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Friday, July 28 10:00 AM |
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The Illustrated Guide To The Fall Of Blaze
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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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As a five-year subscriber to Vibe, Blaze never made sense to me. Right at the time Blaze came out, I was already questioning my sunscription to vibe.
The content of Blaze was always weak. I can understand Vibe not wanting to surrender content to Blaze, but who green-lighted Blaze and what were they thinking?
(BTW: If I have been paying $11.95 for five years of Vibe, who has been paying $2.50 at the newsstand? Was selling at half-price into perpetuity part of Vibe's strategy?)
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To Crispus:
This is article is INSANE!!! One of the funniest on the site so far. This line has to take it:
"... in bed with the music industry, dating the fashion industry and divorced from the writing industry."
An insult wrapped in a compliment surrounded by acid and sarcasm. DAMN!
Artisha
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This site is crazy. I have to admit a lot of this stuff is true ...but the delivery is crazy .....sooo mean. |
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http://www.mediacentral.com/channels/search/953830458_335.html - I wonder why they were unable to sell Vibe, Blaze and Spin. They also promised to invest heavily in the magazines and develope an internet presence! |
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i think there's a common thread in all the 'urban media' problems that urbanepose highlights. Nelson George would described it as the 'Ebony effect' (from his book "B-boys, Baps. . . ") based on the sugar-coating of black celebrities and politicans by Ebony magazine regardless of their flaws.
Urban sites, televison empires and magazines think that they can get away with all sorts of outrageous business stunts just because they are black-owned (regardless of the actual percentage of black ownership e.g. 12% of Vibe)
They also feel that because their highlight black issues and lives, they are positive for the entire black community because they are doing a service that mainstream media ignore.
While 'white' sites, televison stations and magazines all have editorial conflicts and employee misbehavior issues, it is rare for them to escalate to a level that it disrups the entire company or organization. Sooner or later, someone steps in (Manager, major shareholders, lawyers, Feds) to quash these activities.
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AKA sucks. I personally dealt with Stu Hirsch and he is a putz. So is Weiner, Rifkind, and the rest of those clowns. SMM is cool though. figure it out. |
Punishment for the Blazers
1. a. As punishment for his well-known crimes against journalism, Clinkscales should be banned from all industry parties/events for one month, and Justin's for one month and one day.
b. He will also be forced to have his t&e budget audited by the IRS. Any monies found to have been misappropriated should be deducted from his personal bank account (if, indeed, any such account still exists after the audit) and donated to a NYU's undergraduate school of journalism.
2. a. For pulling a gun on Jesse (and calling Blaze the next day to apoligize) Wycleff should be forced to make an album with Pras.
b. Deric Angeletti, cleverly disguised as the Madd Rapper, can rhyme on the album, thus insuring it's place underneath (not even on the bottom of) the charts.
3. Hatian Jack should admit that though a "gansta" in the music industry, his real job is shining Jimmy Henchmen's shoes.
4. Danyel should have to write a tell-all book, if only to explain why in the hell she ever lived with Raymond O'Neil. When the book is made into a movie, Foxy Brown will produce the soundtrack.
5. Gil Rogin will be allowed to release his new single, "Dreams of Fucking a Vibe Venture Bitch".
6. a. Bob Miller should be forced to invite Mounton to his house for his annual 4th of July bb-q.
b. After the cook-out, Mounton will be ordered to return to jail. Not because he did anything wrong, but rather, for his own safety, now that every police officer in New York is out to get him.
7. a. For erroneously thinking that there was integrity in the music industry, Jesse should be forced to give up smoking weed.
b. However, because he was the first person in the history of mainstream "hip hop journalism" to have a publication that never, ever ran even a single article by dream hampton, he will be allowed to smoke on holidays, only.
8. Mimi will have to admit that she wears sneakers all the time not because she is sooooo hip hop, but because her feet look like they belong to AC Green. She will donate her size 11 sneaker collection to a deserving yet impoverished inner-city high school basketball team, and agree to wear only closed-toe heels for the remainder of her career.
7. The entire Blaze staff, including anyone who ever worked there for any length of time, should be lined up outside the Tunnel, and forced to give Mimi a big, warm hug.
8. The harshest punishment of all will be saved for Raymond O'Neil, in the form of allowing him to remain himself, with absolutely no censure at all.
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P.S.
To: Hugh G. Reaction
All that you say may be true, but what does it have to do with the Blaze article? |
To ContraDiction:
Why the hell does Jesse Washington get off with such a light punishment? That fool needss to be taken to Mr. Levins house and forced to serve drinks and clean the jacuzzi for at least a month. Jesse was a no talent writer from the Washingtn Post or AP or something like that and then went to VIBE to screw things up over there and then he was shuffled off to Blaze, when he was too anonying to the other frat boys at VIBE. Everyone seems to feel that he was also a drug addict although I think thats mroe rumor then anything. Also why all the acid towards Raymond Oneal? Who is he?
To Andrewjackson:
Although I think you may be right about the lack of critical review in black media circles, I think the problem runs deeper with these sites. They are frankly turning out an inferior product and I think thats the basic problem. They are all jumping on whatever the flavor of the moment is and they dont really believe in it. They are frontin and thats why theycant make it work. I think sites like this are a great new trend and I would love to see more of them in different industries. Take Netnoir, online for more then 3 years and they havent done one thing thats even in the least bit controversial, they simply tow the BET, Earl graves line. Clearly that is no longer gonna work.
Artisha
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Vibe, Blaze, The Source?...Who reads this crap? Are there any good writers out there working for these magazines? No, the good writers either write for themselves (freelance) or write for publications steeped in traditions of fine writing.
By the way...editors that are perpetually high? Rappers pulling guns on people? Editors running after female employees? The problem with all these crazy wack people that call themselves young urban professionals is that they beleive the crazy wack shit they hear in a rap song and start to live this bogus lifestyle. Get a real life people. My name is Maxamilian Forrester...let a rapper pull a gun on me, or one of my employees come to work perptually high...I will cut that shit to the quick. End of story. Questions? Comments? send it to me at Maxamilian@mail.com
Peace. |
My bad...yall got me so mad I gave out my personal email account...Send questions and comment to Maxamilian@urban247.com. |
art:
in case you didn't notice, the entire punishment list was just a joke. getting a little testy there, huh?
why are you hating on my punishment list? i know each person on that list, and it's what i think should happen to them.
perhaps if you knew these people as i do, and not just what others have said about them, you would be qualified to decide who has gotten off lightly, and who has been aptly punished. it's my list, and i stand by it!
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art:
oh, ok. you win. i'll defend my list. damn! while telling you about how you don't know these people, i made a good point TO MYSELF: you don't know them, so i have to tell you.
jesse gets off light because:
1. he spent less time at industry parties, and more time doing actual edit work than any other hip hop mag editor.
2. he hired new, unknown writers, rather than hiring his friends, an unheard of concept at these mags.
3. he was the first editor-in-chief in hip hop journalism (if such a thing even exists) to actually have a research department and (gasp) fact checkers. the source now has a research department (as pointed out in the article, something they didn't have before Blaze).
raymond o'steele gets the worst punishment because in my opinion, he is exactly what we've all grown to hate so much about the industry: someone with no descernible talent in his chosen field, who convinces white folks to fork over some cash because they think that he has his "ear to the streets", but who everyone else knows is full of kaca doodoo.
re: the drug addicts: was there mad weed being smoked during the blaze launch? i would have to answer yes. was there anyone employed under the vibe ventures umbrella who could truthfully be called a drug addict? the answer to that is probably yes, too. however, jesse is/was hardly an addict. anyone who knows him will tell you that.
as far as UE: some of the facts in this article are correct, but some aren't. rather than bore everyone to death with a list of what UE wrote that was accurate and what wasn't, i figured the punishment list would be more entertaining. hey, i damn sure had fun writing it.
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Peace.
The real problem with Blaze was that it mirrored Vibe in content every issue - even going so far as to review the same albums!
Perhaps if Blaze had been more concerned with covering a wider array of Hip Hop and Rap music than her ugly big sister Vibe, she would still be alive today.
When, oh when, will some publisher rectify this situation? There's no middle ground between Vibe/Blaze/Source/XXL and the "underground 'zines" like STRESS, 4080 (R.I.P.), Ego Trip and the like. Notice the latter have trouble keeping their heads above water, while the former practice materialism and excess that would shame the ancient Babylonians.
And when this perfect "urban" media vehicle does finally rise from the ashes of the Blazes and Rap Pages of the world, will they be able to pay their freelance writers and photographers? We can't eat free T-Shirts and CDs.
Rock Steady,
MJ |
If y'all think Blaze and Vibe are bad, check out all the misspellings and inappropriate "urban" language throughout the wannabe Stress Magazine. What a disaster. Not tom mention www.missjones.net. What a joke. Some 65 yr old white guy must type the text from miss jone's dictaphone. It is the funniest thing on the web. F everyone. |
blaze sucked. its function was to force the source to step up. the source changed their fonts, got a spine, started using vibe's writers. selwyn actually edited (!) stories, instead of the way adario strange used to just stick 'em in & collect an editing paycheck. the source's visuals grew by leaps & bounds with photographer nitin vadukul. the source started paying better too, becoming (gasp!) a real magazine.
they stepped up. the source was a piece of shit (although always realer than vibe); writers only wrote there to get enough clips to get into vibe. blaze and XXL forced them to step up, and they did.
now blaze is gone, vibe is run by the gay fashion editor (?!), and they're about to launch Homegirl, and already ill-fated stab at clinkscales' honey magazine. meanwhile, the newest source has 368 pages, and the source awards is on for 2 years in a row after floudering for 4 years in limbo.
thanks blaze! |
Hey,
Hugh R.A. Penis guy. (Just playing with the name. I would have loved to use the screen name you invented, but my semitic ancestry may contradict.)
Good Freaking post.
Most of these mags are devoid of any intellectual worth. Forgot which mag, but the feature on the Cash Money Billionaire's jeweler was so stupid, it was hilarious. Most of the crap they write is written for a third grade level. I honestly think that the editors go over the text to pluralize words with a "z", add more "niggaz" to the body of the work, and avoid multi-syllibic words. Damn, even I could write for them (everyone enjoy the self-deprecatiing humour?).
I agree with some of the previous posts, where is the middle ground?
Oh, if you want to see a really poorly edited urban mag, try F.E.D.S.
Oh, and for those who would choose to bash Jews in their various posts, kiss my ass. I don't like plenty of Jews also, but I will not make sweeping genaralizations and offend whole groups of people. You would not talk trash if you saw my beefy semitic hands bitch slapping all the latent racism out of you! Even if I could not kick your ass,......I would just have uncle Saul raise the rent on your slum of an apartment.
Whoooo, please pardon my tirade.
One love!
-eggrevated |
i posted really long on the last vibe/blaze discussion
and i see folks do their homework. i wanted to repost a portion of to answer some folks' questions about why blaze existed and didn't work.
blaze was wack for any "urban" hip hop audience because it's biggest demographic was not urban. it was white males age 14 to 18 in the mid west, and down south. there were more white kids reading blaze than any other demographic. thus the editorial content reflected that. certain hip hop acts (like the Hot boyz) from specific regions getting more play than others. ya know, like what happens on hot 97, but not exactly payola.
