Culturati

The History of Honey Magazine, PT 1: The Sweet Edition

In 1999, Lauryn Hill graced the cover of the preview issue of Honey, billed as a "fearless entertainment, fashion, and lifestyle magazine for young, urban women." A first of its kind on American newsstands, Honey earned instant acclaim and quickly developed a devoted readership. On the inaugural episode of Culturati, host Kierna Mayo tells the story of how she started the now cult-classic publication with her best friend, Joicelyn Dingle—and how their early magazine dreams ultimately helped define the Hip-Hop Generation and beyond. We hear from Norell Giancana, Phd who wrote her doctoral dissertation about Honey's impact on hip-hop feminism and the culture at large, and get the behind-the-scenes story of the historic Lauryn Hill "Taste the Future" cover shoot by Jonathan Mannion. Look for Kierna Mayo on Twitter and Instagram @kiernamayo.

Veteran media maven, editor and cultural critic Kierna Mayo hosts Culturati: Conversations with Kierna Mayo, a colorful sonic world where Black women from Gen X to Gen Z— bougie and ratchet notwithstanding—are the official standard-bearers. Culturati explores cultural hot topics from the socio-political to the not-safe-for-work through provocative conversations with an array of fascinating thought-leaders, activists and celebrated artists, such as comedian and television host W. Kamau Bell, foodie feminist Tanya Fields, Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest, and Honey magazine co-founder Joicelyn Dingle. Guided by Mayo, with her (dope AF) Hip-Hop Generation Black feminist sensibility, these candid talks flip conventional thinking on race, sex, and power. Culturati is a bi-weekly audio podcast produced in partnership with PRX. New episodes are released every other Tuesday.