Bad Vibes: Magazine Latest Victim Of Lousy Economy

Daily Finance is reporting that after 16 years of publication, Vibe magazine is shutting down. Unlike other “urban” music magazines — The Source, XXL — the editor-in-chief, Danyel Smith, is female.

Vibe was founded in 1993 by Quincy Jones; Smith was a music editor from 1994-96; became the editor-in-chief in 1997; left in 1999 and had recently returned. Smith married a former co-worker, Elliot Wilson, who ended up becoming the editor-in chief of XXL — meaning a husband-and-wife team were competing for magazine covers.

Though Vibe was very successful in the late ’90s and early ’00s — even branching out with a title aimed specifically towards women, Vibe Vixen — lately, it had reduced its circulation and cut salaries, suffering in the recession. We suspect that this also means there won’t be any more new issues of Vibe offshoot The Most!.

Vibe Magazine Shutting Down [Daily Finance]
Danyel Smith Biography [Answers]
Earlier: 8 Reasons Why We Sorta Love New Gossip Mag The Most!