Bad VIBE

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[Note: If you aren't in the mood for a pedantic, smartypants, 90's-R&B obsessed rant, look away. Look away now! While you can!]

"It's easy to wax nostalgic," begins Danyel Smith's editor's letter in the VIBE's March issue. It's the magazine's 150th, and an occasion, apparently, to look back at what is egocentrically dubbed in later pages as, "the VIBE era." If it's easy to wax nostalgic, why does VIBE make it look so tough? The issue is littered with fact-checking errors. As someone who came into an intense, ride-or-die love for R&B at the beginning of said era, I find this infuriating.

Normally, I would feel crotchety for detailing such errors, but VIBE is way too proud of itself: in the intro the the reviews section (Revolutions) in which most of the factual errors pop up, it's callously stated that, "...we [VIBE] make lists because--when it comes to this stuff--we know of what we speak." That's not nearly as absolute as they make it sound. It's always a bit suspicious when a blogger takes on a mainstream publication because people inevitably assume there's bitterness behind it ("You're just hating because they would never hire you"). There's probably some of that behind what I'm doing here, but really, I like VIBE. Even before the indiscretions of the current issue, I wished I could love it. I wish it were less lowest-common-denominator oriented, that it thought more of its readers, that it offered a challenge at least once. Bringing Smith back on board appeared to be step in the right direction, but it's not big enough. Maybe the next order of business is to hire a decent fact-checker, for what follows are the inaccuracies that I found in the March issue. I'm putting them after the jump because things get really pedantic here and maybe even too dry for their own good:

- p. 163: In a cover story of Mary J. Blige (which, by the way, details her past with the magazine, but spinelessly leaves out the whole cover controversy of 2005 thing, the most memorable VIBE-Mary moment ever), "Real Love" is identified as Mary's "first video." It wasn't -- her first solo video was "You Remind Me" and even before that, she appeared in Father MC's "I'll Do 4 U" clip, since she sings on the hook.

- p. 214: In a brief write-up of SWV's It's About Time, "Teddy Riley's indisputable production" is lauded. The thing is, Riley had nothing to do with the creation of that album. It was largely helmed by Brian Alexander Morgan, whom at that point admittedly did little more than aim to copy Riley's swing. Riley did end up remixing many of Time's singles, most notably, "Right Here." His "Human Nature Remix" of the track went on to become the most popular, definitive version and was tacked onto future pressings of the disc. But that was just an afterthought (for the love of riding boots, it was on the Free Willy soundtrack!). When I think of that album, and I think about it a lot, I think of "Weak," "I'm So Into You" the original "Right Here" and "Downtown," the former being all Morgan and the latter, the work of Genard Parker.

- p. 215: Aaliyah's "Rock the Boat" is counted among Timbaland's "most sweltering work to date." This would be correct if Timbaland actually had a hand in that track. It was produced by Rapture Stewart and E Seats (Static from Playa wrote it). This is a mistake so common that Timbaland himself even seemed to make it: in "Make Me a Song," a track he produced for Kiley Dean, she requests that he craft her a track like "Rock the Boat," and he repeats, "OK." Maybe he can, but what he can't do is rewrite history.

- p. 215: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is referred to as Lauryn's "sole solo work." As much as everyone would like to forget Unplugged, it doesn't mean that it didn't happen.

Oh, and there's also on p. 183 the erroneous assertion that a diamond certification from the RIAA is for albums that have sold over 10 million units; it's for albums that have shipped that many units. Again, it's a common mistake and not exactly a world of difference, but if accuracy is possible at the cost of just a few more letters, why not go with it?

All of the above are, by themselves, minor points, stuff that music geeks quibble over and that any normal person would otherwise gloss over. And let's not forget that VIBE gets plenty right. But I don't know, there's something about them all together (and the possibility that there are more -- I may have missed some inaccuracies the hip-hop coverage, as I'm not so proficient in the minutae of that genre) that really irritates me, especially in light of that "we know of what we speak" arrogance. Everyone fucks up, but when you flaunt your knowledge so unmistakably, you make erring a lot less forgivable.

Comments

[Sarah]

I would like to defend Hill's Unplugged (just a little bit), despite her cold, there a few really beautiful tracks.
And I love that you think about SWV as much as I do!

[Rocco]

SECOND!

Which is the new first.

