Four magazines from Poland and the United States shaping the awareness of hip-hop listeners at the turn of the millennium.

It was once more difficult to get information about favorite artists or meet new ones. This was facilitated by direct contacts, where one passed on to the other on whose artist it is worth paying attention. The situation was changed by television and magazines. The cult YO! MTV RAP recorded and then transmitted on VHS cassettes from hand to hand was a mine of knowledge, which in time created somewhat fashion for printed sources of knowledge about the culture of the four elements. Below are four of them, two Polish and two American.

THE SOURCE

The oldest on the market among those discussed here. Icon of the hip-hop press and the cradle of the nascent streetwear culture since 1988. On the cover were the greatest thugs of the game, each of the coasts. In the middle except articles, reviews of albums and advertising of clothes.

XXL

The influence of this periodical can be observed to this day, especially through the "Freshman XXL" campaign launched in 2007, where the editors of the newspaper selected promising rappers, thus facilitating their path to popularize their works. The action, well received by the ocean, has found its followers in Poland, for example, and the "Young Wolves" campaign from the Popkiller website.

ŚLIZG

The situation of the brand's press was different in Poland. Here, several cultures mixed with each other so the newspapers treated each of them. One of such titles was Slick, which touches on extreme sports, hip-hop and comics. Over time, the paper edition disappeared from the kiosks and moved its activities into the Internet space through the launched forum.

KLAN

A distinguishing feature of this monthly was a compilation of songs attached to the magazine. You could hear there artists from the underground but also players already recognized on the stage. In the issue there is always a lot of interesting interviews and reviews. The shadow of the newspaper, however, casts cherished artists associated with one of the then operating factories, whose owner were the publishers of the Clan.