Inspired by the intellectual energies of the 2002 inaugural Words Beats & Life (WBL) Hip-Hop Conference at the University of Maryland, College Park and born out of the creative vision of Mazi Mutafa, Founder and Executive Director of WBL, the WBL Journal initially came to life as a venue through which the contributions of hip-hop culture could be explored within the Academy. The first issue of the Journal was the result of a call for submissions that secured contributions from notable scholar Mark Anthony Neal and internationally known spoken word artist Jessica Care Moore.

The initial goal was for contributors to be invited to present their work at the second annual WBL Hip-Hop Conference. Comprised of graduate and undergraduate students as well as distinguished University of Maryland faculty, the review board examined more than 100 submissions received from the United Kingdom, South Africa, Alaska and California. After the overwhelming response to what was originally intended to be an online journal featuring poetry and essays developed into what has become the WBL Journal, a vehicle to showcase graffiti, graphic art, photography, poetry, short stories, scholarly reviews, and essays in addition to music contributed to the Express Yourself Mix Tape.