By the time The Notorious B.I.G namechecked the publication in "Juicy," Word Up! magazine had alrea𝕴dy amassed a dedicated following of fans and readers.

Word Up! magazine was a monthly magazine dedicated to Hip Hop and R&B's up-and-coming prodigies, performers, and producers. Founded in August of 1987, the publication quickly rose in circulation, attracting a wide range of youthful readers and Hip Hop enthusiasts. Word Up! stood out from other magazine of its kind due to its emphasis on Hip Hop music and rap artists, including artists that had not yet made it into the mainstream. Features in Word Up! magazine (1987-2012) proved indispensable in both launching and propelling the careers of innumerable Hip Hop and R&B legends. The magazine arguably did the same for other publications as Word Up! preceded, inspired, and influenced the influx and growth of Hip ♕H🦩op magazines.

Rap Masters was the sister publication to WORD UP! magazine, with both magazines produced by Faces Magazines, a teen entertai🍌nment publishing company based in Paramus, New Jersey. Dedicated to rap music and the practitioners o💛f the upstart artform, the magazine helped to popularized MCs and DJs, with many of them eventually becoming megastars and icons of popular culture.

This collection of Rap Masters and Word Up! magazines from the '80s and '90s are owne🐼d by Kate Ferguson, who was at once editor-in-chief of both publications.

Provenance: From the personal collection of Kate Ferguson

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