JJ Kramer, who is rebooting Creem Magazine, joins LaunchLeft today. JJ shares about the  impact of Creem Magazine and what it means to bring back the iconic magazine his father started in the 70s. He launches Zachary Lipez, the Editor at Large, who discusses his love for writing, music and even going into the office. Listen in on this enthusiastic conversation between music lovers about the history and future of Creem Magazine. 

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LaunchLeft Podcast hosted by Rain Phoenix is an intentional space for Art and Activism where famed creatives launch new artists. LaunchLeft is an alliance of left-of-center artists, a curated ecosystem that includes a podcast, label and NFT gallery.

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IN THIS EPISODE:

• [02:43] JJ Kramer discusses the void created when Creem 1.0 had its last print run in 1989. 
• [09:44] How the magazine and the creator, JJ’s father, Barry, are inextricably intertwined, and the desire to preserve the legacy. 
• [14:51] Bringing Zachary Lipez on as Editor at Large. 
• [17:10] Zachary tells how he began his writing career. 
• [29:53] The goal of Creem Magazine is to be true to itself and its readers. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• Creem Magazine is based in Detroit and focuses on all genres of music, making it a magazine for everyone.
• Creem Magazine tells it like it is. It embraces humor, clarity, opinions, the music culture, criticism, and praise of the musician or band.
• Detroit was and still is the home of Creem Magazine. It pays homage to its Detroit roots but is a magazine for anyone and everyone who loves music.

RESOURCE LINKS

Website - Creem Magazine

Facebook - Creem Magazine

Twitter - Creem Magazine

Instagram - Creem Magazine

Facebook - JJ Kramer

Facebook - Zachary Lipez

Linkedin - JJ Kramer

Linkedin - Zachary Lipez

BIO: 

JJ Kramer, Chairman, CREEM Magazine

JJ Kramer is the only child of CREEM's late founder, Barry Kramer.  After his father's death in 1981, CREEM was bequeathed to JJ who, at four years old, was named the magazine Chairman. For the better part of his adult life, JJ has been fighting to preserve CREEM's storied legacy (including an actual fist fight). In 2022, JJ comes full circle and resumes his role as Chairman of CREEM Entertainment. In addition, as a practicing intellectual property and entertainment attorney with 20 years of experience, JJ has worked with some of the world's biggest brands, influencers, and recording artists. 

Zachary Lipez, Editor at Large, CREEM Magazine

Zachary Lipez is a writer and bartender based in NYC. His byline has appeared in The Washington Post, Talkhouse, VICE/Noisey, Bandcamp Daily, Pitchfork, The Fader, and Penthouse. He is the co-author (with Stacy Wakefield and Nick Zinner) of 131 Different Things, Please Take Me Off The Guestlist, Slept In Beds, and No Seats On The Party Car. He sang in the post-punk band Freshkills (about which he wrote the Talkhouse essay, “Playing in a Band No One Likes”). He is currently the singer in two bands, Publicist UK and Telematics, both goth-adjacent.

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