The VIBE Archive

Chronicling the history of hip-hop and urban culture

VIBE, which was founded by the renowned producer Quincy Jones, held the top spot as the premier US hip-hop publication for over twenty years. It was considered the definitive source for all things related to hip-hop culture and was credited with helping to bring hip-hop into the mainstream spotlight.

The VIBE archive consists of the full run of VIBE magazine, from 1993–2014. This archive is an invaluable resource for scholars as it fills a gap in digital primary sources available for the study of hip-hop culture.

VIBE provides a wealth of information for researchers interested in exploring…

• The progress of artists’ careers, via contemporary reviews, features, interviews, and profiles
• The trends in fashion and style associated with hip-hop culture
• The art forms that emerged from hip-hop, such as break-dancing, scratching, and turntablism
• The place of hip-hop in the history of music – the styles and performers that influenced it, as well as the later genres that it inspired
• The impact of hip-hop culture on society and its role as an oppositional culture, including efforts to challenge racism and stereotyping
• Material culture and consumption - the way that advertising targeted and responded to VIBE’s primarily young, urban demographic