Vibe wants to "BE" Rolling Stone. so blaze was initially designed to catch the overlap of Vibe's hip hop audience while it transitioned itself further into the mainstream. but the Source had the market so locked, it couldn't compete. There wasn't enough vision in the blaze management, nor was there enough guts to take chances with it's cover shots, or it's sections to really be innovative. nor were they experienced enough to cultivate a staff. there was some fresh young talent on staff but they were stifled by the egos of management.
Miller thought they could just funnel some low rate copy to a market in the hip hop industry (which is otherwise a billion dollar industry) and catch some hot boyz money by literally featuring the hot boyz every other issue. but they actually lost money because they (the ownership) didnt' respect the market, the music, or the culture, and because of that, there is great disrespect for pubs like blaze, vibe, spin, honey, and any pub that fits those formats.
editors follow the orders of their management. management is managed by the ownership. quality, or the lack thereof, is the result of how it's valued from the top down. |
eggz,
That's funny as hell.
How do people feel about The Fader? I found it to be quite
impressive. I like that its quarterly, i don't need these damn mags monthly.
Artisha, what's up with the shot at Earl Graves? BE is a solid mag. Everyone doesn't need to be controversial.
I just hope people continue to explore new magazine ventures. My problem with Vibe stems not so much from their coverage of
Cash Money accessory vendors, but that I have no alternative. If someone really wants to get gemologically enlightened by
Juvy's Bling Provider, by all means, serve them up. But as long as some other organization provides me with something
more interesting to me.
Doom Lives |
oh, and to ContraDiction:
i think there are plenty of independents posted and running this very site. we're isolated until a medium arrives where we can reveal ourselves. |
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It doesn't take a genius to know that mags like the Source survive because they established themselves with their advertisers. Why would Calvin Klein or Guess run ads in Blaze when they know they can hit over 300,000 readers per month with the Source (not to mention the 6 readers per issue that they average)
The same goes with Vibe. Why would Tommy Hil run two page gate folds in Blaze? He's hitting the EXACT same audience with VIBE and The Source. The demos for the Source are males (77%) young (16-22) and living with mommy (median house hold income is $60,000)
Half the indies don't even register with the Audit Bureau of Circulations so advertisers won't fuck with them. Regardless of what was being written in the pages the sad truth is that cash rules. We all knew that Blaze was dying back in November when the issues were barely 100 pages long. And if we don't see an influx of ads or more cash from Larry Flint, Code may not be around much longer either.
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Blaze never had a chance.
After calling itself the "5th Element of HipHop", and readin the first issue-all i saw was doom. Not jumping on the "iknewitwasntgonnalast" bandwagon...but I told a writer friend of mine in the early issues...that Blaze shit is wack.
5th Element of HipHop????!!!.......aye yo' VIBE, put that in your "Negro Please" section..or is that XXL..ahh fuck it, they all the same anyway.
With all the grainy photos, and non use of spellcheck-Id much rather read F.E.D.S...
that mag seems far removed from the industry BS-jiggy-shiny shoes-shit, and deals with *certain* aspects of "urban" life .
imho, its the most blunt magazine out there today....sumthin missing from "urban" magazines and webspace...
and yeah, i like Stress..so what...mistakes and all.:-) |
The bozack goes to Karla "Doo Doo Face " Radford for always being up in my business. Good one about Mimi, she looks like Sluggo from the cartoon strip. I worked at Vibe and I am hard pressed to figure out what the hell Raymond "Big Teeth" O'Neal ever did at that magazine. And Tiarra Mukherjee is a total mess. |
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I'm not a Blaze hater. But I stopped reading Blaze when they put Redman on the cover and didn't have an actual interview with him. That is the height of journalistic wackness. XXL did the same thing with Busta Rhymes a few years back and more recently with Eminem. Desperate. Simply desperate. That's like porn packages that---oops--did I say that out loud? |
I think STRESS is on point, but what happened to their website www.stressonline.com , did they move? |
What the fuck is wrong with Drag-On? |
Peace. I was worried that this post had nothing to do with the subject at hand, but the above what-is-wrong-with-drag-on post cancels that out.
Help me please. I just came across this URL - http://www.backpackrap.com.
What's next? www.coffeeshoprap.com?
By the way, thanks for all the STRESS support. Sorry for the present lack of online presence.
At least STRESS remains the truth in print - and Brown and Black owned! As Capone would say, What What?!?
MJ |
I have a feeling Miranda Jane is sexy. Anyway, what the hell is backpackrap? That is a funny url.... |
If yall really want to check a mag out that appears to be indie of all the bullshit, do yourself a favor and check out Murder Dog. I hate "gangsta" rap, but I read the mag faithfully. It has so much info, even though there are spelling errors and terrible journalism, the mag is off the hook. That is actually why I like it, you can tell that it is really really street oriented. The editors fucking name is Blackdog Bone or some shit. Another good thing is they have all of the great pen and pixel advertisements!
Lawrence The Rich Jewish kid |
As for all of this talk about magz on this site... I thought we were here to talk about NEW MEDIA (of the urban variety)?
All the aforementioned mags get the bozack because on this site - they are a nonsequitor!!!!! UE gets the gass face for covering a story that has nada mucho to do with this site's stated purpose.
Next thing you know they will be writing articles talking about all of the fake negroes down in Philly being paid to be on stage (in camara shot) for the Republican party.
All y'all fake urban-dot-com'ers out there who are really old magazine industry or music industry kats... cash in your stock options now, because your pink slip is on the way!!!!
Leave this online game to us nerds!
Remember let no child be left behind... unless you are Black, Brown, Yellow, or gay... ;0P
Vote for DICK and BUSH! I don't think so!!!!
What does all of this political sheeyot have to do with this site? About the same as y'alls banter about OLD Media!
Luv-2-Hate |
Peace. Thanks Jake.
Murder Dog is the best! It's like Crucial Conflict is to rap - Murder Dog is to mags. Comedy rap!
Any magazine with a contributor named Cool Nutz - you know that's funny ish.
I disagree that UE is only for new media - this is a forum for the downtrodden and mis- and under- and un-represented people in the "biz" period. It's about f'ing time someone calls out names on all these f'd up new media companies, print magazine and - dare I say - the record labels!
Don't let me get started on wack promoters either - a thorn in my side.
"Industry rule number 4080 - record company people are SHADY"... And isn't this whole "urban" new media thing just a bunch of record company people running around under the guise of new technology and entreprenuerism?
I rest my case.
MJ |
I'm glad Blaze is dead. I believe that shit that misrepresents and is just straight evil deserves no life. Blaze was a stepchild of a concept that was nourished on the slop and scraps of vicious industries - as you can see and will see again as other trash publications/websites die, garbage cannot provide enough sustenance for enduring, meaningful survival.
As for the post-er that believes that these pubs have nothing to do with urban websites, where the fuck do you think some of the folks who were behind quality shit like Blaze ran to when they were ass out of a job? The Web, generating content for geeks who would rather pay low wages to a whole gaggle of hacks than invest in a few people with balls and brains. The Web isn't all revolutionary when unoriginal folks are recruited to define it. It can be a whole new world for old, tired ideas and the people who hold onto them for dear life. As if old ideas were worth preserving, as if they did anything for peripheral people. New Media, same old bullshit.
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I wanted to weigh in with my thoughts on the word "urban" and what we as black people are facing now. Other races get to enjoy their films, music, books, as various genres. We as black people have all of these different things thrown together and labeled "urban." It doesn't matter if a film is a love story or a war film. If it has black faces in it, it's "urban" and doesn't receive as much push and promotional money behind it. Same with music. If a black woman sings opera, it's not opera, it's "urban" music. Yet on this site we're all posting messages and attacking each other as if we have it going on, just because we have little jobs in white-run (but "black-owned") Internet companies, magazines and record labels. We're all fighting for a very little piece of the huge entertainment business when we should really be uniting and fighting together to expand this industry and get rid of these insulting labels like "urban," "black rock n roll," "hip hop magazine" (instead of just music magazine), and "urban" clothing (when it's all clothing, whether its from Gap or Polo or Armani). We should use this site to unite and build, not fight and destroy. Anyone agree? |
I don't think we should totally dismiss the value of old-school content on the Web. While there are plenty of people who will use the power of the Web for
new methods of info exchange, some folks are quite happy to use it as an more efficient or convenient delivery system of content styles of which they are accustomed.
A quality piece of writing is going to be quality whether its read of a CRT, a LCD, or PAPER.
It seems like some posters feel anything remotely associated with the offline world is taboo. |
Yes, Lisa we in the urban internet community should use outlets like this to build, in fact we should use all of the entertainment outlets that "our" community dominates as a catalyst to bring "us" to that next level. However, kisses and lolipops and praise all the time isn't the way to do so and won't change the fact that many of the "our" people in this game are fucked up.
The fact is everything I've read on these boards, I've personally heard in whispers at industry events and read in emails. None of the comments good or bad hasn't been said before, and we all know it. The main problem is everyone wants to shine and brag, but be complete assholes in the shadows.
These people think that they are beyond reproach, because they are this and that and so on and so forth. BUT people are watching. Under the veil of annonimity, Here at this site people can speak on all the deeds, good and bad, (however here it's mostly dirty) that these so called "net players" are pulling that many of us know are going on but are either too shook to say, or too busy not trying to fall in the pitfalls on their way to the top to really care.
In fact Lisa, your place of business UBO (if you really work there) were the ones who really started a lot of the back and forth, cutting comments here, by calling out completely innocent people as being behind this site, causing name calling and uncalled for beef throughout the industry. Then only to print a retraction, and still call for a all out witchhunt to find not only who wrote the articles but the posters too? THAT WAS SOME BULLSHIT.
All this when UBO is the last company that has room to talk about anyone with more failures than employees, and pretty much the laughing stock of the entire space because no one for months could even figure out your business model.
Just as SOME of us deserve praise and shine, there are those who deserve scorn and if this site and others like netslaves, fuckedcompany, and a few freelances write some critical pieces on the state of the game AND it makes these fools among us step a little lighter and come a little tighter ALL of us benefit. How many NAACP Image Awards, VIBE covers, and etc, are we gonna give to people who are truly just assholes with some cash?
I agree a lot of the name calling coupled with personal attacks should stop and are childish. But opinions with merit, should stand. We need to stop all this bullshit, of blind-eyed praise. IT's not helping or changing anything. |
poor blaze...it never made it happen. all those Blaze Battles...the dope 50 mc issue...they were so hopeful. i know this girl from Philly and she wanted to write for Blaze...she wrote and wrote and wrote - and then they went outta biz. And now she is back to square one - a wack writer trying to get back in school...Blaze destroyed her dreams...
furthermore, jesse washington usta yap about Blaze this Blaze that - then Clef and infamous Hatian Jack gave him raw straight raw.... too bad that review was on point for Canibus...that joint was straight butt...
lemme say that Sisqo it wack...i want UE to address that...lets flip it and seriously get UE in some other genres....
asksisqo@aka.com - lets talk about it.
