You can't keep a thuggish, bankruptcy-prone, Harvard-educated hip-hop mogul down. Six months after being forced out of The Source, Dave Mays is set to return to magazine publishing with a new title that's being described as an urban version of In Touch. Joining him in the effort are failed 38-year-old MC Ray "Benzino" Scott, his partner at The Source; surgically-enhanced radio yapper Wendy Williams; and Mimi Valdes, the former Vibe editor in chief who was canned, along with most of her staff, after BlackBook owner Ari Horowitz bought that title in July.
Valdes will edit the mag, which is tentatively called The Truth. The plan is to launch later this fall, according to a source familiar with Mays's plans. While none of the parties involved returned messages seeking comment, another individual close to Mays says it's a done deal. "I can tell you that it's not a hundred percent, it's a zillion percent true," says the friend. "It's confirmed."