Virginia’s own, Audra The Rapper. Photo Courtesy of Instagram

Audra The Rapper is pretty dope. Her style is dope because of its variational influences. To steal Shirley Ceasar’s line: YOU NAME IT!

Although hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Audra was big on Jim Jones, Cam’ron, Juelz Santana, Hell Rell and Freekey Zekey of Harlem’s Own; the Diplomats. Additionally, she was a fan of the producer/lyricist product that is Kanye West and of Floetry.

Audra is also big on Lauryn Hill and in many interviews indicated that she was one of her biggest inspirations. 

That would make perfect sense! Back in 2010, she dropped Miseducation of Audra, an ode to Ms. Fugees, herself, Lauryn Hill.

She also tributed her on Instagram the other day:

Hey guys. I have this healthy obsession with this damn-near deity by the name of Ms. Lauryn Hill. So much so that my second project i released in my teens was an homage to her debut album. Well guys, She is going on tour with Nas and I havent had normal thoughts since hearing this. My first time seeing LBoogie was with Nas in college and I dropped $400 to get VIP tickets for them to try to cancel her set. @romarley came to my rescue that time tho. Well all of that to sayyy. I just got overly excited about being a fan and all those feelings that made me want to become a performer just made them self known full force. Hype for this. Good day

A post shared by Farrah Saucett (@audratherapper) on Jun 3, 2017 at 12:01pm PDT

Audra The Rapper’s wikipedia page says it best: unlike a lot of rappers, whose rap style have easily been categorized as Trap, Hardcore or Conscious, Audra The Rapper has partnered her lyrics with a variety of sounds, reflecting various styles and has described her style is “Ratchet Soul.” That said, she is literally an Escalade with Lamborghini doors; that’s balance!  delivery embraces a myriad of styles.

In a recent interview via Scoop B Radio Audra let it be know how much a student of the game she is and was. “I came up watching Behind The Music; you know what I’m saying,” she said on Scoop B Radio.

Check Out Audra The Rapper and Lee Mazin Chatting With Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson On Scoop B Radio:

She added:

“Like really getting an in-depth lifestyle look of the artists that I admired and sometimes it gave me a new appreciation for the artist and then it had me going back and listening to their music like I get that a little better. I’d see stuff differently, I’d hear stuff differently and I’d like it and I think what this show is doing is really giving you an in-depth look at five females in truthfully a male dominated industry but not even minding any of that. We not looking at ourselves as female rappers I personally hate that this is rap this is what we do this is all we know and we’re giving that to people so people are getting that real lifestyle look at this and how we handle our business.”

But Lauryn Hill wasn’t the only influence of Audra The Rapper’s. When I asked Audra how the Oxygen network television show, Sisterhood of Hip Hop, benefitted her career, she couldn’t help but credit the likes of Missy Elliott.“We’re supporting each other,” she said. “That’s reminiscent of the era of hip hop that I love; you know Missy and all of them.”

Then she took it back to it being Friday Night!

“Missy would have every female on her album,” Audra The Rapper said with a grin. “You know what I’m saying?”

If you’re not a child of 90s, it was a Missy track that also featured Angie Martinez during her rapping days, along with Lil Kim, the late Left Eye from TLC and So So Def’s Da Brat.

“Just that support that era of competition because it’s what we do. We’re in the same field we love it all the same, but we don’t have to knock each other. We don’t have to step on each other, because we all individually bring something different to the same game so why do I gotta hate on my sister? You know what I’m saying?”

Audra The Rapper has a voice to be the female leader of the new school! Stay tuned! 

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The post Audra The Rapper Tells Scoop B Radio About Missy Elliott’s Ladies Night: “Missy would have every female on her album” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Laura Stylez is the ma’aam on Hot 97’s Ebro in The Morning Show.

Stylez moved from LA to New York at 19. Like many starving artists looking to claim their own territory, she didn’t have her family’s full cosign at first. In spite of all of that, she kept trucking.Stylez went to school and interned at radio stations to earn her keep. “It goes to show you that you have to claim your destiny sometimes and believe in yourself,” Stylez told me on the Scoop B Radio podcast.

