Rap Up

Rap-Up

The summer 2008 issue of Rap-Up—which featured Teyana Taylor, Keri Hilson and Solange Knowles on the cover—was redesigned to cater for the aging demographic.
Editor-in-Chief	Devin Lazerine
Categories	Music
Frequency	Quarterly
Publisher	Devin Lazerine
First issue	July 2001
Country	United States
Language	English
Website	http://www.rap-up.com/

Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and predominantly features interviews with artists, actors and other entertainers. Issued quarterly, the magazine's target audience was the 14 to 28 demographic, although the demographic has become older over time.

The magazine's first two issues were one time deals, although Lazerine and his brother Cameron received attention for their age and white background. The magazine restarted publication in 2005, when it managed to sell enough copies to ensure future releases. The magazine is sold in more than 20 countries, and a separate handbook has been released, chronicling the history of hip hop. The magazine has been nominated for two awards, and is often referenced by other magazines.

Rap-Up was founded by Devin Lazerine when he was 15 years old as an after-school hobby; the magazine was an online compendium of hip hop news, gossip and top-ten music lists. After listening to the song "Insane in the Brain" by Cypress Hill at the age of 10, he wanted to be in the music industry but "wasn't able to sing or rap, so that wasn't an option". Several days after launching the website, Devin decided to pitch the idea of a magazine to select publishers; the next day, a publisher from H&S Media expressed interest in the concept. Devin worked with his brother Cameron to create the magazine, and decided it would be for a young audience, in particular the 14 to 28 demographic. The magazine's first issue was published by H&S Media in July 2001; however, the company went bankrupt shortly after publishing the first issue, which sold 200,000 copies.Rap-Up was resurrected in 2003 by Total Media Group as an insert in the magazine Urban Teen Scene. The insert attracted media attention—mainly because of the brothers' age and race—in USA Today and The Los Angeles Times.