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Drum: EDITOR’S THOUGHTS
Editor’s Thoughts: Beating the Drum
“I was wondering if I could shape this passion, just as I wanted in solid fire. I was wondering if the strange
I was wondering if I could stand as tall while the tide of the sea rose and fell. If the sky would recede as I
J
ust lately some people have been asking me why we need a lifestyle magazine for black men when black men read mainstream
titles. Seems to me that’s like asking why we need a British film
industry when there’s Hollywood. Do I need to spell it out?
Drum is here every two months reflecting black culture, lifestyle and the rich duality of the
black British experience. Our core audience might be ‘discerning black men’, but we know
that background and gender are no bar to our readers, who come from all corners.
We’ve brought together internationally known writers and artists who cover all kinds of
issues, from the black Diaspora, to travelling in Japan, or buying a second home in Spain.
Our team includes Gary Younge, Amina Taylor, Bonnie Greer, Hattie Collins, Darcus Howe
and Jon Hill among others. We’ve already been up close and personal with 50 Cent, Paul
Boateng MP, Lenny Henry, Spike Lee, Pam Grier, and Michael Watson, and this issue sees
interviews with Beyoncé Knowles, photographic legend Herman Leonard, and Sir Bill
Morris.
Drum is not about race nor is it party political. The focus of our content is black culture,
but our appeal knows no such boundaries. Like our anti-apartheid South African
predecessor, ‘new’ Drum remembers that personal and spiritual development are as
essential as fashion, lifestyle and culture. That’s why we believe we can offer you much
more than our competition.
Drum is also unique: no British magazine provides specifically for black men. There’s a
huge gap in an expanding market place and Drum is re-dressing that balance. We want to
engage with the ethnic heritage of our readers, celebrating the rich duality of their origin
and Britishness. As black Britons we are increasingly affluent in the new millennium and
we need something authentic, relevant, simulating and different.
Of course we don’t want to just impose our views of what you want to read in Drum.
That’s why we’ve talked to a whole range of people, from street interviews and desk