Image credit: Linear Labs

In the increasingly congested world of music streaming, I sadly admit that I often forget about Amazon — which means that their latest reminder is perfect for individuals like myself. The tech behemoth’s Music side has an Amazon Originals series titled ‘Produced By’, and this month has seen some dope cuts by none other than Adrian Younge. He’d already premiered a collaboration with Georgia Anne Muldrow and Terrace Martin titled “February“; now, he — which the help of Ali Shaheed Muhammad, apparently — connects with Black Thought on the Jazz-y “Noir.”

As explained in detail by Younge himself:

“The obsession with race is disturbing to those that wish to divert attention away from the unyielding attributes that have plagued black America. However, we all must realize how such disenfranchisement has negatively affected us all. We are all equal and we are all human; we all have something to say and something to contribute; essentially, we all deserve to be heard, recognized and respected. That being said, our celebration of Black History Month brings us closer to understanding the struggles and contributions African Americans have made in making America what it is.

“There was a time in America when Blacks weren’t free to pursue their creative endeavors. Such cultural tension led to Blacks creating the first American musical art form: Jazz. This music, the antithesis of western idealism, is what continues to inspire black music today. My work embraces this perspective, but furthermore, it serves as a reminder of how music can lay the groundwork for self-expression and cultural awareness. Embrace Black History Month and take the time to realize how black music has shaped the cultural narrative of America.”

With that said, Amazon users can enjoy “Noir” below.

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The post Adrian Younge & Black Thought Drop New Song for Amazon Originals appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Jhené Aiko turns to the dark side in the music video for “Skipping Stones” with Red Bull Sound Select singer Gallant.

Produced by Adrian Younge, the sweet, smooth track was released back in February. Now, the official music video is out, directed by American Millenial. The song starts off with Gallant’s sweet falsetto, however, the video is far from sweet.

The video eases into Gallant tied up in the trunk of a car looking beaten and bruised. We see the angelic Jhené Aiko, well, appearing not so angelic in the video. The R&B singer has a lighter in her hand in which she tosses into the car to light on fire with Gallant inside.

The track is available on iTunes now and you can watch the hot new video below!

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The post Watch The New Video For Gallant Feat. Jhené Aiko “Skipping Stones” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

This year hasn’t been particularly the best for 1990’s super group A Tribe Called Quest with the passing of beloved Tribe MC, Phife Dawg. Though his loss has been heavily mourned, his legacy has also been rightfully celebrated with concerts and freestyle tributes from popular artists and former collaborators. It looks like his music will be most likely taking it’s talents to Netflix’s upcoming Marvel series Luke Cage. Entertainment Weekly has reported that the show has brought ATCQ producer/DJ Ali Shaheed-Muhammad and producer Adrian Younge on board to score the highly anticipated drama series.

Luke Cage — slated to premiere on the streaming service Friday, September 30 — will star Mike Colter as Luke Cage reprising his highly talked about role from the hit series Jessica Jones. Cheo Hodari Coker, the show’s executive producer, told EW:

“The music will be very sophisticated. I mean, it’s got a ’90s hip-hop vibe, but it’s really forward-thinking.”

Later continuing with:

“We have a lot of different musical appearances, but at the same time, we’ve got the Marvel action. We’ve got drama. I would like this to be, I mean, I know this is heavy but, The Wire of Marvel television, because we really deal with a lot of different issues.”

This wouldn’t be the first time Shaheed-Muhammad and Younge have linked up, with them providing the instrumental for Kendrick Lamar‘s “untitled 06 06.30.2014” off of his brilliant untitled unmastered. album that caught the world by surprise. Coker’s encouraging comments coupled with a riveting story line and Shaheed-Muhammad and Younge partnering up, proves that the sky is limit with this series. Hopefully we’ll get some unreleased Tribe hits (praying emojii), though the likeliness of that is low. Check out the trailer for the highly anticipated series below, and be sure to be on the look out for when it hits Netflix in September.

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The post Netflix Tasks ATCQ Member to Score New Marvel Series appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Fat Trel is back with new music today and releases “My Bruvas.” Yung Lan provides the backdrop one this one as Fat Trel shows love to his Slutty Boy crew and speaks on their bond & friendship. This new offering is off his upcoming Georgetown project. Check it out.

The post Fat Trel Gives Us New Music With “My Bruvas” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

#15: 1017 Thug – Young Thug

For better or worse, 2013 has undeniably been the year for trap music. Saturated with molly references, menacing bells, thudding bass and auto-tune, most of this music has been aggressively forgettable. Even the most passionate trap-enthused DJs haven’t kept most of these songs in rotation. Nevertheless, amidst this atmosphere of ephemeral mediocrity, one particular artist is etched into our minds: Young Thug. The Atlanta artist released 1017 Thug back in February, but it’s still a fresh project. Released a few weeks after Young Thug‘s signing to Gucci Mane‘s 1017 imprint, the mixtape reminds us of the unbridled experimentation that characterized trap’s initial emergence. Before trap music had a readily identifiable aesthetic, it was basically the sound of people trying to make money by any means necessary. Accordingly, no stone was left unturned; no idea was left unconsidered. Young Thug keeps that spirit alive, using trap sounds to create music that doesn’t easily fall into the categories of “street anthem” or “club-ready.” 1017 Thug features him truly exploring what trap can do beyond making people “turn up.” Of course, this mixtape will make you turn up, but that’s not all there is to it. There’s some genuine craftsmanship here.

