2014 - AMERICA`S Media - AMERICA`S Media Marketing

2014
Media Kit
Hip-Hop On A Higher Level Since ’97
The Reader
XXL speaks to the rap-music generation. The readers are the purveyors of hip-hop culture and
consume music, fashion and lifestyle on a level that defies logic. They are in the clubs, online, onstage
and at retail shops—anywhere they can gain access to or create the music. They are the producers, the
artists and the DJs. From the kid on the street to the record executive in his suite, XXL readers are part of
a movement and helped build XXL to become the No.1 most influential brand in rap media.
The fans are powerful consumers and are connected to the streets—with the ability to influence
others and make or break brands. They are the voices of the neighborhood and the earliest adopters
of new products.
XXL is the No.1 selling ABC-audited music publication on newsstands worldwide and is the premier
hip-hop media brand. XXL has set the standard in rap music journalism, with the best writers and
photographers in the industry and chronicles all that’s relevant in hip-hop culture. After more than a
decade of dominance, XXL has maintained its status as the most respected hip-hop music magazine by
both consumers and the industry alike.
Demographics
XXL’s editorial mission is to take a more mature, real and intelligent approach to hip-hop, with an
emphasis on the music and lifestyle that are at the heart and soul of the culture. XXL keeps up with the
pace of hip-hop’s dynamic energy and targets the trendsetter who lives for urban music. As the culture
continues to evolve, XXL is there to deliver the most progressive view of the music and the culture
surrounding it.
XXL conducted a survey in the July 2013 issue to measure our current readership. Survey highlights,
with respect to age, income, gender and ethnicity, are below.
Gender
Male:78%
Female:22%
Income
Median:$47,007
Average:$56,571
Ethnicity*
African-American:67%
Caucasian/White:18%
Hispanic/Latino:19%
Asian:1%
Age
Under 18:6%
18-20:11%
21-24:21%
25-29:29%
30-34:16%
35-39:11%
40-49:5%
50+:1%
21+:83%
Median Age:
27
29
Average Age:
*Exceeds 100%, reflecting mixed ethnicities
XXL is MRI protoyped. Please contact your sales representative for XXL MRI data.
In making decisions regarding the suitability of magazines for your advertising plans, the information enclosed is the best estimate of XXL’s
readership that Harris Publications can provide as of November 1, 2013. We believe this data to be an accurate reflection of our readership;
however, the survey results are a sampling of our readership and do not (as it is physically impossible) poll every single reader. Harris
Publications encourages you to use these numbers as a guide and conduct your own prototyping, comparing our magazine to similar
magazines in their categories, when making your advertising decisions. Survey conducted by Touchpoint Research, under the management
and supervision of DJG Marketing.
The XXL Prototype is available upon request for use on IMS, Telmar and Memri for the Spring 2009 MRI Study. Agency research departments can contact Steve Douglas or Debbie Kaplan
at DJG Marketing, by phone at 212.370.9700, or via e-mail at steved@djgmarketing.com or debbiek@djgmarketing.com with any questions.
Making History
Old School — A Great Day in HIp-hop
In the fall of 1998, XXL was a budding magazine just five issues deep and looking to make a statement. On
September 29, the editors made rap history when they gathered more than 200 hip-hop stars to recreate the famed
jazz portrait “A Great Day in Harlem.” It was dubbed “A Great Day in Hip-Hop” and was shot by famed photographer
Gordon Parks in the same spot in Harlem as the original photo.
New School — XXL Freshman Class:
Presented by
monster energy and REEBOK
Welcome Back
®
2013
freshman
CLass
Get your
notepads
ready.
Class is
officially
back in
session.
compiled by
ralph bristout
jaeki cho
eric diep
tzvi twersky
neil martinez-belkin
images
tom medvedich
0 5 0 M ay/June 2013 x x lm ag .co m
There’s no time of the year quite
like Freshman season at XXL.
There’s the onslaught of phone
calls and emails from nearly
every publicist in the industry.
The label execs trying to call in
favors. We’ve even got rappers
attempting to convince us
we’re their BFFs. It’s a lot to
navigate. And these are just
the external forces. Within the
confines, we’ve got to get the
whole XXL team to agree. We’d
be lying if we told you some of
the meetings didn’t spiral into
shouting vulgarities and throwing
office supplies.
But if the past five Freshman
issues have taught us anything,
it’s that our madness is a good
method. Looking back at the
faces that have graced the past
five covers, the record speaks for
itself: Wiz Khalifa, Meek Mill, Mac
Miller, Kendrick Lamar, Future.
Just a few of the stars we picked
before they were stars. So, like
last year and the years before,
we chose nine young emcees we
think have the biggest potential
for greatness—and left the last
spot open to the public. You all
spoke loud and clear; it wasn’t
even close. To find out this year’s
people’s choice, see page 64.
