Elliott Wilson on Bloggers, XXL Raps, Elliott Wilson & XXL

I took the opportunity to interview XXL Editor-in-Chief Elliott Wilson after he reached out to bloggers to mixed response. I've decided to run it verbatim since it's all pretty interesting. To be honest, I assumed that the swagger and smack talk were a stylistic thing for his editorials but I guess this is just the way he communicates. My questions are in bold. Elliott Wilson's responses are in quotations.

Bloggers
I recognize that your editorial column can be viewed as an opportunity for you to cut loose, based on the kinds of statements I read there. However, it often seems as if you use it as a platform for attacking bloggers, for example, from the Nov. editorial online: "YN doesn't care about bloggers anymore. (Log off, dip sh*ts.)"

"The disparaging statements I've made against bloggers were written out of anger and based upon the actions of two individuals. I've since spoken to one of them and we settled our differences while the other continues to hate me from afar and take cheap shots at me. It's OK, Mr. Chin Checker, I know you love me. You just don't know how to tell me. But please give me my style back, shorty. You'll never be me."

So, what's up with that and how deep are your issues with bloggers?

"Listen, I'm new to this whole blogging movement. My wife started one earlier this year and she's educated me a little on this world. In the best ones, I see the parallels between these dudes having their own sites and developing their voices to my beginnings as a journalist in the early 90's working for independent hip-hop magazines. So overall, I have mad respect for it. I also enjoy the forums where true hip-hop fans exchange factual and erroneous information, witty anecdotes, passionate opinions and harsh criticism on the rap game. I read them all the time especially when they're dissing me. Ha-ha!"

Do you see a positive place for blogging in the larger universe of hip hop media?

"I feel like blogging and the on-line hip-hop sites are obviously a major part of the future of the music and culture moving forward. There are some wack ones out there and they deserved to be criticized just like everything else. I feel like there's a tremendous opportunity here to express yourself to the public in a unfiltered way so don't blow it. Prove your worth with your work and stop pointing fingers at others."

The CD
The compilation cd seems like a great move for XXL. Given that The Source has put out compilations for quite a while, could you talk a bit about the timing.  Why now and not earlier?

"I just feel like it's time now. We're ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulation) certified the #1 hip-hop magazine and most importantly the best selling music magazine on newsstands. We partnered with Razor and Tie Records an independent label who book a lot of those direct response TV ads. This to me will hopefully expose the brand to an audience who are more casual rap fans. These people don't buy the mag every month but may have copped it once with Em, 50 or an Outkast on the cover. The album drops 4th quarter and we're not looking for a huge first week but God willing, we'll sell more records than Rev. Run."

I was a bit surprised to see 50 Cent and Fat Joe on the same cd.  Was there any discussion about including both given their beef?  Any reactions from 50 Cent?

"Wow you caught that, thanks for paying attention. Yeah 50's management wasn't pleased with the inclusion of a Fat Joe record. But thankfully we met and worked it out. Chris Lighty went on to show even more support for the record by giving us approval on the usage of G-Unit related videos for the album's TV spots."

Are you considering further media developments beyond the magazine and CD series?

"Well XXL's partnered with MTV Jams and have a monthly show that highlights a top 5 video list that we jointly create that ties into the month's cover subject. Like in the new G-Unit cover issue, the videos are from some of hip-hop's greatest crews: Juice Crew, Native Tongues etc. We also have a special XXL Presents Eye Candy magazine with Melyssa Ford on the cover that drops Xmas time. We're also looking to resurrect Hip-Hop Soul, a pure R&B magazine that I tested a few years back. We definitely keep a full plate but I'm greedy. Still the most important thing is keeping XXL at the top. We worked hard to get here and we don't plan on falling off."

Elliott Wilson
When you started Ego Trip you were already working with established magazines and, at some point, became music editor of XXL, as I understand it.  In addition to the personal satisfaction of working on what is now a legendary project, what did you learn and/or gain from Ego Trip that you wouldn't have gotten from Beat Down or XXL?

"I was actually music editor of Source from 1996-1998. I came in as editor-in-chief of XXL in 1999. Ego Trip is and will always be my foundation. My partner Sacha Jenkins and I started it in 1994. But things really took form when we linked up with 3 other incredibly talented dudes: Chairman Mao, Gabriel Alvarez and Brent Rollins. I learned everything from ego trip. There's no better training one can have than starting your own business. I'm proud that ego trip has become an established brand that has gone from a zine, to books, to TV shows. Even though I spend most my day as YN from XXL, my heart is with ego trip and I know we're destined to conquer the television and film world."

What advice do you have for up and coming writers, editors and publishers?

"Write. It's really that simple. Put yourself out there. Don't wait for someone to put you on. Put yourself on. Write for free whether it's college newspapers, underground mags, or starting your own blog. It will be far from lucrative in the beginning but you need to develop your skills. Write for free and write often. You must find your voice and develop your own style. Read everyone else's work and then find your own niche. Hopefully you'll one day make a living doin' it."

XXL
As Editor-in-Chief of what is arguably the leading hip hop magazine at a time when the competition is either weakening or hitting a plateau, what is your vision of the future of XXL?

"It's not arguable anymore. We are number one. Numero uno. Ichiban. Hate it or love it, the underdog's on top. Our job is to continue to document this culture better than anyone else. We're not trying to reinvent the wheel but we're gonna buy them sh*ts new rims and keep them spinning. Eat my dust!"

There you have it. I look forward to reader comments and also to hearing from any bloggers who post on the topic or do their own interviews with Elliott Wilson.