Parle Mag

Long before Parle Mag became a digital destination for Black and Brown entertainment news, it started with a teenager and a stack of newspapers.

Kevin Benoit was just 15 when he launched The Wingate Voice, a student-run print newsletter at his Brooklyn high school. Two years later he launched Parle Mag. “I wanted a magazine that could speak directly to New York’s urban culture: to our artists, our stories, our voice,” he says. Inspired by legacy outlets like RollingOut, Kevin dreamed big but had to work with what he had. “I couldn’t afford glossy pages. So I went with newsprint instead.”

When it came time to name the magazine, “The Voice” was already taken (not to mention, trademarked too). So instead, Kevin leaned into his Haitian roots and chose Parle, from the French word parler, which means “to speak.” It was a name with both resonance and rhythm.

And it fit. Because speaking, authentically and unapologetically, has always been what Parle Mag is about.

Founded in 2004, Parle Mag started as a print publication before going fully digital in 2012. In its earliest online form, it was part of the “blog era,” publishing short pieces and mixtape drops with barely a paragraph of text. “It wasn’t the greatest content. Some posts were just a title and a video,” Kevin laughs.

Today, ParleMag.com is home to a mix of exclusive interviews, hip hop retrospectives, lifestyle coverage, and inspirational community stories aimed squarely at Black and Brown audiences. Its mission is clear: “To share content to as many people as possible who are interested in Black and Brown celebrity news and entertainment,” says Kevin. “There’s a whole generation of creators, thinkers, and entrepreneurs whose stories deserve to be told — and we’re here to tell them.”

Now, with ad revenue as its engine, Parle Mag has expanded far beyond Kevin’s early print days. At its peak, the site even supported a full editorial staff. Today, Kevin still works with four writers, a web developer, and a group of interns.

“Ad revenue gave us the opportunity to build a team,” Kevin says. “It allowed me to invest in writers, developers, and most importantly — mentorship.”

That last point isn’t just lip service, either. Mentorship is the throughline in everything Kevin has done, and still does to this very day. Inspired by his own journey starting a publication at 17 with no business role models, Kevin launched a nonprofit that supports high school students in New York State who dream of media and entrepreneurship careers. The nonprofit runs a scholarship and grant for New York teens and pairs youth with mentors.

“I ask myself, what did I need when I was 17?” Kevin says. “I needed someone to show me the ropes: how to pitch, how to build a business plan, how to find your lane. So that’s what we give these students.”

Despite all the industry shifts and curveballs, Kevin remains as dedicated as ever. “At the end of the day, Google’s tools (Search Console, Site Kit, AdSense) were instrumental in helping us get to where we are. They gave us the visibility and monetization we needed.”

As for the future? Kevin is playing both the short game and the long game. He’s doubling down on content and diversifying traffic sources — all while lifting up the next generation of Black and Brown creators.

“This has always been about more than just clicks,” he says. “It’s about creating access, trying to open doors.”

In an industry where publishers big and small face no shortage of challenges, Parle Mag stands as a testament to grit and purpose. As Kevin puts it: “We’re still here. Still speaking. Still Parle-ing.”