The Source Mag Relaunch – A Review
Most hip-hop heads will recognize The Source magazine. The self-proclaimed “bible of hip-hop music, culture and politics” has been around almost as long as rap itself – starting as a small newsletter designed in a dorm room.
As many rap fans also know, The Source has long been embattled in internal strife, wars with rappers and whole record labels, a revolving door editorial department and sexual harassment lawsuit. All the while, the mag’s advertising dollars, subscriptions and prominence went south.
As a longtime reader (since ’89, y’all), I was very unhappy with the direction the magazine took. It went from breaking new artists to spending all its efforts trying to break artists. While I skipped over Benzino’s tirades and his free promotion for his wack-ass crew, I have to admit I stopped check for The Source for a while.
But in 2007, the storied magazine filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The mag was bought out by B.E. Greenwich, a division of the highly successful Black Enterprise magazine, and the North Star Group, headed by entertainment lawyer L. Londell McMillan.
Since then, the magazine has undergone a rebirth of sorts – new management, new direction but the same features that originally made it a leading hip-hop publication in the first place. For their 20th anniversary September 2008 issue, The Source began its “upgrade” project – and it was very much a work in progress. In fact, the issue seemed almost thrown together. But I am pleased to say that was only a transitory state. The October 2008 issue was the first issue that reflected the completed “upgrade”, which is a distinct improvement.
The Source is positioning itself as a lifestyle magazine – relying more on the cultural and community aspects of hip-hop, rather that solely focusing on rap artists, music and industry news, as does competing publication XXL. In that vein, there are a few new features: a column by legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D, hip-hop headlines and a new focus on business and travel.
The new format has maintained many of its regular features as well: it Ear To The Street column dedicated to promoting new artists, interviews with established and “hot” rappers, articles on politics and community affairs, its Fat Tape section and its classic 5-mic rating system are all still in effect.
The greatest single change is its layout. While less dense than its previous format, the new layout is obviously positioning itself to move completely into the “lifestyle” format – kind of a hip-hop Maxim. The design is simple but refined – it is clean and easy to read. Graphics and pictures fit well into the design and the overall look is a good one.
The new format plays to The Source’s strengths. The magazine has long been known to focus many articles on events and issues that affect its readers, rather than the artists it covers. Whether talking about the crack epidemic or hip-hop police, The Source always covered serious issues in a serious way. It is clear they intend to broaden this portion of the publication, which in my view is the right move. 
The content of the magazine itself reflect the internal changes. Undoubtedly, the editorial voice is far less confrontational. Opinion is now much more detached and objective – a welcome change. I have no problem with The Source, like any other magazine on my bookshelf, taking an editorial position; but it should be reporting and commenting on news, not be making it.
The articles themselves are written well enough, but are clearly in a probationary period – not sure whether they will become regular features, or one off pieces. That’s to be expected. However, some of the features – specifically dealing with new music, gossip and industry news – will need a hard look, given how quickly the genre moves in the Internet age. No “upgrade” wants to become “retrograde”. A concern for all paper publications in the digital era.
The new owners of The Source didn’t just save the magazine from financial disaster – under its previous owners, it was on the fast track to irrelevance. But the magazine now has a new direction, a new look and a new voice, which will positioning it well for the future.
I am pleased to see that the new owners take the magazine’s legacy seriously, while not relying on it completely. They are obviously coming for that Number 1 spot – which is undeniably hip-hop.
Tags: Review, The Source Magazine
