Byline: Ethan M. Stone
People have always been moved by music, regardless of time, place, or generation. For Kevin Small Jr., that power molded a vision rather than merely inspiring playlists.
With music at its core, SNAKE Magazine is a daring entertainment and cultural publication that embodies that ambition today. Many media outlets follow trends, but SNAKE Magazine is forging its own path by focusing on cultural analysis and nostalgia.
The nuclear power behind this is Small Jr.’s passion for music, a lifelong bond that began while listening to the deep sounds of soul music as a young person. In a recent interview, the SNAKE founder bared it all: his music appreciation and writing journey, and how both have impacted the early vision of the captivating magazine.
The Journey to Music
“My earliest memories of music would include heroes such as Donell Jones, Joe, and Usher, as I grew up listening to primarily R&B,” Small Jr. recalls. “Those were the beginning of the 2000s, which I call ‘the sounds of my home’ as early on in my life, my experience was often hearing music that was of someone else’s choice and preference versus mine. Even Lyfe Jennings, Jagged Edge, and going ‘cookout hopping’ hearing reggae were profound experiences.”
There was more to those sound memories than mere background noise. Small Jr., who was born and raised in the City of Boston, credits his diverse upbringing as playing a heavy role in developing his love for music, which extends well past R&B, yet is fully aligned with fellow inner-city consumers that look like him and have shared experiences.
Small Jr. says, “My family was all over Boston. I spent my toddler days living in The Wharf District. Yet, the early grade school years had the Back Bay neighborhood as my playground, not too far away from sites like Boston Symphony Hall and the Christian Science Center. However, the root of my experiences then and as I grew older were within the heart of the black community in the city, such as Dorchester and Roxbury, living and experiencing our culture, music, and identity that is strongly represented in the biggest hits listed in the signature article of the magazine so far.”
These memories served as pivotal moments in Small Jr.’s artistic development, as his schooling, enrichment, extended family, and even his early post-secondary education, helped shape the mission of this multi-dimensional media outlet: to build social power for minorities. These experiences set the stage for his future as a journalist and ultimately the founder and president of SNAKE Magazine.
From Writing Papers to Starting a Nationally Acclaimed Magazine
SNAKE wasn’t the first rodeo with writing or journalism for Kevin Small Jr. According to him, “I’ve been writing since I was a pre-teen with particular enthusiasm. One of my first published works was when I was about 20 years old for Suffolk University’s newspaper. I wrote articles about sports topics. I also was running a blog at the same time about semi-pro football players within Greater Boston detailing some of the struggles they would overcome and why they still play the game–like a tribute to why they do what they do and how they overcame circumstances, sacrificing to still play this game.”
Why “SNAKE”? Small Jr. explains: “It’s part tribute to Kobe Bryant, who called himself the Black Mamba. Building on that, obviously a reptile is physical, something tangible. So I feel as if it has great brand marketing potential as the publication grows.”
Right from the start, Small Jr. knew what he wanted to achieve with his magazine. “Around the early spring of 2021, I decided that I was going to move in the direction of publication management. A couple years later, I knew that I was going to start a magazine specifically focused on entertainment and societal progress.”
It seems Small Jr. has achieved this goal, as evident in the awards he has won as chief writer for the publication. In 2024, Small Jr. took home two Silver Davey Awards: One for the “Top 15 Hip Hop and R&B Songs List of the 2010s” in the Multi-Editorial Page category, and the other in the category of Individual Achievement – Copywriting for the entire inaugural issue. The first award is particularly meaningful because that “Top 15” list is what inspired the publication just a couple of years ago.
The Top 50 Countdown
Music has always been the center of SNAKE. As Small Jr. puts it, “We fully encompass music into our content as the mission states that we should. I qualified ‘The Best of Entertainment’ as a perfect fit for our countdown which I take directly from our tagline.” That tagline is the heart of every idea that comes from the mind and to the desk of the millennial magazine leader. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Top 50 Countdown, SNAKE’s defining feature. A passion project that evolved into a publishing model, the “Top 50 List of Hip Hop and R&B Songs of the 2010s” was born out of a concept that Small Jr. had long before the magazine launched.
“It’s a list I’d had for quite some time,” he says. “As I thought about new ventures and ways to publish the project, the idea of starting a magazine quickly came about.” This concept was swiftly turned into action, framing SNAKE’s identity with purpose and emphasis through its first releases: Volume 1, Issue 1 featured the “Top 15,” which then expanded to the “Top 30” for Volume 2, Issue 1, and finally, the complete “Top 50” in Volume 2, Issue 2.. The full “Top 50” List also earned Small Jr. a 2025 Silver Davey Award in the Individual Achievement – Copywriting category.
