Josh Tyrangiel is Named Editor of Time.com
To: Time Inc. Employees
From: Richard Stengel
Re: Staff Announcement
TIME.com has experienced a renaissance under the editorial leadership of Steve Koepp. Within the last year, the site has doubled its unique users and increased the time spent per user by more than 50%. TIME.com has launched blogs (with more on the way), harnessed the fine work of TIME's correspondents, created a powerful partnership with CNN.com, and is rapidly evolving into a 24/7 news organization. Now that we are changing our publication date and rethinking how we put out the magazine, I have asked Steve to come back to the magazine to help think through those changes. During Steve's tenure at TIME, he has excelled in all the important roles he has undertaken, and few know the DNA of TIME better than he does. We will also take advantage of his great experience and sharp insight by having him oversee our most important franchise, "Person of the Year," and some of our other annuities.
I am delighted to announce that Josh Tyrangiel will be taking over as the new editor of TIME.com and will become an assistant managing editor at TIME. Josh will be charged with taking TIME.com to still greater heights, further integrating it with the magazine, and making it a must-visit daily news site for our unique blend of breaking news and fresh analysis. In addition to writing and editing national and international cover stories, Josh has been TIME's music critic for the past five years and has proven himself a high-energy journalist who brings tremendous intelligence to his coverage of the arts and culture. Before coming to TIME, Josh worked at Vibe and Rolling Stone magazines, produced the news at MTV and received a master's degree in American Studies from Yale University.
Please join me in congratulating both of these talented editors on their important new assignments.
R. S.
I recently read Mr. Tyrangiels crit on Coldplay in the Arts section of Time June 16, 2008. I think he's way out of line
and has absolutely no authority to talk such rubbish. It's as if he had nothing better to do with his time then to bring down a band he has absolutely no clue about. I wonder if he's ever been in one?
Good luck that guy!
I recently read Mr. Tyrangiels fawning article about Lil' Wayne, who among those who actually know anything about hip-hop is reviled as an artist who leans on his producers and his instrumentals providing the same tired, and often nonsensical raps. The only reason other artists even collaborate with Wayne is to capitalize off of the fact that right now, he is the hottest rapper in the game. But as the 80's and 90's should have taught us, hot does not equal good. s, do not imply talent. Tyrangiel, though a seemingly respected journalist must have been high when the end of his so-glowing-I-might-have-been-paid-for-it article he compared Lil' Wayne, to Bob Dylan. I hope only, given Mr. Tyrangiel resume that this was merely an aberattion of thought; perhaps getting so caught up in the veritable flood of Lil' Wayne song that he just took the best parts from the best songs and thought that was everything. Because with the article he wrote about Wayne, he clearly hasn't actually listened to "The Carter 3"
-Evan McGrath
I will have to agree with Evan McGrath on this one. Comparing a whimsical rapper to one of the greatest songwriters/social activist of the late 20th Century is like comparing apples to oranges, as a matter of fact, the comparison is down right foolish and asinine.
Lil Wayne, a great music artist? No, great artist are acts like Beatles, who had to stop touring due to an over zealous fan base. The Rolling Stones, who still sell out arenas after 40 years of touring, and can make other's famous simply by allowing them to open their show. Great innovators like Duke Ellington who could blend many different styles of playing instruments into one great jazz work. Or genius composers like Rodgers and Hammerstein, who not only composed great musical scores, but also whose work lead to great works on stage and the sliver screen. Lil Wayne, on the other hand, is just a pop sensation who appeals to teeny boppers, club rats, and suburban kids who want to be "bad."
Why is this? because his lyrics are simplistic, have no depth, but his beats (which are almost always the same variation) are easy to "grind" too. If one wanted to delve into the relm of hip-hop (which I suspect that Josh Tyrangiel has no experience in, except for what MTV tells him) there are and were many rappers who have (had) far better lyrical talent . Rappers like the Notorious BIG, Big L, RaKim, Nas, Talib Kweli, Common, Krs One,and Mos Def come to mind.
All some of the most talented emcees (that is mc for you people like Tyrangiel) who in addition to displaying their excellent story telling ability and intellect, rap about real socially conscious issues.
Even if you are not into, New York and Chicago style of rap, there are still many excellent rappers from other parts, who skills can be compared to none. Tupuc is (was) considered to be the greatest rapper of all time, and others such as Scareface, OutKast, T.I. and Ludcris, can easily hold their own (and I have not even touched the great rap icons from the 1980s.)
All of these emcees have displayed far greater intellect and artistic talent (both on stage and off) than the little midget who obliviously does not know how to proper handle a firearm, but I digress...
The bottom line, Lil Wayne is nothing more than a "pop" act, whose music is popular because of the large female fan base, his "fake" thug image, simplistic lyrics/hooklines, and club beats which get his songs a lot of club and radio time (simply by the beats alone.) Because his music is so simplistic and his thug image portrayed so often, the young teeny bopper generation has seized upon him so readily. Therefore his songs, which can be compared to pre-k sing along tapes, have no real social or even artistic worth. He is simply another "pop" craze which people like, because others tell them to like it.