After all the hard work, we
finally brought this fine group
of young talent together for a
day-long photo shoot in New
York City, where we finally got a
chance to get to know the artists
we’d all been talking about for
months. So, it’s with great pride
that we introduce you to the XXL
Freshman Class of 2013.
x x lm ag .co m M ay/Ju ne 2013 0 51
Now in it’s sixth year, the annual XXL Freshman Class Issue is carving out a legacy. Some of the biggest rappers
to emerge over the last half-decade have been bestowed with the honor of being an XXL Freshman. In order to
celebrate both this year’s picks and the 51 members before them, XXL teamed with Monster Energy, Reebok,
Soul Headphones, Luster’s 360 Stylin’ and Jimmy Jazz for The Monster Energy Outbreak Tour Presents: XXL
Freshmen Live, a five-city tour that spanned the country and gave Freshmen past and present a chance to put
their skills on display.
This year’s tour culminated in New York City on April 9th, when all 10 of 2013’s Freshmen, as well as special
guests, kept the Best Buy Theatre in Times Square rocking through the night.
Editorial Breakdown
360:
What Goes Around
360 is the first section of XXL magazine and
includes the latest hip-hop news, short interviews
with artists and industry insiders, and trend and
humor pieces. Some of the special monthly
columns in 360 include Step Your Rap Game Up,
a callout to rappers with subpar lyrics; Murder to
XXLence, where Shaheem Reid goes one on one
with today’s hottest rappers; and Picture This, the
photo of the month.
Show & Prove
HIP-HOP’S MOST PUBLICLY AFFECTIONATE COUPLE,
WIZ KHALIFA AND AMBER ROSE ARE ENGAGED TO
BE MARRIED AND EXPECTING A CHILD. AWWW. YEAH!
Here, the editors pick four up-and-coming artists of
the month. Readers get the scoop on who they are,
their new music and their industry co-signs.
WORDS VANESSA SATTEN IMAGES SARAH MCCOLGAN
0 5 8 OCTOBER / NOV EMBER 2012 X X LM AG .CO M
Features
With the highest journalistic standards by the best
writers in the industry, XXL feature stories include
interviews with today’s biggest stars and articles
exploring the music, trends and defining moments
of hip-hop culture. Every issue is packed with hardhitting and well-reported, top-notch rap journalism.
A
WORDS THOMAS GOLIANOPOULOS IMAGES ROGER ERICKSON
A FEW DAYS AGO, B.O.B WAS IN LAS VEGAS FILMING AN MTV SPRING BREAK SPECIAL
AT THE PALMS HOTEL. WHILE IN TOWN, HE ALSO ATTENDED A YOUNG JEEZY CONCERT
AND HUNG OUT WITH BIG SEAN. ON THIS MARCH AFTERNOON, HE SITS IN A MIDTOWN
Manhattan Italian restaurant with Las Vegas still on his mind. “What happens
in Vegas stays in Vegas—except for the hangover,” he says with a hearty laugh.
“The hangover after Vegas is head-throbbing.” But that’s not enough to sideline
him—Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. is in New York City to work.
Later today, he’ll hit the studio to
complete the intro to his sophomore album, Strange Clouds, out this month. The
album, he says, is 99 percent done, barring “a miracle.” Before that, however,
he’ll record a song with jam band O.A.R.
for a Duracell battery ad campaign set to
run during the Summer Olympics. B.o.B
hasn’t listened to the band’s music yet
and plans on winging it tonight.
The Duracell/O.A.R./Olympics project seems like something that would be
a pain in the ass to B.o.B, a gifted rapper,
producer and multi-instrumentalist—
an artiste with an “e.” But since breaking out with his gold-selling 2010 debut
album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of
Bobby Ray, the good-natured Decatur,
Georgia, native has collaborated with a
slew of strange bedfellows. The pop singer Bruno Mars, Paramore belter Hayley
Williams and indie-rock deity Rivers
Cuomo of Weezer anchored B.o.B’s three
huge Billboard Top 10 singles—“Nothin’
on You,” “Airplanes” and “Magic,”
respectively. He’s also worked with
0 5 8 M AY 2012 X X LM AG .CO M
KEITH MAJOR
Mixed-martial arts fighter Dave Bautista
talks about his favorite hip-hop moments.
on to feature Mariah Carey, Diddy and Soulja Boy. In 2011, Violator
merged with Primary Wave Music to create the powerhouse management firm, Primary Violator.
Maybe the best way to appreciate who Chris Lighty was is by understanding who he wasn’t. He didn’t seek out the spotlight or appear
in videos, opting instead to leave the spotlight to others. He was so
low-key that outside of the music industry’s periphery, he was generally unknown and, by accounts, content to be so, proving you could
put your ego on pause and still be driven.
Some controversy has swirled about the cause of Lighty’s death
and if it was really a suicide. The New York medical examiner confirmed a suicide, but the Lighty family has requested a second private
autopsy for further info. As of press time, the results have yet to be
made public.
While details of his death are still being investigated, what matters
most is that Chris Lighty is remembered as someone who helped take
hip-hop beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.—AMY LINDEN
LOG ON TO X XLMAG.COM/CHRISLIGHTY FOR MORE ON CHRIS LIGHTY.
