By Vaneydie (Vanity) of MochaCity.com
It was announced today that Vibe magazine is shutting its doors and ceasing publication immediately. The urban-music magazine was founded 16 years ago by Quincy Jones.

Back in 2007 Vibe had a circulation of approximately 800,000. Yet in recent years after the company had fallen on hard times, under its new owners the Wicks Group. In February, it reduced its circulation and publishing frequency, cut salaries and moved employees to a four-day workweek to save money.

Steve Aaron, chief of the Vibe Media Group, sent a memo to staff member announcing the closure, he wrote that for months, the company tried in vain to either find new investors or “to restructure the huge debt on our small company.”

“The print advertising collapse hit Vibe hard, especially as key ad categories like automotive and fashion, which represented the bulk of our top 10 advertisers, have stopped advertising or gone out of business,” he wrote.

Vibe was infamous for their creative covers that always highlighted the best in hip hop and R&B. R&B singer Mary J. Blige repeatedly made the cover of Vibe, with countless articles following her career. Trio TLC were infamously photographed for the cover in firefighters' gear, referencing the fact the member Left Eye, burned down the house of then-boyfriend and NFL star Andre Rison. The first non-photograph cover of Vibe was an illustration of late singer Aaliyah by well known artist/illustrator Alvaro, this was Aaliyah's very first cover of the magazine as well. Other famous cover subjects are Brandy, Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Keyshia Cole, Lil Wayne, The Fugees, Eminem, T.I., R. Kelly, Michael Jackson, whom Quincy Jones' daughter had dressed in hip-hop clothes for the first and only time in entertainer's career, and Ciara who has also repeatedly covered the magazine.