A Cincinnati native, Emil is a graduate of Hampton University and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in New York City. He provides frequent expert commentary on music, urban culture, and fashion for numerous television outlets and programs, including NBC's Today, CNN, The Fox News Channel, BET, MTV, and VH1.

Emil began editing at Metropolitan Home, the Associated Press, The Chicago Tribune, and People magazine. He has also contributed to The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Emerge, while stringing arts and fashion stories.

He joined Vibe in 1992 when the magazine was merely in its conceptual stages. Since then, Wilbekin has advanced markedly, holding a myriad of editorial positions and editing nearly every section of the magazine. He became Vibe's top editor at 31.

Under Emil's guidance, Vibe won the 2002 National Magazine Award for General Excellence in its circulation category. After several nominations, Vibe bested magazines like The New Yorker, Gourmet, and Wired. The win marked the first time a magazine with a primarily black readership has won in the General Excellence category.

Emil serves on the board of directors for a number of professional and philanthropic organizations, such as, the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), the Design Industries Fighting AIDS (DIFFA), the Brotherhood SisterSol, and 24 Hours for Life.

A committed community activist, Wilbekin has also been honored with a number of high profile service awards including, the Pratt Institute's Creative Spirit Award; the Howard University Entertainment, Sports, and Law Club Media Award; The Anti Violence Project's Courage Award; and The Hetrick Martin Institute's Emory Award. He is also a member of the Black AIDS institute.