History of SuperFly Magazine, as Told by Creator Gloria Goldwater, Unlikely Hip Hop Advocate

SuperFly: My Untold Story of Hip-Hop is an interesting first-hand account of Gloria Goldwater’s work as one of hip hop’s more unlikely behind-the-scenes figures, who turned out to be one of the music’s most valued advocates.

The wife of John Goldwater, the founder of Archie Comics, Gloria caught the publishing bug as she became immersed in the growing music and culture surrounding hip hop in the 1980s. She approached her husband one day with a simple, but audacious idea.

“I want to do something that excites me!” I replied.

I could tell he looked confused.

“What are you talking about?” he answered.

“Well,” I said, “I searched the markets, I went to the newsstands, and I didn’t see anything regarding rap or hip-hop music. And even on the radio, you hear the songs, but you don’t see the people who sing them. Even on television, they don’t tell you anything about these people, and I want to know who they are!”

Then, I took a deep breath and said, “I want to start a magazine on rap and hip-hop!”

Paying no mind to her complete inexperience, prejudiced distribution spots that wouldn’t carry the magazine and ongoing doubts from her own husband, Gloria helped bring some of hip hop’s most iconic artists to American consciousness, including Queen Latifah, Big Daddy Kane, Chubb Rock and many more.

SuperFly: My Untold Story of Hip-Hop adds to the growing category of historical hip hop literature, with a personal memoir that expresses Gloria’s excitement and genuine love for the artists she was working with at the time. From the stories and anecdotes involving Big Daddy Kane, Flavor Flav and others, down to the story of her life before and after SuperFly, the book is an fun throwback look at an extremely important era in hip hop.

Following is my review of SuperFly: My Untold Story of Hip-Hop. Click here to purchase through Amazon.com.

From a perspective few others in the world could relate to, Ms. Goldwater opens our eyes to the Golden Age of hip hop music, as it grew from a localized sub-culture to a worldwide lifestyle and pop phenomenon. Her writing revisits her wide-eyed enthusiasm as she launched her improbable magazine publishing career, dedicating herself to a genre that was still unfamiliar to mainstream America and a wide array of artists who were just beginning what would become legendary careers.

Ms. Goldwater relays her dealings with these fledgling superstars in a personal, casual and exuberant manner that is both informative and enlightening. When many at the time saw these young entertainers merely as fodder for exploitation, Ms. Goldwater, through her magazine, looked past that, and helped solidify their careers, and as a result, the legacy of hip hop music in American music history. Her story is interesting and fun, and remains a vital part of documenting hip hop’s life story.

Click here to purchase SuperFly: My Untold Story of Hip-Hop through Amazon.com.

SuperFly: My Untold Story of Hip-Hop is a Birthplace Magazine marketing partner. But we would have told you about it anyway.