The Source don't luv dem hoes
Ah, The Source magazine, once a staple of fresh, accurate, truthful, insightful and enjoyable journalism for our vivrant hip hop culture. I remember the days when it was a privilege for me to be up in those hallowed and esteemed offices, smoking blunts alongside the original Mind Squad members, former editors Jon Schecter and Reginald Dennis, writers like Kierna Mayo, Chris Wilder, Ronin Ro, photographers like Sue Kwon and Chi Modu, real cool honest cats that helped make The Source the fine journalistic institution it is today. My have things changed.
As you've probably heard, The Source is now being sued up the effin whazoo. According to the New York Post and allhiphop.com, Kim Osorio and Michelle Joyce, former Source editor and vice president of marketing respectively, have brought sexual harassment suits against co-owners Dave Mays and “emcee extraordinaire” Ray “Benzino” Scott. Osorio and Joyce allege that cats started runnin shit like an effin Amsterdam brothel, what with dudes feelin on they bootays, slanging derogatory words like they were in an episode of HBO's Deadwood, and pulling out dicks in front of female employees and requesting that said female employees put em in their mouths for lunch. To make matters worse, I hear that some writers are actually getting bitch slapped and choked for even mentioning Eminem's name or playing his music within “rap legend” Benzino's earshot. So much for journalistic integrity.
In addition, ever since Benzino, "the greatest rapper of all time," (G.O.A.T.) decided to cook some rap beef and “clap back” at Eminem, record company giant Interscope Records has pulled millions of its advertising dollars and recently, Def Jam Records threatened to pull all of their advertising dollars from the Source, causing the “God emcee” Benzino to “resign” from his post last week(however he announced early this week that he has reinstated himself as co-owner).
In countering Ms. Osorio's harassment suit, “hip hop super star” Benzino claims that she “slept around with many industry artists,” backing that ass up and puttin 'em on the glass for damn near anyone who had a record deal. Now I don't know jack about Kim's sex life, but what with “King of Rap” Zino running shit tighter than a red light district whorehouse, always talking about how he's ready to choke a bitch, it's not hard to see how, in order to avoid getting an open handed back slap to the jaw, Osorio might have been “mentally” trained to believe that granting sexual favors to rappers and their weed carriers had somehow become part of her job description.
Today, yours truly had the exclusive opportunity to talk with one of the actual co-plaintiffs about her lawsuit (really). I asked her how much money she was looking to win. She replied “I know for a fact that The Source doesn't have any money. For what they did to us as women of color, I am trying to shut them down!” Damn, I guess that's what up with that scorned woman shit. She also stated that since bringing this suit, she has been in constant fear for her safety as “rap immortal” Benzino is known to resort to nefarious thuggish tactics. She is on constant alert for ex-members of the Almighty R.S.O. or The Made Men (or whatever the fuck other whack crews “The Archnemesis” has been affiliated with) showing up to her home with the intention of silencing her up but good. Keep yer head up girl, and invest in some heat for those cold nights.
Anyways, as of yesterday, ever since Bol's racial persuasion came into issue, I'm thinking about sending my resume and writing samples over to the Source with the hopes of landing a job there. At least I would know for certain that I would be writing for a black (co-) owned establishment and this might be my only opportunity to link up with “the iconic” Benzino. Plus, with all the goings on and what not, it seems like the Source has become a really fun place to work these days.
