Larry “The Blackspot” Hester was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he developed a deep love for hip-hop music from an early age. His passion led him to intern at a local radio station, the “Kevin Keith & The Dirty Dozen Show,” providing him with valuable insights into the music industry.Vibe Magazine Era: In 1994, Larry secured a position as an intern for Vibe Magazine’s Special Events department while also working as an assistant in the mailroom. Determined to make his mark, he swiftly climbed the ranks and, by 1995, became a Staff Writer for VIBEonline. His humorous online column, “The Blackspotlight,” garnered acclaim, and within a year, he was promoted to the position of Editor-In-Chief of Vibeonline. In this role, he launched one of the first urban entertainment news sources online and made history with the “East Coast vs. West Coast” cover of Vibe Magazine.Notable Columns and Contributions: “The Blackspot” became known for his impactful columns at Vibe, including “Ten Years Later,” which featured interviews with celebrities like Philip Michael Thomas, The Fat Boys, and Papa Smurf, and “Notes From the Underground/Subterranean Sounds,” which highlighted emerging artists like Talib Kweli and Three Six Mafia. Broadcast Journalism and International Recognition: Expanding his horizons, Blackspot ventured into broadcast journalism, becoming the American rap correspondent for several British hip-hop radio stations, including the Friday Nite Flavas hosted by DJ279, the Blackout Radio Show in Croatia and the Tim Westwood Show on Radio One. His distinctive approach to radio broadcasting earned him a dedicated international following.XXL Magazine and Beyond: In 1998, Larry made the transition to XXL Magazine, where he served as Music Editor. Notable works include the cover story on Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon the Chef, which became the highest-selling issue at the time and featured in the feature film Brown Sugar. He also penned a comprehensive feature on Ol’ Dirty Bastard and broadened the scope of the magazine’s “Eye Candy” section to include music artists along with film and TV stars. Digital Ventures and Entrepreneurship: Larry “The Blackspot” Hester’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to become the Editor-In-Chief of the start-up hip-hop website Hookt.com in 1999. He spearheaded the graffiti iMac campaign for Hookt’s launch and played a pivotal role in producing content for Eminem’s official Slim Shady World website. His journey continued as he became the Senior Music Content Producer for BET.com in 2001. There, he interviewed everyone from the music’s most respected legends and popular newcomers.Best headphones dealsRecent Ventures: In recent years, Larry has collaborated with industry moguls like Russell Simmons to launch the successful website Global Grind. He also took on social media awareness for the Def Jam Rapstar video game and led the Video Games channel of Complex magazine. Today, he continues to channel his creative talents into technology, video games, and parenting websites, including blackamericaweb.com, mommynoire.com, ozy.com, and his newly launched thealmostcooldad.com. Larry “The Blackspot” Hester’s enduring impact on music journalism, digital media, and entrepreneurship cements his status as a pivotal figure in the entertainment industry. His dedication to the art and culture of hip-hop continues to inspire and shape the industry to this day.Connect with BIG CED:https://www.youtube.com/@bigced328?sub_confirmation=1https://www.instagram.com/bigced328/https://www.facebook.com/bigced328https://x.com/bigcedhttps://bsky.app/profile/bigced328.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bigced/https://www.twitch.tv/bigced328