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Part 10: Elliott Wilson on Getting Fired from XXL, New Boss Vanessa Satten Always Hated Vlad
Part 8: Elliott Wilson on Quitting The Source After Dave Mays Snaked Him
Part 1: Elliott Wilson on Complex Media Power List, Vlad Names a Person that Shouldn't Be There
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Elliott Wilson, former editor of XXL magazine, shared behind-the-scenes stories about his tenure and his pivotal role in the hip-hop magazine industry. Wilson joined XXL in 1999 to revamp its struggling publication schedule and quality, bringing on notable covers and pushing deadlines to elevate the magazine’s status. One significant moment in Wilson’s career was handling an inherited feud with Eminem. Initially sparked by a previous article questioning Eminem's place in hip-hop as a White rapper, the tension escalated when Wilson published an issue with a controversial illustration of Eminem's mother. This led to Eminem dissing XXL on the title track of "The Marshall Mathers LP.” In 2002, despite the ongoing feud, XXL embraced new star 50 Cent, which eventually helped mend the relationship with Eminem. However, the magazine faced another challenge when Benzino, rapper and co-owner of The Source magazine, made a diss track against Eminem and intensified the industry's rivalries.
