“I live by the Einstein-ian philosophy that ‘Common sense is just a collection of prejudices.’ No one really has it figured out, and it’s time to break some rules,” says alternative R&B artist sobhhï, who counts Dubai, San Francisco, and Los Angeles as his home bases.

The vocalist, songwriter, and producer welcomes us to his world via a series of color-themed EPs, brimming with songs that envelop the listener in a nocturnal playground of romance, mystery, intimacy, and self-revelation. It’s an aesthetic that is intriguingly layered. Vocal melodies captivate with dark beauty. Lyrics are both brainy and unabashedly emotional, and the tracks’ subtly lush production vision and compositional sense reveal a sophisticated, music theory-informed artistic perspective.

sobhhï has earned favorable comparisons to such diverse artists as Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, and Drake. He writes every lyric; thoughtfully composes each track; and engineers and mixes each recording. This well-defined artistry extends to his album covers which he also creates, calling upon his gifted visual sensibility as a fashion and street photographer for design inspiration.

Smoldering in the silken grooves of this distinct R&B is a fiery artistic drive. “Music was not a choice I made later in life, it was always the grand objective,” sobhhï says. It’s a destiny that he was born into. Fifty years ago, his immigrant father first set foot in the US with only a few dollars in his pocket and a full-bright scholarship to earn a PhD in accounting. Marginalized by racial profiling and glass-ceiling economics, sobhhï’s father was conditioned not to take risks. This fierce notion of self-preservation was handed down. “His risk aversion became so deeply ingrained in who he is that, growing up, I was discouraged from any type of entrepreneurship, any risky attire or accessories, any form of self-expression, including music,” sobhhï reveals.

However, as early as age 7, sobhhï began to show promise as a creative when he began composing his first pieces. By age 13, he picked up the art of mixing and mastering, and, two years later, taught himself music theory fundamentals.

sobhhï announced his arrival as an artist in November, 2017 with the 5-track RED I EP, a collection of wildly imaginative nighttime R&B, featuring cleverly impactful arrangements interwoven with subtle transitions and asides. The release’s spellbinding allure captivated listeners, putting it into the iTunes top 200 for the R&B genre—a remarkable feat for an indie artist. sobhhï will follow this EP up with a series of carefully crafted and themed EPs, expanding on the color-palette motif, and exploring dreamy R&B, rugged hip-hop, and bedroom soul. These EPs will be titled RED II, PURPLE I, and WHITE I, and issued throughout 2018.

We now have sobhhï’s latest self-produced single, “roll thru” which serves as a single from PURPLE I. Featuring California artist/producer, Nivo, Sobhhï effortlessly juggles rapping and singing on this soothing offering. Stream the track below and support on iTunes here.

The post Dubai Singer, Sobhhï, Delivers His Latest Release, “Roll Thru” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Image provided by To Da Bank ENT.

Billy Bank$ is a 21-year-old recording artist born in the Dominican Republic, but raised in South Jamaica Queens. At first, living in NYC was a culture shock but Billy and his family knew they had to adapt to life in the concrete jungle quickly. In NYC, Billy learned that he would need to hustle hard to make it out of his gritty environment. Often mistaken for a professional ball player, Billy stands at 6’8 feet tall. Prior to making music consistently Billy was mostly known for being the kid from the hood talented at basketball.

Billy Bank$ is now the front-running artist of To Da Bank ENT., which consists of founding members Devon “POP” Jack, Dion “FIF” Thompson, and Tyquan “QUAN’ Johnson. To date, “2 Door” is one of Billy’s most popular songs, and perfectly captures his care-free, yet candid style of music. Billy Bank$ has been firing off music videos consistently over the last year, and is gearing up fans for his debut body of work, as well as collaborative releases with his team.

RESPECT. had an opportunity to speak with Billy Bank$ about growing up in New York, early inspirations, and Latinos in Hip-Hop. Read our interview below.

How do you think growing up in New York is different from other places?

Growing up in NYC was a culture shock coming from D.R at first but I adapted quick. I felt like I was thrown in the jungle with nothing to eat and I had to find my way but it was the best thing that happened to me. Nothing is given in this city.. you gotta take it. The hustle is 1000x crazier here so anywhere else I go I feel like I have the upper hand to be honest. Nothing in New York is sugar coated. If its wack, its wack… the crowds at the shows will let you know, even the girls the city is different because its so fast paced that you’ll be 21 years old and have lived the life of a 45 year old. Real talk the kids definitely grow up quick out here!

Is there a song right now that you’ve had heavy in rotation?

Right now I’ve been playing a lot of my own music. My new single “Watchin me” is in heavy rotation.

Was there a specific Hip-Hop song you listened to early on that inspired your rap career?

