THE GUEST LIST section, RJ Smith, 47, IT’S THE HOLIDAYS, AND author of The Great Black we’re in the giving mood. Way: L.A. in the 1940s and So this month—aside from the Lost African-American landing two of music’s Renaissance (PublicAffairs), biggest stars on the cover— reviews John Legend’s new we got the right contribu- Once Again (page 165)…. tors to cover ’em…. VIBE’s Tim Lawrence, 39, pays former feisty “photogra- homage to Sylvester in “By pher-in-chief” Piotr Sikora, All Means Necessary” (page 39—who’s also shot for 174), while Tony Green, ESPN: The Magazine and 45, returns to VIBE to King—returns. Off to Detroit ^{All about the Benjamin} evaluate Dave Hollister’s he went to snap Eminem The Book of David: Vol. 1 and 50 Cent (“Family The Transition (page 169). Matters,” page 126)…. page 146)…. On the R&B Pete L’Official, 26, checks Senior Editor Benjamin tip, longtime contributor out Michael Viner’s Incredi- Meadows-Ingram, 27, gets Amy Linden, who writes, ble Bongo Band’s Bongo up with down South trap among many other places, Rock (page 168).... Not star Young Jeezy (“Powder for XXL and The Village a bad crew, and we all Burns,” page 138). BMI Voice, checks in with raise a glass to you. handled our Lil Wayne and Gladys Knight, Natalie ’Tis the season. T.I. cover stories earlier this Cole, and Miki Howard year…. Brooklynite Lauren (“Something Borrowed, Fleishman, 28, pulls double Something Blue,” page duty, first snapping Jeezy 134)…. For our annual gift and then handling photo guide (“The Gifts & The duties for our look at Curse,” page 88), photog Virginia rappers the Clipse team Asterism (Toshi and (“Hell to Pay,” page 140). Naoko Mizuguchi)—vets Gorgeous. She’s also of Stuff and SLAM—make Tony the best holiday picks even more picture-perfect…. And _Piotr Barron Claiborne, who’s been photographing for VIBE since 1993, travels to Hurricane Katrina–ravaged New Orleans to shoot our fashion feature (“Walking to New Orleans,” page 154). Associate Photo Lauren Editor/New Jersey native Marian Barragán, 30, was also in N.O.: “I thought I’d be able to relate on a 9-11 level, but I was wrong...peo-ple are still living in trailers, in front of their own _Pete houses, with no electricity.” Barragán adds, “With this ^Marian production, we wanted to bring a lil’ light to every-contributed to FADER, one’s situation.” Makeup Newsweek, and TIME…. artist Nicole Gaudin, 27, Steve Volk, 37, who covers kept the citizen models local crime as a senior wri- looking vibrant, while ter at Philadelphia Weekly, Fashion Director Memsor delves into Philly’s violent Kamaraké scouted the rap underworld (“Illadelph,” local talent, paired folks with great designers, and ran the emotionally charged shoot.… In our Revolutions

What if you moved to

another country, to live with

people you didn’t know?

What if you went

to improve their lives,

and in the process,

improved yours.

Would that be crazy?

Peace Corps.

Life is calling.

How far will you go?