[Crazy about the girl]

Yeah, but does Vibe know who is the father of Anna Nicole's daughter? Hmnm? HMNM?!?!

[Scout]

As a copy editor, I don't find your post at all pedantic. (Thanks for making us seem a little less geeky!) Fact-checking is the hardest part of the job—moving the commas around and shit is a breeze—but when I'm tempted to gloss over something that's difficult to verify, I have to remind myself that my magazines' reputations are at stake. A mistake here and there is to be expected, but when they start piling up you have to wonder if the editors respect their readers at all.

[Mike D]

Hey man. This guy has the inside lowdown on the travesty that is Vibe: http://bittervibes.blogspot.com/

[Penny Woods]

I think Vibe wants to completely forget the "nightmarish" reign of Mimi Valdes by not talking about the last Mary J. Blige Vibe cover, but that's just me.

[mymorex09]

oh, Rich, how do I love thee? let me count the ways.......

yeah, Vibe=bullshyt. If I hadn't paid for my subscription years ago (2 years for $12? I guess you get what you pay for....) I would have cancelled it already. But they get shipped home, which is Louisiana, and I live in NYC--so it doesn't matter. Can somebody please give RADAR the money wasted on Vibe? At least their made-up facts are more accurate than Vibe's.

[Huh?What!]

Rich, you are on point! I don't find it pedantic at all. And wasn't the Mary Blige "You Remind Me" video the remix with Greg Nice from Nice & Smooth, too!??! Loved it! And I agree, people need to stop forgetting about Lauryn's unplugged album. Although she was looking like Emanuel Lewis, that set was ridiculously great!!

[Patrick]

I stoppped reading it after Emil Wilbekin got the boot.

[DonnyB]

Was Janet mentioned at all on this list? I'm just wondering. She's often overlooked.

[Brandon H]

Oh man, why does everyone want to hate on that Unplugged album of Lauryn's? I enjoyed that and though the musical production was much less than desired, the lyrics I felt were amazing and really heart-felt. After a while, I began to ignore the shitty production and repetitive guitar riffs.

[CrystalG]

I agree with Patrick. Vibe has not been the same since after the Emil Era. I do not miss getting vibe at home.

[amen]

Vibe has sucked sucked sucked since emile left and after nearly 8 years of subscribing, and mostly ignoring when Vibe came in the mail (I AM a magazine whore so they just got lost in the shuffle), I had finally given up on them until I saw that homegirl was back. but they still make me so mad, for the very reasons you outlined. grrr.

[Bob's Waffles]

Yeah Vibe just hasn't been the same since Emile left. That's when I ended my subscription.

Bob
www.TeesMyBody.com T-Shirts

[Ed]

AMEN SISTA!

I love your R&B rants. It's just great that someone else out there can appreciate SWV, Mary J. and Lauryn Hill as much as moi. It's a shame that Vibe is like the urban bible, yet is getting the facts all wrong. You should totally apply for a writing job there. Maybe you could do freelance. Whatever just keep on blogging.

BTW...WHY HAVEN'T YOU TALKED ABOUT THE GRAMMYS?! WAS IT JUST ME THAT NOTICED HOW HOT MARY LOOKED...and I'm a gay man so this is huge. It's like if this transformation was the last chapter in her comeback. Who knew Mary was a MILF?

[Rich]

Oh, I thought the Grammys were so dull that I really wasn't inspired to say anything about them. Mary is looking mature and foxy, though.

[rachel]

i wish you lived in denver and we were friends.

[angela]

I think about that SWV album a lot too. Love you so much Rich.

[nova]

Vibe could really benefit from a writer like you. Too bad they don't pay anyone on time.

[nerd]

i'm always at bittervibes cite. he def puts it vibe like it should be put. vibe has been on a down swing since my junior yr in high school (i think that was 03) and it is getting continuously worst.

[jen]

rachel, he has to move to MN and be my friend first.

[yes]

whats wrong with these new school journalists?

[Elliot Wilson]

Don't forget that I wifed Danyel a couple of years ago and now we are rival editors (I'm the EIC at XXL Magazine if you aren't down) at two of the biggest "urban" magazines.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out because I don't like sharing cover subjects with other mags (see this month's Lil' Wayne cover that replaced Biggie as our cover recognizig the 10th year since he passed (damn!).

EW