Hip Hop in Print: The Editor: Bonsu Thompson (XXL Music Editor)
Website: XXLmag.com
“The best way to win an editor over is to pitch. If you have a hot idea, magazines love it. Send them some clips if you have a hot idea and it’s that simple. “
Halftime: Describe your position as the music editor at XXL.
Bonsu Thompson: As the music editor at XXL it’s my job to be their ears and eyes of the street and make sure that we’re current and abreast of what’s on the scene of hiphop. I have numerous columns that I’m in charge of like Eightball, which is the Q&A with eight direct questions that people want to know from them at the time. I’m in charge of the entire review section, basically I’m the one that hands out the ratings. With being the ears and eyes to the street, I’m in charge of the new artists section which is called Show and Prove. That’s basically five new artists on the verge. I assign those out to writers and edit those. I also handle the Eye Candy section with the video girls of the month. I do some feature writing as well, my last cover was the G-Unit. I gotta couple covers under my belt. I’m basically in charge of finding out what’s gonna be the next hottest joint, what’s the current hottest joint, what’s gonna be big, what’s gonna be lukewarm, and what’s gonna be wack.
So let’s build on this Eye Candy joint. How do you choose who you want, they be sending you pictures or what?
Bonsu: Everything. I got girls sending me pictures and bios, but the funny thing is that most of the women that send in pictures usually don’t get picked for Eye Candy. It’s usually something simple like me and my niggas are watching the countdown and we see a fly girl and be like that’s the one everybody is talking about we gotta go find her. I’ll either call up the artist or call up the label or maybe I already know the girl or the girl’s friend.
At first I wanted to get you for our writer’s segment coming up because I read lot of your work in King and especially Slam, then I realized you’re doing all that stuff at XXL too. That’s ill.
Bonsu: I’m actually a senior writer for Slam. I got an entertainment company called Dreamz R Real, I got artists, man that’s only half of it. I sleep on weekends.
How much flexibility do you have when deciding what goes in each section?
Bonsu: I have an editor -in- chief who has to cosign but he rarely turns me down. It’s a great working relationship. I have the luxury of having an editor -in- chief who is a music editor at heart. My boss is like thirty something years old and listens to mixtapes like he’s sixteen. He’s constantly sending the intern out to get the current mixtapes so he can stay up on everything. We never lose our hunger for the music so we always give the consumer what they really want. We’re trying to appeal to the 106 and Park crowd, the mixtape buyers in the hood and the people supporting the major artist. We want to put someone on the cover who sold units because we want to sell magazines. But inside the magazine we try to give everybody a forum. If you’re doing it successfully, whether you’re on an indie label and have a good album we’ll try to give you a look like that or if your doing it big and sold like two million records you’re up for a cover or a feature. If we’ve done a cover on you and you’re still hot on your second single we’ll try to do something else on you. Something different we might put you in Train of Thought or put you in our Eightball and ask you something right there to have your face in there and if you’re hot you’ll probably still want to talk even though the first week of your album sales are up. I pretty much have decent flexibility. My boss is appreciative of my ideas and incredibly smart himself so a lot of times he’ll have ideas that make my job easier. It’s a great relationship.
How long have you been in the magazine business and what positions did you hold before this current one?
Bonsu: I got in the magazine game in ’98 so I’m like six years decent. I was in college actually. I started as an intern I was at the bottom of the totem pole and climbed. I got to grow on one team.
April 19th, 2006
What’s good Bonsu. Whenever you get a chance, come threw & check out my page(www.habanabeats.com). It’s a new original type of sound, a good twist to bring towards this music market. Real Talk. I would respect your feedback as well. Is there any address I can send my material To? Much success 2 ya!.
Nufsed @nd Rick Habana
July 23rd, 2007
I been trying to reach out to you for a minute. I spoke briefly with Sha and LG. Myself and Courtney Big Worm chill out on the reg….I’m not saying check my music out…nah I’m saying I would like to get a feel for what you have been doing outside of music me I have 4 kids….but scream @ me man….
December 12th, 2007
I go to DSU and my teacher Brian K. Ford said that you once went here I jus wanted to know if you could hook me up with some internships or anything I’m a hardworker and have a 3.2 cum from Jersey please hook me up.
August 2nd, 2008
Greetings Mr.Thompson, my name is Padilla and i am very much interested in becoming one of xxl i candy girls. I will be sending you photos soon and hopefully i will be chosen for one of your photo shoots. Until we meet you have a wonderful day. To contact me my email is
padilla.stinnette@yahoo.com
November 11th, 2008
An OPEN LETTER TO THE CULTURE…
CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN BEGINS WITH MORAL CLARITY
THE INNER CULTURAL EXCHANGE INSTITUTE
No two greater social movements impacted and altered the history of America these past 50yrs. as did the Civil Rights and Feminist Movements of the 60’s and 70’s. It is with this selfsame “voice”, committed to social change and reform we believe the beginning of the 21st century here in America will be defined by the ‘REBIRTH” of the culture of Hip Hop into a ‘MOVEMENT’ of serious and affective social activism and reform. The last two decades witness a radical shift in the subculture commonly referred to in America as Popular Culture. What began as a regional artistic expression of disaffected urban youth has become at the dawn of the 21st century the most dominate, recognized and influential American cultural expression. Hip Hop Culture, it is also the most ineffective, impotent and powerless “VOICE” for social activism due primarily to its moral bankruptcy and the larger societies ‘view’ of the culture as a vehicle for only entertainment and consumerism.
