RESURRECTING THE SOURCE = DEAD AGAIN

Allhiphop.com reports that Benzino has resigned from The Source. There are some classic quotables here, such as, "Everyone is too politically correct. They’re not thinking about the little guy who can’t afford to pay for high priced ads," but the main issue here is that The Source could be poised for a true transformation with Benzino gone and David Mays purpotedly looking for a buyer. I'm not saying new ownership would be a panacea, but it couldn't get much worse than it is now. The Source - a magazine, mind you, I used to write for - might still have a street readership who could care less about its internal politics, but amongst writers and journalists, the mag carries no weight. It's a joke, a shadow of a shadow of its former self.

With new blood though - smart new blood that is - there's no reason why the brand can't make a turn around. Right now, it's really XXL and to a lesser extent, Vibe, and that's it. The market is ripe for a real competitor to enter the fold and try to shake things up a bit. I'm a huge fan of XXL under Elliot Wilson's tenure but there's no reason why another mag couldn't find a way to strike a different, but equally compelling chord. Bring back James Bernard. Make Jeff Chang the Politics Editor. Have folks like Jon Caramanica and Kris Ex overseeing the music features.

Make me Reviews Editor. (Seriously).
Ok, so never mind. It was all a dream, trying to resurrect Source Magazine. It looks like Benzino is back at the Source, even if he and Mays have one helluva lawsuit to contend with. I don't even know where to begin but Kim Osorio's sexual harrassment suit is just the latest evidence that these two men have managed to run a once reputable publication into the ground...and then straight into hell. Of course, I don't know if the people who read the Source actually give a damn since, despite losing almost all credible staff they once had, the magazine still has a large circulation. One key question will be how advertisers will react to this latest round of bad news, including the fact that Benzino has returned to the mag.

--O.W.