Creators of The Source Assemble "Dream Team" to Launch Groundbreaking, First-of-Its-Kind Celebrity Weekly
Noted Journalist Mimi Valdés Partners With David Mays and Ray Benzino to Deliver Hip Hop Weekly
NEW YORK, NY -- (Market Wire - Sep 20, 2006) -- The founders of The Source Magazine, David Mays and Ray "Benzino" Scott, are launching their new creation, Hip Hop Weekly, which will appear nationally on newsstands October 16th. Hip Hop Weekly breaks new ground as the world's first entertainment news & celebrity lifestyle publication targeting the market of almost 40 million U.S. consumers under the age of 40 who identify with hip-hop culture. Hip Hop Weekly will report on all the news, events and issues surrounding the hip-hop community, right as they happen. The magazine will cover film, TV, music, fashion, sports and celebrity news with an authoritative voice, and will serve a 50/50 male/female readership from 15 to 40 years old.
Considered visionaries in the hip-hop space, Mays and Scott created The Source -- the first magazine/multi-media outlet to focus solely on hip-hop -- in 1988, from Mays's dorm room at Harvard University. Hip Hop Weekly will continue their tradition of editorial excellence in reporting on what has now become a mainstream fixture and way of life: hip-hop culture.
"This is a great day for our team up at Hip Hop Weekly and for hip-hop as a whole," said Ray Benzino, Chief Brand Executive of Hip Hop Global Media, the holding company that is backing the launch of Hip Hop Weekly. "I want the readers to know that they can expect something incredible. It only makes sense, considering that between myself, Dave, Mimi, Wendy and Star, the years of experience we have -- stretching from the street side to the corporate side to magazines to radio to TV -- is incomparable. We will continue to give the people what they desire, and that's the realness, which they will now be able to get every week in our new magazine."
Mimi Valdés, formerly Editor-in-Chief of VIBE and VIBE Vixen, is the new weekly's Executive Vice President and Editor-In-Chief, as well as its co-owner. A 13-year veteran in the publishing world, Valdés brings her great insight to the magazine. "With HHW's revolutionary format, we're better equipped to document this culture as it happens. Readers can depend on us for insight, criticism, and perspective on how hip-hop influences the world. Our entire team, both business and editorial, is filled with passionate fans that understand the hip-hop lifestyle. Believe me, that's going to make all the difference." Valdés is leading an editorial team that is filled with incredible talent, including superstar radio hosts Wendy Williams and Star, who will each author weekly columns for the new magazine.
"I am extremely proud to be breaking new ground with the launch of Hip Hop Weekly," said David Mays, CEO of Hip Hop Global Media. "Hip-hop culture and its celebrities are making news every day, so there is a need for a magazine that can keep up with the much faster pace of news and information flow in the multi-media, internet-driven world that we are living in today. Hip Hop Weekly's innovative format coincides with the evolving nature of advertising, which is rapidly moving toward a quicker, constantly changing, and more creative approach. Hip Hop Weekly is simply a more timely and more engaging way to serve today's hip-hop consumer."
For More Information or interview requests please contact:
Aimee Morris
Flawless Media
718-875-1877
