In 2002, Vibe won an ASME Award for General Excellence. For magazine people, the ASME Awards are kind of a big deal.

Legend has it, the competition was close but one article, "Props: A Charlie Brown Christmas" captured the judges' attention and carried Vibe over the top to victory. Props was the last page in the magazine and it was our way of giving credit to a person, place or thing that had an extended impact on hip-hop culture.

I was walking back from the conference room when I heard the song "Christmas Time Is Here." Damien McCaffery was listening to it in his cubicle. Aside from being the research chief, Damien also edited Props. We both fancied ourselves jazz aficionados and we often blabbered back and forth about bebop and that sort of thing. The conversation to do A Charlie Brown Christmas for Props went something like this:

Me: Vince Guaraldi Trio? Damien: Yeah. Me: Fifth track on Charlie Brown Christmas? Damien: Yeah. You think it's weird I'm listening to Christmas music in September? Me: Nah. That album's a classic. You know that's the only good one Vince Guaraldi ever made? Damien: Yeah. Talk about a one hit wonder. What do you think about doing - Me: Charlie Brown Christmas for December Props? Damien: Yeah. Me: Good idea. You want to write it? Damien: Yeah. Me: Cool. I'll edit. Email Laura. Tell her I approved it. Make sure she adds it to the production schedule. Damien, great idea. You do good work.