We at the INNER CULTURAL EXCHANGE INSTITUTE are committed to giving back ‘voice’ to the culture through moral rebirth with a vision towards the culture evolving into “A MOVEMENT “for effective change and historic social activism. Before this evolution can take ‘root’ there has to be a “collective shift” in the consciousness of the youth and young adults who dominate the culture.
To date, most young people who identify and take influences from the culture do so through cultural imagery and it is these powerful IMAGES that until recently ‘defined’ Hip Hop Culture. However, disaffection is rampant in the body of Hip Hop especially with respect to its continued Moral Degeneracy in its music, fashion and overall cultural matrix whether intended or unintentional. Enough has been said and more than enough examples have been cited, all too recent relative to its very offensive messages of misogynistic, homophobic, nonconformist, alcohol and drug condoning and as someone recently said: pornification of American culture. Our stated purpose is a commitment to “Enjoining the Social Good and Eradicating the Social Ills” as defined by the larger society in fostering a ‘collective shift’ in the consciousness and behavior of the youth and young adults who have chosen Hip Hop as a cultural expression and to some extent away of life.
We at the INNER CULTURAL EXCHANGE INSTITUTE are committed to doing in and for the Hip Hop Culture what the ‘Moral Majority’ did for Christian Conservatism in America in the latter part of the 20th century. Many will find that statement Radical we here at the ICE Institute find it no more Radical than the notion of a BLACK PRESIDENT of the United States. Change we can believe in begins with moral clarity; we will galvanize the masses on a platform that ‘enjoins social good and forbids social ills’® and all that that entails, in the INDIVIDUAL, in the FAMILY, in the COMMUNITY and finally in the CULTURE. The first step in this process begins with the culture evolving into a realistic avenue through which Moral Values can realistically be taught to the masses. Traditionally the transference of Moral Values in America took place through four (4) primary sources, the HOME, the CHURCH, the SCHOOL and finally the ENVIORNMENT. We here at the ICE Institute believe there can be no meaningful change and development in neither Hip Hop Culture nor a realistic transition towards a MOVEMENT until there takes place GENUINE MORAL REFORM. Likewise, we believe this moral reform must be presented in a multicultural, multiethnic all inclusive context which draws its AUTHORITY from the three (3) dominate Moral Cultural Traditions in America. The Abraham Traditions (the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions). The national media labeled President Bush’s reelection in 2004 ‘a moral shift’ in the countries collective response to global affairs. We here at the ICE Institute view this year’s election as a ‘MORAL SHIFT’ in the Cultures response to DEOMESTIC AFFAIRS. A new Cultural Door is about to be open in the history of this country and the Hip Hop Culture and its followers will be the eyes and ears through which the rest of the world will view America as we begin this second decade of the 21st century.
It is a common theme in Hip Hop Culture that the ‘old school’ (baby boomer’s) generation has failed in its duty to teach and pass on ‘ that legacy of social and moral responsibility’ which were the corner stone of the feminist and civil rights era. The culture has failed to produce morally-upright leaders, visionaries, individuals and or groups who can affect collective shifts in the masses thinking, approach and views on REAL ISSUES, to wit: Jena La. was in fact a death blow to the ideology of the civil rights era. We failed to be that bridge, we failed to ‘pass the torch’ we somehow let the ‘DREAM’ die. We here at the ICE Institute concede none of the above, we however take full responsibility and shamefully admit we failed to develop morally decent human beings out of our children. We have turned our moral trust, our moral authority over to our children and their culture in the home, schools, communities and to some degree the larger America society. It is therefore with a sense of deep shame and commitment that we here at the Ice Institute appeal to all associated with the Culture to support us in our efforts to reclaim in ourselves and our children, our youth and our young people that most precious of all human values, MORAL DEGINTY.
The message of ‘enjoining social good and eradicating social evil’ in Hip Hop is an enormous challenge to undertake. We intend to use every means at our disposal as it will take a monumental plan and equal amount of effort and expense to move the Culture from stagnation to a movement of significant social reform. Our leaders today speak of ‘DEFINING MOMENTS IN HISTORY’ we view the Culture as being in and apart of this defining historic shift in American history. What we need as much as your support is your confidence in the ability of the culture and people in it committed to changing lives, there’s their families, communities, their country. We need your commitment to the Moral Rebirth of our children, our youth, and our young adults in shaping the Moral Ideal we believe in called America. Finally, we ask for your ‘voice and activism’ in making history, being apart of history and yes! Writing this continued legacy we call America.
THE ICE INSTITUTE
Note: Please post all comments:
innerculturalexchange@gmail.com
iceinstitute@lycos.com
January 23rd, 2009
Yo this like RELLY heLped me with my position and if i am TRULY passionate about this job. weLL thanx…
June 24th, 2009
Hey my name is Marquee The Diamond i am a artist with a group named loonegoonz and i wanted u to check out some of out music search me on youtube the name of the song is doopa dance its a hot new summer dance its cold its a south swang to it….Thanks