I think that jewish cat Lawrence Jacobson is pushin' Sisqo on the Black masses and the cashin checks and giving the lil sissy rented platinum and recouping his Black BMW...what the drill?
I don’t Like Sisqo
There, I said it. I don’t like Sisqo the Magic Dragon. I got it out and released it. You maw fukkas make it hard to express distaste for Sisqo since most of you feel him so much. Let me expound on the reasons why I personally don’t appreciate Sisqo and why you as a smart person shouldn’t either.
1) He is not a man. He is a male but I don’t feel he is a gottdaaamn man. I don’t know the cat but unlike what Sprite says, Image is everything in Sisqo’s arena of expertise. When you see son on the magazine covers, he is either smiling like some coked out Sambo or growling like he hardcore enough to make R&B brothers act a fool! Bitch, please! To me, there are too many pretty boys in the whole R&B thing anyway but Sisqo is the cherry on top! As a Black man that comes from a lineage of strong brothers, being a weak looking cat-type is considered a sin where I come from. I don’t really like male singers too much to begin with, but take me back a few years and I can get down, ya heard? I want a male R&B dun to be on some Teddy Pendegrass like, "You got, You got, You got what I need!" Sheeeet, even when Al B. Sure! (the 80’s Maxwell) was out, son was nice and he wasn’t a chump despite him having a high pitched voice. If illseed and Jagged Edge got into a little rumble against some rap cats, I wouldn’t worry about it cause they not sweet. Sisqo would get pimp-slapped and dropped instantaneously. No doubt.
2) Sisqo bites styles of other artists. When Jodeci disbanded, there was a void of sorts within the Black boy group genre. Cats wanted some grainy, hardcore, arrogant R&B. Guess who jumped in and capitalized? A decent group from Baltimore named Dru Hill.
Dru Hill proved to be the Nutra-Sweet to Jodeci’s sugar cane. They weren’t bad but you could hear K-Ci all up in the Dru Hill’s lead singer’s voice. That lead singer was Sisqo who showed quite a bit more personality than the rest of Dru Hill. As a performer, he is eerily reminiscent of another singer (and odd fellow) Michael "Wacko Jacko" Jackson. My pops never like Michael or Prince (although I like both a lot) and I suppose that’s why I can’t stand Sisqo. Thank God illseed has no seeds.
3) The Hair. Yes, it’s a trademark but why do it? And who? Only Sisqo.
4) He is not Hip Hop yet time and time again mainstream media like MTV refer to this R&B Kwame as a product of Hip Hop. I know its not Sissy’s fault but still, he could start to believe that he is Hip Hop. Yeah, sure, "Thong Song" had some weird "rap" and every asshole in the world got it twisted. He is a mutant strand of talent as it is so how could he be even a third cousin of hip hop, son? MTV even had the nerve to nominate this Cream Puff for a Hip-Hop Video Award! Look at this line up and tell me what's wrong!
* Juvenile, "Back That Thang Up"
* Lauryn Hill, "Everything Is Everything"
* Limp Bizkit/Method Man, "N 2 gether Now"
* Q-Tip, "Vivrant Thing"
* Sisqó, "Thong Song"
Yo, I’m saying, this bitch is not Hip Hop. Fuck Dat.
5) And then there is the ever-present, undying, lingering Gay Issue. Be who the heck you are and gottdaggit, do what works for you and your life. Illseed doesn’t care, ya heard? But, if you ain’t what they saying you are then let them know – EMPHATICALLY! See, when illseed was a youth, a dumb white person thought he could call me a nigger. After, about five people pried my black ass hands from around his now red neck, I made sure that he knew that I was NOT a nigger. I said it very clearly and even let him repeat it back to me so that he could hear himself saying, "illseed is not a nigger." Anyway, the moral of the story is Sisqo says he is not homosexual. Fine. Tell the world – loudly. I don’t know if that cat is gay and I don’t really care but the way he addresses the issue is mad funny.On the radio once, a DJ asked to group if they were gay and all of the group replied with a resounding, "NO!" – except Sisqo. He said, "I see how people could say that." Way to dispel the rumors, bucko. Now he totes his "6-Pack" where ever he goes, is an attempt to show that he loves the ladies and that he is hornier than your average fellow. Hey, the ladies are banging like steel drums at Marde Gras but I’m saying – before, this cat had all MALE dancers. And all of a sudden, he has a "6-Pack" of shiny dime-piece video babes that he never leaves home without. Then there is the graphic, uncensored "Thong Song" video – more, women, more rumor dispelling press releases. Something is awry. Oh, never mind and more who cares.
6) I don’t know. How can I love anything. I hate myself so how the *what* can I begin to love something like Sisqo? Who knows.
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F.E.D.S
check it out.. |
illseed-
for hatin the brotha so much you sure spent a lot of time writing about him...and all your arguements seem well thought out and considered..which says to me that you been thinkin bout ol boy quite a bit...
you sure you not just mad he didnt give you sum??? |
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illseed...
you have a problem with Sisqos masculinity, or lack of it...you might wanna take that ish up wit him or email him on his website.
Unfortunatly, another magazine that claimed to step up and rep HipHop has bitten the dust. If you claim to be the "5th Element Of HipHop", then you have big shoes to fill and again..balaze was doomed form the start.
The only magazines that will survive are those that either have established readership like The Source, and VIBE ..or those more new to the market like Stress which seem a little more closer to the street, and my favorite at the moment F.E.D.S. (which im shamelessly pluggin even tho I have no affilation with them or gettin any kickback dough from them)
I read MurderDog...my personal opinion is its a magazine that merely thrives off of the thug craze within the music industry...once that phase dies down, so will MurderDog....if you look at it, it pretty much shiney-jiggy-thug-shit.....just check the ads with the Pit Bulls, Diamonds, giant assed Cristal Bottles and overy eggagerated Rolls of Money and its pretty much sums it up.. Most of the gangsterism has been repeatd so much within the last 10 years-there shouldnt be anymore driveby's left to do, or wigs to push back .....shit, we should all be dead by now.
that mag is esentially a commercial thing...what does it represent?..nada.
Blaze represented a element of HipHop that never existed...good riddance. |
now FEDS, thats official with a capital O...word up.
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Dr. Thulsa Doom..
do you think the "urban lifestlye"(damn that term is drivin' a cat up the wall) mentality or culture can be effectivly represented Online?
I mean, like HipHop, "urban lifestyle" is sumthin' you either LIVE, and do without thinking-or you dont.
NO monthy dose of a "urban based" magazine or especially a flashed filled WEBSITE can truly accuratly describe what its like to live, walk, and talk a mentality or *culture* of sorts...
If anything...these magazines and websites are created for those who are curious about this these particular lifestyles, but dont live them...and whats written is only a small, small view of what the big picture is-so it aint accurate.
Half these cats writing about "urban" and th HipHop culture spend most of their time shmoozin up in sum industry event, so in reality--what the f*ck do they realy know?...the *truth* gets lost especially online when things that apperar to be-really aint.
I was speakin to an associate this weekend who is diggin the new Kelly Price CD. Yeah..its cool and all, but I notice how she was raving about Kelly's weight loss, and how she read about the reasons for the weight loss...now that might be part true and all, but a *part* the of reality is-this crazy industry really aint goona promote a overweight woman, regardless of how good she can sing. just take a look at the history of older artist like Jenifer Holiday, and Martha Wash........what im basically sayin is the whole story often gets lost, and whats presented as truth gets mistaken for actual fact...which is why any magazine or website that comes tru with a more complete picture and dope flash intro, will eventually win:-)
Yeah, "urban" sites and magazines can feed you bits of information pertainin' to the latest haps and all..but sumwhere the interpetaion gets lost and watered down between its base origin to the minute it hits online...if only people who live an experience our lifestyle on a regualr could contribute......yunno, regular people...not the cats who make up rule #4080... ..shit could be potentially profitable AND *real*..
then again, online...whats really *real*? |
ohsokool,
I was thinking the exact same thing when I recieved my complimentary issue of Blaze. I've should've know it'll flop when I had to fish through 30+ pages of adds just to get to the Table of Contents.
Their website was also disappointing. They rarely updated the lastest hip-hop news. If they did, it was the same story Vibe posted days earlier.
But being an once avid Vibe reader for five years, I expected them to live up to their hype. I was hoping Blaze would have the 'edginess' I thought the magazines like Stress and XXL had.
I guess not.
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Did you know that Vibe has 66 pages of ads before the masthead, then letters to the editor, etc. and that content doesn't begin until after page 100?!?
I just think that's so special.
MJ |
again. personal attacks are mute. personal attacks are the basis for the political shadiness that happens
"behind the music", masthead, and webpage. now there's nothing wrong with some chris rock-esque humor to lighten up nature of this work. this blaze discussion for example, needed to be talked about, and aired out because people have a right to do that especially if a product is being served and marketed to us by people who are not in touch with us.
the popularity of tearing folk down half critically, and mostly personally, will only shorten the shelf life of this very site. it's full of bright people who have a lot to say, and who are probably more intelligent than the outfits they work for-hence it's quite cathartic to vent behind anonymity. however an opinion is a belief stronger than an impression, but less stronger than concrete knowledge. concrete knowledge is why we post and read here. we're trying to find some in it's absence in these new media and print operations. but at the end of the day, nothing anybody says has enough weight to shift the direction of these industries to something more relevant to thinking people. it's bad enough you can't be a public thinking person anymore- as writer, or a critic. the term "hater" has single handedely created a guilt complex in the minds of alot of people who now don't want to be seen as a "hater" when simply exercising their god given right to have a mind.
critical thought is more informed than just calling someone wack simply because they're in business. i don't hate puffy cause he's rich and i'm not. i hate the fact that he expects me to like what he thinks is art, just because he's doing it. critical thought checks all the bullshit so that it gets filtered out of the culture for the sake of quality. this whole "hating" concept usurped a whole decade thinking seriously about what the hell we watch, read, and listen to, to such an extent that now the standard for culture is the very bullshit that some of us "hate" on. oh what a tangle weave we've "Web-bed". |
Miranda
You have a point, I'm no expert in magazine publishing and I realize that ads help keep the magazine running, but being that it's was Blaze's first issue. I was hoping they wouldn't be bombarded with ads. Especially if they're trying to attract readers, IMHO.
This could be why I never read Vouge. It's 80% ads 20% articles.
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This question make seem out of character with this site, but is there a magazine, site or other business entity that employs Black and Brown folks that any one LIKES? We've dissed everything out there ( and maybe with good reason) but is there an example anywhere of anyone doing it right? I can't believe that Blackplanet and Feds are the only things out there people like. |
magazines jam the pics at the front because that is the place where the readers go first - they are the ads that generate the most dough. and the back cover is another one that mags charge the most. can you imagine the monopoly that the Source and Vibe have now that there are no heavy, heavt weights out there to compete. From what i understand xxl and a lot of the other mags undercut the sources prices to get ads...i actually like XXL - i like the attitude they have had the last few months. Stress mag is decent mad underground. Word Up! they have tight posters - sike. But many mags just seem like PR (press releases) for the artists. I'd like to learn something i didnt know... |
Is Mira Juana, AKA Miranda Jane sexy? I wanna know. Just wondering...Oh yea, Vibe sucks ( I had to put something about the issue at hand in this post) I kniw her name is sexy as hell. I cant smoke a blunt without thinking about her anymore. Miranda, get out of my head please or formally introduce yourself... |
To insider:
I'm really feeling what you said. This billboard can be so much more. Once we understand that we have the power to elevate and create a credible understanding of this Internet space.