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ballers could use a good deal to save a little
money. Enter DailyTrak, a deal-of-the-day
website featuring items geared towards
rappers, producers and industry folk. Founded by bargainbite.com CEO Chris Holtzhauer,
29, the site essentially serves as a hip-hop
Groupon, with deals centered around beats,
mixtape cover designs and business seminars. Here, XXL suggests three example
deals that dailytrak.com should consider
offering MCs and beatsmiths. Cash out.
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Hip-hop mourns the loss of Violator
Management founder Chris Lighty.
he death of a young person always evokes its own peculiar grief.
When that death is a suicide, however, grief often mushrooms
into something more painful and incomprehensible.
Such was the case with the passing of Violator Management
and Records founder, Chris Lighty, who died from an alleged
self-inflicted gunshot to the head at his Riverdale, New York home on
August 30, 2012. He was 44-years-old and leaves behind six children
and his estranged wife, Veronica.
Hundreds of mourners packed into New York City’s Frank E.
Campbell chapel on September 5 to pay their final respects in what
turned out to be a star-studded funeral. 50 Cent, Diddy, Busta
Rhymes, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Russell Simmons, Lyor Cohen,
L.A. Reid, Fat Joe, LL Cool J and more all showed their support, many
of whose careers Lighty directly influenced.
The shock of Lighty’s death sparked well-intentioned (although
unproven) reflections on his possible mixed signals, depression and
stress. There was also additional speculation about what role, if any,
reported tax problems and an acrimonious divorce played in Lighty’s
death. But above all, there was anguished disbelief that the affable
man, whose boyish good looks earned him the nickname “Baby
Chris,” could do this.
Bronx born and raised, Chris Lighty was a citizen of Afrika Bambaataa’s Zulu Nation and, as a teen, made his bones by carrying DJ Red
Alert’s record crates. By his early twenties, Lighty forged personal and
professional relationships with Boogie Down Productions, A Tribe
Called Quest, De La Soul, and Jungle Brothers, which in turn led to
being hired by Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen’s Rush Artist Management.
In 1997, Lighty branched out on his own and founded Violator
Management and Records and shepherded the careers of, among
others, 50 Cent, Missy Elliott, LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes.
Lighty was among the first in hip-hop to convince Madison Avenue that hip-hop had the power to sell more than records, landing his
artists lucrative endorsement deals with mainstream companies like
Sprite, vitaminwater and Gap. Violator’s roster would eventually go
*SALE 75
Amen
Deal
Or No
Deal
0
$3,000
( What Goes Around )
*SALE
There’s always room for a beautiful girl. The Eye
Candy section features photos and interviews with
the hottest, most wanted video vixens.
02 2 OCTOBER / NOV EMBER 2012 X X LM AG .CO M
BORROWER
“Booty so big muthafuckas tryna find you, now
dudes tryna wife you”
LENDER
JAY-Z
“NIGGAS IN PARIS”
“So I ball so hard muthafuckas wanna fine me,
first niggas gotta find me”
Hit-Boy
BORROWER
PAPOOSE
“BOO’D UP”
“And then we cry together, lie together/I swear
to fuckin’ God I hope we die together”
ducing standouts for A$AP Rocky, Justin Bieber and, of
course, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s massive hit, “Niggas in
Paris.” But Hit-Boy is intent on re-introducing the first
part of his story, that of an MC. With that in mind, this
past August, the SoCal native released his first mixtape,
HITstory, a remarkably mature debut that’s drawn comparisons to Kanye’s early work. “People feel like I just
jumped into it, but I was writing rhymes like two or
three years before I was making beats,” says the 25-year
old, who began making music as a teen. “I always had it
in the back of my mind that I wanted my voice heard,
but it had to be the right time.”
Born Chauncey Hollis, Hit got his first big break in
2006 at age 19, when he signed with producer Polow Da
Don after cold-messaging him via MySpace. The following year, while in a studio session with Teyana Taylor,
Pharrell introduced the young beatsmith to ’Ye. The
chemistry was instant: “He was rapping from the time
my beat came on to when it came off,” Hit recalls. But
their partnership didn’t become official until 2010,
when HB produced “Christmas in Harlem” for Yeezy’s
G.O.O.D. Friday series. A year later, he helmed “Niggas
in Paris” for The Throne.
The latter song made Hit-Boy hip-hop’s beatmaker
du jour—the perfect launchpad for his re-introduction
as a rapper on HITstory. The release finds him spitting
nimble rhymes over his most melodic, shape-shifting
beats. Labels are already lining up for Hit’s signature
(he’s signed to G.O.O.D. as a producer, not an MC), but
he’s taking his time.
He recently rocked standout “Old-School Caddy,” a
breezy, A Tribe Called Quest–inspired number with Kid
Cudi, to an enthusiastic hometown crowd at Rock the
Bells in San Bernardino, Calif. A momentous occasion,
if still only a baby step. “I’m no stranger to performing,
but at the same time, I know it’s going to be a [new]
challenge and I’m ready for that.”
