Stress 1995–2000

The magazine Stress offered an insiders’ look at the underground hip-hop culture of New York City, starting from the heart of the South Bronx—the birthplace of the genre and one of the places with the highest crime rate in the city. With a focus on the themes often overlooked by mainstream media, such as graffiti, police brutality, guns, poverty, and the realities of urban life, Stress addressed hip hop enthusiasts and marginalized voices of Generation X. From 1995 to 2000, the 25 issues featured interviews with legends like Raekwon, Jay Z, O.C., Ghostface Killah, and Rakim, capturing the essence of hip hop's golden era. The glossy pages showcase a diverse range of artists from various ethnic backgrounds—Blacks, Latinos, Asians, and whites—bringing album reviews, interviews, movie reviews, and DJ top ten lists. Stress was founded by Alan KET Maridueña, activist, graffiti artist, and co-founder of the Museum of Graffiti in Wynwood, and edited by a small collective of hip hop cultural workers and fans. In celebration of Stress' second anniversary, issue 10 provided an in-depth exploration of the New York City hip hop scene in 1997, a year of reinvention following the tragic losses of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. This issue highlighted the resurgence of the culture with artists like The Killer Bees and included rare insights from figures like Brucie B and Prince Paul. Stress had a strongly growing circulation that went from 10,000 to 100,000 copies.