I agree with you and some of the other writers that there are some real serious Internet strategist out there. i have met many of them and I bear witness that they exist. And they are some bad cats. These individuals were trained in some of the top fortune 100 institutions in the world.
The only issue is that some of these urban dot.coms don't know how to tap into this pool of talented.
I would suggest that they open their eyes because these people are right in front of them everyday. I can only hope that this site becomes a vehicle for which those individuals can be identified because then this entire game can change.
In addition, whether Urbanexpose is a Black or Latino by the nature of the conversations it has become that, and since that appears to be the case why not use this forum to dominate the Internet space. We have the opportunity to take the Internet further than it has ever been. We also need to start thinking beyond community type sites, we need to start addressing wireless technologies, implications of broadband, how we share and move information (ala Napster) and many other topics. As well as how information is stored, and secured.
Peace |
>"do you think the "urban lifestlye"(damn that term is drivin' a cat up the wall) mentality
or culture can be effectivly represented Online? I mean, like HipHop, "urban lifestyle" is sumthin' you either LIVE, and do without
thinking-or you dont.
NO monthy dose of a "urban based" magazine or especially a flashed filled WEBSITE
can truly accuratly describe what its like to live, walk, and talk a mentality or *culture*
of sorts... "
I don't think a magazine/website's goal should be trying to
accurately portray a culture, but definitely they can attempt to create a forum that voices concerns, investigates the interests,
and explores the experience.
The fact is there are people who identify with being in the "urban community" and their interests are not necessarily being served by mainstream publications. However, we cannot expect a sole organization to materialize and effectively serve that whole community. For example, Hip-hop is too big to be covered by one magazine.
People are drawn to it in different ways. How can anyone expect a single monthly rag to serve two different people, one whose idea of hip-hop in high school is Cash Money Records, while another's is
Cash Money and Marvelous?
Vibe doesn't show you the urban lifestyle, it merely attempts to convince you to that emulating "urban"-genre celebrities is the urban lifestyle. What's uniquely missing is a publication that serves the more mature urban audience, somewhere in that huge chasm between Fubulescence and Ebony's Negro fuddy-duddiness.
Something for the reader for whom "PE" mean Chuck & Flav AND how well their portfolio is doing. Something that discusses the digital divide and how closely it parallels good ol' analog ones.
I hate to use the term "alternative", b/c it immediately labels you as something wrong or skewed. But many people need an option. You would think the online world would be a great place to experiment with this idea.
Blaze was doomed b/c it was basically an insert to Vibe that somehow escaped to a precarious life of its own. But there is no success without failure.
On the question raised about the overabundance of glossy ads in (dist)Urban magazines, that is something the entire publishing industry is guilty of, no need to heap it on Blaze/Vibe.
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Mr. Forrester, Mr. Jacobson, please. You're making me blush.
I may have to issue a punishment list...
I think it's sexy to post under your real name!
MJ |
to common sense:
i don't think we have to wait for a
dot.com to start recognizing the pool. cleary we recognize ourselves, it's just that more often than not, we to have pay rent, eat food, and things of that nature, and because of that, we end up shrinking ourselves under "associate" something titles, helping someone else fulfill their publishing dreams. that includes new media. but that's just my view.
it would be good if these folks could open up to new talent. but do you notice the little number that appears next your posting moniker?
this is a "clout" game. who you know means more than how talented you are.
my experience says that they don't want talented people. talent threaten's them, reminds them of their insecurities and makes them feel inadequate. they react by overworking you. emil, keith, danyel smith, etc, etc. that's a 30 something generation. they came of age in the 80's when IBM was dominant. they're values are more selfish and business oriented. they're not politicized, though they want to project sophistication, class (and class status) and character. they were trained in the corporate anus and now exist as automated simulations of it. the newsroom is now the assemblyline. just throw some shit together and put it out.
these are the people deciding who's in and who will be a wanna be. personally i don't need a wanna be mogul or powerbroker to determine how i should be respected. respect for them is measured against how white people would respond to it or what white people are doing. keith talks about the upcoming Savoy as a "black vanity fair". why can't it just be credible and innovative based on it's own editorial merit?
how about this word "incomparable".
if white people happened to read it
there would just be wide audience. but if this is your thinking before it begins, then it becomes a monkey see monkey do syndrome, giving folk what you think they want versue what they need.
for example: Savoy, the name of an old club for pretentious middle class types and Homegirl-plain old outdated slang. whose going to run that? Mimi? this is the 21 first century? right?, just checkin. the titles alone suggest how in touch they really are.
why not pool ourselves, do our own dot.coms and print vehicle and show these squares how to responsibly cultivate culture?
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Let's just hope that they're not gonna try to push Homegirl as "the Martha Stewart's Living for today's urban woman", or some shit like that. (homegirl...home/girl) |
insider,
Very, very well said. It is very easy to want to become the black this or that black that instead of standing on their own merits and just putting out a good magazine. It's ironic that you never hear of a white company wanting to be the black anything.
We tend to define ourselves throught the eyes of others. Which may indicate that some Blacks and Latinos could benefit from some professional counseling.
Nonetheless, there is a fear that people will realize that the emperor has no clothes on and once it is realized I guess the jig is up. But fear is a paralyzing force. I am building an organization and my CTO, CFO, COO, and Counsel better know more than me, because if they don't then I don't need them. One of the main problems with many companies is egos and the limelight syndrome and big title_itis. Some people want all the fancy titles, and their name in lights but don't want to do the work or on a more scary thought don't know what needs to be done. This particular stage is called the unconscious incomptent stage. They don't even know what they don't know. But the solution to that is a book. Or to take a class. With all the millions of dollars some of these dot.coms and magazines have there are some very good books they they should have. I will post a reading list tomorrow that every wanna be new media executive should read, and anyone that is interested in being a well-rounded person should read. One book that i found to be extremely informative and insightful is "What they don't teach you in Harvard Business school" I believe Mackey wrote it. It talks about relationships and how you treat others and about empowerment. Clearly I am more interested in upliftment than destruction.
Peace |
After being robbed of my clout on this site I decided to go back to work and stop posting on here SO much, but The Insider has lurred me back in from the sidelines.
Yo!!!! I agree 100% w/ your last post.
These IBM clones need to step aside, or at least hire some new talent who know what the heck they are doing. IBM training and a master's degree from ACME University does not give them the know-how to play in this game. If you do not even have internet access from home, you should not be running anyone's dot.com!
arghh!
Just B |
What's everyone' verdict on the New UBO.net site redesign? |
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comon sense:
Often one has to "tear down" or destroy, in order to get to the root of a problem, or beggining of a problem...in order to build, or uplift.
This new media were about to deal with should be discussed, analyzed, and critiqued in very way imaginable since there are no set standards-and no one *really* has a strong hold on anything in "cyberspace"...yet...
Id rather be , and hear harsh words about this new media market , and all the ugly parts of it before its starts to adhere to *some* the very same low standards, and foul bizzness practices thatt the music and publishing biz seem to embrace.
In the same breath..serious heads here, of all levels really need to start networking, or at least makin email contact with each other.
It aint to late to stop the BS in cyberspace, especially when it comes to this "urban" media.......again, its still pretty new and there are those of us out here, and on this board who really wanna run tight ships in the whole .com thingy in the future..
You , I , and many of us see the silly comments, and even the moronic ones, but we also smart enuff to look past that..cuz theres valuable ish up in here in case you havent noticed...and im sure u hav.. |
Peace.
Yo, does anyone here have an email address for someone at The Source? They're at it again - check the new issue - they have a Hangmen 3 article in there longer than the cover story...for those of you who don't know that's Made Men again. Oh yeah, they also have six full pages of ad space in the issue...
Hmmmmmm...
MJ |
Oops. Make that eight pages - I forgot 'bout Antonio Ansaldi! |
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The anniversary issue of Black Enterprise has a short feature on Keith Clinkscales. They credit the killing of Emerge to be his biggest power play to date with more to come in the new millenium. |
Sorry to get off the subject BUT there is too much talent around here to not try and tap into it.</p>
I'm looking for constructive ideas and partners to help me reshape my site, BLACKMUSIC.COM into a strong urban destination.</p>
Please email me at brian@blackmusic.com</p>
Thanks.
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BLAZE IS OUT OF ORDER!!!!! FOR THE MADDENESS THERE CAUSE N RAP WAS ALREALY A SEASON GAME WITH THE KILLIN !!! SO IF YOUR NOT GOING TOO KEEP IT REAL THAN MOVE AROUND!1111 |
Miranda:
Thanks for pointing out The Source's Made Men connection is on again. It drives me nuts reading a new issue and finding out how they're going to promote The Almighty RSO/Made Men/Hangmen 3 this time. Ads are bad enough, but when they throw in feature stories, mic increases and nominate them for Source Awards that's too much. (Best new artist? Please. They were up for video of the year last year...they weren't "new" then?) I hope no one ever gets fooled by one of these transformations. Stay away from all that and Antonio Ansaldi. Dave Mays is a bitch for that and The Source should have lost all respect by now. |
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Big thinka..
If your really serious about makin moves..then you will read the many posts up in here and email headz who you think might be worth ish..
Okay...David Mays done put his group back up in the spotlight..and ?...what else is new?
Say what you may, but The Source has consistantly been doin' they thing. I may not di repeated stories of a *certain* group, but i cant even front..the mag does have interesting ish to read. |
To ContraDiction:
Wow you sure do have lots to get off your chest. You sond pretty close to the whole situation.... You wouldnt by any chance be related to Jesse?
To B Cool:
Dont worry about your clout. If you didnt go around talking nonesense you would be up there with Dr. Thulsa Doom and Ohsokool in clout points. |
Volume info: courtesy of a good Clinkscale publication, the Impact 247 newsletter.
UBO Betting on E-commerce with Re-Launch
By Allison Jones
Urban Box Office (UBO) is planning to re-launch all of its affiliate sites and begin a nationwide marketing
campaign to increase traffic to its portal and expand its e-commerce focus within in the next few weeks.
Soulpurpose.com, an urban entertainment industry site and the portal Ubo.net, was scheduled to unveil a
preliminary re-design this weekend. Soulpurpose’s official re-launch is not until November.
UBO’s other sites, Othervision.com, an animated web series and Hairweb.com, an online community
serving urban hair and beauty needs, re-launched in early July. Othervision began its marketing push with a
short trailer that accompanied the X-Men movie in approximately 500 theaters. The trailer will also be
shown in Foot Action stores across the country.
