MARVIN Magazine Issue 18: A Letter from the Editor
Photo by Hannah Sider
I first met Jason ‘iDK’ Mills the way a lot of things start these days — through a series of Instagram DMs. What began as pithy back-and-forth exchanges deepened into a meaningful conversation about life and culture. A few weeks later, I found myself driving out to his place in Sherman Oaks, curious to meet this singular individual. We ended up talking for three hours straight. No rush, no agenda, just ideas. I was struck not only by his music and the world he’s built around it, but by how many lanes he’s moving in at once: hip-hop artist, teacher at Harvard, fashion aficionado, thinker, and all-around very cool human being. There’s a curiosity and ambition to iDK that goes beyond the standard artist archetype. He’s building a universe.
We met up a few more times after that, and our conversations kept getting bigger. It was clear that we were moving towards a collaboration for MARVIN, but at some point it stopped being “let’s do a cover story” and turned into “let’s build an issue together.” That’s how the idea of having iDK co-edit this issue of MARVIN came to life.
Photo by Hannah Sider
In my entire career in publishing, I’ve never handed over the reins like this. This is the first time I’ve trusted someone to step inside the editorial process with me and shape an issue from the ground up. I’m genuinely excited about what we’ve created together. It feels dynamic, it feels new, and it feels very MARVIN.
I also want to take a moment to shout out some of the people who helped bring Issue 18 to life. Chris Ashworth is back to design this issue, and it’s a thrill to be working together again. Our music editor, Owen Myers, continues to help define the sound and spirit of the magazine. Visually, we’re lucky to have our circle of photographers — Phil Knott, Jesse Lirola, Todd Westphal, Guy Aroch, Chapman Baehler, Daniel Rojas, Matt Salacuse, Wolfie Kutner — along with new collaborations with image-makers like Jayson Palacio and Ariana Trinneer. Others, like Levi Berlin and our wonderful cover photographer Hannah Sider, have been introduced through iDK’s world. Their imagery comes to life thanks to the work of an incredible group of talented writers, stylists, and make-up artists who all poured their energy into these pages.
This issue is the result of a lot of conver-sations, a lot of trust, and a shared belief in where music and culture are going next. I’m glad you’re here with us.
— Marvin Scott Jarrett
Founder & Chief Creative Officer, MARVIN
