As I’m sure you all have noticed by now, we have a newly rebuilt website. Let us be the first to welcome you to HipHopDX Version 8.
Six months ago, when we started brainstorming about how DX could take our online experience to the next level, we realized that the best place to go was straight to our users. You all had great ideas about how the site could be better, how we could bring you the features that you really wanted. We took notes, lots of notes, and we went to work to rebuild a faster, more modern, and easier to use website that was flexible enough to always let us incorporate your new ideas.
A Cutting-Edge New Homepage
When you told us you wanted more dynamic stories, an easier way to scan for the artists you’re looking for, and a better mix of content, we overhauled our homepage and delivered. We’ve got a new HipHopDX Now section that lets users quickly see everything we’re putting out, a redesigned sidebar that’s bringing more of every category (Audio, Video, Mixtapes, etc.) to the homepage, and our hand-picked Editor’s Choice items that users won’t want to miss – straight from our veteran staff.
Revamped Herobox
Our updated Herobox (the carousel of images you see on our index page) shows you exactly who’s making headlines. You’ll get a quick dose of our exclusive interviews, features, and award-winning editorials. We’ve also got big plans to introduce video and interactive content here, so stay tuned!
Introducing “HipHopDX Now”
Consider this your Hip Hop life-line. Everything that comes through our editorial desk posts in the Now section, including the latest tracks, news, interviews, mixtapes and album reviews. This visual experience gives you everything in one place, with an image-heavy presentation of Rap icons, and the faces to remember for tomorrow.
Rethinking Audio
For the longtime readers that come to DX to stream their favorite Hip Hop singles, we built out a whole new way to view our Audio Singles. Hit the audio singles page and you’ll instantly see which artists are getting the traffic, where the discussion is happening, and which Singles are blowing up right at that moment. There’s no faster way to see what’s hot right now in Hip Hop.
You’ll also notice our improved rating functions. From songs and videos, to mixtapes and album reviews, you’ll be able to get a greater consensus on what’s hot, what’s not, and how user opinion stacks up against our writing staff. How many people gave this a perfect five? What’s the average rating? You’ll get the breakdown right there, so you can really see what the people think.
Facebook & Twitter Comment Integration
We’ve also overhauled our comment system and changed the way people log in to comment. Rather than continuing to run our internal system and force users to keep track of yet another username and password, we’ve integrated with Facebook and Twitter. Now you can log in with your Facebook or Twitter account and post comments directly to HipHopDX. You don’t have to have an account with one of these sites to post a comment, but we offer the option to all of our Facebook and Twitter users.
You Spoke Up & We Listened
Admittedly, these are just a few of the features of the new website. We could go on and on about how it’s also built on a faster architecture, how we’re loading content and pushing media in new ways, and how we’re reconstructing our back-end so that our editorial staff can break the Hip Hop stories even faster, but we’re tired of doing the talking here. All of that can speak for itself. This time around, it’s about you, the user, and that’s why we’ve launched our GetSatisfaction feedback page.
See that Feedback tab on the left side of the page? If you’re ever on the website and you’ve got an idea, or something doesn’t work, or you have a question, click that Feedback tab. It’s a direct line to the top brass at HipHopDX. That tab lets you submit ideas and suggestions, day or night, on our new GetSatisfaction forum, where we hold daily discussions on new features and ideas for HipHopDX.
During our two week beta test (giving you a sneak preview of the site), we were able to build out new sections of pages and bring requested features live in just a matter of days, thanks to that Feedback tab. Someone would come up with a great idea on Monday, and by Friday it was on the site. Users are already sharing ideas about what new features they’d like to see, and we’re building them out just as fast as they’re coming in.
Update the mobile platform? Check, we’re on it. You want to be able to surf through pages while listening to audio? No prob. It’s on our to-do list. People are lining up to tell us what they want on HipHopDX, and then we just, do it. The site is about bringing Hip Hop to you, the user, so tell us how you want it and we’ll make it happen.
The HipHopDX staff thanks you for the success of the past 11 years. We wouldn’t be here today without your ideas, your encouragement and your (and and our) love of Hip Hop culture.
Here’s to 11 more.
The HipHopDX Team
Well done DX!!