UBO’s marketing campaign will begin with poster snipes appearing in 10 major markets, including Miami, Washington D.C. and
New York. The snipes feature UBO employees wearing “First Generation Urban” T-shirts. A UBO source explains, “We are no
longer fourth-generation Italian or second-generation Puerto Rican, but we are all first generation urban.” All employees featured in
the ads have T-shirts that reflect their own personal style. Some have ripped off sleeves while others created tank tops. UBO’s print
advertising campaign will launch this fall and the creative will be announced at a September 6 launch party on Ellis Island.
Each of UBO’s re-launched sites will include a “contextual” e -commerce platform, which means users will
not have to enter a ‘shop’ section to make a purchase. Instead, customers will be able to ‘click’ on an item
that may be part of a site’s content. E-commerce is expected to be a major part of UBO’s re-launch.
As they prepare for the re-launch, UBO has been busy making the rounds among venture capitalists. The company secured an
undisclosed amount from its first round of financing from a private source. In February, UBO received $16 million in its second round
of financing from Flatiron Partners. In April, a third round of financing secured another $17.5 million from Chase Capital Partners. The
company is currently in its fourth round of financing.
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Ooops. I meant to write UBO info on the tag. |
Insider:
I enjoyed reading your post, though I disagreed with most of it, especially when you wrote 'espect for them is measured against how white people would respond to it or what
white people are doing. keith talks about the upcoming Savoy as a "black vanity fair".
why can't it just be credible and innovative based on it's own editorial merit?
how about this word "incomparable".
There's nothing wrong with a new entry into a space making a comparison to the respected leader in the field. Would you get upset if an internet company said they wanted to be the black yahoo. I don't read that as a wannabe white desire. White does not mean excellence. If you were starting a car company, the model would be Japanese run Toyota and not GM.
Entrepreneurs often have to make quick pitches to investors. If Keith Clinkscales were in an elevator with a VC interested in Savoy, using the black Vanity Fair analogy makes his concept easy to explain. Sometimes you have less than 30 seconds to make a pitch.
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Just a couple of comments;
Big Thinka- We need more people like you, who are trying to use this medium to recruit talented people. Good Luck in your endeavors.
Miranda Jane, Mr. Forrester and Mr. Jacobson- Y'all better go get a room ( a chat room that is ). Keep up the Humor.
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Mgr27:
i appreciated your insight in regards to business models and you have every right to disagree. . keith has every right to use vanity fair as such a model for his business. but the model for magazines are severely less extensive than the models for say an automotive manufacturing, software,
hardware, applications development,
chemicals or any other high end technical or industrial outfit. there's alot more room for modification and transformation.
in the 21 century, there is 100 of years of magazine publishing to learn from. the last 20 years of which has documented the decline, and deterioration of critical thinking, progressive politics, (hence the death of Emerge) and integrity in entertainment value in this culture. (Dateline or Nightline will figure this out within 5 years). so what i should really be writing is that if i was in Keith's shoes, i'd use my resources to go above and beyond someones else's idea. i'd take advantage of this period of low intellectual/entertainment value publishing by filling the void. if i happened to like vanity fair, i might incorporate aspects of it's model that works, but i wouldn't model my entire operation after it. i'd rather innovate a model that would make Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, GQ, Code, Essence, Vibe wonder what the hell i'm doing and how.
this is a new era, with fresh new generations. even Apple promotes the slogon "think different", and this is years after Steve Job's boy Bill Gates didn't just use his model, he innovated and re-modeled Apple's model with a stronger product and changed the whole technology game.
our culture and talent is the measuring stick for so much of the overall culture except when it comes to thinking. this must change. |
insider,
You did it again, the analysis without anger or bitterness is wonderful. Actually, I am becoming very impressed with the level of conversation that is coming from ohsokhool, Dr. Thulsa Doom and some others. I see that there is beginning to be a balance in the level and types of comments being made on this site.
I agree with comments that critical thinking is a must in this day and age. We can not continue to regurgatate the things we read or see before putting it through some sort of analysis. We sometimes make comments that can not be stricken from the record. We are creative enough to define a new reality the same way that Tiger Woods is creating a new reality in golf, the way the William Sisters are creating a new reality in tennis, the way the Wayan Brother took a predominatly white movie genre and flipped it to the point where they grossed over 135 million dollars to date. We don't have to continue to think let everyone else. Time dictates the agenda, and now is the time to make a change. Colin Powell last night delivered a masterful speech to the Republican elite last night. Though colin Powell may not be everyones favorite black man. The brother was on point about his comments on affirmative action in its relation to corporate giveways (i.e corporate welfare) He is a thinker, no doubt about that.
Are there any cats doing any wireless technology projects, or looking for new ways to leverage the Internet in ways that haven't been developed yet. I am curious to know.
the book for today is
"Quantam Leap Thinking" I don't have the book in front of me to provide the author's name but I promise to provide it in one of my next postings, but please someone pick it up and let me know what you think. It is a blueprint in how to leapfrog your competition and how to strategically ut think your competition. This is a thinking man's game boys and girls and the time is know.
Seize the moment.
Peace
Common Sense |
To Artisha:
RE: Clout
Art - I think I told you before to keep off of my nuts. If you think all of my posts have been nonsense, then why do you jock me so? (Like BITING my little X-man thang and calling yourself Jean Gray!?)
I'll admit that many of my posts have been as much more for entertainment than as for information. But that does not separate me from anyone else on here. Fact is, my clout was taken because I abused the UE clout system.
On this site, we get clout for every post and for voting on the polls.
I wanted to show UE how their own site was flawed (since they love to point out everyone else's flaws).
If indeed UE is going to invade my computer with cookies to track my access to their site, posting habits, and subsequent clout points, then they should have the decency to DO IT RIGHT.
When you have a poll on your site... People should only be able to vote once. On the buzz poll, one could vote as much as they want. So, if I was a UBO employee I could flood the poll with 360HIPHOP and VOLUME so that my sights aren't at the top of the charts. Or, if I was a kat with a new or unheard of site, I could put BCOOL.com at the top of the NOBUZZ chart and many of the people on this site would check it out simply cuz they never heard of it.
As for me complaining about the removal of my clout points...
1. If you read this far into my post then that proves that I have some clout.
2. If UE fixed the NOBUZZ poll's unlimited voting feature, then there would be no problem.
3. I had madd clout points before I started playing with the numbers. They (UE Administrators) should have only stripped me of my artificial clout and left my real clout alone (that is if they are keen enough to know how many times I voted on the BUZZ POLL).
4. read point #1
B Cool
aka Skitz O. Frenik |
to all:
i aplogize for my last post, but Art personally went for me. I had to respond.
you won't see that type of stuff from me no more. (unless provoked) ;0P
Let's keep this site kindler and gentler. Can't we all just get along?
Skitz |
Two thing struck me with Insider's last post.
1. "our culture and talent is the measuring stick for so much of the overall culture except when it comes to thinking. this must change."
That was ON POINT! We spend sooo much time in our "urban" whatever genre worried about flossin', big pimpin', ballin' and nobody is talking about readin', and studyin'!
I think that the digital devide is as much a sign of the economic times as it is a sign of the educational times. When I was the only black person I knew with a computer, my homies thought I was bourgeoisie and nerdy. Now more than a 15 years later, I am makin' close to six figures in the IT industry and they are still tryin' to figure out what they wanna do when they grow up (even though they are pushing 30). Who's cool now?
2. "the last 20 years of which has documented the decline, and deterioration of critical thinking, progressive politics, (hence the death of Emerge) and integrity in entertainment value in this culture"
The Death of Emerge... When it first went down, I thought - hmm.. what a shame, but I don't read it that often. But NOW... It's election time. I did not realize until last night how I have counted on Emerge to serve me up a black issues punch list with which I could measure the candidates of the day. I miss that a lot. And even though I can do the research on my own (especially w/ all the new on-line resources) I still miss EMERGE.
p.s. thanks for bringing out the thinkin' side of my brain.
B |
Common Sense suggested that we all read "Quantam Leap Thinking". Which correct me if I am wrong, is written by John Mapes. (I found it on Amazon.com)
Here's what one reviewer said:
________
Sometimes it seems that every self-help book is 20% content, 80% inspiring stories. Mapes has reversed this ratio, filling his book with a rich and practical array of how-to-do's.
Quantum Leap Thinking concentrates on those areas that most trip us up: fear, lack of motivation, risk-aversion and self-imposed limits. These topics are treated in an easy-to-read style, with easy-to-follow guidelines.
If you're interested in personal change, this is a must read
_________
Hmm... I'm not big on self help book's but it does sound worth listening to on my next business flight cross country.
Common - What about this book (or are you listening to the Audio) makes you put it on the required reading list?
B.C. |
Wow, it seems as if the flamers have gotten bored with UE as of late,
and the dialog has been quite healthy.
Insider, Mgr27, CommonSense, B Cool & everyone else, great stuff. I'm thinking of printing some of these posts out
and sticking them on my mirror. This really renews my faith and desire to participate in this New Media space.
How do we start to make things happen? How do we effectively network beyond this board, without sacrificing
the precious anonymity that really makes these exchanges possible?
UE, I must congratulate you on your efforts here, I've learned so much over these
past few weeks.
Anybody else besides Insider have any must-reads?
Doc Doom
p.s. I must say that the Almighty HangMade RSOmen are quite possibly the
absolute worst thing that has ever happened in Hip-Hop music. |
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i see David Watkins has started UBO Events and Marketing with a relaunch event at ELLIS ISLAND.. |
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What major-label group's New Media department nearly erupted into a fistfight a few weeks ago over the viability of selling downloads on the Net? Meanwhile, is a distant arm of the company throwing a monkey-wrench into the works? |
Big Thinka -
Earlier you wrote:
"I'm looking for constructive ideas and partners to help me reshape my site, BLACKMUSIC.COM into a strong urban destination"
I know you told us to send comments to your brian@blackmusic.com, but if I did that then you'd have to pay me for my consulting services - here my comments are free of charge. ;0)
1. Wassup with the hiatus notice on your home page?
2. Pick a design and stick to it throughout your entire site. The homepage design is not consistant with the channels (or vice versa).
3. How about some streaming audio? Blackmusic.com should have music, right? But make sure your visitor can toggle it off and on. Oops, I see you can get music off of the Radio page.
Before talking about who you should partner with and giving you more site improvement tips, first I need to know your business model. Are you trying to make loot here, or are you doing it for the love of black music? Are you trying to build something that you want to later sell to a bigger media company? What's you goal? What's your target market? What's your master plan?
Hmm... I see you got started in late 99 and you can count your staff on one hand. Keeping that in mind, you have a good start and I wish you well Best of all you have a wonderful domain name from which to launch your online urban assualt. That is key.
Best of Luck,
B
mailto:c_francis_xavier@yahoo.com |
B Cool,
First I'm glad that you picked up on my spelling error Quantum instead of Quantam.
Actually, I don't do books on audio. No particular reason, I just like reading. The reason I picked the book up in the first place was the title. "Quantum Leap Thinking" I found it very compelling. But once I started to read the book it actually gave strategies and solutions to how to deal with life challenges which is also applicable to business challenges. I also had training in strategic development, and running efficient operations, process improvement, etc. and this book fell in line with those methodologies.
