Smokey Fontaine
stepped down as editor-in-chief of America magazine to fill the editor-in-chief
position of mens bi-monthly, Giant magazine.
America,
billed as the first-ever high-end Hip-Hop publication, was established in 2004
by Smokey Fontaine, an accomplished author and former editor at The Source.
The upscale quarterly
was intent on capitalizing on Hip-Hop’s lavish terrain and was immediately considered
"the world’s first urban luxury publication."
"I’m so proud to have fulfilled the dream of America. [It] competed
creatively with some of the finest magazines in the world," Fontaine told
AllHipHop.com. "Working with entertainment’s biggest artists was a real
privilege, because like Vanity Fair does for the wealthy elite, America showed
Hip-Hop at its best."
The New-York based magazine was an oversized publication, platinum-leafed and
extremely glossy, an attraction to those in the music industry.
Mariah Carey, 50 Cent, Usher, Kanye West, Lenny Kravitz, Pharrell Williams,
Alicia Keys, R. Kelly and Sean "Diddy" Combs have all graced the cover.
America also covered actors, lifestyles, fashion, technology and other facets
for readers who "lust for the finer things in life."
Damon Dash, a former partner in Roc-A-Fella Records, bought into America
and Fontaine’s vision, but he and the journalist had a tumultuous relationship.
In September, police filed a report against Dash after he allegedly struck Fontaine
in a dispute about the magazine.
Now, Fontaine has
been hired as the new editor-in-chief of Giant, a mainstream publication
with a circulation of 300,000
"I appreciate all the overwhelming support shown to me over our six issues
and fifteen covers," Fontaine continued. "Now I move to Giant
and it’s time for the next big thing."
A veteran journalist, Fontaine has penned several books, including EARL:
The Autobiography of DMX. Dash, America’s co-CEO, was not available for
comment at press time.