Rap Pages

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Rap Pages
ISSN
1063-1283

Rap Pages was an American music magazine, one of the first publications dedicated to hip hop. The first issue was released in October 1991. Originally published by Larry Flynt Publications, the magazine was closed in October 1999. It was sold to Timaj Publications in May 2000, who released several more issues, but by the end of 2000 stopped publication. Rap Pages set itself apart from other contemporary music magazines, particularly The Source, with its comprehensive coverage of West Coast hip hop artists, something they believed other publications lacked.

History

Rap Pages was founded by the publisher

pick-up shot of the rapper Ice Cube on the cover, as the magazine wasn't shooting its own covers at the time.[2] The magazine was based in Los Angeles, California.[3]

At the time, the West Coast artists believed that The Source, which was the leading hip hop magazine, didn't represent their scene adequately. Rap Pages was launched with the editor-in-chief Dane Webb announcing a goal to shift the focus to West Coast, citing the perceived East Coast bias of The Source as the reason.[4] Another goal Webb proclaimed was to improve Black communities, with him encouraging people to "[s]pend less time drinkin' them damn 40s, spend less time on the corner and more time in them books".[5] Rap Pages started as a bimonthly magazine, eventually switching to one issue every six weeks, and then switching to a monthly format in October 1995.[6] According to the writer Jeff Weiss, Rap Pages was the only magazine that offered a full-time coverage of West Coast hip hop.[7]

In October 1999, Larry Flynt Publications halted publication of Rap Pages and put the magazine up for sale. They received multiple bids,[8] and sold it to Timaj Publications in May 2000. Under the new management and with the original editor-in-chief Dane Webb the magazine was relaunched, with plans of launching a separate Spanish-language version.[3] However, after releasing several more issues, Rap Pages once again ceased publication by the end of 2000.[9] The Jersey Journal reported in January 2002 that Rap Pages was a defunct magazine.[10] In 2014, a website Rap Pages TV was launched.[9][11]

Covers

Despite using a leftover portrait from another photo shoot as the cover of its first issue, later on Rap Pages started producing their own photos for the covers.

Pharcyde wrapped in a recording tape.[15]

Another Rap Pages cover, which Rolling Stone magazine called "iconic", was the portrait of the Notorious B.I.G. wearing a crown.[16] The photograph, titled "King of New York", was taken by Barron Claiborne, three days prior to the rapper being assassinated on March 9, 1997.[17] It was the last photoshoot of the Notorious B.I.G.[18] The portrait quickly became one of the most well-known photos of the rapper.[19] In 2020, the plastic crown used in the photo, originally purchased by Claiborne for $6, was sold through an auction for $594,750.[16][20]

References

  1. ^ Jensen, Kris (August 31, 1993). "Vibe magazine tunes up to be the voice of urban music, culture". Orlando Sentinel. p. E-4. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  2. ^
    Complex. Archived
    from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Odiaga, L.V.R. (May 23, 2000). "'Rap Pages' Resumes Publication". MTV. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  4. ^ McLeod 2002, p. 158.
  5. ^ a b Gorman 2022, p. 326.
  6. ^ McLeod 2002, p. 159.
  7. ^ Weiss, Jeff (August 10, 2023). "How LA proved hip-hop could go global — by staying thoroughly local". NPR. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
  8. ^ Baker, Soren (December 22, 1999). "Magazine Leads Hip-Hop Into Mainstream". Los Angeles Times. p. C5. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Ducker, Jesse (August 31, 2019). "ALBUMISM SELECTS: 20 Music Magazines That Inspire Us". Albumism. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  10. Newspapers.com
    .
  11. ^ "Rap Pages TV". Archived from the original on August 3, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  12. ^ Bell, Max (January 19, 2018). "No One Sees Rap Like Photographer Brian Cross". Vice. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  13. ^ "Oversized silver gelatin print of Ol' Dirty Bastard, shot for the cover of Rap Pages, ca. 1995". Sotheby's. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  14. ^ Tobak 2018, p. 141.
  15. Complex. December 14, 2011. Archived
    from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Kreps, Daniel (September 16, 2020). "Notorious B.I.G.'s Plastic Crown Sells for $595,000 at Auction". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  17. ^ Kaufman, Gil (September 16, 2020). "Notorious B.I.G.'s 'King of New York' Crown Goes For Nearly $600,000 in Hip-Hop Auction". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  18. ^ "Crown from Notorious B.I.G.'s last photo shoot sells for almost $600,000 at hip hop auction". CBS News. September 16, 2020. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  19. ^ D'Souza, Shaad (September 15, 2020). "Plastic crown worn by Biggie sells for $594,000 at auction". The Fader. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  20. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (September 16, 2020). "Notorious BIG's $6 crown sells for almost $600,000 at auction". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 15, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.

Works cited

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