connecting*the*dots

Yesterday, I received what appeared to be a personal email from the Editor-in-Chief of XXL, Elliot Wilson. Apparently, Wilson is looking for blogger assistance to pump up sales of his new CD compilation and subscriptions to XXL in general via personal interviews. Here’s the email in its entirety:

Hello Sean,

On November 15th, Razor & Tie Entertainment will release the first-ever compilation from XXL, the No. 1 selling hip-hop magazine worldwide.  XXL Raps Volume 1 will feature the best tracks from today’s most prominent MCs, including Eminem, 50 Cent, T.I., members of G-Unit and Terror Squad and many more. I personally selected the songs, I sequenced the album, and I’m going on the virtual road to talk about it.

I’ve said before, in many ways, that after eight years of hard work and sacrifice from my team of talented editors and writers, XXL has unquestionably become the new voice of the hip-hop nation. This XXL Raps Volume 1 compilation is more than just an extension of our brand. It’s a collection of music from this culture’s most prolific and important artists.

So, let’s discuss. I’m down for live chats, email interviews and phone interviews. In addition to XXL Raps Volume I, I’m happy to talk about music, journalism, the blogging phenomenon, as well as the fact that XXL has an ABC Audited Circulation of 315,000, and we outsell Rolling Stone, Vibe, The Source and Spin on the newsstand.

Looking forward to the conversation. I’ll be on the virtual road until the end of the November. Hit me back at this email address.

Elliott "YN" Wilson
Editor-in-Chief, XXL

Being that I don’t proactively participate in the hip-hop community—other than by dropping lyrics once in a while and covering random points of interest regarding artists or live shows I catch—I was somewhat caught off guard by the request… and then I remembered how I tagged my blog over at Technorati. Sure enough, I’m ranked as the 10th most popular hip-hop blog in the blogosphere, primarily because of the links to my political, experience design and technology posts.

Something smelled rotten in the state of Denmark.

So before deciding how I planned on responding, I checked my RSS feeds for mentions of similar requests in the hip-hop blogging community. Sure enough, Media Chin-Check got the same email. After reading Hashim’s post on the subject, the depth of Elliot Wilson’s character became crystal clear in my mind. Check out a taste of one of EW’s "editorials:"

We Major

You know what, I love the rain. Actually, I love the reign. That’s me on top of the rap journalism game for six years straight. Let me tell you how it feels to be on top of the world. Fuck that, I’ve just begun like Jimmy Castor. You can pray to the Pastor. I curse all y’all like Ma$e. Read it and weep-there’s no end in sight. This one’s dedicated to you inferior fucks and jealous bitches who envy me. To the anonymous assholes hunched over your keyboards writing erroneous shit to get a rise out of YN: You’re beneath me. You wanna know why I ain’t gotta answer niggas? ‘Cause I truly understand these niggas-sneak dissin’ haters who want to get put on. You just want my autograph on your copy of ego trip’s Book of Rap Lists or, better yet, on a XXL contract. You’d be doing naked cartwheels if I ever gave you a byline. You don’t stand for shit, so sit. Just wait for your moms to go to sleep so you can get back on that computer. I’m ready for a blogger geek burial. I’m Kool Herc to you jerks. Plus, I’m rich, pricks. And I kept my integrity. There’s no one better than me.

Gone,
Elliott "Got That Ambition, Baby!" Wilson
Editor-In-Chief

P.S. If my wife forgot to put you on back in the day or if I broke your heart-tough cookies. Grow the fuck up!

Okay, first you diss bloggers and then try to leverage us as viral marketers for your crappy ass mix tape on CD? Don’t you know we’re in the digital age now, EW? All we gotta do is wait one day for your exclusive tunes to drop and then pick ‘em up online. Why would we support your tired, Source wannabe rag, when we have sites like AllHipHop.com, Hip Hop Blogs, Cocaine Blunts and Hip Hop Tapes and SOHH.com comin’ through in real-time?

With your "all about me" attitude, XXL aptly describes your cap size, not your future bankroll—especially within the new game of the information revolution. Invest wisely… Herc.