A Milli by Lil Wayne is probably one of my favorite songs of all time. It definitely inspired me to really take rap serious and see what I can bring to the game.

For someone that’s never heard your music – what song of yours would you recommend they listen to first? Why?

I would recommend my single “get you some.” One of the main reasons why is because the reactions I get from my fans.. I feel like everyone loves the track the same way I do. It’s upbeat, and catchy.

Cardi B has had an impressive run since her breakout single “Bodak Yellow” released. Do you foresee more Latino rappers breaking in the U.S. in the coming years?

Yes I do see more Latino rappers doing it big. Cardi’s killing it.. I’m glad she got Bad Bunny for her album. He’s one of my favorites right now for sure.

We know that you’re 6’8 tall, and you love basketball. Who do you want to see win in this years NBA finals?

I know they down right now, but I got Cleveland Cavaliers for the win! LeBron isn’t human..they’ll come back.

Who are some artists that you would love to work with this year?

I would love to work with Fabolous, A Boogie, PnB Rock, and Drake. I know I could make some fire with all of them..

The post RESPECT. Interview: Billy Bank$ Talks Latinos in Hip-Hop, Gaining Inspiration From Lil Wayne, & Life in New York appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Imaged Provided by Akbar V

Atlanta’s Akbar V grabs 21 Savage for a smooth new single titled “Wit It.” The addictive track is slated to appear on her highly anticipated mixtape, Grazela Blanco. Akbar V was granted the accolade to be only the second female to garner a feature from the ‘Bank Account’ rapper outside of the trailblazing raptress Cardi B.

Akbar V, who’s no stranger to presenting in-your-face bars with lots of #BigMamaTalk, truly comes to impress on the Tay and Chino-produced track. 21 Savage lands on the track with no hesitation revealing a relaxed, more focused verse. The chemistry is evident between the two acts, very similar to Akbar V’s previous K Michelle-assisted record, “Thug Me Like That.”

With Akbar V’s cult-like Instagram following approaching 100K followers and a lot of unreleased content waiting to be released, the Cleveland Ave. native is ready for bigger moves – and she has 21 as an ally to make it all happen! Stream the track below and support on iTunes here.

The post Akbar V & 21 Savage Release New Single, “Wit It” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Imaged provided by Doobie & Krash Minati

Los Angeles-based recording artist, Doobie, first began to develop some noise in the latter part of 2017 when his single “When The Drugs Don’t Work” caught fire, with over 14 million YouTube views to date. Raised in Columbus, Ohio, Doobie became a double-edged sword as a rapper and producer, consistently dropping projects. Similiar to Russ’ 2015 drop-per-week strategy, Doobie continued to fire off content and invest into his YouTube channel within recent years. Now, at 112k YouTube subscribers, Doobie recently earned YouTube’s Artist on the Rise award amongst Trippie Redd and Moneybagg Yo.

To compliment the announcement of his nationwide “Faithfully Faded Tour,” Doobie’s dropped the Blues Brothers EP, which is a collaborative project with long-time friend, Krash Minati. RESPECT. had an opportunity to speak with Doobie and Krash Minati about meeting one another, drug use in Hip-Hop, YouTube success, and more. Read the conversation below.

You two have been longtime friends, but would you mind explaining to our readers how you guys met?

Me and Krash met at a football game at the school that we was going to he was in ninth grade I was in 8th grade. We found out each other rapped and we just started fucking with each other after that.

Doobie, can you describe the moment you made the decision to move to LA from Columbus? Were you hesitant at all?

I wasn’t hesitant at all because I was on tour out West. Tour ended up having some some difficulties so me and my brothers are left broke as fuck and stranded and the only the other choice is really to go to LA. We didn’t know we were going to live in LA but I just happened like that and I mean shit worked out for us so why would we change it now?

In Doobie’s Genius “Verified” segment he emphasized the importance of “knowing yourself” before doing drugs – but that can be applied to life in general. Do you guys feel like a lot of today’s musicians know themselves?

Honestly, no I do not feel like a lot of today’s musicians know themselves and the reason why is because I feel like today we live in a time of year where everyone is just saying things or doing things just to make other people happy or just to feel good for us. Kid will be doing drugs just because it their friends are on drugs.

Going into the ‘Blues Brothers’ EP, how important was it for you guys to tackle production yourselves?

It was important for me and Krash to tackle the production ourselves because really thats our sound. I generally do love other producers work but as far as our sound is just us and it’s better when we just do it.

With the project’s title you guys are referencing the 1980 film – but are there any ways that you relate to the characters of The Blues Brothers?

No.

