Emil Wilbekin 420

Magazines, lifestyle, and culture are Emil Wilbekin’s passion. Wilbekin is currently the Editor-in-Chief of “GIANT” magazine. At “GIANT,” he oversees the bi-monthly publication, synchronizes the magazine with the website (www.giantmag.com), and develops the overall growth of the GIANT brand.

Wilbekin is best known for his 12-year tenure at “Vibe” magazine, where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 1999 to 2004. Under Wilbekin’s leadership, “Vibe” won the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 2002. In 2004, Wilbekin became Editorial Director/Vice President of Brand Development for Vibe Ventures where he was an executive producer for the 1st Annual “Vibe Awards,” oversaw ancillary brand extensions such as digital, books, and TV.

In 2005, Wilbekin became the Vice President of Brand Development at Marc Ecko Enterprises and also served as Style Guru at “Complex.” Wilbekin has consulted for a Microsoft website devoted to LeBron James, AXE, Focus Features, and Sean John. He’s contributed to the following books: Vibe’s “Hip Hop Divas,” Ben Watts’ “Big Up!” Jamel Shabazz’s “Last Sunday in June”, and “Kehinde Wiley Columbus”.

A graduate of Hampton University (where he has been inducted into the Mass Media Arts Hall of Fame) and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Wilbekin is also a contributing editor at “Paper,” “Bleu, ” and writes fashion articles for the MSN site The Daily Access (www.dailyaccess.msn.com). Wilbekin serves on the Board of Directors for LifeBeat: The Music Industry Fights AIDS and P.O.C.C.