Black, White, Read

Source questions self

On an even lighter note (I told you to stop), in October, Ray Benzino, co-owner of The Source, plans to release a DVD to answer the question that has tantalized hip-hop fans all their lives: "Benzino . . . 'Monster' or 'Hip-Hop Savior'?" Magazine and hip-hop fans will recall that Benzino is the man who forced "the hip-hop bible" to live up to its handle, mostly by making The Source a non-option for advertisers. WWD recently reported that The Source had seen its rate base shrink by 10 percent—talk about driving the money changers out of the temple. Anyway, in the press release for his new DVD, "the nigga you love to hate" claps back at critics (um, me), listing the "Top 5 Reasons Why You Love to Hate Benzino":

1. He called out white America's favorite rapper [dude, no one told me Benzino was beefing with Will Smith!].

2. He's from Boston. . . . Everybody hates on Boston [no, everyone hates on you, Benzino. Guru, we love].

3. He's a black man with money [which explains white America plotting against Colin Powell, Richard Parsons, and . . . Will Smith!].

4. He's still making records . . . [OK, so you got us on that one].

5. He co-owns the number-one-selling music mag on America's newsstands [tell it to your advertisers].