After 17 years of dishing out the dopest hip hop print material for the global hip hop community, XXL Magazine recently announced that it will no longer release print editions following their October/November issue which is currently on shelves. The move sees the popular brand going exclusively digital. Ben Harris, the president of Harris Publications, which launched XXL in 1997, stated, “We incubated something digitally, but the Townsquare people can take it to the next level with their digital expertise.” All hope may not be lost for tangible magazine fiends though, as Townsquare told reporters: “We think XXL has strong potential in both the digital and live events market.” This means the magazine may return to shelves for special occasions and rare issues.
Another casualty of the digital networking age is the demise of VIBE Magazine in its physical form, laying off 19 employees and casting a dark shadow over black entertainment. After 21 years, the magazine which was started by Quincy Jones will also make it’s digital move and live in the world of online. Although it’s great news for digital surfers and enthusiasts, we at HYPE still feel that there’s nothing more refreshing than holding a copy of a magazine in your hand.
Is this a good move for XXL and VIBE? Let us know your thoughts.