Legendary hip-hop journalist, editor, and media executive James Bernard — a founding editorial force behind “The Source” and co-founder of “XXL” magazine — has died. Bernard, widely recognized as one of the architects who helped transform hip-hop journalism into a respected cultural force, played a pivotal role in shaping how the genre was covered and understood during its ascent from underground movement to global phenomenon.
In 1988, Bernard was one of four Harvard students (along with David Mays, Jonathan Shecter, and Ed Young) who created “The Source” magazine, first as a newsletter, a moment detailed in a Pitchfork story titled “How a Group of Journalists Turned Hip-Hop into a Literary Movement.” Read more at www.thegrio.com.
