The Source - Now Better Than XXL

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Has anyone picked up both of these lately? The Source is slowly becoming a better read than XXL.

Perhaps because they don't automatically get the big names anymore and have to come up with better angles on stuff, but I find myself actually reading it more as opposed to XXL where I'll think, 'Wow, all these great rappers in an issue' but never bother to read most of the interviews. (It probably doesn't help that XXL seem to have developed an awfully non-critical style of interview as of late.)

It seems that now Elliot Wilson has nothing to rally against (having 'won' his battle with his old employers) there's an emptyness to the issues.

― Pikmin, Tuesday, 5 October 2004 22:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I haven't looked at The Source in a while so it's hard to know, but I still like XXL a lot (though you're right about its overall lack of critical heft).

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 22:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I do prefer The Source's fuck 50 Cent et al. attitude as opposed to XXL's constant mainstream dickriding. The Benzino vs. Eminem stuff is pretty tired, though. Have they stopped that shit yet?

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 22:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I was like that too - sort of gave up on it, but overlook the ridiculous Mase interview in the latest issue and you'll be surprised at how much is in there worth reading.

I'm not saying that it's setting new high standards in hip-hop journalism, or that there's no presence of Benzino product in there (although it's no worse than Interscope in XXL), but at least it's trying to be a well-rounded (and at times interesting) hip-hop magazine as opposed to a series of puff pieces.

Their fashion shoots are pretty dope too (the fact that I notice the theme to them as opposed to skipping straight through I guess is a compliment).

― Pikmin, Tuesday, 5 October 2004 22:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, it's sort of like they've gone back to basics - no overt dissing for the sake of it (not that they should have ever even got involved in that).

― Pikmin, Tuesday, 5 October 2004 23:01 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, i guess - maybe - you guys could be right. but you can't have one without THE OTHER.

― pheNAM (pheNAM), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 04:18 (twenty-one years ago)

hip hop/'urban' music journalism always comes in for a lot of stick. i often wonder what it is that people actually want.

― splooge (thesplooge), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 09:06 (twenty-one years ago)

The point is The Source are starting to just ignore XXL, acting like it doesn't exist, which has given the mag a much healthier glow.

There are some excellent hip-hop writers out there, um, writing, it's just that most of them won't be found in The Source or XXL.

― Pikmin, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 10:56 (twenty-one years ago)

where are they then? why wouldnt they be in the source or xxl? chairman mao, sacha jenkins, even elliot wilson himself, are all good writers.

― splooge (thesplooge), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 12:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Well Elliot Wilson is very able at pretty much just writing puff pieces if you read his stuff (a much better editor than writer - check out his hilarious old Ego Trip interivew with Cypress Hill where he's defending The Source!) and Chairman Mao writes his tiny column and that's about it.

Noah Callahan-Bever at Vibe is great when he writes about hip-hop, so is Angus Batey in England, and the people in the Village Voice also come up with decent stuff.

Murder Dog obviously shits on them all though.

― Pikmin, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 13:15 (twenty-one years ago)

to be honest, i read great things in hip hop connection, wax poetics, grand slam. i even read some good things in xxl and the source from time to time. the source has always been better on the whole than xxl anyway in terms of variety and content. i still read good stuff even if it is puff piece-like in vibe every so often too.

but puff pieces are everywhere these days, not just in hip hop press.

i liked ellior wilsons articles on dmx and dame dash a while back, they werent sycophantic.

― splooge (thesplooge), Wednesday, 6 October 2004 14:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I guess it's just a shame that for a music that so prides it self on 'keeping it real' (or authenticity) magazines aren't allowed to do just that but instead are expected (often with the consequenece of violence) to perpetuate myths about artists.

I mean if any of the rock writing idols were writing about rappers today they'd likely be in hospital. Or dead.

― Pikmin, Wednesday, 6 October 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

three years pass...

why the fuck are these republican crackers advertising on xxlmag.com

http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/imgad?id=CMTIi_SfwKyz7AEQrAIY7wEyCPMc8nQSVFLt

― and what, Friday, 1 August 2008 17:40 (seventeen years ago)

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― and what, Friday, 1 August 2008 17:40 (seventeen years ago)

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― and what, Friday, 1 August 2008 17:41 (seventeen years ago)

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