Slav Kandyba threatens new owner of the Source

You may remember Slav Kandyba, pictured above, from the time he went off on Diddy for threatening to sue his pretend colleague, Chuck Philips of the LA Times, the guy who wrote those stories about how Biggie and the Crips killed 2Pac, and Diddy and Jimmy Henchmen shot 2Pac in the nuts that time.

Kandyba was writing for this blog he'd been duped into writing for free, along with some of the bums who write for Oh Word, by some guy who may or may not have been working for the LA Times. The idea was that they would build up this blog, then he'd pitch it to management there. But then he had to pull the plug on it, once he realized how much of a nutjob this kid Kandyba is.

Speaking of nutjobs, just now I was checking Clyde Smith's site Pro Hip Hop to see if he's still alive or if he died, and I came across this post about how Slav Kandyba had written an open letter to the new owner of the Source, L. Londell McMillan. (He goes by his middle name because he has a lot of black clients.)

The post linked to a post on Kandyba's blog (who knew?) with the open letter, but when I clicked through, I saw that the post had been removed. Fortunately, I was able to liberate a copy of the open letter, for posterity, using Google's cache. I've posted it below, just in case it's removed from Google altogether.

In the letter, Kandyba basically threatens to sue and/or drag this guy McMillan's name through the mud (but probably mostly the latter), if he doesn't receive $2,400 he's owed for having been duped (again) into writing two features for the Source while they were under bankruptcy protection.

Does the fact that the letter has since been removed mean that Kandyba got his $2,400? If so, I might need to keep this technique in mind for the next time XXL decides I don't need to be paid for half a year - though in the case of XXL, the problem probably had more to do with too many black people working in the billing department. As cynical as that magazine is, I can't imagine they'd be hard up for money.

***

L. Londell McMillan, Esq.

Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP/NorthStar Business Enteprises

Mr. McMillan:

I come to you today as a former contributor for The Source Magazine who is seeking to solve a dispute before considering legal action in pro per against the magazine and its new ownership group.

I began writing for The Source in June 2006, having met then-West Coast Editor Ryan Ford at a festival in San Bernardino, California. I did so with the understanding that the magazine was in flux and operated under bankruptcy protection. Ryan assigned me several 250-word capsules to write for a fall issue, which I completed on time. Next, I was assigned a Critical Beatdown with will.i.am, which I did in person at the Record Plant in Hollywood. Following that, my assignments included another Critical Beatdown, this time with J.R. Rotem. Finally, in April 2007, Ryan assigned me a 1,600-word feature on Swizz Beats, which was completed over a period of five weeks and included a phone interview as well as a roll-along from Hyatt Regency in Century City to Chalice Studios in Los Angeles. I completed that and it was published in June 2007.

I had a contract for the Swizz Beats article and submitted it to Managing Editor Reggie Brown a total of four times. I never received payment. In early 2008, Ryan Ford assigned me another story, this time a 1,000-word feature about an artist on Warner Bros. named Murs. I completed that, emailed an invoice and inquired about payment. I was never paid.

In August, I learned Ryan Ford was leaving The Source for a position at Cashmere Agency. Figuring that he couldn’t do anything for me, I decided to email my invoice to Soren Baker, but I haven’t received so much as an acknowledgment. I know Soren’s email works fine because I get mass emails from him about the Baltimore Ravens, which is rather odd and ironic. Needless to say, I appreciate those emails as much as I appreciate email spam.

Mr. McMillan, the core argument that I want to make to you now – rather than in a court of law – is this. I feel that The Source has repeatedly and consistently defrauded me of monies owed me for work performed and that practice continues to this day, even under new ownership. While I, as a freelance writer, am used to not getting paid on time – if paid at all – the ultimate slap in the face came when I requested and was sent a copy of the Murs’ album “Murs For President” from Warner Bros. I opened the package and found that my feature story on Murs was one of three that the label was using to market the album. Knowing that Ryan Ford is working at Cashmere Agency now and that Murs is on tour, using my work to help sell albums, I feel cheated out of a measly $800 that was owed me for that story.

To put it bluntly, this letter is intended as both a demand letter for immediate payment of that $800 as well as the $1,600 I’m owed for the Swizz Beats article, for which I can provide a contract. And although I want to get paid, this is about more than money, because I want to see The Source succeed as an institution.

I had hope earlier this year when I learned you and Jeffrey Scott were joining the ownership group. I thought that it would mean a brand new start. I saw in the magazine’s pages the news about emergence from bankruptcy and didn’t want to dismiss it as a publicity move. Unfortunately it appears that way because if it didn’t, Soren Baker would have responded to my email promptly. Further, looking at The Source’s masthead, I see that the magazine will be filled up by intern copy, and which tells me that the new ownership group – you – are looking to wash your hands of the writers from the past. That is simply not the right way of doing business at a magazine of The Source’s caliber.

Lastly, I want to appeal to you not as a professional journalist but as a father of a 3-year-old girl who desperately needs the $2,400 that I’m owed from The Source. Having read your bio at the Huffington Post, I believe you have the financial resources and pull to pay me. Therefore I ask for a payment to be made immediately. In return, I promise confidentiality and I’ll even maybe start telling my media friends that The Source is a good place to do business.

If I do not receive payment by Dec. 1 or do not hear from you to discuss other options, then I will have no choice but to explore legal and journalistic options available to collect the debt.

I am open to having dialogue with you about this matter. Although I would prefer email, you are always welcome to call my cell.

Sincerely,

Slav Kandyba