Today while waiting for the lady of the house to finish using the computer, I picked up an old, mint condition issue of Grand Slam magazine with Questlove on the cover. Now out of business, Grand Slam was one of my all time favorite reads and featured quality, well researched writing and covered a number of topics including classic Hip Hop/Rap, breaks, samples, etc. The funny thing about this issue is that one of the feature articles was dedicated to another now defunct publication Ego Trip. The whole episode made me think of all the great one or two issue magazines that have appeared and then just as quickly disappeared as well as favorites that I was lucky enough to be able to read for a few years.
1. Grand Slam
2. Ego Trip
3. Rap Pages
4. Rap Sheet
5. Stress
6. 4080
7. Fever
2. Ego Trip
3. Rap Pages
4. Rap Sheet
5. Stress
6. 4080
7. Fever
I’d be curious to hear what others have been reading over years as I’m sure there are many classics that have been missed.
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Big Daddy magazine was the forerunner to Grandslam – made by the same people and it was just as good.
well, I’m a bit of an old hip hop zine freak. I’ve got a copy of Grand Slam (not the one you listed though) and it’s pretty crazy. Rap Pages was probably the best for me as well 4080, old HHC’s from the early 90’s and Murder Dogs are pretty good too. I have an odd Rap Masters, Spice, etc but you can’t go past Rap Pages.
Peace.
best mag for me was fatlace a british publication.
only ran for a few issues.
they took the piss out of hip hop (which it does need)
lived on as a website for a bit.
edited by dj yodas crew
check em out if you can find em
Scratch mag was the dope shit! Too bad it’s gone.
I have every copy of Grand Slam and all the CDs, very proud though tempted to sell. It was the best of it’s kind along with Big Daddy imo.
Wooooo this is like digging the digital crates!
We’ve just released issue 05 of Bonafide magazine – http://www.bonafidezine.com – a magazine that we hope is respectfully following in the footsteps of the likes of GrandSlam, Big Daddy, Fat Lace, Mass Appeal, Level etc.
We’ve you a mail with more info about the mag – hopefully you will like it