In August 1997,
Harris Publications released the first issue of
XXL. It featured rappers
Jay-Z and
Master P on a double cover. In December 2006,
XXL took over the struggling hip-hop producer and DJ magazine
Scratch (another publication owned by Harris Publications), re-branding it as
XXL Presents Scratch Magazine. However
Scratch shut down less than a year later in September 2007. Other titles with limited runs have been launched under the
XXL brand, including
Hip-Hop Soul,
Eye Candy and
Shade 45.
XXL has released many other special projects, including tour programs, mixtapes, and exclusive DVDs.
XXL also maintains a popular website, which provides daily hip-hop news, original content, and content from the magazine. In 2014,
Townsquare Media acquired
XXL,
King and
Antenna from Harris Publications. On October 14, 2014, Townsquare announced it would continue print publication of
XXL. In December 2014 the company reported that the magazine would be published on a quarterly basis. and Datwon Thomas (former editor-in-chief of
King). In May 2009, Datwon Thomas resigned from
XXL and executive editor Vanessa Satten, who had been with
XXL since 1998, was named the new editor-in-chief.
Special releases The magazine commissioned
A Great Day in Hip Hop, which is a black-and-white photograph of over 200 hip-hop artists and producers in
Harlem, New York, taken by photographer
Gordon Parks on September 29, 1998. It was commissioned by the magazine as a homage to
Art Kane's
A Great Day in Harlem, photographed in 1958. In August 2005,
Eminem and
XXL teamed up to release a special issue titled
XXL Presents Shade 45, designed to simultaneously give maximum exposure to his radio station
Shade 45, the station's associated radio DJs, the
Shady Records label as a whole, and
G-Unit Records' artists.
XXL executive publisher Jonathan Rheingold stated that typically magazines based around particular artists were not favorable, but "since Shade 45 is a truly authentic and uncensored rap radio channel, the marriage with the
XXL brand made sense," feeling that it would interest rap fans. In September 2006,
XXL released a 90-minute DVD titled
XXL DVD Magazine Vol. 1, which featured exclusive interviews and content with rappers such as
50 Cent,
Ice Cube,
Fat Joe,
Paul Wall, and
Mike Jones. In November 2008,
XXL released
XXL Raps Volume 1, which included music from 50 Cent,
G-Unit,
Common,
Jim Jones, and
Fabolous. On August 20, 2013,
XXL marked its sixteenth anniversary by releasing its 150th issue, which featured the first solo cover on the magazine from
Drake, along with rappers such as
Kendrick Lamar and
B.o.B reviewing classic albums. ==Annual Freshman Class list==