That shit cray. —ALEX GALE
LENDER
NOTORIOUS B.I.G.
“ME & MY BITCH”
“And then we lie together, cry together/I swear
to God I hope we fuckin’ die together”
BORROWER
HAVOC
“SEPARATED
(REAL FROM THE FAKE)”
“And when we bring it to you all you probably
do is squeal”
LENDER
Six months after the L.A. Riots
threatened to forever upend
race relations in California, Ice
Cube released his third solo
effort, The Predator
(November 1992), which
included the seminal hit, “It
Was a Good Day.” The single
reached No. 1 on the Billboard
Hot Rap Singles chart; No. 15
on the Hot 100 and found the
former N.W.A member
concocting a clear (“no
smog”) picture of an ideal day
in his native Los Angeles; it
also served as an anthem of
unity in the aftermath of the
riots. Two decades later, the
West Coast legend reflects on
one of his many careerdefining moments.
REVIEWS
LIL WAYNE // Dedication 4 L // Lil Wayne adds another chapter to his legacy as an inventive artist who can flip similar subjects until kingdom come with the latest installment
of his DJ Drama-hosted series. His approach when repurposing others’ beats can become redundant, but here he still has many fl ashes where he proves able to recapture Mixtape
Weezy. // JJ DOOM // Keys to the Kuffs (Lex Records) XL // Underground staple MC DOOM and experimental producer Jneiro Jarel unite for this album, which lives up to the
expectations attached to the rapper’s post-Madvillainy releases, exploring areas of the DOOM mythology that had never before been tapped.
I M AG E BR A DLE Y MEINZ
SWAGGER JACKER
B.O.B.
“SMART GIRL
(DUMB BOOTY) REMIX”
THE LAST CHAPTER OF HIT-BOY’S story is well known: Pro-
—MARK LELINWALLA
LOG ON TO X XLMAG.COM FOR OUTTAKES OF THE DAVE BAUTISTA INTERVIEW.
X X LM AG .CO M OCTOBER / NOV EMBER 2012 021
: “It Was a Good Day”
SHOW & PROVE
Week Long Paris Vacation
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Jay-Z and Kanye West took Paree’s level
of popularity to a whole ’nother level
last year with “Niggas in Paris.” But has
every rapper and beatmaker experienced the capital of France yet? If not,
here’s the chance. Hey, even the hardest
spitters need shade and a vacay.
What was it like working
with RZA in The Man with
the Iron Fists?
He’s one of the smartest dudes
I’ve ever met. There’s so many
different layers to RZA because
he will go from philosopher to
thug in about two seconds.
We’re friends now. I love this
x-rated
TRAIN OF THOUGHT
ICE CUBE
( Where Size Matters )
Weekly Bentley Rentals
Value: $3,750
Discount: 50%
Saved: $1,875
No shame in buying a deal on a Bentley
rental. Best of all, the public doesn’t
have to know. Swerve.
dude. I hang out with him every
chance I get.
You’re cool with Action
Bronson. How did you two
meet?
I met him through a mutual
friend. What I love about him
right off the bat is he’s just
grimy. All he wants to do is get
his lyrics out, smoke his weed. I
had to sit down three or four
times because of contact highs.
Who do you listen to while
training?
I’m real old school and real East
Coast. I listen to Biggie, Jay-Z,
Wu-Tang every day. I’m still
listening to BDP, Public Enemy
every day. Run-DMC, LL Cool J.
This past August, LL broke
the nose, jaw and ribs of a
home intruder. How would
you’ve handled a similar situation?
I got two pit bulls and a safe full
of guns. If somebody comes on
my property, they’re getting the
dogs stuck on them first and
they’re getting shot second. No
martial arts. — M.L.
4/3/12 4:58 PM
x-rated
Album Release Party Planner
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In this era of shrinking label budgets,
it’s an accomplishment just to put an
album out. With that, though, comes
the peril of blowing money fast (gift
bags!) via an over-the-top celebration.
Let the music get in your party heart,
but don’t break the bank.
As a die-hard rap fan, Dave Bautista always wanted to
meet RZA. The hulking 6’4”,
265-pound former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar
and current mixed-martial arts
fighter took that dream a step
further by starring alongside
the Wu-Tang Clan producer,
Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu in
the film, The Man with the Iron
Fists, which was directed by
RZA and is expected to hit theatres on November 2. Here,
Bautista, 43, talks to XXL about
being a RZA fan, getting smoked
out by Action Bronson, his current rap playlist, and how he
would’ve handled LL Cool J’s
recent home intruder situation.
141_FW_Bob2_R2.indd 59
X X LM AG .CO M
OCTOBER / NOV EMBER 2012 0 91
people were telling me, “That
ain’t an Ice Cube record. On
your records, you talk about
what’s fucked up in the world
and what’s going wrong. On
this record, you’re talking
about it was a good day.” I said,
‘Whoa, whoa, I’m not a
character. I’m a real person
and I could have a fuckin’ good
day, too. How is that not an Ice
Cube record if it really
happens to me?’ So, that was
the argument in the studio and
I said, ‘Man, I’m doing this
record.’ DJ Pooh laced the
track and added some little
pieces to spice it up and we cut
the record.