Her big big break came when Stylez became an online digital producer at Hot 97 in 2013. She hosted live streams and assisted former Hot 97 personality, Angie Martinez, who recently celebrated a birthday. “She’s truly been a mentor to me,” said Stylez. “Took me in and really just believed in me.”

In between filling in for Ebro, Cipha Sounds and others, Stylez ended up being a mainstay and here she is now fulfilling her dream. “ I’m thankful every day,” she said.

Check Out Laura Stylez Chopping It Up With Scoop B Radio

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The post Laura Stylez Reflects On Hard Work & Sound Advice From Angie Martinez appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“It’s my truth.”- Angie Martinez

The post RESPECT. Review: Angie Martinez’s ‘My Voice’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Since word recently broke out that Power 105’s Angie Martinez would be releasing her memoir, My Voice, fans have made it a mission to try to convince the radio personality to release what could be one of the most intense conversations she had. The interview? You ask. With West Coast rapper, Tupac Shakur.

Back in 2014, Martinez sat down with MTV News reporter and radio host, Sway, to not only speak about what the conversation was like with Tupac but to give fans an insight of the tough decision she had to make when only airing 5-10 minutes of the interview.

“I was literally afraid that someone would die,” Martinez explained. “I thought I would be making a bad decision or worse.”

Now Martinez, will takes us back throughout her 20 years in the hip-hop radio industry and will include more details about her unreleased interview with Tupac in her upcoming memoir, My Voice.

“He was charming and amazing but he was also angry at certain people. And aggressive,” Martinez told People Magazine. “I just felt that the time was so sensitive that some of the things he said would have made the situation worse.”

In her memoir Martinez also shares never-before-seen quotes Tupac gave as the East Coast/West Coast rivalry continued to escalate and her reaction towards Tupac’s death.

“When he got shot, it was horrifying,” Martinez added. “And I was on the radio when it happened. I had to tell the whole city. Mind you there’s no Twitter, no Instagram…People in New York found out Tupac died from me.”

My Voice will be hitting stores near you on May 17.

The post Angie Martinez Includes Tupac’s Unreleased Interview in Memoir appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

It took her 48 hours to do it, but Angie Martinez recently sat down with Bird in Miami for a very transparent interview. Not only does he speak on his involvement (or lack thereof) in the shooting of Lil Wayne’s tour bus, but he also speaks on where he and Weezy stand now, as well as the status of Nicki Minaj and Drake, who are, of course, signed to his Cash Money imprint.

It doesn’t seem like anyone is buying what Birdman is selling in this tell-all interview. Peep it for yourself though. What do you think?

The post Birdman Sits Down With Angie Martinez For An Exclusive Interview appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

It’s officially Meek season. From dropping a 10-minute freestyle on Sway In The Morning to performing at the BET Awards, Meek Mill is in full promo mode for his latest effort Dreams Worth More Than Money.

On July 1, Meek stopped by Power 105 to chop it up with the voice of New York, Angie Martinez. During his sit down with Angie, Meek openly discussed his thoughts on rap’s two most acclaimed artists – J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar.

“I don’t listen to J. Cole and I don’t listen to Kendrick”, the Philly rapper said.

“I think that they’re dope lyricists and they’re like great rappers, but they don’t inspire me. It don’t seem like they be talking to me. And, that ain’t no hate at all.”

Meek also went on to add that he isn’t a fan of much of today’s music. So, who’s music does inspire the 28-year-old dream chaser? Well, none other than Future Hendrix.

“Keep it real, I don’t even listen to nobody—I listen to Future,” Meek said. He also added Dej Loaf, Young Thug, and, “OGs like Jay Z,” to the list of artists who make the cut for his driving playlist.

You can catch Meek’s full interview with Angie Martinez below and watch him candidly answer her flurry of OMeeka questions.

The post Meek Mill On J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar: “They Don’t Inspire Me” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Empire star Tarji P. Henson recently stopped by the ‘Angie Martinez’ show on the NYC radio station Power 105.1. In her interview with the Voice of New York, Henson touched on improvising lines on Empire, how her life has changed with the success of the show, and that she was in the running to play Scandal character, Olivia Pope.

Check out Taraji P. Henson’s full interview with Angie Martinez below:

The post Taraji P. Henson Tells Angie Martinez She Auditioned for Role of Olivia Pope appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.