The Source Launching New Mag Focusing On Latin Culture

Baller Status

Saturday - October 15, 2005—The Source magazine, who is recognized by many as the Hip-Hop Bible, is expanding its operations -- dedicating a magazine solely on the Latin hip-hop culture with the launch of The Source Latino.

The new publication will be published in an innovative double-sided bilingual format, which will offer news on the latest and greatest in Latin Hip-Hop music, culture and entertainment. It is expected to hit newsstands in various counties at the end of October including the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, among others.

With the Latin culture becoming more of a driving force via the recent Reggaeton explosion, The Source felt the need to speak to and on behalf of the wildly popular culture.

"The Source Latino will speak to and on behalf of the explosive Latin youth / young adult market," said David Mays, CEO of The Source. "In a very short period of time the Latin Hip-Hop movement is going to force the Latin media and entertainment world to reinvent itself. There aren't many places to channel the information and talk about this booming industry's trends, so we created The Source Latino to become the voice of the Latin entertainment industry's future."

Also, the mag's Co-founder, Ray Benzino, recognizes the force Latin culture has on hip-hop as a whole, and felt they had to show people the importance of their influence.

"The Latino people has been an important part of the development of Hip-Hop since the seventies and this new generation of young Latinos has crafted the next level in the evolution of Hip-Hop," commented Ray Benzino, Co-founder and Chief Brand Executive. "The Source Latino is a statement to the prominence and importance this movement represents in our culture today."

The launch issue of the new magazine will include one-on-one interviews with some of the most popular Latin artists such as Tego Calderon, Daddy Yankee, Fat Joe, Ivy Queen and Akwid as well as coverage of the producers that are creating the beats, record reports on CDs hitting the street, style, film, events, mixtapes and more, according to the mag's Executive Director, Ana Benetez.

The Source Latino will hit newsstands on October 25.

— Jay Casteel