Do you remember the
recording process?
It was five years after N.W.A’s
debut. You had experienced
some ups and downs. Why’d
you record this joint at this
point in your career?
When I flipped [The Isley
Brothers’ sample], a lot of
It was cool because back then,
I was feeling like I was at the
top of my game. I had got all
the respect in the game that I
was looking for and I was
starting to get the money I was
looking for, so I felt like I was
creatively free. It was a time
when sampling didn’t cost an
arm and a leg. You could make
a deal with somebody and they
didn’t want 100 percent of the
publishing or all that kind of
crazy stuff, so it was just a
good era for hip-hop. Hip-hop
was lucrative and a major
business in America, so it was
just good times.
What’s your favorite line?
“Just waking up in the
morning, gotta thank God/I
dunno, but today seems kinda
odd.” I think that right there
says it all. It sums up having a
good day. If you don’t wake up
and give thanks to the Lord,
how could you expect to have a
good day? —MARK LELINWALLA
NAS
“ONE LOVE”
“When we start the revolution all they probably
do is squeal”
BORROWER
LIL WAYNE
“HAIL MARY”
“I say how ‘bout 69, she say numbers don’t lie/
I say true, you ain’t never told no lie, you ain’t
never told no lie”
LENDER
DRAKE
“NO LIE”
“Real niggas say word, you ain’t never told no
lie, you ain’t never told no lie”
BORROWER
REEK DA VILLAIN
“DO IT AGAIN”
“Little fuck niggas, that’s the shit I don’t like/If
it ain’t Ms. Gooden daughter I bet I won’t wife”
LENDER
CHIEF KEEF
“DON’T LIKE”
“A fuck nigga, that’s that shit I don’t like/A
snitch nigga, that’s that shit I don’t like”
LLOYD BANKS // V6: The Gift XL // The Punchline King returns with vigor to his mixtape roots as he once again revs his lyrical engine. His quick wit dominates, but there are
welcomed moments of introspection, too. // BIG SEAN // Detroit XL // The G.O.O.D. Music MC exhibits a dichotomy between achievement and attempt on his latest tape.
In one instant he’s raving about “stacking money ’til he overdose” and the next he’s “dreaming of diamonds and pearls.” Luckily, the combination begets a gratifying listen.
0 92 OCTOBER / NOV EMBER 2012 X X LM AG .CO M
D A V I D W O L F F - P AT R I C K / W I R E I M A G E
3/31/12 2:20 PM
141_FW_Bob2_R2.indd 58
Eye Candy
A fill-in-the-blank Q&A can always gauge a rapper’s
state of mind.
Ke$ha, Katy Perry and soft-rock group
One Republic. B.o.B is now trying to
shake things up a bit on Strange Clouds.
“It’s a very honest album,” he says.
“It’s a lot more in-depth with just my
opinions and allowing myself to be me.”
At first glance, it appears B.o.B is pivoting toward a more hip-hop sound: He
trades verses with Lil’ Wayne on the
brilliant first single “Strange Clouds,”
a weird, thumping banger, and the album
has guest appearances from rap icons
like Andre 3000 and T.I., who signed
REVIEWS
The most important part of hip-hop is the music.
In X-Rated, the section where size matters, the
editors critique and discuss the tracks, albums and
artists that make up rap music today. In addition to
informed reviews, other standout sections in
X-Rated include Swagger Jacker, lyrics and beats
borrowed from the past; and Chairman’s Choice,
featuring artists and albums for true underground
heads.
With his second album, B.o.B is clearly
defining who he is to hip-hop and himself.
B A U T I S TA : J O E B U S Y
X-Rated
How Life
Changed
Lifestyle
The Good Life
In hip-hop, fashion and lifestyle have
become almost as important as the
music. In The Good Life, you’ll find
everything hip-hop is rocking, what you
should be copping and then some.
All I Need
( Gotta Have It)
Check out what Nick “Diamonds”
Tershay, founder and designer
of Diamond Supply Co., carries
in his backpack
1. Orbit Gum—I like any gum, it doesn’t really matter.
To me gum is gum.
2. Grinder—It’s a collaboration grinder we did with
Curren$y and ended up in there.
3. Wrenches—They are for my skateboard and they
come free in every pack of Diamond hardware.
4. Goyard passport holder—I bought the matching
toiletry bag with it. They custom paint whatever you
want, so I had them paint my initials on my stuff. I also
have a matching duffle bag, so it’s a whole custom travel
kit situation.
5. Grizzly griptape sticker—That is a sticker that
comes with our Paul Rodriguez signature Grizzly
griptape.
6. Diamond Supply Co. lighters—The lighters are
Diamond lighters that just happen to be in my backpack.
I don’t smoke enough weed to need a lighter, but I do
smoke more when traveling.
