VIBE REVEALS FEBRUARY COVER FEATURING KANYE WEST; ONLY MAJOR COVER STORY INTERVIEW GRANTED BY THE POP STAR TO PROMOTE "808S & HEARTBREAK"
Kanye Discusses Fame, Love, God, Being the Greatest Entertainer of This Generation, and His Desire to Pose Naked
(January 12, 2009 – New York City) VIBE magazine, the definitive voice of urban culture, will feature multi platinum, Grammy Award–winning artist Kanye West as its February 2009 issue cover star.
Music Editor Sean Fennessey, connects with Kanye in New York to conduct the only in-depth cover story interview granted to any major magazine surrounding the release of his controversial album, 808s & Heartbreak.
In a revealing and audacious interview in which he discusses heartbreak, love, and life, Fennessey asks Kanye if he ever considered therapy to cope with the 2007 death of his mother, Donda West. The "Jesus Walks" songwriter reveals, "I don't believe in therapy. I believe in you gotta walk it out, you gotta live it out...And sometimes you have to cry it out…I don't believe in medication or painkillers. And I don't believe in religion and giving it all up to Jesus."
When asked if he is comfortable with fame, the Grammy-winning star replies, "I made a decision. I wanna make popular music, but I want less fans. I want the freedom of having less fans..." He adds, "I definitely feel like, in the next however many years, if I work out for two months, that I'll pose naked."
The pop star also discusses his peers and says, "I believe Beyoncé is the greatest performer of our generation. I believe that I am the greatest entertainer of this generation. I go neck-and-neck on Jay-Z and Lil Wayne as far as who's the best lyricist. Jay-Z has longevity."
One of the world's most prestigious music awards ceremonies is around the corner, and VIBE is weighing in. Sean Fennessey writes "THE WORD: How To Save The Grammy Awards," which expresses the long-standing feeling that the awards show, since introducing the first hip hop category 20 years ago, continues to miss the beat of popular culture by omitting key categories and giving awards to artists not on the top of most true hip hop lovers' lists. Therefore, VIBE magazine has created the first annual Vammy Awards, featuring categories and nominees VIBE thinks will make the awards show ballot hotter and hipper in 2009, including Vammy categories: "Best Ringtone," "Best Hook," and "Best Hook Artist." The Vammy Awards winners will be determined by tallying the artists and songs that garner the most votes in a nationwide sweepstakes that launched January 12 (12 noon EST) on VIBE.com. All entries get a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to a VIBE photo shoot along with other special prizes. Winners will be announced on VIBE.com February 9.
In addition to the candid interview with the provocative and sometimes outrageous superstar and The Vammys, the February issue also lists the top 50 songs by Kanye in "Good-Ass Music" and 10 worst songs in "Drive Slow, Homie."
VIBE also introduces an exclusive, behind-the-scenes story from the set of the The Notorious B.I.G. biopic NOTORIOUS, called "A Ballad for the Fallen Soldier," written by the award-winning journalist, dream hampton, and gives an in-depth report on the late rapper J Dilla's untimely death and the controversy surrounding his family's three-year struggle to control his estate in "Donuts to Dollars." The issue also includes a look at The-Dream, posing the question "Is he a Superstar?," a dance down memory lane with the legendary Smokey Robinson, and a guide to "Stay Light and Right for your Next Big Trip," and much more.
VIBE magazine's February 2009 issue will be available on newsstands nationwide on January 16. For more information, visit VIBE.com.
ABOUT VIBE
VIBE magazine is the definitive voice of urban culture, influencing global music, life, and style for more than 8 million monthly readers around the world. The award-winning publication is the nation's leader in reporting entertainment, fashion, politics, and culture features for a multicultural audience in print and online. VIBE's innovation, journalistic integrity, brand equity, and overall swagger make it the No. 1 reference choice among male and female trendsetters in small and large cities in the U.S. and abroad.
VIBE Media Group, an affiliate of the Wicks Group of Companies, LLC, is a leading music lifestyle media company that publishes VIBE magazine and produces myriad other VIBE branded properties including VIBE.com, V Hollywood, VIBE Yardfest, and VIBE Books, which published The New York Times bestseller Tupac Shakur. VIBE magazine was founded in 1993 by multitalented music mogul Quincy Jones.
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