By Charles Myambo
Founded in 2002, The Hype Magazine took little to no time establishing itself as a household name in the music industry. At present, they are the world’s #1 Hip Hop magazine and they rank first among digital magazines worldwide. The magazine initially rose to prominence for its world-class coverage of Hip Hop news. By the mid-2000s, The Hype Magazine had become the foremost magazine in the Hip Hop industry. The name itself, “HYPE” which has become synonymous with greatness stands for; “How You Perceive Everything”.
The magazine’s esteemed CEO, Dr. Jameelah “Just Jay” Wilkerson was merely 24 years old when she launched the magazine back in 2002. Initially, the magazine was a one-page community newsletter targeting the Indiana demographic. Despite its humble beginnings, The Hype Magazine was set up with the intention of gradually becoming a global giant. Currently, the magazine has a quarterly print publication that is read by millions on every continent.
Over the years, the magazine implemented several strategic measures to bolster its diversity and audience. Together, Dr. Jameelah “Just Jay” Wilkerson and her Editor In Chief, Jerry Doby focused on the acquisition of talented writers from all over the world. They formulated an inclusive environment for international writers and readers alike. This move culminated in their meteoric rise beyond just Hip Hop and Hollywood. They have since become a vast global presence that has hundreds of correspondents and contributors across the globe. There is an obvious advantage in having some of the best journalists from every country comprise their active contributors’ list.
This ensures that The Hype Magazine always has its finger on the pulse of various entertainment and lifestyle news from all over the world. Perhaps one of the most remarkable feats has been the magazine’s ability to maintain synchrony despite having diverging writers from almost every country. The magazine’s exemplary structure and quality of content can directly be attributed to the profoundly talented Jerry Doby who serves as its editor-in-chief. Moreover, their CEO, Dr. Jameelah “Just Jay” Wilkerson has a very hands-on approach which has gone a long way to maintaining the exceptional standards of the magazine.
The Hype Magazine added its web portal just a mere nine years behind the public release of the World Wide Web in 1993. Combining its physical presence with its online portal, The Hype Magazine began to popularize and transform the “ezine/webzine” into the now popular format of “digital magazine”. This transition occurred in the early 2000s as the technology landscape was perpetually evolving. The Hype Magazine has always rapidly adapted to any type of changes and it’s this kind of versatility that has primed them to constantly retain its position at the forefront of the media world.
The magazine provides news updates to its patrons with relevant entertainment, music news, lifestyle and fashion trends, entertainment, happenings, and eye-catching consumer ads. Additionally, they publish daily and monthly Digital Covers with freshly curated content from their portal with nearly 500,000 digital subscribers. Highly touted as the #1 digital magazine in the world, The Hype Magazine continues to change the way digital-print publications inform and engage with readers. They have succeeded in creating an evolving standard of delivering up-to-date news and happenings along with exclusive feature content.
A pertinent part of the magazine’s identity and ethos can also be apportioned to their adept talent scouting. They had sought out and supported several breaking artists long before the mainstream ever caught hold of them. The Hype Magazine famously provided the first magazine cover for artists like Ludacris (March/April issue 2005), Soulja Boy (Issue 24-08), Jazmine Sullivan (Issue 27-09), MGK, Snow Tha Product, GRAMMY winner Whitney Peyton, Ty Dolla $ign (2012) and more. Gracing its more current impact covers, you’ll see the likes of K Michelle, Nick Cannon, Yo Gotti, Rick Ross, Florida State Senator: Randolph Bracy, Charlamagne Tha God, Yella Beezy, and Bobby FishScale among several others. As a digital powerhouse,
The Hype Magazine is also home to more than 40,000 articles and posts featuring household names as well as those on the cusp of stardom. It was in 2013 that The Hype Magazine truly took to the retail newsstands. They have since established significant book retailers such as Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, and select military bases and even caught the attention of collectors who would buy issues in bulk and resell them on eBay and Amazon! Their wide-scale popularity is highly indicative of their unwavering top-tier standards. Today, The Hype Magazine is easily one of the best outlets for readers of any age category, race, ethnicity, nationality, and religion.
