I’m really not sure that anything 50 Cent says, does, or posts on Twitter can be considered outrageous at this point, but at least he’s still trying. Behold the latest cover of XXL that features the rap mogul with his tattooed protégé Soulja Boy. Apparently they’re very close.
Each year, hip hop magazine XXL releases their ‘Freshman Class’ issue, that features the top ten up and coming rappers on their cover. But no need to wait until 2010 to see who made the cut, thanks to an intrepid tipster who claims to have taken a spy shot of the roster. Although we can’t independently verify the authenticity of the list, it’s very likely that it’s legit, after all, this wouldn’t be the first time they got scooped on their own content.
UPDATE: XXL Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Satten says she appreciates the “enthusiasm,” but the list isn’t from the mag, it’s a fraud! Her statement below: Read more »
Still not content with getting scooped on a print feature that was obviously created with the intention of attracting pageviews, rap mag XXL thought it’d be wise to finally get around to releasing their 100 favorite Hip Hop websites piece online, but in parts, over the next few days. Smart, right? Or…you could just go see the full list ANIMAL already leaked now!
Why these hip hop magazines don’t post this shit themselves before sites like ANIMAL scoop them I’ll never know, but here’s XXL’s 100 favorite Hip Hop Blogs list from their soon to be released December/January issue. Read more »
50 Cent just released a new track that goes at Jay-Z called “Flight 187,” but instead of focusing on the beef, he’d rather discuss the publicity that his fellow rap mogul generates, especially when it comes to a certain Hip Hop magazine. “Did you see the new XXL?” Fitty asks. “There’s about 40 pages of Jay-Z in there.” And he ain’t exaggerating too badly either. Hov appears on the cover, in most of the 24 pages of premium ads Rocawear booked (front inside cover included), the table of contents, editor’s letter, in miscellaneous editorials and his Blueprint 3 ad even graces the back cover, completing a full monopoly of the mag. Read more »
Hip Hop mogul, rapper, and September 11th opportunist Jay-Z scored the October cover of XXL to help hype his hotly awaited album, Blueprint 3. Hov discusses a variety of topics, including why he’s better than everyone else in the game: “But when I say I’m the best, I don’t say that outta my ass. I say that with all my stats behind me. I put that against anybody. I mean anybody. I really believe that… I believe in a lot of things. I believe that ‘SportsCenter’ is the best thing on TV. I shouldn’t have to prove it. But I do have these stats to prove it.” He’s also got the t-shirt.
Back a few years ago when he could still afford a Range Rover, rap mogul Damon Dash was shelling out millions to advertise Roc-A-Fella properties in Hip Hop magazine XXL. What kind of coverage does a buy like that get? Depends. When blindly filling out insertion orders, all he received was a bunch of gossip items, but the minute he complained and threatened to pull ad dollars, the mag actually gave him the cover along with Cam’ron. Then Editor-in-Chief, Elliott Wilson, was fully complicit in the shady dealings and wrote this nonsense in an attempt to justify the purchased cover story while not alienating BFF Jay-Z: Read more »
A very reliable source in the magazine industry tells ANIMAL that Giant is folding after its July issue, citing abysmal ad sales. If true, this would be the second magazine that Smokey Fontaine* ruined—he was the Editor-in-Chief of America back when Dame Dash could still afford a Range Rover and helped drive that book into the ground too. This would also indicate that the attack letters allegedly sent out by rival rag XXL were either really effective or highly predictive. Either way, maybe that explains putting this funeral-home-ready shot of Nick Cannon mourning on the cover of what could be the last issue.
*Although Smokey is not the current Editor-in-Chief—he’s the Content Editor for its parent company Radio One—the dude was responsible for dramatically changing the face of the magazine (for the worse).
With advertising dollars drying up across the magazine industry, XXL is “in search of a sales ‘gangsta’ for an Advertising Director position,” one who can “bring in the cash money” and be able “to ‘bring it’ and ‘shut it down’” with “Big Idea” ad sales. Strangely, the job description doesn’t mention issuing attack memos about rival publications as a responsibility. Perhaps they assume anyone attracted by a job listing that quotes Wu-Tang’s C.R.E.A.M. will have no problem trashing the competition to win some advertising dollars.
He’s lied about working as a prison guard and about his crew’s safety to get them to shoot a video in Colombia, so it’s not surprising that Rick Ross sports gear that’s just as deceptive. After seeing the 33-year-old rapper on the cover of XXL magazine’s May issue, a Louis Vuitton lawyer wrote in to point out “the sunglasses Mr. Ross is wearing were not made by Louis Vuitton, and in fact, are counterfeit.” |XXL|
Editor-in-Chief:
