Phocuz & J-Mac Examine Despair Via Marginalization In 'P.O.M.E / Money' | #TheAltWithMel - RESPECT.

With civil unrest around the world, the recent killings of unarmed Black people at the hands of law enforcement have undoubtedly catapulted the topics of systemic racism and white privilege to the forefront of public discourse.

Hailing from the confederate birth state of George Floyd, North Carolina, the duo consisting of rapper Phocuz and producer J-Mac have decided to add to the global conversation by examining the life and desperation of marginalized people in the official music video for their dual single “P.O.M.E (Product of My Environment)” / “Money”.

Recently released on YouTube, the two singles are intertwined in the Jungle Jim & Haleema Manzur directed video to chronicle the life of a Black kid who, in the midst of making the most of the disenfranchisement he was born into, loses his innocence to the drug business.

“P.O.M.E” addresses the prison-industrial complex (“USA gettin’ high while they book us and shoot the five…”) and speaks to the resilience of the human spirit (“they tried to bury us deep, we grew us money trees”), while “Money” addresses how the lack of access to wealth emboldens the nothing-to-lose mentality of a disenfranchised and marginalized community. The two are inextricably linked and give insight to the desperate motive behind looting or selling drugs.

Vibes R. Eternal 1.5

Phocuz has made a great amount of progress thus far in his rap career. He’s been able to work with has producer 9th Wonder and longtime friend Swift of Akon’s Konvikt Record Label. J-Mac has been doing just as well earning production credits on work by Snoop Dogg, Ghostface Killah, G-Unit, Cyhi The Prynce, Sean Price, Vado, Flip and Chinx, Yung Berg, and more. J-Mac’s work has also landed on ESPN and NBC Sports.

The songs originate from the E.P. the duo will release on July 3rd, titled ‘Vibes R Eternal 1.5′. It’ll be their second project together, with the first being their collaborative album ‘Vibez R Eternal’ in 2017. In the midst of everything going on, this E.P. release will certainly be a breathe of fresh air for a lot of us.

Don’t let this moment slip by you without having done anything. Use the momentum we have and turn this into a movement to make a batter world. And while you’re at it, use these two tracks, and the E.P., as theme songs to keep you going.

Make sure to keep checking back to RESPECT.Mag for more on #TheAltWithMel news!

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#J-Mac #Jungle Jim & Haleema Manzur #Melvin Taylor II #P.O.M.E (Product of My Environment)" / "Mo #Phocuz #TheAltWithMel #Vibes R Eternal 1.5 #Vibez R Eternal

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Melvin Taylor II

Melvin Taylor II is a writer, producer, host, actor, and Chicago native living the New York City dream. He studied education and journalism at Knox College and writing at the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) New York and The Magnet Theater. His writing is grounded in the experiences of being from the south side of Chicago while also juggling careers there and in the Big Apple for multiple years. He currently hosts his radio show #TheAltWithMel on WHCR 90.3FM-NY every Monday night at 11:55pm EST. Additionally, his weekly YouTube videos have garnered over 2 million views. You can find him monthly at The Magnet Theater and UCB-NY performing improv and sketch comedy or writing for RESPECT Magazine. Find him everywhere: @MelvinTaylorii