Any one doing what we do (Journalism/media for Hip-Hop Culture) should know of YN. Once an editor for the well known Hip-Hop Mag “The Source” and then taking over and elevating XXL to higher levels as Editor-in-Chief (only to have been let go in 2008). Elliott Wilson, now owner of RapRadar.com has his newest addition to news stands as Editor-in-Chief of RESPECT Magazine.

 

Respect Your Elders
People need to respect their elders in the game. Because my image is very brash and aggressive, what I run into a lot a lot of times when people are fans of my work, they’ll be like ‘Oh my God, you’re YN! You’re the shit!’ and big me up, but big me up all aggressively. Then they’ll feel there is a comfort level where they if there’s something they don’t like, they’ll come at me in a passive aggressive way like “your show sucks.” A lot of times people feel they can talk reckless right out the gate, and to a certain level you have a right to say whatever you want and everyone has their opinion. But I do think you should respect your elders in this game. You have to earn that position to really be able to critique other people if you’re going to do that in a disrespectful way. I feel like a lot of times I inspire that kind of energy where you are either fanatically for me or real critical of me and want to challenge me or engage me in something to get your standing. It’s still important to respect your elders in this game. You obviously want to reach certain levels that the people that have come before you have. That’s what I did, I studied everybody that came before me and respected them to a certain extent and I found my opening and my lane and worked hard to get to where I wanted to get. Because there was a lot more interaction with editors and people in this business, I got to have peer groups and mentors who could guide me more. Nowadays because of the internet there is less of an experience of people getting that kind of guidance, because the outlet is there to get your voice out so quick, people feel they are at a higher level than they are. I guess people need to take stock and realize they still have a way to go. Respect your elders.

(http://blogs.sohh.com/24-hour-grind/2008/05/former_xxl_eic_elliott_yn_wils.html)