It’s a West Coast affair as Lashaun Ellis and A$ton Matthews connect on the ruthless “Get Em.” Produced by Khompono, the menacing single finds the two rising rappers unleashing potent lyrics over an innovative trap backing.  “Get Em” will live on Ellis’ upcoming debut album Never Home, entirely produced by Khomopono. It will be available in March via J6Recordings. As for Matthews, he will be hitting the road soon for Joey Fatts‘ Ill Street Blues Tour.

Take a listen to “Get Em” below.

The post New Music: Lashaun Ellis Feat. A$ton Matthews – “Get Em” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

DJ NICK via his Instagram (@djnickmarinogang)

Due to social media, a whole new generation of music has sprung a leak without the cultivation of a good compilation tape. And rightfully so, many artists have gone straight to the fans with complete album-like packaging.With that new template in mind, A$AP Ant joined forces with his brother DJ Nick for Marino Gang Records, an independently run crew, and together they’re cosigning a movement of new music. Baltimore-bred DJ Nick had a serious hand in selecting some of his favorite current artists for his new mixtape, The Big Payback, reminding us just how important a guiding hand can be.

Equipped with refreshingly classic announcement horns, selector-rewinds, and featured spitters from almost every coast, the new mixtape makes for a good ride round town. Without a preliminary physical copy, The Big Payback manages to hearken the days when we picked up DJ Clue mixtapes at the local bodega or Mom & Pop record shop before the album dropped. The tape primarily deals in street tales, competitive fashion and rhyming, while also taking time to introduce some of the personalities that will be leading the genre in a few years.

Internet rap fanatics  may be slightly familiar with its guests like 100s, A$ton Matthews, Dash & Retch P, Smoke DZA, A$AP 12VY, who are all present but we’re also introduced to new names like Butch Dawson, Maxo Kream, A$AP Lotto, C Plus, YG Khaled, Shine and Jordxn Bryant. Marino Gang members YG Diego, Young Shaka, Tootie Ro,  and Chynna, make their presence felt on what seems to be a clear  and distinctive offset of A$AP’s original fold. Names like Travi$ Scott, A$ap Yams, Josh Peas, A$AP Bari, A$AP Lou also show their flare over the tape’s shoutouts.

Recently, we got up with Marino Gang’s A&R/Advisor DJ Nick to help us spill the beans about the origins of Marino Gang wave, his love for hip-hop culture, and the future of their record label.

So, when did Marino Gang begin?

Marino orignally was a brand of clothes. T-shirts, or whatever. My brother eventually started rapping with A$AP Mob. Then he started his own crew, Marino Gang. The first artist was Young Shaka. Shout out to Young Shaka. He’s locked up right now, but he was one of the first artists. It was either him or Young Diego, but they’ve both been rapping. My brother wanted his own crew and it was his idea for Marino Gang Records, but I always wanted to be the OG or a guide or something like that on the music tip. And now we’ve got two new artists, Tootie Ro, and Chynna. All of them are from Baltimore, West Baltimore, except Chynna. She’s from Philly.

A$AP ANT & DJ NICK via Intagram (@ygaddie)

“ Marino, we draped down, drug hoes, still coked up.”  – A$AP ANT “The Way It Go” A$AP MOB, Lords Never Worry,  Aug. 2012.

Can you describe all of them ( Marino Gang)?

YG Diego’s the young spitter. I put money up on him against anybody. He’s the young Jadakiss of his time, you feel me. That’s that guy. He’s got them bars. I got the money on the kid. We just met Chynna really. She’s new to Marino Gang. Young Shaka, he’s just raw. He’s a gutta nigga. He’s unorthodox, real street rapper. It’s something you can listen too. Shaka freestyles everything and I don’t even really like freestyle rappers, but he kills it. Tootie Ro is one of the newest Marino Gang artists. It’s like Trap Rap. I told the boy, I don’t really like Trap Rap but his shit is fire. All of them from Baltimore, West Baltimore. 21215,  except Chynna she’s from Philly. ( A$AP) Ant’s the leader. Myself, I am DJ Nick. I’m a DJ but i’m a DJ artist. I’m an A&R also, because I always wanted to pick out the music. I used to be a big critic, but it wasn’t to shit on people. I really lived hip-hop culture and I want to see it through.

A$AP ANT & YOUNG SHAKA ( L TO R), Photo by Ryan Lyons via Trillectro ’12

What’s the situation with Shaka? I think I met him at Trillectro in 2012. That “100+2” might have been the most entertaining song for me on the tape.

