URB
Encyclopedia
URB is a monthly American
magazine
devoted to electronic music
, hip hop
and urban lifestyle and culture
. Based in Los Angeles
, California
, the magazine was founded in 1990 by Raymond Roker
.
Publication of the print edition was suspended following the Summer 2009 issue (#158). Plans were announced for the October 2009 launch of issue #159 as an online publication, with further issues to follow, with the hope that the print edition would be resumed sometime in 2010. Roker cited a significant "shift in consumption and media habits worldwide, especially in the magazine market" in the preceding 18 months as a factor in the decision to put the print edition on hiatus.
The new 2007 version of URB.com featured a daily music and culture news blog, weekly CD and singles reviews, features from the magazine, and an extensive video collection made possible by a partnership with the online video service Video In My Backyard.
In 2009, a newly redesigned "beta" version of URB.com, designed by The Uprising Creative, was launched with a focus on timely content in a blogroll format rather than the heavily sectioned-off version from 2007. This new version of URB.com boasts over 10,000 posts, capturing the entire online archives of URB.com throughout the years, along with many of the newest web 2.0 features like share tools, RSS feeds, Flickr integration, YouTube & Vimeo Video embeds, audio podcasts, and content in 3 main categories - music, style and culture.
URB.com also distributes a weekly e-zine to over 150,000 subscribers. The site also publishes a monthly podcast
which features artist interviews and exclusive music tracks.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
devoted to electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and urban lifestyle and culture
Urban culture
Urban culture is the culture of towns and cities. In the United States, Urban culture may also sometimes be used as a euphemistic reference to contemporary African American culture.- African American culture :...
. Based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the magazine was founded in 1990 by Raymond Roker
Raymond Roker
Raymond Leon Roker founded URB Magazine in December 1990. In addition to being a creative director, Roker is a former electronic music DJ and club promoter. In the '80s and '90s Roker was a graffiti artist in Los Angeles, producing numerous murals around the city and doing commercial work for...
.
Publication of the print edition was suspended following the Summer 2009 issue (#158). Plans were announced for the October 2009 launch of issue #159 as an online publication, with further issues to follow, with the hope that the print edition would be resumed sometime in 2010. Roker cited a significant "shift in consumption and media habits worldwide, especially in the magazine market" in the preceding 18 months as a factor in the decision to put the print edition on hiatus.
The Next 100
Prior to 2007, one issue a year was devoted to features of "The Next 100" up-and-coming musicians. In April 2007, the feature was moved to the magazine's website and expanded tenfold to become "The Next 1000". Instead of featuring 100 emerging artists and groups in a single issue of the magazine, 20 artists and groups are featured each week on the website, over the course of a year. The artists to be featured are selected by URBs editorial staff and are rated by the site's visitors.URB.com
URBs online presence, URB.com, was minimal until a redesigned site was launched April 2, 2007.The new 2007 version of URB.com featured a daily music and culture news blog, weekly CD and singles reviews, features from the magazine, and an extensive video collection made possible by a partnership with the online video service Video In My Backyard.
In 2009, a newly redesigned "beta" version of URB.com, designed by The Uprising Creative, was launched with a focus on timely content in a blogroll format rather than the heavily sectioned-off version from 2007. This new version of URB.com boasts over 10,000 posts, capturing the entire online archives of URB.com throughout the years, along with many of the newest web 2.0 features like share tools, RSS feeds, Flickr integration, YouTube & Vimeo Video embeds, audio podcasts, and content in 3 main categories - music, style and culture.
URB.com also distributes a weekly e-zine to over 150,000 subscribers. The site also publishes a monthly podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
which features artist interviews and exclusive music tracks.