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Andre Torres doesn't have a background in publishing. But he has passion and perseverance. So much so that he eventually learned how to run a magazine and evolved into the guy at Wax Poetics "who tells people what to do." Translation: He ensures that the Brooklyn-based Wax Poetics brand is fully enforced across everything that the company does. Everything comes through Torres at a certain point because he knows how things are to look, feel, and sound. He's the editor-in-chief, but on any given day, acts as creative director and publisher.

Wax Poetics magazine isn't for everyone. And Torres works hard to keep it that way. It caters to a niche of music enthusiasts and in any given quarter, it may feature Michael Jackson, Ice Cube, or Fela Kuti on its cover.  Since 2001, the magazine has grown organically into a multimedia brand with several arms including a record label, digital store, film and book division. The Atlanta Post spoke with the enthusiast-turned-business man about diversification, price points, and black music.

How did the magazine get started?

Initially, I had an idea for a documentary about beat-digging from a hip-hop perspective. The intent was to show this subculture as a larger part of hip-hop culture. It was important part of our history that was under-documented. When I did my research I found lots of legendary artists but not much information on them. There were plenty of books on Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones, but nothing that tapped into our world. So before the documentary, I thought that it was necessary to put something in print.  No one else was doing it.

Read the entire interview on The Atlanta Post.