Doobie – you have managed to develop a strong YouTube following with over 30 million plays. Clearly your hard-work is paying off, but in the beginning what made you invest so much time in YouTube vs. another platform?

So usually we were releasing all our music on SoundCloud, then we decided to change it up and drop a visual right with the audio so every song we drop we dropped a music video with it and just so happen the third one that we did on my new channel just went viral “when the drugs don’t work” and now it’s at 13 million. Then continued that with 10 more releases including “nikki sixx” “rolling up my weed” and it clicked with the fans on there.

“More Like Me” is definitely one of the more catchy tracks on the EP, so we can see why you made it a single. What was the creative process like for this track?

“More like Me” was the one of the first songs that I made when I first moved to California as well as one of the first songs I just freestyled on so its very different than my usual which is writing.

A majority of the EP consists of boastful records, but gets a bit more serious towards the end. Was this done intentionally? What do you guys hope listeners take away after listening this EP?

Really the main thing I want people to get from the Blues Brothers is hearing Krash Minati. He’s an amazing lyricist, he’s my brother and he’s a dope artist and producer as well.

What can fans expect next?

Doobie: You can expect a headline tour coming real soon in June and July. I’m also working on a solo album with the debut single “Icy Titties” that everyone’s been seeing on Fatboy’s page.

Krash Minati: I’ll be on the Faithfully Faded tour and officially releasing my first solo single “Snow Day” and video real soon.

Stream the Blues Brothers EP below and purchase tickets for the “Faithfully Faded Tour” here. 

The post RESPECT. Interview: Doobie & Krash Minati Talk ‘Blues Brothers’ EP, Drug Use in Hip-Hop, & YouTube Success appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“Thug me like that is about a boy who I fell in love with when I first met him then I started finding out his true colors…K. Michelle came and gave the best vocals that anybody could wish for and I was so grateful for it. What people don’t know is that she still did an appearance in the video while she was going through health issues. Overall, she’s just a real woman. And solid,” Akbar V shares with us.

K. Michelle’s mesmerizing vocals truly compliment Akbar V’s poignant lyrics about infidelity and trust. We can definitely see there’s chemistry between these ladies, so hopefully they will continue to work in the future. With Cricket The Director behind the camera, Akbar V delivers a cinematic visual with a welcomed cameo by Quality Control artist Kollision. Watch the official “Thug Me Like That” music video above, and be sure to stay up-to-date with Akbar V via Instagram here.

The post RESPECT. Premiere: Atlanta’s Akbar V Teams Up with K. Michelle for New Visual, “Thug Me Like That” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

We have seen a handful of New York artists break within the last few years, and if you’re paying any attention to the movement of raw talent that’s on the come up, you know New York’s music scene is in good hands.

With that being said, we have the official “Wavcapkilla” music video from Orange County, New York-based recording artist, Elijah Bank$y. This release serves as a follow up to his Breeze-directed “Coldest Out” visual. “Wavcapkilla” originally appeared on Elijah’s 8-track, debut body of work, COLDEST DAY IN FEBRUARY SHINES THE AMETHYST ROCK. Elijah Bank$y proves to be a student of the game on the project, showing not only his growth as an MC, but his eclectic music tastes and ability to deliver melodic songs without sacrificing his lyrical prowess.

Partnering with director Local Peeple, Elijah Bank$y hits the snowy streets with his crew as he brings his gritty “Wavcapkilla” single to life. Spitting over production courtesy of Free Otis and Tomás Tomás, Elijah Bank$y lets us know exactly why we should be tuned in on this fan-favorite anthem.

Watch the official music video for “Wavcapkilla” above, and support Elijah Bank$y’s impressive debut EP on iTunes here.

The post RESPECT. Premiere: New York’s Elijah Bank$y Shares Official “Wavcapkilla” Video appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Photo Credit: Rob Tinsley & Tarik Bennett

South Jersey songstress, Shaqeyah, first began to turn heads in 2016 with the release of her debut, Kev Rodgers-produced single, “Confident.” Since then, Shaqeyah has performed on stages across the East-coast and by spreading powerful messages within her music, she is on the verge of building a strong fanbase.

Though she appeared a few times on the $OUTH$IDE’s W.A.W.A mixtape, Shaqeyah has yet to release a full body of work. With Shaqeyah’s new Rico Nasty-assisted single, “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” available everywhere, fans may receive her debut project sooner than later.

RESPECT. had an opportunity to speak with Shaqeyah to learn a bit more about her upbringing, remaining confident through hard times, and her latest collaboration. Read the conversation below.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a professional singer? Was there an exact moment you knew you were passionate about music?

