Benzino ''Puts The B.S. To The Side,'' Extends Olive Branch

After losing a multi-million dollar lawsuit and being ousted from The Source - a magazine he helped to start - many counted Raymond "Benzino" Scott out. But with the popularity of Hip Hop Weekly, and the launch of a new magazine on the horizon, 'Zino is showing that he's built to last. In a SOHH.com exclusive, he talks about his past beefs with Eminem, 50 Cent and former XXL EIC Elliott Wilson and the eminent success of his new venture, Monsta. With the release of his brand new mag Monsta right around the corner, Benzino says that it's only a matter of time before the imprint is on top of the publishing game... "We're coming right after The Source, XXL, Vibe and Complex," Benzino told SOHH. "I don't even know if [Complex] is selling that many magazines, but them too." "We have a new format as far as the art direction," he continued. "The magazine is as big as you can get. It's the same size as ESPN and Rolling Stone." Well aware of how the magazine industry has changed since his days at The Source, 'Zino thinks Monsta has what it takes to succeed in '08. "It was a different generation when I did The Source and it came out," he said. "Right now with the internet, you gotta put your thumb on what's going to appease the young and the old, if you want to succeed. We have a lot of struggles in hip-hop culture. People want something they can read that has real issues in there that affect them, and that's us." Benzino is building off of the momentum of his mag, Hip Hop Weekly, which he says has already turned a profit in its first year, a tough task in today's print publishing. He says that he believes that the addition of his new book into the marketplace will fill void in hip-hop left by other mags. "XXL could never really get too much credit for anything but copying," Zino explained. "They never had their own identity. They only talked about who was a hot artist and it never held too much weight, in my opinion. Give us one year and believe me we'll be knocking The Source, XXL, Vibe and all of the other mags out the box." Once known for his bitter public rivalries with Eminem and 50 Cent , a more diplomatic Benzino says that he'd now be willing to work with them for Monsta. "Eminem and 50[Cent] have been in Hip Hop Weekly," he said. "I've learned to separate my personal issues to an extent. I understand who I am and what I say. I'm never gonna be PC, I'm always gonna speak my mind. They're still monsters in the game. I'm sure you'll see them getting coverage in there. Hopefully we can get 50 on the cover and get a good feature with him." He also had some words of advice for longtime rival, Em, whose has been rumored to be depressed and overweight as of late. "Being famous takes on a great deal of pressure and people deal with things differently," he emphasized. "If I had to give him some advice, I'd say that being by himself isn't the answer. If music's what he loves, keep doing that and don't worry about the bullsh*t." Zino also said that he'd be willing to employ rival and former XXL editor-in-chief Elliott Wilson "The old 'Zino would have said hell naw, but I would probably listen to him," he says of the possibility of Wilson joining the Monsta staff. "We'd have to straighten out our differences but I'd listen because he has a lot of experience. Everybody deserves another chance. If he ever wanted to be involved with Monsta, I'd give him a listen and put the bullsh*t to the side."


Source: SOHH