Buku Music & Art Festival located at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans, Louisiana. All photos taken by Miguel Crespo for RESPECT.

New Orleans is a Louisiana city on the Mississippi River, near the Gulf of Mexico. Nicknamed the “Big Easy,” it’s known for its round-the-clock nightlife, vibrant live-music scene and spicy, singular cuisine reflecting its history as a melting pot of French, African and American cultures.

Embodying its festive spirit is Mardi Gras, the late-winter carnival famed for raucous costumed parades and street parties. A short couple of weeks later the party continues with with one of the country’s elite music festivals. I mean, we did mention a  vibrant live-music scene.

Buku Music & Art Festival has made its mark as a stand out music festival going strong for the 8th consecutive year. The constant delivery of huge musical acts, traditional Louisiana cuisine, and culture has allowed Buku to expand in venue space and attendees. 2019, Buku’s biggest year to date, consisted of super stars of all levels. Established artists like A$AP Rocky, Lana Del Ray, Dog Blood (Skrillex & Boys Noize) topped the bill. The lineup also included greats like Playboi Carti, Ella Mai, Gunna, Kevin Gates and J.I.D.

Buku is well known for their unique blend of mostly Hip-Hop and Electronic Dance Music, the most popular live music genres in the world. The 2 seem to mesh well as rappers these days are recruiting EDM artists to assist on production more frequently. The music flourished across multiple stages; The Power Plant stage, The Ballroom, The Float Den, The Wharf and The Switch Yard. High volume and heavy bass surged throughout the weekend. Noticeable acts were A$AP Rocky who impressed fans with visuals similar to his ‘Injured Generation Tour’ with slight differences.

Other included Ella Mai who sounded absolutely angelic performing live and J.I.D who almost seems to have become a star overnight. This year’s sold out event was also heavily contributed by Lana Del Ray’s only announced American show of the year. The dream pop singer delivered a beautiful and melodic performance in front of thousands of adoring fans.

Buku will continue to thrive as one of the first festivals to start each year. The outlandish and expressive fashions from fans, attractions and all around fun will certainly bring more festival lovers from all over the country. The Buku experience is one-of-a-kind and they will continue to produce for years to come. 2019’s installment set the tone for festivals set to take place this year. We look forward to seeing what the future holds.

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Image Credit: RCA Records

It’s without a doubt that A$AP Mob has been on a roll this month. With A$AP Twelvyy’s debut album, 12, Ferg’s Still Striving mixtape and group project, Cozy Tapes Vol. 2: Too Cozy, The Mob isn’t letting up. According to an ASAP Rocky sit-down with Complex, his next solo album will be released before the end of the year.

“A.S.A.P. It’s about to drop,” Flacko said when asked about his third solo release. He then went on to add, “Yeah, for sure. For sure,” in reference to if the album would be here in 2017. The Harlem spitta released his debut album Long. Live. A$AP. in 2013 before following it up two years later with At. Long. Last. A$AP. Discussing the project’s somewhat psychedelic sound, Rocky says: “It was ahead of its time. That was abnormal then, but in the near future, now in the present, it’s going to be normal, trust me.”

Be sure to stay tuned for more surrounding ASAP Rocky’s upcoming third studio album.

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ASAP Ferg has returned and dropped another single off of his highly anticipated album Still Striving.

For his new track “Nasty (Who Dat)”, Ferg has teamed up with ATLiens Migos as the two trade verses paying homage to JT Money‘s 1999 hit “Who Dat.”

Despite channeling a Crunk classic, Ferg keeps it all the way gutter as he spits his signature flow over the enthusiastic beat. Letting folks know that although he’s about that bread for the right woman he can be both the gangster and the gentleman.

“All these bricks and money I been stacking/All dollars busting through the plastic/1800 got me blasting/ I’ma keep the money coming keep dancing/Tonight I fell in love with a stripper/Ferguson can be her last name/Who dat, who dat, who dat on your Insta?/Invite her to my crib, we getting nasty.”

This isn’t the first time that Ferg and Migos have teamed up. The Hood Pope and the “Bad and Boujee” rappers previously collaborated on “Back Hurt” from Always Strive and Prosper, as well as “Trap Anthem,” Marty Baller’s “I’m a Dog,” and the “Shabba” remix.