I first realized I wanted to make a career out of being a singer/entertainer when I was really young. When I think back to my childhood, the memories that stick out to me the most are ones that have to do with music. I use to perform all the time for my family… I would sing and dance in the middle of the parties and cookouts. It’s actually funny thinking about it now. I knew for sure, for sure in about 8th grade singing in my church choir because at that point I wasn’t singing in front of people I grew up with or that knew me my entire life.

Who are some people that influence your music?

Right now my biggest musical influences would be Beyoncé and Frank Ocean. Beyoncé because I’ve always looked up to her.. she’s such a standup woman to me and I admire her hard work. And Frank.. I just feel like so connected to him through his music.. like for me to have never met this man, never even seen him I shouldn’t feel like I know him the way I think I do lol… like I aspire to connect with people through my music one day the way I have with him through his.

Though it’s early in your career, we can imagine that you have faced obstacles. What are some of the biggest challenges you have had to navigate through thus far?

I think I think too much. That has to be my biggest obstacle.. I’m pretty sure everyone close to me would agree. I’m really introverted so with social media being such a major part of the industry making sure that I’m connecting with the people outside of the stage and my lyrics is something that challenges me for sure. Another would have to be making sure that my work and my work ethic speaks louder than the fact that I’m a woman. I noticed a lot of people feel more comfortable taking chances with male artist than a female.

It’s been roughly a year since you dropped your well-received, debut single, “Confident.” Did you expect for the song to get such a strong response?

I didn’t expect for “Confident” to be received the way it was. It was such an amazing feeling.. like really a great feeling because I stopped singing for years before I got to that point …actually due to just caring about what people would think, let alone taking constructing a song serious. It felt like an introduction in so many ways.

When it comes to production, you typically work with Kev Rodgers and Kenif Muse. Talk to us a bit about how you started working with them. What’s the creative process like?

When I decided that I wanted to take music serious Kev was one of the first people I told. He was behind me 100% and was like I’m ready when you ready. But he tested me, he wouldn’t make me an original beat he kept sending me beats from other peoples songs that he’d flip a little and tell me to write a cover to see how serious I actually was. I’m happy he did that. Next thing you know we were in the studio with Kenif recording “Confident” for Kev’s series “Mr.Rodgers Monday’s”… and now we’re here. Usually when Kenif produces for me I’ll come to the studio with a song and he will create the beat when Kev produces for me he will normally send me something he feels like is me. When it comes to the final product of almost every record I always get both of their inputs before I’m like ‘okay this is done.’

You definitely have great chemistry with fellow $outh$ide artist, Ish Williams, who has featured you on two of his tracks. Have there been any discussions of a collab EP?

Ish and I definitely have great chemistry. We’ve known each other since High school, but there hasn’t been…that’s an interesting question actually.

What is it like being the $outh$ide’s first lady?

It’s love! I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d be lying if i said I don’t get frustrated sometimes because like they obviously can’t always relate to my struggles lol, but its something that means a lot to me. It’s definitely a role I’m very proud of and it means a lot to me that they seen me fit for it, you know?

“Wednesday” is one of your most popular releases and has proven to be an anthem for the ladies. What advice do you have for women or even men that are hesitant to leave a bad relationship?

If you’re hesitant to leave a relationship that you know deep down is going no where fast I’d say ‘Don’t!’ (In my best Bryson tiller voice) Lol.. No seriously I’ve been there and when it comes down to it you’re just losing/wasting time that you can’t get back. That could’ve been used making memories that will actually be worth looking back on. You’re really not doing anything but holding yourself up.

A majority of your music boasts an empowering message. Do you feel like you have found your lane/sound?

Yea, I mean I learned that it’s really important to be your own biggest fan in anything. If you’re a law student, a doctor, an artist.. no matter what you do, you have to believe in yourself more than anyone else… otherwise it won’t work. I don’t always feel empowered and strong and when I run into those times I like to listen to records that’ll make me feel good… and I know there are people out there who go through the same thing. Hopefully one of my records can be one of those go-to songs for them.

We now have your latest single, “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” which features Rico Nasty. What was it like working with her?

I was immediately a fan of Rico my first time hearing her. I just love how confident she is. She definitely has one of those go-to records for me when I’m having an off day.. a few records actually lol. “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” was actually pretty much finished… I was playing it back with Kev and I’m like ‘what if Rico Nasty got on this?’ I thought this is such a left field beat for her but I knew she’d kill the topic so I went for it. We didn’t get a chance to get in the studio together due to timing so they sent over the verse and she killed it.

What is GLOW? If it’s a forthcoming project, when can we expect it to drop?

“GLOW” is the title of my first project, which I am very excited about and it will be releasing this Spring!!!

The post RESPECT. Interview: Shaqeyah Talks New Single With Rico Nasty, Staying Confident, And More appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.