As one music pioneer leaves us, another who helped chronicle the pop music landscape has also died. It was announced today that VIBE has shut down.

The magazine, founded by Quincy Jones, was the only music title, aside from Rap-Up, that I read on a regular basis. It was one of the first magazines I subscribed to as a teenager and remains one of the few I still subscribe to.

As a fellow publisher, I understand the amount of hard work and money that go into maintaining a magazine and the challenges print publications face in these tough times. I encourage you to support your favorite magazines. When you see them on the newsstand, buy them instead of just reading them there.

VIBE paved the way for many urban music titles, including Rap-Up, and did so with class and sophistication. The impact it had on hip-hop and R&B culture is indelible.

Heres to 16 incredible