Tobe Nwigwe Graces First-Ever Digital Cover of Newly Relaunched ‘Ebony’ Mag

Tobe Nwigwe Graces First-Ever Digital Cover of Newly Relaunched ‘Ebony’ Mag

ICONIC EBONY MAGAZINE today relaunched its website with a new look — and a special digital cover featuring Houston rapper Tobe Nwigwe, who graced the cover of CityBook's Music Issue in 2017. Ebony has been a leading voice in Black culture for 75 years.


The cover shoot, featuring Nwigwe and his wife Fat along with their producer LaNell Grant, took place at the Houston Botanical Gardens, which happens to be the setting for Nwigwe's new music video for "Tundah Fivah." The shoot also served as a sneak peek of Nwigwe's new clothing line, Chukwu, as all three subjects donned mint-green attire from the forthcoming release. On set, Houstonians Cary Fagan, who has also collaborated with Solange, and videographer Justin Stewart helped produce.

Inside the digital edition, Nwigwe and Fat, parents to two young daughters, reveal that their third child — whose expected arrival was announced in a viral video a few weeks ago — will be a son. "Surely he'll be just like his daddy," the Nigerian-American rapper told Ebony. Writer Miles Marshall Lewis also got Nwigwe chatting about artistic expression and Black love; other highlights include further exploration of Houston's "burgeoning Black creatives scene" and "how independent artists are becoming the future of the industry."

"In recognizing [our brand's] milestone moment as well as Black Music Month and Father's Day, we wanted to make sure that the June cover encapsulates the celebration of Blackness and innovation," said Marielle Bobo, Editor-in-Chief and Senior Vice President of Programming, in a statement. "Tobe Nwigwe is one of the most exciting artists that we have come across in decades. He is the embodiment of Black creativity and expression, Black unity and the importance of the Black family."

Art + Entertainment
Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

Keep Reading Show less

The patio at Heights & Co.

IT'S ALMOST TIME for summer vacations, but Heights & Co. is offering escapes on its newly redecorated patio in the form of wine and movie nights — no passport needed! Visit France, Italy, Greece, Spain, and more through wine pairings and tasting menus, all complemented by movies set in each location.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

Ally Shell and Martijn van Koolwijk

BLAME IT ON the Moon! Mercury Chamber Orchestra’s 2025 gala at the Thompson hotel — themed “Moonlight Serenade and chaired by Ally Shell and Martijn Van Koolwijk — was a night of glamour and big band vibes, raising more than $350,000 for the company.

Keep Reading Show less
Art+Culture