Hopefully, He’ll be home soon. I can’t speak on his situation too much but I think he’s been in there about 7 months now. I’m not trying to brag about boy in the interview, but he control the phones over there. He call niggas all the time and we try to visit him every time we can.

He’s looking good. He looking rejuvenated. He’s loving  it ( The Big Payback), but i’m sure he wants to be home. We told him, “Don’t think we forgot about you.” He’s on the first and the last song on the tape.

So how and why did you put The Big Payback together? Earlier we talked about  you pretty much A&R’ing this project.

The name The Big Payback is on some EPMD shit. It’s from a song on their second album. If you pay attention, it’s just a similar font, but the bars within The Big Payback on the logo is just a dedication to them. That’s my favorite group. If I don’t want to hear new shit, I’ll go back and listen to them. A lot of people took Eric Sermon’s style and they don’t even know it.

I listen to a lot of kids spitting bars, and they might spit some Migos shit and think it’s bars. Bars is some shit Nas might give you. Something real slick, you feel me. I just want to show the kids what they might be missing because it’s a lot of new fans to Hip-Hop.

Have you seen something missing in the rap game? What are your feelings about rap in general for the past couple of years.

I can’t really lie. I was on my little wave with the “Hip Hop Is Dead” around 2006. That’s when I really felt how Nas felt at the moment. And no disrespect to down south, I love it, but it took me sometime to adapt to that music. I don’t feel no bad way about the current state. It’s a lot of good music. I still want everybody to do their thing.

What made you do the shout outs on the tape? I thought it was pretty clever and nostalgic. And you’ve def got some trendsetter’s speaking on their.

I wanted to bring that whole tape feel all over again. That whole DJ Clue, DJ Kayslay, DJ Mike feel.

Outside of Marino Gang, you reached out to some great up and comers. How’d you go about reaching out?

I just built good relationships with people. I picked half of the people out and my brother ( A$AP Ant)  picked half of the people coming out. We both agreed on all things, but I feel like every body on there are the new people coming up.  I tried to get that West Coast feel going with  Da$h & Retch, 100s, and A$ton Matthews. It’s starts with the Josh Peas shout out and then it goes into the songs and eventually hits Plus Money, who’s from Sacramento. Now a 100s fan gets to hear an A$ton Matthews and vice versa. I’m just here to bring those connections. I just hope my DJ shit brings more, because I used to look at Don Cannon and now he’s at Def Jam.

I saw people posting it as Ant’s tape.

It kind of bothered me a little bit, but I understand it because it brings it more traffic. I’ve been working on it since like May because it’s hard to get those tracks especially with artists and their schedules. And much respect to them because I know they grinding. Slutty Boyz were supposed to be on there, but they sent me some shit from May. I had to make sure everything on here was exclusive. I wanted Oochie on there. I’ve been known about Slutty Boyz but i’m still newer to them, but I dig their shit.

What’s your favorite song so far off  The Big Payback?

My favorite joint is the Square Off joint. They’re Doug E. Fresh’s sons. They were the first rappers to ever wear Marino.

Are you guys ever going to bring the  Marino T-shirts back out?

I’m going to keep it 100. I’m not sure, because that’s Ant’s thing. I don’t know much about the business with it and everything.

Word. So, how’d you get into Hip Hop music. I know you’re Ant’s older brother, right?

I’m the older brother. I’m 24 and my brother ( A$AP Ant) is 20.  I got into music when I was two or three years old. My mother and father right now are 45 and 46, and that’s the same age as most of these rappers who started out with the genre. Kool G Rap and all those 80’s bred musicians. Some people mothers and fathers might play The Temptations but my mother and father are from the Hip-Hop generation. I got into it through my mother buying me my first rap tape. It was Kriss Kross’ Totally Crossed Out, and after that it was a rap, my nigga. Ever since then I’ve been buying tapes. I would buy the cassettes I would buy from the singles on the radio and all that.

Do you remember your first cassette?

I remember the first thing I really got into was Puff Daddy and No Way Out and that was around third grade or second grade and that just turned my whole muthafuckin’ life around. I used to want to be Puff Daddy so bad my nigga. ( laughs)

I remember that joint. That was the clear tape with the light sephia cover inside of it.

(laughs) Already. I remember I had a girlfriend at the time and she would ask what you want to be when you grow up, and I rememeber saying, “ I want to be a rapper.” I swear on everything, nobody was saying that shit. Shout to every body, but it seem like no one wanted to be a rapper before 2009 and up, you feel me.

How did you get into DJing?

