Emil Wilbekin

Emil Wilbekin, born on 16 September 1967 in Cincinnati, Ohio, is an American journalist, media executive, stylist and culture critic. After graduating from Hampton University, where he edited the student newspaper, and earning a journalism degree at Columbia University in 1990, he freelanced for major newspapers before helping to start Vibe magazine in 1992 with the backing of Quincy Jones. He rose from early editor to style editor, fashion editorial director and in 1999 editor-in-chief of Vibe, and later led its sister title Giant. Under his direction Vibe won a National Magazine Award for general excellence in 2002, and he was noted for bringing coverage of hip-hop's gay fans into the magazine. He later served at Essence and as chief content officer of Afropunk, and founded Native Son Now.