Dx is wack
Should send them an email with suggestions on things they should improve so you will not think it is whack
We take ideas and suggestions all day on our Feedback site. Just click the feedback tab on the left side of the page, or visit us here:
http://getsatisfaction.com/hiphopdx
fuck dx yall new shit blows with the email everytime fuck you bitch million times
DEATH TO DX AND THEIR WHOLE GAY CREW
new site is ballin. nice work guys.
love these fuckass bitches below who “hate” DX so bad they come to comment within hours of this post!
eat a dick and die slow haters. keep it comin’ HHDX8
I think people kinda lost interest after that HORRENDOUS last overhaul. It went from being sort of professional and credible to more like worldstarhiphop…I don’t know if people will give this website a chance. Missed the boat y’all…
The new commenting system is gay now I got to do some gay phone bullshit just to comment fuck this at least let the people who had an account with you faggits to atleast use those again!!!!! Damn I’m so mad I’m going to post an angry face……….. Angry faceî–!!!!!!
Ohgreat,
Sorry to hear that the Captcha (scrambled letter thing) is bringing on the angry face. We started trying that our for users who don’t use Facebook or Twitter so we could cut down on some of the Spam that we were seeing.
Have you considered using Twitter or Facebook to post your comments? You won’t have to use the Captcha anymore if you do.
only thing i don’t like is that i have to scroll down more and click on more things, like to check if theres any dope new videos i have to click on the video thing at the bottom instead of just having all the new videos displayed
Hey Jack,
Michael, the HHDX Art Director here, it sounds like your bummed because of the way videos are displayed on the homepage? Should we go back to showing pics with the videos on the homepage?
Right now, to get to videos, you either have to select from the latest 5 videos in the homepage sidebar, or scan through the videos that are in the HipHopDX Now section of the homepage.
Let me know, and I’ll see what I can do.
well i think it might just be that the ad at the top is so huge that i have to scroll down to see the videos at the bottom
I like the new site. Great job on it. I have no idea why people are complaining about it, maybe they aren’t intelligent enough to use it or something?
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BULLSHIT!!!!!! The music player wont play here at work anymore. I dont know what the problem is, but…….. No need in visiting this site anymore if I cant hear the music.
My bad, its playing now, lol!
LMAO you gotta turn the speakers on for the sound to come out Lay haha comedy
Hahaha! That wasnt the problem tho…
We did have an issue with the audio player this morning, that we’ve been working on for most of the day. There are still a few users thought that will have audio trouble for a few more hours.
If you guys ever run into any other bugs or issues, you can always click the Feedback tab on the left side of the page. That’ll alert our tech team right away that something’s not working properly.
where did the album reviews go? I don’t like change but these changes suck so far.
never mind I found them. I just don’t like having to learn a new layout. Bah!
after leaving feedback on the test runs and seeing how many people disapproved because of the same reasons I had, DX still went forward with this new design. I love this place, but Dx has taken the first step to self destruction. Overwhelmingly intrusive design and consistent spam bar with even more adds than before. Guess it just is what it is and nothing anyone can really do about it. Do you guys’ thing.
Yikes, we definitely aren’t aiming for self-destruction with our new setup and design. We’ve really seen a rather large and positive response to the new design, but I’d really like to hear more about what you don’t like about the site and see if we can pull some important changes out of these complaints. The goals is to make everyone happy, not just ditch the people that aren’t feeling it at first.
We currently don’t have more ads then we did before on most pages, though we are showing new ad placements on the homepage. Were you talking about the homepage specifically? We’ve reduced the number of ads on our sub-index and article pages.
As far as the intrusive design goes, I’ll need to get some more details from you. The more specific you can be, the more we can do to try and listen and respond.
Thanks for the great feedback, hoping to hear some of your thoughts soon.
Good job everyone at dx! V.8 looks great – neat and clear design. The site is easier to navigate. The placement of sections like albums reviews, mixtapes and others is also good and intuitive. Enjoying the site even more now.
Rgds
Lovin’ Vol.8 Love the audio layout and the whole thing looks cleaner and runs cleaner then the previous version. Just don’t have a link to your damn shop on the background again!
its alright i like it
I love the new site.
The layout is clean, it looks real visual.
The news is easier to read..
Don’t change anything. Keep doing what you’re doing Michael .. great work! Way better than the last design.