Though his birthday is Feb. 6, reggae music superstar Bob Marley's
portrait adorns the cover of several March publications, most notably 
the
March 10 issue of Rolling Stone and the current issue of the 
British
publication Mojo. Mikal Gilmore's story doesn't contain any
information that a hardcore Marley fan hasn't read elsewhere, but it 
does
have a nice summary of both his biographical background and stylistic
evolution. There's also a discography of what Gilmore considers 
Marley's
essential releases included, although the decision to omit Kaya 
from
the list is rather debatable. Also, while Gilmore correctly shows the 
link
between R&B/soul and reggae, he doesn't talk about Marley's long quest 
to
get African-American audiences more interested in his music. That's
something that Marley often discussed in interviews through the final 
years
of his life, and he certainly did everything he could to reach Black 
fans in
the United States, from playing the Apollo to doing interviews on black
radio stations whenever possible.  The bonus comes in Annie Leibovitz's
stunning Marley portraits.  An additional interesting article is Neil
Strauss' profile on Dr. Dre's newest protégé The Game, though as 
expected
there's plenty of focus on his gangbanging past and limited examination 
of
the music on his debut disc.
    The Mojo article focuses more specifically on Marley's 
musical
evolution, tracing his songs through three specific periods they label 
"Rude
Boy," "Rocker" and "Superstar." While there's some inevitable 
duplication of
material in Lloyd Bradley's article, he provides a different viewpoint 
on
Marley as he spotlights his impact on the emerging British reggae 
scene,
while also examining the birth, growth and ultimate lineup changes in 
the
Wailers band due to conflicts between Marley, Bunny Wailer and Peter 
Tosh.
There are also two sets of Marley lists, one best tracks compiled by 
Andrew
Perry, the other a best rock/reggae crossover set.  In addition, 
there's an
arguably better commemorative article paying tribute to Sir Coxsone 
Dodd,
the reggae equivalent of Berry Gordy and the genre's greatest producer. 
An
excellent reggae CD also comes free with the publication, making the
magazine's higher cost a bit more tolerable.
    Vibe's annual March style issue has plenty of pages profiling 
the
latest in fashion, accessories and other items, but the most valuable
article by far in the publication is Elizabeth Mendez's extensive 
article on
domestic violence among rappers titled "Love Hurts." She's both 
specific in
terms of looking at separate cases and also analytical in exploring the
history and implications of the phenomenon. She's detailed without 
being
lurid or exploitative, and illuminates a difficult social issue with 
clarity
and tact. Unfortunately, the article gets buried on page 162, and it 
will
probably get lost among all the various layouts and spreads.  Other
entertaining, if less serious, stories includes Kareem Black's portrait 
of
Public Enemy Flavor Flav's excursion into reality television, and Rob
Kenner's look at the conflict emerging in Caribbean music circles 
between
traditional reggae fans and those who enjoy contemporary dancehall as 
well
as soca and more modern reggae.
    You wouldn't expect a detailed story about reggae and Rastas to be 
part
of the menu for the Jewish bi-monthly publication Tikkun, but 
their
March/April issue includes Daniel Siwek's "Zion Riddims," a look at the 
link
between reggae and Judaism. Siwek profiles Rastas living in Israel, 
reviews
the music of performers like Alpha Blondy and Grandmaster Yehoshua 
Sofer and
looks at classic tracks from such artists as Desmond Dekker and Bob 
Marley
to trace their connections and impact on Jews and Jewish culture.  It 
is a
thorough and intriguing work, one that doesn't necessarily make 
conclusions
so much as it spotlights an underexposed issue. On the lighter side, 
Sasha
Frere-Jones looks at the growing use of hip-hop and rap songs as 
ringtones
in a New Yorker article. According to her findings, currently 56
percent of all ringtones brought during the first half of 2004 for cell
phones were hip-hop, with the majority of users being under the age of
thirty. Jones spent over a year sampling polyphonics as part of her
research, and she also explains the distinction between a polyphonic 
and a
master tone, while also highlighting some of the companies currently
producing ringtones. It's both a fun and occasionally complicated 
article,
but one worth exploring for those intrigued by what people choose for
ringtones.
    Alicia Keys latest book of poems and lyrics is saluted in the
March/April issue of Black Issues Book Review.  This is their 
seventh
annual Poetry issue, and Samantha Thornhill looks at the rise of 
celebrity
poets, while Camille Dungy highlights South Carolina, which she calls 
the
poetry state. There are also reviews of several new poetry collections,
among them a complete collection of Claude McKay, a recent set of Sonia
Sanchez poems and a volume that examines Black poetry from the Black 
Arts
Movement in the Œ60s to the present.  New poems from Rita Dove, Kevin 
Young
and Thomas Sayers Ellis are also presented. Sharon Johnson provides 
some
historical background to the recent ABC and Oprah Winfrey production of 
Zora
Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God  and the 
magazine
also honors the 40th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday Alabama march 
that
galvanized the nation and led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.
Black Enterprise's March issue looks at the 50 Most Powerful 
Blacks in
Sports, with a focus on ownership and those empowered off the field 
like
agents and general manages, and also has an article on the recent 
purchase
of Essence by Time Inc.  Derek T. Dingle's article takes a
wait-and-see approach, quoting both those who don't see any changes 
coming
and others (mostly readers) who are skeptical that the new owners won't 
have
some impact on coverage and tone.
    Incidentally, the current Essence continues their campaign to
change the image of Black women in hip-hop with an article by Jeannine 
Amber
on how the images conveyed in music videos are hurting Black teens.  
There's
also an extensive letter from Essence founder Edward Lewis 
addressing
concerns and questions regarding the sale and whether the magazine will
change.  The cover subject is Gabrielle Union, who discusses a host of
subjects, among them the choices she's made in film, her recent 
marriage and
her decision to prosecute a man who raped her at gunpoint. Michelle 
Burford
succeeds in providing much than just another celebrity profile.
    Finally, Ebony's  annual Women's issue includes a frank 
encounter
with Ashanti, who downplays those inside and outside the industry that
contend she lacks real talent. However, she continues to insist that 
she and
Nelly are not having a relationship, telling Lynn Norment once more 
that
these are just rumors. That contradicts a host of other things that 
have
been printed in many other places, but at least she's being consistent 
with
what she tells the Black press. But more vital works include Lerone 
Bennett
Jr.,'s story about Harriet Tubman's lifelong battle with sleeping 
sickness
caused when an overseer hit her in the head with a two-pound weight 
when she
was 13. 

(Ron Wynn is editor of Everything Underground)