I believe the mind is a heavy piece of machinery and thinking is the weight that build those muscles. It's interesting that you posted the Amazon review on the books because they are on point.
The book is more than self-help, it is a guide, a manual that forces you to think about things before you do it.
You see B Cool and others, there are two basic schools out there. There are schools that prepare individuals to work for others and then there are schools that teach you how to think and where you have to create your own solutions. I was blessed to be exposed to a system where I wasn't given the answers but I had to develop them and create them based on information and evidence presented to me. I think most individuals are smarter than they think, they just don't challenge themselves.
I too, am interested in preserving the anonoymity of these conversations but somehow physically manifest our conversations into a manual or blueprint that we can share with the massess.
I would suggest that we set up hotmail accounts and begin to write a manifesto where anyone can contribute, edit, share and it can be a collection of thoughts, opinions and used as a guide to the Black and Latino and other ethnic groups who are interested in competing in this space and could benefit from the knowledge, philosphies, and wisdom that we have to share.
I am down. Are there anyone out there who wants to share and build. I know that I want to contribute to humanity, and I want charge a fee. My fee is for those that need it to use, and share it with others.
Peace,
and thanks for all the inspiration
Common Sense |
B Cool:
Thanks for the advice; it's appreciated.
I actually will try to contact you as well as others about your ideas in the next few days.
Blackmusic.com is one of those companies that never had much money and recently lost it's first committment for decent funding(Investors went broke. Imagine that.) Consequently, we are used to working with very little and retooling is easy to do.
Frankly, we're on hiatus because I was tired of giving our visitors less than our best. Money will help us correct that problem.
We hope to find some moderate finacing in the next few months. We ain't trying to get rich, just offer a viable entertainment venue that covers the large scope of Black Music.
As we know, our heritage is bigger than just hip-hop.
We have always had tremendous traffic for a site that has had no marketing budget(20,000 unique visitors a month). We look foward to the future. |
for further discussion:
mullamind@hotmail.com |
I just read this article, Man!, you mothers are funny! |
ComSense,
Sorry for not correctly crediting you with
the suggested reading.
D-T-D |
Very interesting commentary.
DMII |
Peace.
MANDATORY reading - "The Biggest Secret" by David Icke. This book exposes the infrastructure in government and private business...>
After you read it, you'll figure out who in the industry are aliens, who are from Mars, and who are human-alien hybrids.
It also breaks down some of the socio-economic issues we're going through in 2000.
Another illy - "The Richest Man In Babylon". Financial advisors fear you reading this book of parables. I think some cat called Chris Sloane wrote it...
And of course, anyone in(filtrating) this business should read The Spook Who Sat By The Door.
MJ |
Insider & Common Sense:
I certainly don't want to come across as a defender or apologist for any Keith Clinkscales venture, but we should be fair in our criticism. I too was saddened when Emerge folded, but as outside critics with no financial stake in his venture, should we force him to eat a $1 million nut.
Until we see Savoy, we can't assume that the entire operation is based on Vanity Fair. I'm sure that they want to flip it in some way. They have to. Black people don't rush to the newstand to pick up the latest copy of Vanity Fair.
>>our culture and talent is the measuring stick for so much of the overall culture except
when it comes to thinking. this must change. >>
This is a great line. When I read it, it made me think of your earlier complaint about us comparing ourselves to a white standard. There is only 1 standard and that is EXCELLENCE. That's what we should aspire to. It doesn't matter what the race of the individual or institution. The black Michael Jordan was that standard in basketball. Lance Armstrong is that standard in cycling.
Common Sense spoke of Tiger Woods creating a new reality in golf. But let's examine what he did. Tiger modelled himself after the world's greatest player, Jack Nicholas. He taped up every achievement that Nicholas ever accomplished and their corresponding timelines to his wall when he little more than a toddler. Then he methodically set out to beat every record. Tiger has more skill than Nicholas in his prime. So would I criticize Tiger for using a white standard? No. He just wanted to be the very best, and if that best is white, so be it.
If we make analogies to the world of business or science or technology, black people are still playing catch up. We are certainly not less able; we are just beginning to get the opportunities, and that greater opportunity will lead to greater success.
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Oh Lawd. I'm addicted to this thing...
The new SPIN has a DOPE article about F.E.D.S. - Chairman Mao wrote it. Right on!
MJ |
You online people are a bunch of geeks and morons. You actually think this internet shit is going to make you rich? Even Dr. Koop is having trouble with his stocks and he started the whole trend of dot coms having celebrities attached. What makes you think any of these derivative dotcommunists ("hey we offer free a mail and hip hop") will go anywhere? and before you assholes start writing back and bitching, think about it. You wannabes better start looking for real jobs because NONE of your companies will be around in a year.
And you dickheads are going to want to complain and bitch and post messages to say it ain't true, but it is. Look at 360. Look at UBO. Look at BET. Look at Hookt. What services are they offering that people really need? that people can't get off line? Every magazine covers hip hop. These sites offer nothing. "Hey dude we give you free e mail!" Fuck you. These black wannabe internet congolomerates should take lessons from Amazon. Amazon offers a service. These new "urban shithead" companies don't. All they offer are jobs to shitheads like Selwyn Hinds, Sheena "Always Fired" Lester, Kris "Harrassing Andrea and Serena" Ex, Smokey "Scott's husband" Fontaine, James "Bitch face" Andrews, and Larry "Mediocre" Blackspot. You suckers are all greedy like these assholes, and like these assholes, you're all gonna get NOTHING! |
And all you bitches with youir little therapy books are ruining the game with your faggy little philosophies. You suckers are even worse than Kris Ex, the shitty black drunk who filled his office with incense and peppermints and then kept sexually harrassing Andrea Duncan (Chairman Mao's girlfriend) and Serena "Hoe Face" Kim until he got fired for it. |
Dream is a cocksucking groupie |
The rumors of Volume's demise are greatly exaggerated. They are looking for some tech folks. I'm sure they want builders and not haters.
VOLUME.COM IS HIRING!
=====================
We are looking for self-starters who can keep their eyes on the
digital prize and still get things done. We are currently seeking
talented individuals for the positions listed at
http://www.volume.com/techjobs
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Must Read...A Brief History of Time, By Stephen Hawking....It will open your mind and allow you to think on completely different planes. The issues we discuss are important yes, but minimal on the grand scale. Hawking gives you quantum physics in layman's terms. He and his collegues deal with many of the same issues related to the forwarding of ideas that we mention here....Interesting at least, life changing at the most
Peace and Blessings... |
By the way...all the intelligent, meaningful commentary on this particular post list tells me that a forum not based in tearing down and tongue in cheek criticism is needed. Can we discuss...Mira (she isssss sexy!), Ol skool, BCool, Contradiction, Art, Insider, Mgr27...Thulsa started the conversation...I am forwarding it. Hit me at Maxamilian@urban247.com..and visit urban247.com
Peace and Blessings |
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that doesnt mean u will keep a job a volume if they hire you, at least unitl the next round of layoffs come... |
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LOL..."Eyes on the digital prize"? I see they've got the new chief of content writing the copy now. |
Let's do this
dr_thulsa_doom@hotmail.com
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Mgr27 and Keith Clinkscales:
couple things:
1.) when engaged in this kind of dialogue, its quite possible to be locked into a perception at the expense of clarity.
at the end of my second post addressing your position on excellence, i used Steve Jobs and Bill Gates as examples. i also (if you read it carefully) used a hypothetical example of how i wouldd re-model a model, using parts of others, to innovate something completely novel. something that black AND white pubs would wonder "what he hell i am doing and how" were the words i used. in regards to excellence, we are speaking the same language, different diction.
2.) my criticism of Keiths "black vanity fair" in this medium serves a purpose. certainly, we have no idea what Savoy will look like, but if we start talking about what we do not want it to look like, maybe, just maybe, Keith will take this into consideration in the year before launching.
3.) to affirm the above point #2, on July 31st. i received an email from
someone with an addy the reads "xxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx". for the sake of space i have to edit it down to the relevant points.
From:
xxxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx
To:
mullamind@hotmail.com
Subject:
your post on UE
Date:
Mon, 31 Jul 2000 23:51:05 EDT
"I read your post today on Urban expose, I would like to address a few things with you if you do not mind.
I am not from the corporate anus...I got into publishing in 1988 by starting my own magazine with money culled from friends and small fund of money I made while I was doing some consulting on desktop publishing. I got into publishing because I firmly believe that media is a powerful force that
people of color simply have to participate in aggressively. . .
I try at all times to do that, many of the people that I have hired have gone on to significant positions in the dot com community...others have continued to grow at other magazines and media outlets across the country. . . .
I never speak of Savoy being the "black vanity fair." I believe that type of positioning is dangerous.It is the same type of thinking that severly hampers the opportunity for media produced by people of color to have the best possible audience. . . .
I came to the Savoy project 5 years ago while I was at Vibe and Savoy was a project of an editor named Roy Johnson. Roy has had some 20 years experience in journalism 7 at the times and 13 at Time Inc. I found his idea to be exciting and the demographic to be an older one than the most of the "urban" titles. I 100% agree with you...if Savoy is to be successful, it must be on
its own journalistic merit and not on some wannabe down with the mainstream
shit. . . "
for someone who does not want to seem like they are defending Keith, those were Keiths own words.
4.) Despite Keith assuring me he never "Said" he used Vanity Fair as a model, i am not crazy. i know i read "somewhere" about Vanity Fair being used as the model for Savoy. thanks to a trusty Lexis-Nexis search, it was printed in the Washington Post June 1st, written by Howard Kurtz. the latter portion of that story reads: (again sorry for the length of this post, i myself hate long posts, but i must argue my point).
"The key player now is Roy Johnson, a former editor at Fortune, Money and Sports Illustrated, who was hired in April as Vanguarde Medias editorial director. He is also co-author of books by basketball stars Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson. Johnson said last night that he and Clinkscales have been urging Time Warner since 1995 to launch a magazine called Savoy, which, unlike Emerge, would not be a news magazine. He said the proposed new magazine would be "a smart, broad lifestyle publication that covers the news, personalities and trends that are important to people of color. The model we used was Vanity Fair."
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: June 01, 2000
and the St. Louis Post Dispatch on June 4th. read:
" The magazine on Vanguardes drawing board is Savoy, a Vanity Fair-modeled revamp the companys new editorial director, Roy Johnson says . ."
and the NY Daily News June 23rd read:
"Time Inc. is not yet on the side of Savoy, the fancy lifestyle magazine Vanguarde Media wants to launch under editorial director Roy Johnson early next year.
Johnson and Vanguarde chief Keith Clinkscales recently let their intentions be known when they folded news magazine Emerge and Sunday supplement BET Weekend to concentrate on a publication Johnson likens to a multi-cultural Vanity Fair. "
So I correct myself. Keith was right. He never "said" anything about Savoy being a "black Vanity Fair", but his editorial director, Robert Johnson, says it all over the place, who, as you all can read, does not just reference himself. Keith is not caught in a lie here, but his personal email to me contradicts all the press his boy Robert Johnson has been getting.
and Keith, i am not being crass and cut throat about this. i will respond to your email, and this is not a personal attack. this is just journalism holding folk accountable, which at the end of the day, keeps you credible.
