(December 4, 2008 – New York City) VIBE magazine, the definitive voice of culture celebrates the new year with its highly anticipated 2nd Annual “Tabloid” Issue, which highlights the juiciest, hottest, and most controversial news-makers in 2008. “Rumored couple” Rihanna and Chris Brown grace the January 2009 cover as well as married superstars Jay-Z and Beyoncé and the “Hot Bodies” of tennis champion Serena Williams and rapper Nelly.
Inside this special issue, VIBE reports in an article titled “Secret Lovers?” whether or not award winning singers Rihanna and Chris Brown are “just friends” or an official item. Although the stars have never publicly confirmed their “more-than-friends” status, R&B singer and close pal Ne-Yo has said, “I’ve hung out with them so much that I know that it’s the real deal and they’re in a relationship.”
Perhaps “Chrianna” is following in the footsteps of hip hop’s iconic power couple “Jayoncé?” In a story entitled “Put A (Wedding) Ring On It!,” VIBE discusses their not-so-secret six-year romance and private wedding ceremony on April 4, 2008 in New York City. When asked about his marriage, Jay-Z says, “It’s really a part of your life that you gotta keep to yourself. You have to, or you’ll go insane in this type of business. You have to have something that’s sacred to you.”
Inside “Scandal in the Caribbean!,” VIBE unveils one of the year’s most explosive stories. In what was once seen as another storybook romance, Actress LisaRaye McCoy and Turks and Caicos Islands Premier Michael Misick had the blogs buzzing when their marriage crashed and burned. With the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee accusing Misick of corruption, the rape investigation of a woman in the British Caribbean and rumors of his infidelity, the bizarre string of events proved to be too much for McCoy to handle. After announcing their divorce, the story took a disturbing turn when photos revealed a deep bite mark on McCoy’s shoulder, received when she unsuccessfully attempted to enter their Leeward Mansion.
Unfortunately, the Misicks weren’t the only couple to make headlines around a divorce in 2008. In “Like You’ll Never See Me Again,” VIBE examines the rumors surrounding Grammy Award-winning singer Alicia Keys’ alleged role in the dissolution of über-producer Swizz Beatz’s five-year marriage to singer Mashonda. While Beatz soared up Forbes magazine’s “Cash Kings” list this year, his relationship plunged. Citing irreconcilable differences, sources close to the couple have pointed to Swizz and Keys’ close “working” relationship. When VIBE asked Mashonda to address the rumors, she said, “No comment. No comment says a lot, right?”
With VIBE’s special reporting of 2008’s Year in Drama, the Tabloid Issue also introduces the “The 80 Best Songs of ’08,” the worst looks in “Hot Mess!,” the best female booty in “Stop On a Dime,” the best male body in “Beefed Up,” ups and downs of the music stock market in “Brick City,” what’s hot in 2008 in an extensive fashion report titled “Style A to Z,” and much more.
VIBE magazine’s January 2009 issue will be available on newsstands nationwide on December 16. For more information, visit VIBE.com.
ABOUT VIBE
VIBE magazine is the definitive voice of urban culture, influencing global music, life, and style for more than 8 million monthly readers around the world. The award-winning publication is the nation’s leader in reporting entertainment, fashion, politics, and culture features for a multicultural audience in print and online. VIBE’s innovation, journalistic integrity, brand equity, and overall swagger make it the No. 1 reference choice among male and female trendsetters in small and large cities in the U.S. and abroad.
VIBE Media Group, an affiliate of the Wicks Group of Companies, LLC, is a leading music lifestyle media company that publishes VIBE magazine and produces myriad other VIBE branded properties including VIBE.com, V Hollywood, VIBE Yardfest, and VIBE Books, which published The New York Times bestseller Tupac Shakur. VIBE magazine was founded in 1993 by multitalented music mogul Quincy Jones.