However, something distinguishes this countdown from the numerous music charts that are dispersed throughout the media landscape: the scope. “Our countdown is different because it includes music from a 10-year period—New Year’s Day of 2010 to New Year’s Eve of 2019,” Small Jr. explains. “We feel as if the scope of that makes this article and project from us, authored by myself, stand out.”
The countdown reflects the music that influenced ten years of lives, fashion, protests, parties, and intimate moments. It’s also quite personal. Small Jr. acknowledges that the list reflects his own distinct perspective on the genres of R&B and hip-hop, despite gently avoiding too much self-focus in the magazine’s debut.
“Every song might not exclusively be of those two genres,” he says, “yet must have enough influence from them to be selected.” The actual selection procedure blended evidence and intuition. “I primarily selected the songs with some conversational input from folks that I knew,” he explains. “Data-driven, yes–Billboard success, impact, popularity, and awards won were also factors included.”
The list isn’t just a nostalgic journey for readers. It introduces the editorial DNA of SNAKE. “The countdown plays a big role in the magazine’s identity as it supports my early goals for the magazine being music-centric,” Small Jr. says. “It includes dozens of celebrities in a very authentic way as we provide credible analysis and viewpoints regarding the artists’ song and impact.”
This genuineness transcends the national arena, as the magazine also highlights the local music scene in the Greater Boston Area through its online platform, The Scoop. In a world of glitzy celebrity spreads, SNAKE stands out for its community-focused perspective. “It allows us to connect with everyday folks with great ability and talent trying to make a name for themselves,” Small Jr. says. “We look for humble, thought-driven leaders in music who love what they do and see the importance of making a difference in their hometown and surrounding communities.”
For Small Jr., music serves as a personal compass and is more than just a subject for writing. “Music has had such a huge impact on my worldview, honestly, ” he says. “There is a song for everything: every mood, thought, season, and so forth.” He treats music as both a soundtrack and an emotional guide.
Drake’s “Thank Me Later”: The Eureka Moment
Several great music enthusiasts will talk about a particular original song or album that inspired them. For Kevin Small Jr., Drake’s “Thank Me Later” (2010) was an album that particularly spoke to him. He got the CD as a gift in 2012, so he wasn’t among the first to hear it, yet after a couple full circle listens, he immediately connected, allowing him to hear something more profound.
“It was this album that immersed me into the flux hybrid of Hip-Hop/Rap/R&B that Drake so notoriously revolutionized,” Small Jr. says. “It truly made me hunt for the influx or anything that made me feel closer to it, therefore expanding my musical interests. This is both as a consumer and as a ‘personal singer’ as my own vocal expression has always been just for me to hear. With me being my only streamer, it is even more important to find that sound and to get it right.”
or a man who would later launch a magazine devoted to music and its ability to drive community, discovering “Thank Me Later”was an eureka moment. One of the things Small Jr. wants readers to experience through SNAKE is that profound sense of discovery and revelation.
Looking to The Future
In the future, Small Jr. views SNAKE as a contributor to music culture rather than only a reflection of it. He said with a palpable sincerity and seriousness, “Sparking tremendous, culturally significant conversation and even interviewing Grammy-winning artists is something we truly aspire to.” For Small Jr., that final one is a mission rather than merely a goal to be met. “One of the primary sources of revenue for pop-culture magazines is those types of interviews, and building those executive relationships,” he adds.
At its core, SNAKE Magazine is a love letter to culture and music, dedicated to readers who gravitate toward stories that bridge social divides. In its most recent edition, SNAKE turned the focus to Massachusetts State Senator Liz Miranda with a cover story that provides a compelling look at how her personal playlist directly informs her legislative policy. This feature serves as a testament to the magazine’s mission, proving that profound impact is achieved when editorial discipline and personal passion collide.
This is also what sets SNAKE apart from other magazines in its niche. It’s not just a tribute to good music; it merges culture and music in a way that powerfully resonates with readers. As some have testified, “the articles really hit the core of the always-pumping heart” and “entertainment serves as a true plug” in its ambitious attempt at making a profound difference in the community.
Naheem Garcia, founder of NG Edutainment—an organization that provides arts and education for young Bostonians of color through film and creative projects—stated, “SNAKE Magazine is the new Jet and Ebony magazine. It’s speaking and representing our community with a conscious approach.”
According to Small Jr., the nationally recognized three-time Davey Awards winner, music is more than just a business. It is a foundation, a sign of strength, and an effect. “I want readers to find their favorite artists and tunes, learn about the local scene in Massachusetts, and continue to be inspired by music, always keeping that door open, whatever it does for them and wherever it takes them.”
One thing is evident as SNAKE keeps expanding: the beat never stops.