With All Due RESPECT.: 5 Songs You’ve Been Sleeping On (4/26)

Photo by @THEUALIFEATYLE

As you all may of noticed – or not – we chose not to put out a rendition of With All Due RESPECT. last week. The reason, you ask? Within the past two weeks, we’ve received not one, not two, but three phenomenal albums from Brooklyn torch bearers Stro and Joey Badass, and of course King Kendrick Lamar. Recently, Joey hopped on Twitter to talk about his disgust with this generation’s attention span when it comes to music. Now, I’m well aware that the attention span of this – my – generation is shorter than Isaiah Thomas, but c’mon guys. There’s no way on God’s green earth that you all have fully digested and accurately assessed these three projects. Stro’s Grade A Frequencies is a debut album filled with trial, tribulation and the realization of dreams coming true. Joey’s, ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ is simultaneously a politically charged middle finger to the government, as well as a testimonial from the those who are underrepresented, & Kenny’s DAMN. – surprisingly – may be the least “woke” of the three, but without a doubt offers up the best music. Whether you’re looking to turn up – “DNA”— wind down – “From Me” – or figure out the world’s issues – “Land of the Free”; there’s no DAMN. reason why you shouldn’t be enjoying the Grade A Frequencies put forth by these poets and feel like an ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$. Okay… That was corny. Before I ruin my cool, check out this week’s With All Due RESPECT. featuring The Underachievers, Las Vegas newcomer Rob Falco and more.

Photo by @noahwoodsmusic

Noah Wood$ – “Roaches (Feat. MadeinTYO)”

Checking in first on our list today is Los Angeles native Noah Wood$ and his soon-to-be-viral hit, “Roaches” off of his most recent project, The Hot Box. Featuring fellow Private Club Records signee — & noted Uber denouncer – MadeinTYO, it’s hard not to envision, “Roaches” being Private Clubs post “Uber Everywhere” hit and Wood$ becoming the next up in the crew. The track is carried by heavily tropical synths and drum patterns that instantly make you think of palm trees, Backwoods & California. Mesh the Venice Beach vibes with some hashtag worthy lines – “Can’t hold me back, say that I’m whack but I ain’t going,” & “Diamonds hitting them folks, aye” – and you get what could possibly be a Soundcloud summer smash. If recent history tells us anything about Soundcloud smashes – ahem, Mr. Tokyo – Wood$ should be in for some newfound fame. Check out, “Roaches” below and be sure to keep an eye on Wood$, as well as Private Club, who is killing it right now.

Photo by @JohnGivez

John Givez – “Cookout”

Sticking with the California theme, we head out to Oceanside, but on a much darker tip, for Southern California John Givez‘ sobering track, “Cookout.” Right off the bat, I thought it was brilliant how Givez let the Hispanic cats bring in the song. If you grew up in California, particularly anywhere near beach weather, then you know how crucial cookouts are to the culture. The Cookout, also a C L A S S I C movie – don’t @ me – is where all politicking goes down. Whether you’re grubbing, hollering at some hunnies, or settling a confrontation; the cookout is where it happens, and Givez captures this essence perfectly. When the cats at the beginning talk about how they’re mad for not receiving an invite, you can almost feel the tension rising before Givez takes over with his offbeat cadence and dark testimonies such as, “Niggas cheffin’ up real beef, niggas never gon’ realize/ Killin’ niggas that are healin’ niggas, it’s the main reason that we still die,” to the tune of distorted drum breaks and a chillingly looped vocal sample. Although, I’m not 100% sure that, “Cookout” will be the song to propel Givez to the masses, it’s the track the best captures all of the qualities and talents of an artist that I am 100% will be celebrated on a national level, with or without this track blowing. Peep the song below and be sure to get hip to John Givez.

Rob Falco – “One997”

Have you ever wondered what it would sound like if Tyler, The Creator, Eminem & Danny Brown babysat a young white kid for years and in that time nurtured him into becoming an emcee? If somehow those clusterf*ck of events occurred, they’d most certainly come out the lab with Las Vegas native Rob Falco. Now, I’m not saying Falco is currently on par with any of those greats, but if his newest track, “One997” – an ode to a more simple time, with better fits — is any indication, he may not be as far off as we thought. Coming in off of his recently released, Takis EP, the WADR veteran showcases his ability as a wordsmith, and then some. Whether it’s the quirky wordplay, “Dark man baby, no light/ tryna get the whole pizza no slice,” or his woes disguised as boasts, “All I do is smoke weed, I don’t make no friends,” Falco leaves you with many expamples why his Takis EP should be played at high levels. Check out the track, highlighted by a onslaught of crazy bars draped in an even wilder cadence from 1:16-1:27, below and be sure to give his EP a listen.

Photo by @DonKrez_

Don Krez – “FRONTLINE (Feat. Pouya, Issa Gold & Getter)”

Look, unless you’ve been under a rock lately, you’ve heard about the scene bubbling out of Florida, particuluarly the south. Granted, you might’ve been put on to the area due to some negative news surrounding it’s biggest star, XXXTENTACION, but he’s far from the only attraction down south. Miami DJ/Producer Don Krez, who is firmly apart of this movement, seems to have his ear to the streets though as he recruits South FLA staple, Pouya as well as Issa Gold and Getter for the action packed, “FRONTLINE.” Set to the backdrop of HEEEEEEAVY synths and explosive sounds, Issa & Pouya effortlessly trade bars with one another on this track in a way that can make you forget they’re both part of groups in hopes that they start their own. “This fame started with fake/ no conversation less niggas eating like 30k over date/ no Grammy nomination but nigga my hotline ringing like Drake,” rhymes UA’s Issa Gold on the final verse while Pouya opens it up with his signature cadence, firing off bars like, “Don’t need no one to defend me, my soul is feeling real empty/ these hoes don’t make me too happy/ but I’ll f*ck ’em anyway.” With productions like this under his belt, expect for Don Krez to enter the upper echelon of the DJ pyramid sooner rather than later. The Miami native is already getting set to headline a Las Vegas festival. Check out the track below and remember where you heard it first.

The Underachievers – “Cobra Clutch”

You know, listening to “FRONTLINE” got me to thinking. “Wow, Issa is killing this sh*t. Wait! What’s up with UA?” After releasing last year’s, It Happened in Flatbush, The Underachievers stayed relatively quiet for most of late 2016 and early 2017. Or so I thought. A quick visit to the Beastcoast duo’s Twitter page led me to the release of two singles, “Gotham Nights” and “Cobra Clutch“, both in preparation of their new album, Renissance coming later in 2017. The latter, is a scathing yet easily enjoyable song that feels like authentic New York. This track sounds like if Fast & Furious made another movie in New York, but made The Rock wear Timberlands and let Joey Bada$$ replace Ludacris. AK & Issa go tic for tac, with AK showcasing a more progressed and in pocket flow than in previous works, while Issa plays the role of verbal acrobat, kicking off bar after bar. The underground legends followed up the two singles with the recent released, “Head Right,” keeping the momentum going in anticipation for the album. Check out the ode to the classic wrestling move below and be sure to pre order Renissance, which is slated to be out May 19th.