MAGAZINES
THE FOUNDATION OF MY CAREER AND MY FIRST LOVE.
BLAZE MAGAZINE
WHERE IT ALL STARTED.
I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF CELEBRATING MY 20TH BIRTHDAY WHEN I GOT MY FRIST PAID WRITING ASSIGNMENT: A SHORT RECORD REVIEW TO RUN IN THE BACK OF AN UPCOMING ISSUE OF BLAZE MAGAZINE.
A SERIES OF REVIEWS AND SHORT ARTICLES FOR BLAZE FOLLOWED, LEADING TO AN INTERNSHIP IN THE SUMMER OF 1999, AND, BEFORE I TURNED 21, MY FIRST FEATURE—A COVER STORY ON A THEN ASCENDANT TEENAGE RAPPER FROM NEW ORLEANS, LIL WAYNE.
I WROTE ONE MORE MAJOR ARTICLE FOR BLAZE BEFORE THE MAGAZINE ABRUPTLY SHUTTERED IN THE SUMMER OF 2001—A FEATURE ON HOMETOWN LEGENDS-IN-THE-MAKING AND FUTURE ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS, THREE 6 MAFIA.
I WAS SURPRISED AND DISAPPOINTED WHEN BLAZE FOLDED, BUT I WAS ALSO UNDETERRED. I WAS HOOKED ON THE BUSINESS, AND MAKING MAGAZINES BECAME A WAY OF LIFE.
VIBE MAGAZINE
THIS WAS MY GRADUATE SCHOOL.
FROM 2000 TO 2009, I WAS PROUD TO BE A PART OF THE EDITORIAL STAFF MAKING ONE OF THE MOST LEGENDARY MUSIC MAGAZINES OF ALL TIME. I STARTED AS A FREELANCE FACT CHECKER AND MADE MY WAY UP THE MASTHEAD OVER THE YEARS. I WAS THE MAGAZINE’S EXECUTIVE EDITOR WHEN IT UNEXPECTEDLY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS IN THE SUMMER OF 2009. IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE RIDE AND A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN FROM SOME OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST CREATIVES IN THE BUSINESS.
IN ADDITION TO RUNNING SEVERAL EDITORIAL DEPARTMENTS THROUGH THE YEARS, I WAS ALSO A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR, WRITING EVERYTHING FROM VIDEO GAME, CAR, RECORD AND PRODUCT REVIEWS TO FEATURES, PROFILES AND MULTIPLE COVER STORIES ON ARTISTS SUCH AS T.I., YOUNG JEEZY AND LIL WAYNE.
BILLBOARD
MY FIRST—AND SO FAR, ONLY—WEEKLY.
WORKING AT BILLBOARD WAS LIKE ATTENDING A PUBLISHING BOOTCAMP OR DOING A HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING WORKOUT. COMING FROM MONTHLIES, EVERYTHING WAS FASTER AND MORE DEMANDING, AND, AS ONE OF MY MENTORS ALWAYS SAID, INK AND STEEL PRINT DEADLINES ARE WAY LESS FORGIVING THAN PUBLISHING ON THE WEB—WAY LESS ROOM FOR ERROR AND LOTS MORE MONEY AT STAKE.
FROM THE SUMMER OF 2011 TO THE END OF 2012, I WAS THE MAGAZINE’S MUSIC EDITOR, MANAGING THE “MUSIC” SECTION AS WELL AS HELMING SPECIAL EDITORIAL PACKAGES, WRITING FEATURES AND COVER STORIES AND, ON OCCASION, EDITING FEATURES AND COVER STORIES AS WELL.
I LOVED IT. THE PACE, THE TEAM AND THE DEMANDS ALL MADE ME SHARPER AND MORE EFFICIENT AS A WRITER AND AN EDITOR. I ALSO WENT TO A TON OF SHOWS.
BROOKLYN BOUND
MY MAGAZINE.
IN 2012, I REALIZED A DREAM AND INDEPENDENTLY LAUNCHED MY OWN MAGAZINE, BROOKLYN BOUND. THE IDEA WAS TO DELIVER A REGIONAL MAGAZINE THAT REFLECTED “THE NEW AMERICAN CITY”—DIVERSE AND FLUENT IN A VARIETY OF CULTURES AND PERSPECTIVES, WHILE ALSO REPORTING AND REFLECTING ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS AND CONCERNS.
TO DO THIS, AND WITH THE HELP OF LOTS OF FRIENDS, I ASSEMBLED AN INCREDIBLE TEAM. JEFF STAPLE WAS THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR. SOPHIA CHANG WAS THE ART DIRECTOR. JUSTIN THOMAS KAY WAS A DESIGNER. EDITORS AND CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDED DANYEL SMITH, ELLIOTT WILSON, ALEX GALE, DAMIEN SCOTT, JULIANNE ESCOBEDO SHEPHERD, ILEANA LAGARES, BRENDAN FREDERICK, JOHN FRANCIS PETERS AND SO MANY MORE.
THE PROJECT RECEIVED COVERAGE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS SHORT-LIVED, I’M INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THE EXPERIENCE. IT WAS A BLAST.