#14: Summer Knights – Joey Bada$$

Young Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ had a hectic 2012. The release of his mixtape 1999 was insanely successful, very quickly propelling him and his Pro Era crew from internet underdogs to widely acknowledged emcees. Yet despite these gains, the year ended with a tragic los:, the suicide of Joey‘s friend and fellow crew member, Capital STEEZ. Joey and company strongly kept chugging along, working with other artists, touring and just generally trying to capitalize on their hard-earned opportunities, but death is a strange and unpredictable experience, so when Summer Knights was announced, there was some genuine trepidation regarding how good the music could be in the wake of such a tragedy. Fortunately, Joey delivers. Whereas 1999 painted Joey and Pro Era as meticulous nostalgists, Summer Knights shows that the crew’s artistic roots extend far beyond 90’s New York. New York’s particular contributions to hip-hop are still central to how Joey creates, but Summer Knights depicts Joey with leanings toward reggae, dub, poetry and arguably even some punk rock, with flows to match.

#13: Cut 4 Me – Kelela

Kelela has the uncanny ability to establish harmony amidst the most elemental chaos. Featuring graceful melodies atop amorphous tracks from producer hive Fade to Mind, Cut 4 Me is 50 minutes of fearless exploration of voice and affect. Strikingly, most of the songs are remixes, yet Kelela stealthily colonizes them all, owning them for herself. Some of these instrumentals truly are intimidating, yet Kelela faces them like a veteran, variously taming them and absorbing their unbridled energy into her melodies. Cut 4 Me is the musical equivalent of the comic book character Storm controlling, unleashing and becoming one with the weather.

#12: King Remembered in Time – Big K.R.I.T.

The consequence of giving fans consecutively stronger releases is the escalation of their expectations. With the release of Live From the Underground, Big K.R.I.T. found himself fighting against the quality of his former releases, much to his chagrin. After all, he made many sacrifices for Live From the Underground, namely its necessarily small number of samples in comparison to his mixtapes. Dealing with the reception of his debut album, the Mississippi rapper doubled-down on King Remembered in Time, actively competing with and trying to best his previous works. He isn’t as successful as he could have been, but the tenacity and the gumption of the project resonate well. K.R.I.T. both gives fans what they want and gives them a potent “STFU,” all while remaining relatively innovative and open-minded. There are surely some misfires, but when K.R.I.T. is on point, he’s truly unmatched. Read our full review here.

#11: No Poison, No Paradise – Black Milk

Black Milk‘s biggest career mistake may have been titling his 2010 LP, “Album of the Year.” While that project certainly stands firm as a great body of work, it is on No Poison, No Paradise that the Detroit emcee/producer crafts his magnum opus and undoubtedly one of the best albums of 2013. From the Mel-assisted opener, the listener is taken on a morose journey through the childhood of Sonny, a fictionalized character brought to life by Black Milk’s own experiences. Think of this as a more flushed-out and hyper-realized version of The Roots’ Undun. “Deion’s House” tells the story of Sonny’s friend, who is a quasi-bad influence, given the fact that he pulls Sonny towards the street life, while at the same time pushes our hero to pursue his musical aspirations. Herein lies the narrative in a nutshell: dealing with the influences of your surroundings while striving towards a greater goal. While Black Milk’s production sometimes garners more attention than his lyrical skills, as do his collaborations with the likes of Danny Brown and Jack White, this is the album that proves that his pen game is just as lethal.

The post RESPECT. Roundtable: The Best 15 Albums of 2013 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“You’re fucking with a heavyweight,” raps Wu-Tang veteran U-God on “Heavyweight,” the latest single from his upcoming solo album, The Keynote Speaker. He raps it casually, but it’s the raw truth. Not only has U-God established a respectable catalog of sharp verses and songs, but he’s also had a good year so far, contributing some memorable verses to Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge‘s Twelve Reasons to Die. 

The Keynote Speaker arrives next Tuesday. Don’t miss it.

A few weeks ago, he released a “sampler” for the album. Listen to it here.

The post New Music: U-God – “Heavyweight” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“I didn’t want this to be just another album,” say producer Adrian Younge, the [other] architect behind Ghostface Killah‘s latest album, Twelve Reasons to Die. Listening to the album, it’s clear that what Younge wanted is exactly what happened. Featuring incredibly rich production, Twelve Reasons to Die reminds us of the kind of presence that a producer can have without a sonic stamp (ie. “Mike Will Made It”). Via NEhip-hop.com, listen to Adrian Younge explain the motivations behind his production style. Some of these motivations are slightly too nostalgic, possibly even conservative, but Younge has an interesting take nonetheless.

The post Video: Producer Adrian Younge Sheds Light on the Making of Ghostface Killah’s Twelve Reasons to Die appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.