7. Apple charger—My phone dies pretty fast, so always
need the charger.
8. Diamond Supply Co. bracelet—We are doing a
bracelet brand called Rastaclot that drops soon.
9. Pantone formula guide—I design graphics and need
the correct Pantone color to give our printers to match
proper to what color I want to use. Also makes a good
fan in hot weather.
10. Bottle opener—Our warehouse manager gave it to
me as a gift and I kept it because as a kid, I got pretty
good at flipping around a butterfly knife so it’s cool to
fuck around with sometimes.
11. Polo Ralph Lauren boxers—I travel all the time so
I always know I have an extra pair in my backpack.
12. Goyard toiletry bag—Sometimes I forget to pack
[toiletries]. Comes in handy all the time, though, if I need
some deodorant after skating or to brush my teeth
midday when not at home.
13. Diamond Supply Co. socks—I always keep socks in
my bag, just in case.
14. Tape measure—That comes in handy everyday.
15. Dice—If someone looks like they need to get broke,
I play them some dice and take their money. I keep a
stack in my pocket so I can never lose. You know how it
goes, big bank take little bank. Ha ha. Just kidding.
16. Loose change—I put it in there if I am
skateboarding.
17. Diamond Supply Co. backpack— This is worth $80
to most, but millions to me because we sell tons of
them.
18. Shoelaces—Always good to have extra laces in case
I forget to put on a belt.
29. MacBook Pro—That thing right there is what
makes me money. I figure every graphic I design on, it
can potentially make me a million dollars or more. I take
it with me everywhere.
20. Diamond Supply Co. stickers and pins—Those
are Diamond stickers that I plaster all over the place.
The little circular ones are actually pins and one of them
is a Slumamerican pin, which is Yelawolf’s clothing label.
We are doing something with him soon.
21. Sunglasses—I just started wearing sunglasses after
we started making Diamond Sunglasses. I wear Diamond
Sunglasses and I have some vintage Versace shades for
when I’m feelin’ myself.
22. Pen—I need to sign checks.
23. Supreme mini pocket knife —I use it to cut
griptape.
3
1
7
2
6
23
4
9
8
22
5
10
( Can't Get Enough)
21
We Shinin'
19
15
20
Black and gold: A classier take on black and yellow,
black and yellow, black and yellow...
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GO TO X XLMAG.COM/THELIFE FOR A GALLERY OF DIAMOND SUPPLY CO.'S FALL FASHION.
0 3 4 OCTOBER / NOV EMBER 2012 X X LM AG .CO M
I M AG E A NDRE W MCLEOD
PRO P S T Y LI S T EDWA R D SNIECIKOWSK I
7
4
1. Native Union, POP Phone (in rose gold), $40, nativeunion.com 2. LRG, Diamond Ridge Vest, $119, macys.com (only) 3. Marshall Headphones,
Marshall Minor, $65, marshallheadphones.com 4. Plus Footwear, The Close Up, $280, plusfootwear.com 5. Flud Watches, The Frost, $195,
thefludway.com 6. Rastaclat, Hemp Bracelet, $17, karmaloop.com 7. Black Scale, Rebel Flag Gold Belt, $40, black-scale.com 8. Han Cholo,
Woodsy Owl Ring, $70, drjays.com 9. SUPER, Flat Top, $195, retrosuperfuture.com 10. UNDFTD, Double Strike Fold Beanie, $24, undefeated.
com 11. Acapulco Gold, Wild Bear New Era Fitted, $45, acapulcogold.com
FOR MORE ON THE BLACK AND GOLD TREND, GO TO X XLMAG.COM/LIFESTYLE.
S T Y LE D BY ERIC CA NO
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02 8 OCTOBER / NOV EMBER 2012 X X LM AG .CO M
( Gotta Have It)
Vans x Kenzo, Eras, $125,
openingceremony.us
Get Your Money Up
All the dope goods worth copping before holiday time
( Walk This Way)
Work Out
Community 54 x
Starter, Air Bart
Vintage Snapback, $54,
community54.com
Win marathons or just get away quick with the
season's freshest running sneakers.
HUF, Plantlife Sock
(cardinal gold), $12, store.
