''Rap-Up'' is a
magazine
A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to
hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and
R&B aspect of the
music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
industry, and predominantly features interviews with artists, actors and other entertainers. Issued quarterly, the magazine's target audience was the 14 to 28 demographic, although the demographic has become older over time.
The magazine's first two issues were one time deals, although Lazerine and his brother Cameron received attention for their age and white background. The magazine restarted publication in 2005, when it managed to sell enough copies to ensure future releases. The magazine is sold in more than 20 countries, and a separate handbook has been released, chronicling the history of hip hop. The magazine has been nominated for two awards, and is often referenced by other magazines.
History
''Rap-Up'' was founded by Devin Lazerine when he was 15 years old as an after-school hobby;
the magazine was an online
compendium
A compendium (plural: compendia or compendiums) is a comprehensive collection of information and analysis pertaining to a body of knowledge. A compendium may concisely summarize a larger work. In most cases, the body of knowledge will concern a s ...
of hip hop news, gossip and top-ten music lists.
After listening to the song "
Insane in the Brain
"Insane in the Brain" is a 1993 song by American hip hop group Cypress Hill, released as the first single from their second album, '' Black Sunday'' (1993). In addition to hitting number one on the US rap chart, the song also was a mainstream hi ...
" by
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. They have sold over 20 million albums worldwide and have multi-platinum and platinum albums. They are considered to be among the main progenitors of West Coast and 1990 ...
at the age of 10, he wanted to be in the
music industry
The music industry consists of the individuals and organizations that earn money by writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling recorded music and sheet music, presenting concerts, as well as the organizations that aid, train, ...
but "wasn't able to sing or rap, so that wasn't an option".
Several days after launching the website, Devin decided to pitch the idea of a magazine to select publishers; the next day, a publisher from H&S Media expressed interest in the concept.
Devin worked with his brother Cameron to create the magazine, and decided it would be for a young audience,
in particular the 14 to 28 demographic.
The magazine's first issue was published by H&S Media in July 2001; however, the company went bankrupt shortly after publishing the first issue,
which sold 200,000 copies.
''Rap-Up'' was resurrected in 2003 by Total Media Group as an
insert Insert may refer to:
*Insert (advertising)
*Insert (composites)
*Insert (effects processing)
*Insert (filmmaking)
*Insert key on a computer keyboard, used to switch between insert mode and overtype mode
*Insert (molecular biology)
*Insert (SQL)
*Fi ...
in the magazine ''Urban Teen Scene''.
The insert attracted media attention—mainly because of the brothers' age and race—in ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' and ''
The Los Angeles Times
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''.
The brothers began working on a third issue in 2004, without the backing of a
publishing company
Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
. The largest advertisers were ring tone providers, while others included the
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
, clothing labels, videogames,
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
,
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
and
Reebok
Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
. The editorials were written by 10 journalism students,
and the photos were contributed by publicists. Art director Ian Lynam, who designed the magazine, sent everything online from Japan.
The issue was released in March 2005, and cost $35,000 to produce. It featured singer
Chingy
Howard Earl Bailey Jr. (born March 9, 1980), known professionally as Chingy, is an American rapper. Chingy grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and began rapping in his late teens. He toured as an opening act with Nelly in the summer of 2002 and the ...
on the cover,
and 80,000 copies were distributed around the world.
Beginning with the eleventh issue, which was published in summer 2008, Lynam redesigned the magazine's cover and contents. The main reason for the redesign was the change from a younger target audience to an older and more sophisticated one. Lynam felt the facelift "imbue
it with a more demure and cosmopolitan aesthetic."
The magazine is not
audit
An audit is an "independent examination of financial information of any entity, whether profit oriented or not, irrespective of its size or legal form when such an examination is conducted with a view to express an opinion thereon.” Auditing ...
ed, and is sold in more than 20 countries. In the U.S., the magazine is sold by
Wal-Mart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
,
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller. It is a Fortune 1000 company and the bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. As of July 7, 2020, the company operates 614 retail stores across all 50 U. ...
, and
Tower Records
Tower Records is an international retail franchise and online music store that was formerly based in Sacramento, California, United States. From 1960 until 2006, Tower operated retail stores in the United States, which closed when Tower Records ...
. Devin calls ''Rap-Up'' "a magazine for
Generation Y
Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the Western demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s ...
by Generation Y".
He serves as a writer, publisher and
editor in chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
, and oversees editorial content and advertising sales. Cameron works as publisher and assistant editor, and is in charge of printing, production, distribution and shipping of the magazine.
In 2008, the magazine released a handbook entitled, ''Rap-Up: The Ultimate Guide to Hip-Hop and R&B'', which was published by
Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group. The book chronicles the history of hip hop, and features a foreword by rapper
T.I.
Impact
Bob Baker, the former publisher of H&S Media, praised Devin for having the "gumption to seek out publishers, to say 'I want to do this and how do I do it?' I focus more on his age than his race."
Lou Pitt, a manager and producer of film and television, found that ''Rap-Up'' stood out from magazines ''
Vibe
''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...
'', ''
The Source
''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the ma ...
'' and ''
XXL'' by showing the mainstream side of performers. Pitt said that the magazine is "not the street version
..It has a very populist approach, in the way of
''People'' magazine or ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
''."
In 2003, Devin was included on ''
Fast Company
''Fast Company'' is a monthly American business magazine published in print and online that focuses on technology, business, and design. It publishes six print issues per year.
History
''Fast Company'' was launched in November 1995 by Alan Web ...
''s list of "Champions of Innovation whose achievements are changing companies and our culture".
In 2006, the magazine was nominated for "Best New Consumer Publication" at the 55th Annual Maggie Awards.
In 2007, the website Rap-Up.com received a nomination for "Best Hip-Hop Magazine Site" at the
Vh1 Hip Hop Honors
The Hip Hop Honors is an annual event that airs on VH1. The television special honors old school and golden age hip hop rappers and contributors for their long-term influence and importance in the history of hip hop culture. It features live p ...
.
References
External links
* {{Official website, www.rap-up.com/
Music magazines published in the United States
Quarterly magazines published in the United States
Magazines established in 2001
Hip hop magazines