Following a summer of rumors, an ownership change and a subsequent housecleaning that included the exodus of popular editor Mimi Valdes that has kept the fire of speculation fueled, Valdes' replacement, Danyel Smith, who was Vibe's editor in the late 1990s — inherited a lot of blingy baggage. We spoke with Smith recently about managing morale, the relative soul of American Idol and why "you want me backstage at Diddy."