hufworldwide.com
JR Cigars, Take ‘Em
and Run Travel Deal,
$29.99, jrcigars.com/X1
Leica, Leica V-Lux 40,
$699, leica-camera.com
1
Nike Sportswear ,
Club (in black plush), $910,
pelle-pelle.com
BBC, Cat Tail
Pant, $175,
bbcicecream
LBJ Sweater, $100,
nike.com
6
Sacred Stitch,
Hawaiian Cement
Five-Panel Cap, $32,
sacredstitch.com
JBL, The JBL Flip,
$99, jbl.com
2
5
CHRISTOPHER POLK /GE T T Y IMAGES
7
Pelle Pelle, Vintage Soda
Givenchy, Shark
Mouth Tee (black),
$605, rsvpgallery.com
Code Leather MA-1
Jacket, $955,
perfectobrand.com
Mister, Mr. Bracelet,
(onyx/lava), $34,
mrsfc.com
Avión, Anejo
3
Tequila, $49.99,
astorwines.com
Jordan Brand, Jordan
IX Kilroy, $160, nike.com
4
Apple, iPhone 5,
starting at $199 (with
activation contract ),
apple.com
1. Nike, Free 3.0, $100, nike.com 2. Nike, Air Footscape Woven Chukka, $150, kithnyc.com 3. K-Swiss, Vertical Tubes Cali-Mari, $80,
kswiss.com 4. The Hundreds, Hoya, $80, thehundreds.com 5. Reebok, RealFlex Transition 2.0, $100, reebok.com 6. adidas x David
Beckham, Mega Torsion Flex, $200, kithnyc.com 7. Supra Footwear, Owen (in camo), $80, suprafootwear.com
GO TO X XLMAG.COM/THELIFE FOR MORE STUFF YOU NEED.
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0 42 OCTOBER /NOV EMBER 2012 X X LM AG .CO M
2 Chainz
H360 Experiential
No other cross-cultural suite of brands has the credibility to provide advertisers with direct access to
engaged millennials through high-profile events including music festivals, issue release parties, movie
premiers, sports events and industry celebrations. We work closely with our advertisers to develop customized programs and promotions suite to brand and product initiatives.
Some of our Past Events:
Hyundai
Re:Mix Lab
H360 created Re:Mix
Lab for Hyundai: a 7-city,
16-day culture festival
spanning the world of music, art, automotive, gaming, fashion and design.
XXL & RIDES creates six
custom vehicles that focused on the brand’s key
touch points of music,
tech, and gaming.
Remy Martin
Presents:
Xxl Live
Remy Martin was the
title sponsor of XXL
Live, a six-city summer
2010 concert tour with
events in New York, Los
Angeles, Chicago, Miami,
Washington, D.C., and
San Francisco featuring
live performances by Trina,
Wale, Twista, The Clipse
and Three 6 Mafia.
Secret Club
by Cutty Sark
Emphasizing the “getit-while-it’s-hot” mentality, Cutty Sark Whisky partnered with H360 to create
an exclusive “Secret Club”
event in at a loft-space in
NYC with world famous DJ
NANO. This cultural fusion
of music, food and cocktails was an instant success for the brand, and led
to future events in the US.
Master Of The
Mix: Season 2
Launch Events
XXL & Smirnoff teamed up
to celebrate the official
launch and season finale
of Master of the Mix: Season
2, airing on BET. The festivities, held in NYC and Atlanta,
attracted music industry
all-stars and A-listers, while
signature Smirnoff cocktails
carried the ambience of
the evening to a new level.
Hennessy x
XXL Present:
The Break
Partnering with Hennessy,
XXL presented a special
showcase for The Break
that included exclusive performances by Kendrick
Lamar, A$AP Rocky, Talib
Kweli, Mac Miller, Iggy
Azalia, and more.
Hot 97
Summer Jam
XXL is the official
magazine sponsor of
Hot 97’s annual hip-hop
music festival, Summer
Jam, held at Giants
Stadium, and the
publisher of the specialedition Summer Jam
concert program.
Integrated
Marketing
Programs
(CASE STUDIES)
HBC
FOOTBAU
LL
GUIDE TO
TH
EVERYTHING Y
Th
an
the
fer
Bowl Stadium. Sep
Thi
the season,
attract
press their
colle
nine months. ge
excited. For Poin
fans o
Conference)
and SW
Conference
schools,
against nonarea sch
up on the
seas
rivalries, you on sc
get the
playing each
no less spiri year. H
ted, as p
University and
it out respectivDelawa
ely. Alo
of the band
s and step s
parks galore
nearby—a
The Southe
advantage
family-like
a
Memphis. Th
offers a com
battle of the
fireworks displbands, fas
feature rival ay. Not to
s Jackson Sta
Last year just
over 43,00
close out a
tight 14-7 victo
the tradition
of
last five gam closely mat
es
less). Because have been
the
Southern
porates so
man
a more intim y family act
ate feel with
and overall
m
a
are encourag more relaxe
ed to take in
the Birthplac
Me
e of the Blue
many ente
s
rtain
The Stax Mus ment options
eum Of Ame
land, The Nati
rica
many nightlife onal Civil Righ
choices on
Beal
Football at Histori
cally Black Colleg
historical rivalrie
s, epic gridiron mom es and Universities has a long
trad
ents, halftime sho
the-field revelry.
ws, coaching lege ition of great games,
From the Circle City
nds, ban
Game Day with
Classic to the Bay
a look at the sea
ou Classic, XXL and ds, tailgating and offson ahead, salu
Coors Light cele
ting the grand trad
ition of Black Col brate
lege Football.
Reebok
Opportunity: Partner with Reebok to present the hottest in basketball and hip-hop footwear and fashion.
