There are plenty of rap magazines that have gone and went through out hip-hop's 40 years, but there are also several mainstays in the culture. Magazines like Rap Sheet and The Source were some of the first to ever do it, starting out as simple newsletters and developing into something much more. While the former has been defunct, The Source (which launched in 1988) is still kickin'.
Since they paved the way, we've seen plenty of other hip-hop centric magazines through out the years, from the graffiti-oriented Mass Appeal which was recently revived (not to mention invested in by Nas), and the pioneer of lists Ego Trip which thrived from 1994-1998. These zines spread the word of hip-hop prior to the internet's take-over, and offered knowledgeable insight into the music for thirsty fans.
Today we've rounded up some of the dopest hip-hop covers that circulated in past years, from XXL, to VIBE, to Stress and more (in absolutely no specific order).
Let us know what your favorite hip-hop magazine is!