If you think words like "black vanity fair" are "dangerous" and hamper the opportunity to have the best possible audience, why is your editorial director quoted in the media as promoting this very idea?
"you cannot free a mind once it has reached a certain age. it is too dangerous. the mind has trouble letting go . ."
Morpheous The Matrix 1999.
regards
the insider.
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Hmmmm...BLAZE..a magazine dedicated to HIP HOP.
thats nice...
You know, i have really limited access to the internet from where i am (indeed, the connection speeds at the University of the West Indies aka " the intellectual ghetto" are a scorching 12,000bps w/out browser support).... but now that i've managed to guess the password of my stupid 35 year old cousin who, by the way, reads BLAZE and loves to interupt conversations with his trite claptrap about how everything is somehow "just like the TUPAC/BIGGIE thing", I'm now able to come online again ...back to THIS site, where i find myself spending HOUR after HOUR... combing through post after post written by probably the most boring people on the planet. (not you crispus...you're stuff is always really really good although you have yet to do ANYTHING on WHITE GUYS in the industry who have elmers glue 'DREADLOCKS' and say things like "YO B...I'm not black and I can't possibly understand what it's like to be black , but..."
You have to love that.
As a result, my studies have begun to suffer as i no longer concentrate on trying to finish writing a thesis about why 70,000+ hi-yeller niggaz suddenly fled jamaica in 1977.
Instead, i pour over this site...
Every nine hours or so i lean over the edge of my bed and yank on a messy bundle of cables connected to a old JEROLD 400 convertor that supplies my old black & white Tv with just enough signal to let me see the latest episode of the REAL WORLD...or better yet, that FUCKING MORON from BET who should be DISMEMBERED through his anus with a meat hook dipped in ammonia.
Either that or hung upside down until blood runs out his nose.
Im not a doctor or anything, but trust me...if you hang anyone upside down long enough blood WILL come out their nose.
anyway...I just wanted to say that and ask anyone if they remember that old episode of D'iffrent Strokes where DUDLEY got molested by the guy who played Mr. Carlson on WKRP in Cincinati?
Also, please check my web site...particularly if your company needs a guy who has a pre-megapixel digital camera and a stolen rabbit head.
You don't know how good that can be.
Thanks..
afFLicted |
Insider:
I guess you touched a nerve over there at the Vanguarde offices. I actually remember that 1988 publication -- Urban Profile. Back then, Clinkscales and his partner (can't remember his name) were the Harvard whiz kids destined to shake up the black publishing space. I'm still not clear as to how as black Vanity Fair will read. I'm not yet convinced of the value of fawning white celebrity, much less a black version of the same concept. I hope this doesn't mean a JZ cover story on getting party permits in the Hamptons.
But all kidding aside, I do want to see a smart new print venture geared towards black adults. There isn't anything out there for the over 30 hip hop head. |
"there isn't anything out there for the over 30 hip hop head"
How about Fatlace, the magazine for the aging B-Boy?
you ARE their demographic.
MJ |
"there isn't anything out there for the over 30 hip hop head"
How about Fatlace, the magazine for the aging B-Boy?
you ARE their demographic.
MJ |
is there such a thing as an "OVER 30 HIP HOP HEAD"? and if so..why would anyone admit to being that??
afFLicted |
here i is:
c_francis_xavier@hotmail.com
(all forms of b cool where already taken. i had to go for my standby.) |
I am proud to admit that I'm over 30 and still in love with hip hop. Of course I'm much more selective than in my younger days. I don't want or need another hip hop magazine, so no thanks Mary Jane,no Fat Laces for me. I'd love to see a hip hop inspired (ol's school now - pre bling bling days)version of GQ or Esquire. Former Source editor and XXL founder James Bernard understands the aesthetic of which I speak. We still wait for Manifest, which was supposed his entry into the space. Keith Clinkscales understands it as well. It's a publication that I could put in my bag along with the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Something for grownups; people who know what it is to pay a mortgage. And believe me, there are alot of us out there. |
Anyone who knows about Manifest is alright with me. Their prototype issue blew most of today's print mags out of the water.
Not to toot my own horn, but if you don't read STRESS already, check it out. I really feel that we're exploring more than just Hip Hop and that the content appeals to people of all ages and backgrounds. Even my Jewish mother reads STRESS.
p.s. The Fat Lace comment was a joke - the tout themselves as THE magazine for aging b-boys.
Another good one to check out is The Kronick - the publisher is an older cat, and I think his mag would be appealing to most men of any age group - and it's free.
MJ |
Mary Jane Mary Jane (got Scarface on the brain)
so you have a Stress connection huh? I have read Stress. In fact, I live in Queens and you used to have office near my crib (haven't read the mag in a minute, so I don't know if you're still there or not). I'm more than familiar with Stress. I considered it an edgier version of the Source, more street, more graffiti, more industrial prison complex coverage, more inclusive in that it acknowledged the Latino influence on hip hop more than any of its peers. But that said, its still too youth oriented for me now. I don't need more hip hop coverage. And I would need more than Meshak Black's Kronick. I need an adult magazine with an edge to it. Ebony does nothing for me and something more lifestyle oriented than Black Enterprise. As I said before, I'm still waiting for Manifest.
And how come you got so much clout. 72 Damn! Time to trade some in for some Key Food coupons. |
Mary Jane is that ugly dyke bitch Jessica Green from UBO. I can smell that nasty ass bitch from here! |
No, darling. Miranda Jane is Mary Jane (or some people call me Marijuana Jones), and I'm located in L.A.
If you'd like to run a check, dial 213.719.5263.
And ease up - you're sounding like you've got some issues with women in general. That's not good. Remember that your mother is a woman, and your sisters if you have any. We're important. Thanks for sharing though.
MJ
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afFLicted:
Mr. Carlson is now the lonely Maytag repair man, i.e. the guy who sits around the Maytag repair shop all day long waiting for a service call that will never come. If Dudley's sweet young ass was in danger when Mr. C. was busy running a radio station (one that featured the on-air talents of Venus Flytrap, a character name that leads me to believe that Cincinnati has a thriving gay subculture), then poor Dudley's ass must look like a pomegranate by now. And no, this post has nothing to do with "urban" Web sites, but then again, neither does 85% of the posts on the boards here.
afFLicted is a genius. If I ever run into Les Nesman, I'll pass along your URL. |
Jessica Green from Stress is an ugly man-face dyke who looks like she smokes crack and spends too much time leering at, and sticking her tongue out to the fat female employees at her shitty UBO womanhood site. |
Blaze is a played out Eastcoast term...
Like the magazine.
Stay off the d#ck!!!!
It sucked past tense.
NEXT |
Miranda, you and your Stress buddies are all GOING TO PRISON. You all committed a major tax scam in the mid 1990s that also involved "Reverend" Run aka your codefendant. The IRS has been conducting an investigation into the matter for years and is secretly preparing to issue indictments against everyone involved in defruading the government of millions of tax dollars by receiving millions from a corporate backer, pretending to donate it to a tax exempt "reverend" from Hollis Queens, then moving the company close to this "reverend" so you tax cheats can keep an eye on what was still Stress money minus Run's fee for performing a service. Keep popping shit on this site, bitch. But you probably didn't even receive one penny from that million dollar deal did you? |
I went to 360hiphop to see what they're up to. With Kris ex gone, they are now running 6 page essays by some white college asshole I never heard of. This site urban expose was right. 360 is garbage. Selwyn wanted white people to run it. I can't believe they put stories up with phrases like "stunningly chilly"? Use thesaurus or spellcheck with grammar. This is a business they think will make money? |
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ohsokool@hotmail.com |
AN ARTICLE REJECTED BY BLAZE!
(they told me it couldnt be published cuz it was already published in ENGLAND...bastards...nobody keeps in touch with ENGLAND!!! they just aren't "REAL")
FOXY BROWN: the AFFLicTED inTErview.
Still riding on the wave of popularity that swept her into SUPERSTAR STATUS, the ever-controversial Foxy Brown has arrived in London to perform several shows for an eager UK audience. In this exclusive interview with NEW NATION, the young hip-hop sensation speaks frankly about her lifestyle, attitude and method.
When Foxy Brown finally stepped through the door with a smile on her face, I have to admit I felt a little relieved. She didn't look at all attitudinal, and, since this was my first real celebrity interview, I didn't want to appear nervous or irritated and blow the whole thing. But, as she sat down and I noticed that her face was covered in something that looked a little like chocolate sprinkles, I decided to stare at something other than her face and get down to business.
AFFLICTED: Hi Foxy. Can I call you that?
FOXY BROWN: Yeah , dat aiiight.
AFFLICTED: So, you've obviously had a very successful year and things only
seem to be getting better. Do you think you might have enjoyed that level
of success if perhaps PUFF DADDY had been the one to get his brains blown
out instead of BIGGIE? Or do you know a lot of other high level pimps
whose dicks you could have sucked?
FOXY BROWN: Naw, see, I take my shit serious like. I woulda still got put
on cuz even at da time Biggie was still fuckin' Puff up the ass and gettin
all the props, I was doin some kinky shit with snakes for DON KING...SO even if PUFFY
was smoked, DON KING was talkin bout givin me exclusive rights to carry
around those muthafuckin number cards in a bikini at the end of each
round.
AFFLICTED: I see. So , Tell me FOXY, you're a mere 18 years old now right?
FOXY BROWN: ILL NA NA!
AFFLICTED: And, taking in account that the key to your whole success is
the exploitation of your sexuality, Don't you think you'll be needing
breast surgery soon if you plan to keep doing this thing? I mean, for a 18
year old, your tits sure are saggin'. They look like a pair of slippers.
FOXY BROWN: Yeah, well that's what keeps me REAL, nigga. I'm a GHETTO HO
and GHETTO HO's always got six childjun to feed and they titties get worn
the fuck out ..know what I'm sayin nigga? You let some kid suck on your
tit for 3 months and see if your shit don't start saggin too!
AFFLICTED: Yeah, that makes sense. So , you use this term ILL NA NA quite
a bit in reference to your , well, deep dirty cunt, but tell me one
thing...when you say "ILL", don't you think you are implying that you have
some sort of ILLNESS in your NA NA?
FOXY BROWN: Fuck dat shit. It mean that my NA NA is WICKED...you know what
I'm saying?!. It's like sayin' "dat nigga got a ILL GAT or an ILL RIDE. It
mean somethin good. Not dat I got GONEREAH or da CLAP or some shit.
AFFLICTED: Have you been tested?
FOXY BROWN: For what nigga? I don't swallow no fuckin cumshots or nuttin.
And I only share needles with people I done know for years so why the fuck
should I get no test?
AFFLICTED: It's just that, well. You look like you might have something. I
mean, if I was ever fuckin you and you were makin all them noises like
you do on your album I would start wondering how many other niggaz were up
in your pussy before me. Even if BOTH of us used condoms, I would still
worry you know?
FOXY BROWN: YEAH WELL I'm just KEEPIN IT REAL, know what I'm sayin man.
It's like what OL Dirty say bout AIDS : "Not sayin' i got it, but nigga if
I got it, you got it!"
