Vibe Magazine closed it’s door aburptly this afternoon, with staff members learning of their dismissal during a 2PM EST. meeting. The closure comes 16 years after Barry White and Time Warner started the company, and just under two months that the magazine came out with its own list of the best Hip Hop blogs. The list serves somewhat now as a collection of outlets that helped cripple the print industry, and in effect, lead to the collapse of Vibe, Blender and other music mags. According to the NYT, The Source now stands alone as the only largely distributed magazine focusing on Rap and R&B. Joking aside, Vibe’s longevity in the print industry conveys its importance and relevancy over time. Even if it doesn’t have the pull it once did, the shuttering of Vibe’s doors is a big deal.
Vibe’s staff sent out the following statement:
On behalf the VIBE CONTENT staff (the best in this business), it is with great sadness, and with heads held high, that we leave the building today. We were assigning and editing a Michael Jackson tribute issue when we got the news. It’s a tragic week in overall, but as the doors of VIBE Media Group close, on the eve of the magazine’s sixteenth anniversary, it’s a sad day for music, for hip hop in particular, and for the millions of readers and users who have loved and who continue to love the VIBE brand. We thank you, we have served you with joy, pride and excellence, and we will miss you.