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XXL (magazine)

XXL (pronounced [dʌbḷlɛksɛl], double-X-L) is a hip-hop magazine from Harris Publications. The magazine's editor-in-chief was Elliott Wilson, formerly of ego trip and The Source magazines. He was fired on 7 January 2008, with former deputy editor Vanessa Satten serving as his interim replacement.^{[1] [2]}

Since 1997, XXL has competed with hip-hop powerhouses such as The Source magazine and Vibe magazine. It was started by former Source staffers James Bernard, Robert Marriott and Reginald Dennis, as well as others who wanted to create a better magazine than The Source, which they saw as compromised because Benzino, a Boston, Massachusetts-based rapper and associate of The Source publisher David Mays, was influencing the editorial content and rating system.

In December 2006, XXL took over the hip-hop producer/DJ magazine Scratch (another title owned by Harris Publications), rebranding it as "XXL Presents Scratch Magazine". It shut down in September 2007.

Other titles with limited runs have also been launched under the XXL umbrella, including Hip-Hop Soul, Eye Candy Magazine and Shade45 Magazine.

Special releases

In August, 2005, Eminem and XXL teamed up to release a special issue titled XXL Presents Shade 45, and was designed to give maximum exposure to Shade 45 as a radio station, and at the same time give maximum exposure to the Shady Records label as a whole, as well as the radio DJ's and G-Unit Records' artists. XXL executive Publisher, Jonathan Rheingold, stated that typically magazines based around particular artists were not favourable, but "since Shade 45 is a truly authentic and uncensored rap radio channel, the marriage with the XXL brand made sense," before adding that it's what would interest rap fans.^[3]

Album ratings

XXL rates albums from "S" (poor) to "XXL" (classic). Initially, editors awarded XXL status to only five albums:

• The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill
• The Blueprint by Jay-Z
• Be by Common
• Late Registration by Kanye West
• Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse

A later issue re-rated some albums and gave XXLs to:

• The College Dropout by Kanye West
• The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem
• 2001 by Dr. Dre
• Get Rich or Die Tryin' by 50 Cent
• Life After Death by The Notorious B.I.G.
• Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z
• The Infamous by Mobb Deep
• The Diary by Scarface
• Illmatic by Nas
• Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan
• The Chronic by Dr. Dre
• All Eyez On Me by Tupac Shakur

References

1. ^ Jacobs, Allen: "XXL Editor-in-Chief Elliott Wilson Fired", hiphopdx, 2008. [1] Retrieved on 8 January 2007.
2. ^ Wolfe, Roman: "XXL Magazine Fires EIC Elliott Wilson", AllHipHop, 2008. [2] Retrieved on 8 January 2007.
3. ^ Carl Chery (23 August 2005). Eminem & Shade Collabo W/XXL For Special Radio Issue. SoHH.com. Accessed 29 January 2008.

External links

• Official site