'New York Magazine' Condescendingly Dissects WorldStarHipHop [Media Watch]

» by Alvin aqua Blanco February 8, 2012, 10:24am

New York Magazine dropped a fairly lengthy story on WorldStarHipHop. The story looked at the website's runaway success, which usually comes at the expense of making people of color look like bumbling, misogynistic, ultra-violence dealing coons.

New York writes:

“WorldStar,” for those who don't know, is WorldStarHipHop.com, which started in 2005 as just one more semi-swag hip-hop blog eventually featuring homemade videos of rappers and “sticky page” pix of buxom ladies. Over the years, however, the site has separated itself from the competition by depicting what founder Lee “Q” O'­Denat, a self-confessed “Haitian ghetto nerd” from Hollis, Queens, calls “the whole gamut; A-to-Z; soup-to-nuts; the good, the bad, and the ugly of the urban experience.” 

I'm all for slandering World Star, but what exactly is a "semi-swag hip-hop blog"?

New York also asserts that World Star went meta after footage of a security guard catching the fade on the L train hit the site in November 2011. That's clearly suspect when you consider that World Star has been killing the page view game for years now. Vibe Magazine ran a story on World Star and its founder in early 2011. Also, there was the time 50 Cent threatened to blacken Q's eye.

Again, I am no fan of World Star in the slightest, but the entire story had a tone of condescension that felt like the author could just as easily been belittling a better respected site like Okayplayer or The Smoking Section; if any of those were the site he was assigned to cover.

And while the story brings up some valid points--like most of the Fawkery on a site with "Hip-Hop" in its name being anything but Hip-Hop--moments like calling DJ Vlad's VladTV site WSHH's "upscale competitor" only result in a side eye.

But the worst is WSHH founder Q's attitude about the crap he posts, telling the magazine, "“What can I say? The truth hurts.”

True, coonery sho nuff is a sure fire way to get those unique visitor numbers up, and make a nice living.
.

Follow Us On Twitter

Comments 2 Views Tags: Lee “Q” O’­Denat, New York Magazine, World Star Hip-Hop, WorldStarHipHop

Stories We Like

Sexiest Pictures Of The Women That Broke Rappers’ Hearts

Top Natural Hair Salon Owners

Our 7 Favorite HBO Shows...Ever

The Top 10 Nastiest Breakups In Hip-Hop

Swizzy’s Side-Piece Christina Elizabeth Comes Clean

« Previous Story Next Story »

Schools That Generate The Most/Least Debt For Grads

Blacks in the Book: 7 Interesting World Record Breakers

Hmmm… Ciara Is Tweeting Subliminals Too

Meet The Craziest Sports Wives And Girlfriends

Schools That Generate The Most/Least Debt For Grads

« Previous Story Next Story »

Signs You're On Your Way To Being A Baby Mama

Films Rebooted With African American Stars

Songs Simon Cowell Says You Shouldn't Attempt To Sing

Why I'm Not Mad At Serena Williams

Amber Rose Heads To The Motherland To Teach The Babies

« Previous Story Next Story »