Straight from the Source: An Expose from the Former Editor in Chief of the Hip-Hop Bible

by Kim Osorio

Kim Osorio had a front-row seat for the biggest beefs, battles, and blow-ups in hip-hop. As the first female editor-in-chief of The Source, she had come up.
From her corner office, Kim got the goods on hip-hop's hottest names: Jay-Z, Nas, 50 Cent, Lil' Kim. She developed close- sometimes intimate- relationships with the artists she exposed to the public.
But The Source couldn't hide its own dirty laundry for long.

Behind the scenes, the magazine's volatile owners puppeteered every issue- even coveted honors like the 5-mic album rating and the Power 30 list of industry heavy-hitters. Then The Source declared war on Eminem and began the notorious assault that would send the magazine into swift decline.In a culture dominated by men, Kim rose to the top, and after years in the magazine's pressure cooker, she hit "send" on a two-sentence e-mail that would thrust her from the sidelines of the scandalous world she reported on to the center of one of the most explosive scandals in hip-hop history.
Straight From the Source is the Book of Kim, the tell-all memoir only she could write about her influential years at the Bible of Hip-Hop.

Genres: Music, Memoir, Nonfiction, Hip Hop, Biography

273 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Ryan Holiday · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had trouble sympathizing with, let alone respecting a journalist who created massive conflicts of interests by sleeping with the rappers (Nas, 50 Cent) regularly featured on the covers and pages of her magazine. Clearly the owners of Source were petty, ignorant, sexist and poor businessman. One of the only upsides of the book is seeing their empire start to crumble. That being said, the authors constant rationalizations do not come close to justifying why she woke up everyday and did their vindictive, pathetic bidding. As the Editor in Chief of Source for five years Osorio never once said no and apparently had no qualms about publishing work she was ashamed of. She printed pieces to get back at her bosses rivals, sold out friends, okayed libel and fired writers on the whims of her superiors. Never did she say "I am the Editor in Chief and I'm not going to do this" Ultimately though, this is a memoir and she can only detail what occurred -- which she seemingly does honestly and in detail. And in the process makes the reader wonder just how its possible that the editor in chief of a major US publication is able to write so poorly.

[Ashti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok now, Kim gave us a look inside the world that she loves---the hip hop music industry--- and takes us behind the scenes from a womans point of view at the "Hip-Hop Bible."

I celebrate Kim O. for standing up and saying i will not be a puppet anymore. She was at the Source during some of Hip-Hop's most pivotal moments and gave us some of the best writings on the happenings while she was there.

I loved the book, while i explored it, all i could think about was me reading the issues back in the day and now i have the real inside dirt to what was behind it all.

Kudos Kim O.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my own so it wouldn't be fair to review it. But I know you'll like it (wink)

[Safra Ducreay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do have mixed feelings about the book. It is compelling. There is a justified conclusion. It's even relateable, to both men and women from various industries. I just think it's a coincidence that years later she'd end up back at the magazine - albeit new ownership - considering all the turmoil and distress the name alone, The Source, brings. It's her own 'I will not loose' determination to succeed. Despite the unrelenting horror she went through under Dave Mays and Benzino's 'grip', she could still say she loved her job, and the false illusion that a six-figure salary abates any type of moral compass. I don't know what to say. Despite her love for Journalism, it doesn't occur to Kim to strive to broaden her editorial landscape and grow into writing for The Atlantic, or NY Times or The New Yorker or just to another platform, which means, as far as I am concerned, I am not convinced she truly values her quality of writing and its potential. An interesting read but also very very... exhausting.

[Lenette Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was one in a long line of "hip hop/music industry" memoirs that I have read recently. They all start to sound pretty much the same after awhile. Although this one was different, what set this book apart from the rest is Kim's background as a "real" journalist. I have a lot of respect for her.

I always knew Benzino was a skeeze and Kim did a great job of exposing the "craziness behind the scenes" that I knew existed at The Source. I had my own problems with "The Source" magazine in the past. The editorial and subscription departments come to mind, but I'm sure I wrote emails to other departments too, I just can't remember right now. Bottom line, a good read.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much respect to Kim Osario for giving voice to her experience at The Source...more vignettes about ongoing weed-fueled despotic paranoia (by Kim's bosses) may not exactly be the thing I read before going to bed tonight though.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's nice to read a tell-all book by someone who a) can actually write and b) someone who isn't afraid to tell stories that make themselves look less than angelic. I especially enjoyed the parts that discussed how Benzino ran The Source into the ground with his hubris. The many, many sections where Kim discussed the abuse and overwork were very, VERY frustrating for me. I wanted to shout at her, "Get a new job already! This is what your emergency fund is for!" But that's the sign of an engaging story, I suppose.

[Eva-Marie Nevarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kim Osorio wrote a damn good book here- I was almost unable to put it down. I've never been a fan of the Source for my own reasons and I'm so happy to have learned some of what was going on behind the scenes.
To think that Osorio had to put up with all of that, and so much more I'm sure, is crazy. Good for her for doing what she had to do and what she should have done.
I'm still a little bit jealous about the whole 50 thing though! :)

[Deashia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have only read have of the book and don't find it as interesting as I thought it would be. I actually got the book for only $1 at Dollar Tree so I guess I should have known that it was not that great of a book.

[Ciara · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have not red it yet

[Leilani Johnson]

DOPE!

[Sean Polite]

Great look at the dramatics behind the premier hip-hop publication. It's also a good study in the grit behind the glamour of writing, and fleshing out a career in urban music journalism.

[Eileen Carter-Campos “CC” · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the fact that she told her side and used her voice. She’s spot on when she said, “A job could never make me, I make the job”. Much success and keep writing your truth and using your voice!

[Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to give this 3.5 stars. Being a big hip hop fan, I was an avid reader of "The Source" back in the day when it was considered credible. I also remember several of the issues that Osorio recounts. I remember reading one issue and being angered by how completely biased it was, and how I believed very little of the information in there. If I noticed that as a high school senior, then I'm sure more dedicated readers were even more furious.

This book was great drama and insight into the world that "The Source" had become. However, it gets a little played out towards the end. It's kind of like, "Okay, we get it, Benzino was/is crazy as shit and ruining the publication."

The most interesting insights come from the personal life of Osorio herself, when she "dates/hangs out with" Nas and 50 Cent at very telling times in both of those artists careers.

Certainly worth a read, but don't expect a grand expose of catastrophic proportions.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides]

I thought it might be interesting to read a book by a woman who'd worked in the rap industry. In the end, not so much, at least in this case. It's too long on personal experience and too short on generalized viewpoint.

[Briana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this book because it was boring and it was too adult life for me. I rate this book as a D-. The main character in this book is Kim Osorio and she is a magazine editor for The Source.

[Nathan Rabin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Page-turning tell-all from former Source editor. Cliff Notes version: Benzino even more of a dick than you might imagine, Dave Mays sad, emasculated half-man.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast read. I'm not really interested in hip hop but picked this up because I am a magazine editor as well. So to me it was the behind the scenes editorial issues that have been most interesting.

[Al-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please click the link below to read my Book Review on MissAl-Leigh.com
https://missal-leigh.com/2016/05/15/s...