“Nasty (Who Dat)” follows the previously released #TrapLordTuesday singles “Plain Jane,” “Nia Long,” “Tango” and the all-star “East Coast (Remix)” featuring Busta Rhymes, ASAP Rocky, Dave East, French Montana, Rick Ross, and Snoop Dogg.

Still Striving is set for an Aug. 18 release date and is available for pre-order on iTunes.

Check out  “Nasty (Who Dat)” below via Spotify.

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D.R.A.M. may be currently on the road with Kendrick Lamar on the DAMN tour, but that didn’t stop him from tapping Cardi B to put out a banging remix to “Cute.”

The track, which originally appears on his Big Baby D.R.A.M. album features a guest verse from the Bronx bombshell as she spits a killer flow showing that her style is continuing to improve making her an up and coming monster on the mic.

Delivering the first verse, Cardi spits to a dude that finds “ugly” letting him know that his money more than makes up for it.

“You think I’m cute, but I think you ugly/trust me it’s cool, I use you for money,” she begins. She later continues, bragging about her newfound wealth. “I’m a dog I don’t come with no leash/this bitch is ballin just look at my piece/whippin the foreign I’m bending these streets.”

D.R.A.M. has been keeping the streets flooded with music, besides his most recent banger “Gilligan” featuring A$AP Rocky, D.R.A.M. has been steadily dropping new music including “The Uber Song,” released in June and the video for “Group Thang ( Demo).” In May, he previewed a new collaboration with Blac Youngsta and he’s also featured on Trae Tha Truth’s and the Gorillaz’s new albums.

Cardi B is no stranger to success as well, with her smash hit “Bodak Yellow” ripping the charts and the internet, the 24-year-old has hit No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week, making it her first charting single.

Stream D.R.A.M.’s “Cute (Remix”) below.

https://soundcloud.com/bigbabydram/cute-remix-feat-cardi-b

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Playboi Carti‘s infectious single, “Magnolia” has finally received a video.

The video, which features an appearance from ASAP Rocky, showcases Carti walking thru the streets of New York with interesting effects and add-ons turning up. During an interview with Complex, Carti explained the connection with ASAP Rocky and why he appears in the video although he’s not featured on the song.

“I met Rocky at this house party and it was crazy,” Carti recalled. “He told me he fucked with me, bro, and after he said that I was like, I gotta get out here and get my swag up. It was lit. There were a bunch of bitches everywhere. It was life. The life I wanted was in the house, right there.”

Carti who appeared on two songs from ASAP Mob’s debut album, “London Town” and “Telephone Calls” helped shape his solo material.

In the interview, the Atlanta-bred artist also discussed how much his life has changed since his big break, recalling how before he used to skip school just to make music.

“When I look back at being young in Atlanta, before this music sh*t, I just laugh,” he says. “My ma couldn’t tell me shit. Nobody could tell me shit. I wasn’t going to college, I wasn’t going to the army, I wasn’t doing none of that shit. But shit costs, and I always had to get money. I was never on my ass.”

In addition to dropping a new video, Carti has been on tour for his “Playboi Carti” tour and dropped some new merchandise. The designs which dropped last month feature anime inspired prints of the Playboi with a bevy of play girls.

#vibes 🦋 *strictly for my loyal ass fans !! 🖤& * strictly for this crazy ass tour!! #SlimeBall #pierre https://t.co/3wZrLJY3dw pic.twitter.com/ctM9lO68vZ

— . (@playboicarti) June 12, 2017

The tour is scheduled to wrap on September 22nd, to see if Carti is coming through your town, click here.

Check out the video below.

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Then, on Halloween 2011 the industry got its answer with the release of Rocky’s first mixtape Live Love A$AP . This project opened the eyes of many industry executives, which would later lead to the Mob signing with RCA Records. The group has always been unorthodox with members that included emcees A$AP Ferg, Nast , Twelvyy and Ant. An up incoming producer in Ty Beats and even a fashion icon in A$AP Bari. Though there was one member that brought it together for many years. That member was Steven Rodriguez, better know as the Mob’s spiritual guide A$AP Yams.

