This is the first issue of the eighth year of this run and it still feels like I started this yesterday.
As I look to take the magazine to the next level and explore my options, I will never regret keeping its focus on Black culture.
I do this for the people I grew up with at Poughkeepsie High in the 80s who could never conceive how far hip-hop could go.
It was a simpler time where we cared more about being authentic in our artistry than ever making a living rapping, spinning records, breakdancing or tagging.
Most of the kids “grew up” and got “real jobs” while a handful are still riding this thing to the end. I dedicate this issue to them.
Shout out to the beatmakers who used to bang on those tables at lunch, the graffiti artists who became graphic designers, and the rappers and DJs who eventually made the whole world dance to this thing of ours that was made by the collective ‘us.’
A special thanks to Rez Ones, Poke from TrackMasters, Boy Wonder, Matteo, Paul Nice and the rest of the guys from Poughkeepsie High. Those days made me who I am today.