AFFLICTED: Would you and L'ill Kim ever do some LESBIAN stuff? I mean,
when I saw you and her on the cover of VIBE last month I thought :DAMN I
BET THEY WOULD LOOK BETTER IF FOXY WAS SITTIN ON HER FACE!
FOXY BROWN: No no baby. ILL NA NA. I don't do it with no bitches-an' you
can tell L'ill Kim that shit too...bitch been after my pork for years.
AFFLICTED: I think she looks better than you do. Are you sure you're not
just jealous?
FOXY BROWN: JEALOUS? NIGGA PLEASE. The bitch walk round with the scalp of
a white lady MOBB DEEP killed in an apartment stairwell over in
QUEEN's...she FAT as a MUTHAFUCKA and she FUCKED NOTORIOUS B.I.G. and
everybody know that nigga was growing some funky ass diseases on his bumpy
fat dick.
AFFLICTED: You're saying biggie smalls was below you level?
FOXY BROWN: Below my level? Are you serious? THE NIGGA ALWAYS SMELLED LIKE
A GODDAMNED piece of shit. Fat muthafuckas like that always smell man. You
ever been on the subway and a fat person whose been walking around all day
comes and stands in front of your face. And you smell the sweat mixed with
the shit he didn't wipe from his hairy asshole three hours ago.
Fuck no. I'd rather fuck Jermaine Dupri. And that nigga look just like a
fuckin black goat.
AFFLICTED: Are you sayin that Faith Evans is a filthier ho than you?
FOXY BROWN: See, thats what most people don't see man. I'm clean compared
to them bitches. I only suck the sperm out of PUFF DADDYS Asshole after
MASE cums in him, I don't fuck no NOTORIOUS BIG. Faith is sick . It
amazing that she could even have a baby even tho' everyone know Biggie's
daughter is a retard. She don't even got a pussy no mo'. She got a
pissflap. No grip nigga ..no ILL NA NA!
AFFLICTED: WOW. That's interesting. So you think Faith really fucked
TUPAC.
FOXY BROWN: Why we gotta talk about that nigga again? Little motherfuckin
chemotherapy lookin west coast dead nigga. Why we gotta talk bout him
again? He's long dead and rotten man and he was ignant too..so why you
askin me about TUPAC, NIGGA?
AFFLICTED: OKAY. How about the people at VIBE MAGAZINE? Did they treat you
proper?
FOXY BROWN: Dem niggaz is cheap as all fuck. I barely got $10, 000 for
that cover and I need more than that in a week to cover my AZT pills. But
at least they made me look ten inches taller than I really am you know?
AFFLICTED: Yeah, you are pretty short. But height aint nuttin but a number
right?
FOXY BROWN: NOW you pissin me off nigga, I don't wanna be hearin' bout no
fuckin Aliyah. Little lightskin tramp got some long ass hair and niggaz
killin theyself to buy her shit?bitch got no titties. Look like a
fuckin little boy. No tittles, just dat hair and her flat little stomach.
Good thing she puts that fat ass, no shame MISSY in her videos cut niggaz
like laughing at that fuckin whale in a NIKE OUTFIT when they high!
AFFLICTED: You seem very negative about some of these women FOXY, where's
this anger coming from?
FOXY BROWN: Yo nigga, fuck you. ALL' S I'm saying is Missy look like a
muthafuckin horse aiight? Would you fuck it?
AFFLICTED: Umm...
FOXY BROWN: C'mon nigga, straight up tell me you would put your SWEET DICK
into the ass of that ugly muthafucka. I saw that bitch naked in the
dressing room once man. Bitch got legs like a tree trunk. Fuckin dyke ass
cow. And her pussy smell like some nigga crawled up there and got shot in
a drive-by.
AFFLICTED: You're right. I wouldn't . It would
probably feel like I put my dick in a bucket of warm water.
FOXY BROWN: know what im sayin'?
AFFLICTED : yeah i know what you're sayin... |
afflictled:
only an urban hiphop porn magazine that features articles from people with bandwidth deficiencies and spell-check issues would print that article.
keep your WHACK articles to your LAME afflicted yard website.
i know you will try to FLAME me for dissing you, but what-the-fuck-ever man!
p.s. i thought you did not like hiphop? |
B-COOL: does anyone really care? lemme know...
afFLicted |
B-KOOL: i almost forgot to ask you...is FOXY BROWN "REAL HIP HOP" or is she "mainstream stuff"?
buh...
|
Blaze never had a chance. There are waaaaay too many "hip-hop" magazines in cirulation. Most of them are poor excuses for journalisim. All you have to do to get a magazine now-a-days is know a handful of rappers or alleged rapers who want some shine. The reviews were bull the content was even worse. In the end Blaze failed to live up to it's name, instead it just went up in smoke. I cringe while waiting for the diasater know as Homegirl. Come on now, come off it. Honey is bad enough. WHEN WILL THE INSANITY END. I'm almost thinking of getting a subscription to Rolling Stone (sic) being as though I can't rely on my people to deliver anything worth a hot damn. Come on people, GET IT TOGETHER. |
Peace Chamita.
Do you mean to tell me there's a rag coming out called "Homegirl"??
Yikes. Well, at least now Gangsta Boo and Suga T will have a shot at cover stories.
How scary is that??
MJ |
contrradiction, you said it better than i ever could have. very funny, especially given the track record of the above referenced individuals.
question to the posters: what is urban? i was privy to focus groups with black internet users and they resoundingly rejected that term.
i am BLACK, and i'm not confused or apologetic about it. what is urban? does is mean you live in a city? does it mean you listen to hip-hop? is it just a euphemism for the creativity driven by blacks that has been co-opted and exploited for white entertainment yet again? there seems to be a little confusion amongst the posters here about what urban really means. if i wear prada with gap, am i urban? if i live in wisconsin but wear my pants saggin' and a baseball cap to the back, am i urban? just what the fuck does that mean, and then, maybe we also need to define what black or african american means anymore? or does it mean anything at all? someone who posted their experiences of black culture was ridiculed elsewhere, does that mean "black culture" doesn't exist?
food for thought..... |
a heartfelt thanks to whoever shared the URL for the times article featuring upski and elliot wilson.
note to elliot: you work for a racist sexist motherfucker who nobody black or female could stand, and who disrespected black women in their face in front of coworkers. so what does that make you: a capitalist? does the fact that xxl appeals to the lowest common demoninator of black and white culture without the journalism and heart that it had when real journalists were running it appeal to your hip hop sensibilities? guess you were bought and paid for, that's certainly what you clearly indicated in the times article. so you're basically dennis' latest bitch?
good luck.
thanks again for the update, i don't have the "cognitive intelligence" to read the times on a regular basis, so i would have missed that article. in the midst of all this, there is valuable information, so we can watch ourselves be a party to the selling out of our culture to people who are just as likely to wear hoods (that's hoods, not hoodies) if it was profitable as sportin' Tims and aping black dialect while stealing publishing deals and dreams out from under naive artists from desperate backgrounds.
nicely done, hip hop generation.
|
Yall need to stop hating. Yall sound like them corney ass back pack wearing rappers mad at everybody who has a deal....basicaaly yall hate the people yall aint!!!!!!If you can write and yalll know so much why don't you start you're own mag or website....what's the matter?Yall scared or something? |
new to the site and entertained by the content but . . .
keep messages short and sweet. although I can understand the need to speak out ad hominem on personal attacks, it makes the average viewer just scroll through the page . . .
although this is a "new media" thing, don't think you can just jump on this "internet" thing and forget about print, because none of these portals would exist if not for actual magazines. too many companies crash and burn on the web and CEOs ride the Internet dick while their publications flounder . . .
so what is the scoop on ego trip? I heard they're making a comeback. And do people read fridge? strength? what's the dirt? Fader is nice.
oh and another thing. is this all NY based?
aights. peace |
360hiphop: design is aight. peep, and I ain't shittin' www.badboyonline.com. that site is da fuckin' shit. no content, but the prettiest of them all.
Vibe: sorry, you already lost a long time ago in terms of staying current to real hip hop, and not Top 40 hip hop.
Blaze: you look up to your big brother and look what happened? he shits on you and you're out.
Stress: tax problem or not, had good intentions and heart, but ugly ugly design.
Rap Pages: Irrelevant
Source: For a magazine that is 60% advertising, your articles and content should more than make up for it. Unfortunately, they don't. Reviews of wack artists and Newsweak design? I'm surprised you've lasted this long. And to give LL that much props on his latest album? and put him on the cover? bigga please.
UrbanCool: the white man's burden? please please don't worry about us.
Platform: Still nice. many different flavors available.
UBO: Sorry, uglier than 360hiphop and not much better content.
The problem w/ pouring so much money and intent into this online thing makes it a big air balloon (remember hindenberg?). The basis of most internet ventures, sticky eyeballs and all, is too optimistic. people use guidescope to kill the ads when they browse so advertisers must know this. most people's computers are not as dope as mine to be able to view sites in real time or any decent time. Most content is short and dumbed down because it is difficult to read off of a computer screen and most sites that use Flash animation look like they learned it from the tutorial. There must be a return to polishing the print magazines that are truly reflective of our hip hop culture. Who has ever heard of someone actually having some wireless internet connection and rockin their laptop on the subway, reading a fucking magazine? We steal magazines from Barnes and Noble, that's the way its done. The internet is a passing thing and so should these web portals be viewed. I would give much more respect to a magazine that puts all of their energy into producing the finest publication out there than a magazine that puts half their effort into web stuff. be realistic. get fuckin real.
Oneworld: the magazine. garbage.
Pick up a copy of fuckin Vice. It's free. It's available everywhere and it beats the ass off of most hip hop magazines, online and print. And its not even a hip hop magazine. For a bunch of Canadian m'fuckas to beat all of you? feels dumb, huh? |
"The internet is a passing thing" and all these Web sites (moronic as they might be) should all learn from a Canadian publication called "Vice"?
Magazines printed on paper will be a luxury in the years to come. Folks think that just 'cause there's no broadband wireless connections TODAY, that's not going to change tomorrow. The Internet is going to be your everything in the future, and there's no escaping it. |
you all are funny. bored and bitter. never had an emotional attachment to a job—whether you "owned it" or not. Never were confronted, publicly, with moral decisions. Never made a mistake, so probably have never had any real successes. You joyless, perfect sons of bitches. Peace be with you. |
Blaze was pretty much doomed from the start. I mean, their whole premise was to establish themselves as the hip hop extension of VIBE. Which would have been cool except for the fact that that VIBE has ceased to even be considered a true urban magazine itself. I mean have y'all checked it out lately? Straight wack. And three-quarters of the mag was damn ads!!! Content will always win over image, and BLAZE unfortunately had neither. |
Michael Harris has the worst compiling
ever commited to the web. His stories are often
in spanglish and his stories are often old news.
George Benson's plane incident happened early last
week. He also leaves the same posts up for days at a
time. You suck dunn!
|
Was Blaze the mag that put Swizz Beats in a Mozart costume? I can't remember. I get XXL, the Source and Blaze confused anyway. I wonder if we'll see Blaze on the XXL milk carton. |
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