Rodriguez fueled many of the groups identity for a handful of years before his untimely death in January 2015. Since then fans of the A$AP Mob have been waiting to see how the remaining members would push through the industry now that such a key cog to their success was now lost.

Talk back, get back slapped with a back hand
Black man, black hand side
Anti everything since Yams died
In dodge van by NY
No who, what, where, why, when

-A$AP Rocky “Crazy Brazy“

Rocky and Ferg of course dropped their respective sophomore major label projects soon after his death, but you could tell that there was something missing in those two projects. In my personal opinion it was confidence in the singles that both artist put out. Compile this with the fact that’s the follow-up posse project to Lords Never Worry that was slated to be released in 2014 never made it to the fans even after the stellar single “Trillimatic” had a great support from the community . It seemed that the Mob had hit a wall. Instead it was just a restart,  during the months after Yams death the group began hanging around  a plethora of new artist.

Rocky went on tour with the Odd Future sergeant Tyler the Creator. Ferg and rising rock star Lil Uzi Vert began to form a strong relationship. Nast went London and entered the grim scene with support from multiple U.K. stars including Skepta and Young Lord. In other words, the group hailing from Harlem went back to basics. Records like “Telephone Calls” and “Way Hiiigh” display the new relationships that the members of the mob have been forming over the past two years. Mixing their style with what was happening in the world around them.

This is what makes the Cozy Tape Vol 1 so refreshing. It is a return to form for every member of the Mob and even a step forward for A$AP Ant who provides some standout moments which include the infectious track “Runner” and the spacey   “Young N***A Living“.

There is of course going to be critics out there who believe there are way too many features. To those people, I believe that this project was a tribute to what A$AP Yams’ ideology meant to the industry. Just because you live in one area of the world doesn’t mean your music has to reflect that. If you haven’t heard the Mob’s latest effort, do yourself a favor and put it into your rotation. It will not disappoint.

Long Live A$AP Yams Nov, 18 1988- Jan, 18 2015

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A$AP Rocky changed the paradigm shift and familar sound of New York hip-hop within a five year period.  In  2011, A$AP signed a lucritive $3 million deal with Sony/RCA at the age of 23. The offer was made after his first two videos, “Purple Swag” and “Peso” spreaded across the internet virally after being leaked, giving ASAP Rocky a golden ticket into the hip-hop game. LIVELOVEA$AP  was released on Monday, October 31st, 2011.

With a taste of the trademarked Chopped and Screwed Houston sound added to wavy bass gives him a new unique sound that delievers fashion and charisma. The first mixtape from the artist born Rakim Mayers surpasses the expectation for the heavily anticipated debut.  With production from a few members of his crew A$AP Mob, production also features: Clams Casino, ASAP Ty Beats, Lyle, Soufein3000, Beautiful Lou, Spaceghost Purrp, DJ Burn One, The Olympicks. LIVELOVEA$AP  is a vintage mixtape to have as ASAP Rocky continues to rise establishing himself as a household name .

01. Palace (Prod by Clams Casino)
02. Peso (Prod by ASAP Ty Beats)
03. Bass (Prod by Clams Casino)
04. Wassup (Prod by Clams Casino)
05. Brand New Guy feat Schoolboy Q (Prod By Lyle)
06. Purple Swag Chapter 2 feat Spaceghost Purrp & ASAP Nast
07. Get Lit feat Fat Tony (Prod By Soufein3000)
08. Trilla feat ASAP Twelvy & ASAP Nast (Prod By Beautiful Lou)
09. Keep It G feat Chace Infinite & Spaceghost Purrp (Prod by Spaceghost Purrp)
10. Kissin Pink feat ASAP Ferg (Prod by Beautiful Lou)
11. Houston Old Head (Prod By DJ Burn One)
12. Acid Drip (Prod by Soufein3000)
13. Leaf feat Main Attrakionz (Prod by Clams Casino)
14. Roll One Up (Prod by DJ Burn One)
15. Demons (Prod by Clams Casino)
16. Bonus – Out Of This World (Prod by The Olympicks)

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