Solution: XXL & SLAM magazines teamed up to create a custom
one-of-a-kind magazine and online destination called “Kings of
the Game”. Joined by the likes of Allen Iverson, Rick Ross, Swizz
Beatz, Tyga, and Shaq, this custom portal bridged the gap between basketball and hip-hop (XXL & SLAM shot, filmed, and produced all assets). Reebok footwear and fashion was seamless interwoven throughout the issue.
Result: By aligning itself with some of the biggest names in
hip-hop and basketball, Reebok reinforced it’s dominance in the
footwear category. The custom Kings of the Game publication
had a circulation of 100,000+ on the newsstand and substantial
PR exposure on both basketball and hip-hop news outlets.
Coors Light
Opportunity: Partner with Coors Light to promote
the brand’s sponsorship of Historically Black College &
University (HBCU) Football Classics.
Solution: XXL created a 4-page advertorial showcasing the
history of the games, tailgating, historic rivalries, great moments on the field, halftime shows and the proud tradition of
HBCU Football Classics. This unit ran in the magazine, online
and as a custom stand-alone brochure distributed at Coors
Light retailers, promotional events and football games.
Result: Coors Light, long a leading beer brand in the
African-American market, raised awareness of their HBCU
initiatives, reaching consumers via a non-traditional marketing message showing the brand’s support of Black colleges,
scholarships and achievement.
They send
out
emails early
Urban Leag fo
ue
and rightly
so w
State Universit Howard Univers
y alums in
Being in the
the
largest city
in the co
sorships from
New
York
stations, the
newsp
game has a
the commun
tremend
ity
event. In New and becomes a m
down, there’s York and New Jers
no shortage
out the wee
of thing
kend. Last
year
ees is sure
’s 40,0
to
reason than be bested this year
the NYUL Foot
first college
ball Cla
gam
of the art New e played at the bra
Meadowland
that never
s Stadi
sleeps, hit
the after-par
game to rub
it in the losin
g team’s fa
Located in
Atla
graphical midd nta due
Football Clas le ground,
sic started
rival game
i
between two
has turned
into much
by the 100
mo
Black Men
Of
community
development Atlanta (a
fundraising
organizat
vehi
ship programs cle for its mentoring
a
tons of cele , last year the gam
e
brities who
University
beat the Tenn watched Flo
Tigers 31-1
2. This year essee State
the
just as inten
se. The even battle prom
t
the whole
family with provides some
career fair,
a
step show battle of th
, parade,
competition
deba
and
can then take even a health fair.
A
advantage
of
offer, inclu
ding tons of all the AT
fine dining,
and entertain
ment.
H360 Media Network
(CUSTOM AD EXECUTIONS)
In addition to serving all standard IAB units, we produce in-house custom executions at no cost to our
partners for placement across the network. We are constantly developing new ideas and innovative
units with our partners to push the boundaries of interactive media and increase user engagement.
Nike – Video Wall
Porsche – Video Header
2K Sports – Video Header & Skin
MiO - Flash Advertorial Brandscape
Adidas – Rollover Video Unit & Skin
Gillette – Scrolling Video Header & Skin
Custom Publishing
Harris Publications provides custom publishing solutions for clients including Nike, Sirius Satellite
Radio, Emmis Broadcasting, Foot Locker, adidas and Rémy Martin. Custom publishing is one part of
larger promotional programs providing customized marketing solutions to help further brand penetration in the urban market.
Some of our custom publishing projects have included:
REEBOK + XXL
PRESENT KINGS
OF THE GAME
XXL PRESENTS:
250 GREATEST
HIP-HOP SONGS
SLAM PRESENTS:
500 GREATEST NBA
PLAYERS OF ALL TIME
xxl presents
hip-hop soul
hot 97’s
summer jam
XXL + BEST BUY
CUSTOM ISSUE
jAY-z AT RADIO
CITY MusIC HAll
2K SPORTS
PRESENTS
NBA BATTLES
NIKE PRESENTS
TD
When the special Shade45 XXL edition hit newsstands, awareness for the channel seemed to increase tenfold
overnight. It was not only exciting to see our personalities in print across the country, but to be connected with an
exclusive brand like XXL was a great look for Sirius Satellite Radio.
--- Geronimo, Sirius Satellite Radio, Director of Programming, Hip-Hop
2014
Publishing
Schedule
issue #On SaleSpace CloseArt Due
aPril/May (#153)
MARCH 4Jan. 7Jan. 21
Bonus Distribution at the
MAGIC Fashion Convention
june/july (#154) MAY 20March 25April 8
2014 Freshmen Class
XXL PresentsJune 3April 10April 24
HOT 97 SUMMER JAM
august/sePteMber (#155)
JULY 29June 5June 19
17th Anniversary Issue; Bonus Distribution
at the MAGIC Fashion Convention
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER (#156)
SePT. 30Aug. 5Aug. 19
Fall Preview (Best in music, fashion,
sports, video games and movies)
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015 (#157)
Holiday Gift Guide
NOV. 25Sept. 30Oct. 14
dates and Editorial themes are tentative and subject to change