“Hip-Hop Heads: Executives & Entrepreneurs in Hip-Hop” with Anslem Samuel, the Editor-in-Chief for The Ave magazine, returns.

After rising from Assistant to Culture Editor in the first two years of his four year stint with The Source magazine, Anslem has taken his momentum to The Ave as the Editor-in-Chief.  After just a year there, The Ave has already defied the odds.  Statistics prove that most start-up magazines never reach their first anniversary, but The Ave has already proven them wrong.

In Part II our interview, Anslem breaks down his job and gives hopefuls advice on how to get there.  

Chronicmagazine.com:  What does your position entail?  What does Editor-in-Chief mean?

Anslem: In a nutshell, I’m pretty much responsible for all of the content – approving and editing it.  I see every single piece that goes through the magazine.  I’m the top editor with Raqiyah Mays.  We do it together.  We go back and forth.  She gives her opinion on things I write.  I give my opinion on things she writes.  I also work with the research department.  Sometimes I have to reach out to get writers secured to do stories.  I take care of the contract that the writers get for their small checks (laughs). I also deal with the ads side.  I make sure the ads are in on time and check their placement in the magazine. I do a break-down of how many ads we’re selling in a particular issue…I also do these interviews and act as the face. 

Chronicmagazine.com:  So you wear plenty of hats.

Anslem:  Yeah and I still freelance write full-time.  There’s a lot going on.    

Chronicmagazine.com:  At what point do you get to have a life (laughs)?

Anslem:  (laughs) I’m looking to work on that this year.  That’s with all honesty because it is hard.  The Ave is something I do out of the love.  I love the brand.  I love what we’re doing.  At the same time, writing is what I do to stay alive.  I think with my schedule, it would be hard to have a 9 to 5 and still do The Ave.  I pretty much work whatever hours.  I can wake up at 11 in the morning and work until 6 in the morning.  Usually that month after we close is my free time to go get a couple of drinks, go out, catch a movie.  A month later, that time will trickle down a little and the month before we close, everything is shut out.  I just do what I have to do in front of the computer. 

Chronicmagazine.com:  In your anniversary issue, you have stories in there on child obesity, depression, Emmett Till.  Do you come up with the story ideas and find writers to fulfill those or is it the other way around?

Anslem:  It’s a little bit of both.  Writers hit us up constantly.  It’s hard because we only come out four times a year.  We’re small.  We only have about 81 pages.  We don’t have that many stories that we can assign each issue.  A lot of times our staff just thinks of ideas and then we find writers to do it.  So, it goes both ways. 

Chronicmagazine.com:  Earlier you said you’re not an industry guy.  Okay.  I’ll give you that.  But what do you think of the hip-hop industry?

Anslem:  The industry is a little shaky now.  There’s a lot of label switching and job switching going on.  I know a lot of people are worried about their positions, but musically I think it goes through phases.  There was a point when everyone was just blinged-out, flossy and commercial.  But there’s been a couple of artists recently that actually get some shine for doing things that are different like a Kanye West and people along those lines.  It just goes in cycles, but hopefully it’s going back to the good. 

Chronicmagazine.com:  Has your proximity to the industry changed your perception?

Anslem:  I think I definitely understand things a little differently…Some of the fan element leaves when that’s your job.  I used to write poetry and short stories, but now that I write for a living, I haven’t really done that.  I try to be creative in my writing, but right now when I write, I feel like I should be getting a check (laughs).  I don’t want to say I lost the love for it, but things are different now.  I’ll still do a friend’s bio for no money, but you lose a little bit when it becomes your job. 

Chronicmagazine.com:  Has The Ave met your expectations so far?

Anslem:  It’s exceeded them.  People come up to me like, ‘Can I come by your office?,’ or ‘You must be getting paid.’   No.  People really feel like we have a backer behind us because it looks so good.  I don’t want to sound conceited, but they think we have more than what we do because we do a lot with nothing.  I think it’s about having dedicated people on staff taking the time by giving a week of their life up just to get the magazine done – or even a month.  We put a lot of blood, sweat and tears in what we do.  There may be times when I’m tired and I want to go to a party, but every time I see the finished product I feel like it was worth it. The Nas issue was great.  And when I look at the issue we’re working on now, I think, ‘It’s going to be another great one.’ 

Chronicmagazine.com:  Have you thought of ways you want to improve the magazine?

Anslem:  Yeah.  It’s still a work in progress.  It only comes out four times a year.  We have three months to figure things out and make them different.  After each issue, we meet and critique it with the entire staff so it’s not just the four editors.  The whole staff is really involved in the initial stages – what they want out of the magazine, what they thought about a certain article. 

Chronicmagazine.com:  What makes Anslem one to watch?

Anslem:  You don’t need to watch me (laughs).  I’m not in it for that.     

Chronicmagazine.com:  You have initiative.  You’re young.  You’re black and I assume you have great things ahead of you. 

Anslem:  I’m the oldest of four.  The next oldest is 18.  My sister is 15 and I have another brother who’s 12.  So, I can see them watching me as an example of “a successful black man,” going to school, doing what he loves and getting paid for it.  But, I pretty much like staying under the radar.  With this job I can’t do that anymore.  I’m no longer anonymous.  Part of my job now is to be a little bit above it. 

Chronicmagazine.com:  Is that a stretch for you?

Anslem:  I feel like I’m a pretty humble person.  I’m not in it for the lime-light.  I wanted to be an artist initially, but I couldn’t do it – partly because I wasn’t that good.  Also, the artist is the one with the fame, but being known all the time isn’t that good. Sometimes the person behind them makes more money and no one knows who they are.  If I can make a lot of money and not be known, that’s perfectly fine with me.  As long as people who care about me and who I care about really know me, that’s all that really matters. 

Chronicmagazine.com:  What’s your ultimate goal?

Anslem:  Right now, I definitely want to see this magazine go to a full national, international level.  I want to see it take hip-hop journalism to another plateau and hopefully inspire other magazines to do the same thing too.  For myself, I would definitely like to do books, maybe work in Hollywood on some TV shows.  There’s a lot of things I could do, but my focus is on doing my writing full-time and doing The Ave – just taking it higher and higher. 

Chronicmagazine.com:  If someone wanted to pursue a career in journalism, what would you tell them to do?

Anslem:  A degree helps.  I majored in media, but I took a couple of writing classes. I think I have the innate skills for writing, but if I had focused on it more, maybe my writing skills would be refined.  So, going to school is definitely important.  Also, join the school paper to get some clips.  You definitely need clips to get your foot in the door.  Have a plan.  Don’t be concerned if someone doesn’t hit you back right away.  Do some things for free.  Do online things and eventually you can tap in.  It’s a matter of not being weak-minded about it. 

Chronicmagazine.com: Any last words?

Anslem:  The Ave is just a really great product.  I love it.  I hope that people who get their hands on it love it as well and keep on supporting us throughout the next couple of years – decades hopefully. 

Read Part I of Anslem's intervivew here