The Source

This article is about the hip hop magazine. For the photography magazine, see Source (photography magazine). For other uses, see The Source (disambiguation).
"The Source Awards" redirects here. For the episode of 30 Rock, see The Source Awards (30 Rock).

The Source
Cover of November 2008 issue
EditorJonathan Shecter/Adario Strange/Selwyn Seyfu Hinds/Kim Osorio
CategoriesMusic magazine
Frequency1–2 per year
Circulation175K
First issue1988; 36 years ago (1988)
CompanyThe NorthStar Group
CountryUnited States
Based inNew York City, New York, U.S.
LanguageEnglish
Websitewww.thesource.com
ISSN1063-2085

The Source is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or semiannually. It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter[1] in 1988 by David Mays.[2]

In 1999 the Los Angeles Times reported that, based on data from Alliance for Audited Media, formerly known as Audit Bureau of Circulations (North America), the print edition of The Source was "the No. 1-selling music magazine on newsstands in America."[3] By 2009, they were among those losing readership and advertising income.[4]

The 1995 Source Awards were noted for their effect on the hip-hop landscape, particularly in escalating tension between the East and West Coast hip-hop communities, which likely precipitated the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls.

  1. ^ Printed by using a copying machine: Josh Tyrangiel (January 5, 2004). "A Source of Discomfort". Time.
  2. ^ Hedges, Chris (February 20, 2001). "Public Lives: His Beat Goes On, as a Hip-Hop Empire". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  3. ^ Emory Holmes II (August 20, 1999). "Hip-Hop Goes Prime Time With Source Music Awards". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  4. ^ Heather Fletcher (September 1, 2009). "Finding Success at The Source". AdWeek. Retrieved December 30, 2022.