Urb1 Changes Name To Sojones For Both Publications

Article written by: Rodrick Rainey
Posted on: April 23, 2006

Since 2001, URB1.COM, founded by the URB1 trademark owner and publication’s CEO Rodrick Rainey, has been the leading provider of Urban and Hip-Hop fashions content on-line.

Co-owned, URB1 Magazine, has been the leading print publication for Urban and Hip-Hop fashions content since January 2005.

URB1, founded unknowing of URB Magazine, took over the Internet and is a weekly visit location for more than 7,000 browsers daily on average.

URB1, an acronym for ‘One source for Urban Fashion & Trends’, has had a change of name recently after 5 years of operation only. The trademark and company founder has chosen to move into the name “SoJones,” which he feels is more fitting to the content and away from Raymond Roeker’s URB Magazine.

‘Its been a long time coming and really a new name was needed. I founded the company unknowing of URB Magazine but just realized sometimes you have to just be real with yourself and go with morals over industry taints. The new name is much more settling and pleasing to the ear. The jones set the trends and those SoJones are those trend setters. I feel URB1 was basically an outlet for so many trend setting designers, celebrities, and brands over the past 5 years, that the phrase keeping up with the Jones basically describes us. It was time for change and now it’s time to get focused and put the slogan in everyone’s head,’ said Rainey to a SoJones editor.

SoJones.com is the base location to information for over 50 brands both major and underground. Undergoing much construction work since the name change and before, the site is constantly feeding readers the latest in Urban and Hip-Hop fashion industry news, rumors, interviews, music videos, audio, and more.

Coining the phrase “fashionable music,” SoJones.com also hopes to take a new position in the online media market that allows new artists from all genres of Urban music to be heard. Already breaking three artists from his home ’states,’ the Carolinas, into regular rotation, he’s given artists Zay, Serethat Lishez, and himself ‘the Carolina Kyd’ over 1,000 plays each by page tracking estimations.

SoJones Magazine, formerly URB1 Magazine, will re launch under the new name with Apple Bottom and Vokal founder Yomi Martin on the cover. The magazine’s chief of operations has plans to re launch the magazine with a giveaway of some sort, probably related to Nike Air Jordan sneakers in celebration of the new name and his co-founded Shoe club, SneakerCut.com.

“There is a lot of change going on. I’m a hustler and leader by nature and I want to see myself on top as well as everyone else I’m involved with in business, because they too are entrepreneurs. I love the support I have been fortunate enough to receive from the public, the street, the culture called hip-hop and hope I can maintain every ones interests in the original projects I try to create.”

“As for the music, I’m 22 and have rapped since Run DMC came out. As soon as I found out jam box speakers could record your voice, I’ve been into music. And beyond that, the Carolinas deserve to be heard because it is home to the greatest struggles and talent in music. It seems the record industry forgot about the home of James Brown, the greatest entertainer of all-time. If I can put the states on my back and usher our rappers and singers through the gates, I’m down for it because I have to live with the struggle every time a young talent I know gets locked down,” said Rainey in response to a question of his ambitions with his projects.

Many supporters of SoJones have been logged into its fashion forum for over 2 years with the forum becoming a part of the daily routine.

SoJones also promotes Urban and Hip-Hop fashion models, having plans to expand their “model short-ports” page into other projects in the near future. Looking to do an artful photography project featuring models with rare Nike, adidas, and Reebok sneakers, the CEO of the SoJones.com site is currently scouting aesthetically appealing models carefully for the delicate project.

Brands such as Rocawear, Fly-Ooh, Baby Phat, Palis USA, Apple Bottoms, Chilly-O, Sean John, and many more can be found on SoJones.com with all contact information openly available. The online stores page is also a useful resource to online shoppers providing discounts on urban and hip-hop clothing to all that visit. The online stores page also breaks new stores to the existing crowd of visitors as soon as the site is verified.

Log into SoJones online at SoJones. SoJones Magazine web site has yet to be officially updated, but will be sometime in early May. For now, those interesting in subscribing can visit urb1mag.com.