For Us, By Us. Quincy Jones owns 12.5 percent of Vibe. Clinkscales' stake, which he obtained when Bob Miller bought Vibe from Time Warner, raised the magazine's total black ownership to about 12.51 percent. The only one convinced by Clinkscales' black ownership propaganda was marketing chief Raymond O'Neal, whose grasp of the urban market is so astute that he thought Public Enemy was his dentist. Lesson 7:How to piss off the most powerful man in media. Of course Miller and Rogin pulled the plug on Washington's editorial about his Montoun Hart, a.k.a. the East Coast O.J. Simpson, who somehow got off in the murder of Gerald Levin's son. The real reason Washington got fired was he tried to sneak in an editorial denouncing his bosses. Then he wrecks his office when the ax falls. Where was all that real live stuff when Wyclef pulled your card? Lesson 8: So what you get in the Tunnel for free. Editor Number Two, Mimi Valdes, was the polar opposite of Washington: in bed with the music industry, dating the fashion industry and divorced from the writing industry. With management skills straight out of the Darrien Dash handbook, it wasn't long before Blaze resembled a party at Heather Hunter's old Westside crib. Lesson 9: Bad Moves Mays Come Back to Haunt You. All the drama and confusion only strengthened the Source. Blaze forced Dave Mays to finally spend some money on content, and it made the rap industry realize the true value of a guaranteed positive record reviews. Today the Source's revenues are nearly twice as high as when Blaze launched. Looks like Vibe has created a real $200 million company…for Dave Mays. Wonder if Rogin is signing off on all the galleys on Sailing World? Maybe Bob Miller can get $200 million for that magazine or at least start giving Eastbays 5 mic's.

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