Small Magazines We Adore

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, Feb 1, 2003 by Geoff Van Dyke

Byline: Geoff Van Dyke

'Murder Dog'

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT: Hip-hop. Period. East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, "Memphis style," Dirty South - you name it - if it's hip-hop, and especially if it's underground, cutting-edge hip-hop, Murder Dog's got it.

WHY WE LOVE IT: For the same reason its readers do (if you want evidence of an engaged readership, check out this letters page): Because Murder Dog is authentic, smart, and thick with info. The writing is in the vernacular of the street, to wit: "This joint here wasn't even no damn sweat." The columns are service-y (a recent one details how to get foreign distribution for your CDs), and the interviews are long, comprehensive, and funny. To our surprise, Murder Dog is proof that not all content has to come in bite-size nuggets.

RECENT ARTICLES: "Interview with Nas," "Special Report: Greenwood, South Carolina," and "London Rumblings: A Regular Guide to Reggae, Roots, Dancehall."

AD BASE: Hip-hop labels, records, and distributors.

VERDICT: P. Diddy is to Vibe and The Source as Blackalicious is to Murder Dog. (If you don't know who Blackalicious is, check Murder Dog, Vol. 9, No. 1 to find out.)