Well, im not going to stunt on you bruh bruh. Ever since that day of my first tape, I’ve been on it. I was rapping in middle school and high school. It would be me and one other kid and everybody wanted to hear us. Then when everyone started rapping, I fell back like I love this, I can do something else. It’s the same love now. Tt’s a positive love. I got love for rapping too, but I’m not trying to be a rapper.

DJ Clue is my favorite DJ and even when I was a rapper, I wanted to put out hella mixtapes. I would go to Rocafella.com and see DJ Envy and other DJ’s.

Ha, I remember those days.

He ( DJ Clue) changed the game and I always loved the echoes. It originated through Brucie B. Shout out to Brucie B for that, but Clue is my favorite. The Professionals Part I was one of the first one’s I remember. I look up to him.

Did you ever DJ parties?

Nah, I did a couple parties. I’m not into being a club DJ though, and I don’t want that to be my lane, but I will get into the future. I would probably do like an hour set or a 30 minute set or something like that.

How’d you feel when A$AP Ant began to rap?

I was happy as shit, really because I never really knew anyone in the industry. He wanted to do what I always wanted to do. If you look at his past interviews, I got my brother into  rap music, you feel me. I let him listen to D-Block, Dipset, or shit like that. When I was in the 7th grade we were in the room listening to Street Wars, either the Vol. 1 or the second. One of those P-Cutta shits. We in the room listening to Beanie Sigel dissing Jadakiss and I said, “ Ant, you young right now bro, but just pay attention to the lyrics.” That’s how I got into music and that’s how he got into it in a way.

So, who was  your favorite rapper?

I’m a keep it all the way G for real. Jay-Z’s my favorite rapper, but I don’t say it all the time because he’s got so many hop on fans, but if anyone asks me, I always say Killa Cam.

Realistically, Jay-Z is one of my favorite rappers, but It’s Killa Cam. Cameron Giles, that’s my favorite rapper. He knows hows to reinvent himself.

Do you guys feel like you model Marino Gang after the Dipset Era? I know you guys are fans of the movement.

I can’t say that at all honestly. I would like to say that. I would have no problem giving it up, but Marino Gang is a whole new thing for this generation. After us, it’s going to be who’s the next Marino Gang, you feel me?

The post Interview: DJ NICK TALKS MARINO GANG INSPIRATION, THE BIG PAYBACK & A NEW FRONTIER OF STREET RAP appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Rising Long Beach emcee, A$ton Matthews, throws more gasoline in the flames with the remix to his “Mini Van Dan”. We first heard the track on his cinematic project, Versace Ragz. Now, Danny Brown, A$AP Nast and Flatbush Zombies come along for the ride to bring those eerie days back into the hip-hop picture. A$AP Nast, one of the least hyped members from A$AP Mob showcases his slept on penmanship with his guest verse.

The post New Music: A$TON MATTHEWS – “MINI VAN DAN (REMIX)” Featuring Danny Brown, A$AP NAST & Flatbush Zombies appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

You know how they say what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger? That seems to be the case for Long Beach resident, A$ton Mattews. The brooding emcee has been looking for a gateway into the hip-hop scene ever since he took the shot to the chest from a 40-caliber handgun. The video for The Cuttroat Boyz  viral banger, “Bricks,”  shows just how real the scars are as Matthews lifts his Cincinnati Red’s baseball jersey.

He was hit in the midst of a gang rivalry at a house party and he survived to tell the tale. But now, his violent and turbulent past just seems more like a conduit to a prosperous future. On his collaborative track with Schoolboy Q, “May 31st,” he passionately tells all spitting, “Stomach sewn like a zipper cord/Thinking bout the get back as my momma’s tears hit the floor.”

Psychopathic  flow switches and demented thoughts swirl through his latest project, Versace Ragz, which features production from Joey Fatts and features from Vince Staples, Da$h, Retch and Bodega Bamz.  The Joey Fatts-produced “187” displays versatility and ability to propel into mainstream hip-hop with a penchant for melodic hook-writing, while on the syrupy banger “Mini Van Dan,” he’s villainous, “Buying, selling bitches on eBay/All my bodies underneath the 91 freeway.” During New York’s CMJ Festival, he attended SOB’s celebrating with the Tan Boyz and a slew of New York up-and-comers. With a great tape in hand, a new crop of spitters with him, and affiliations with both A$AP Yams and Chace Infinite, he his horizons are bright. Meet A$ton Matthews.

How’s everything going man?  This Versace Ragz project is like a movie. It’s tight.

Not much man. I got my feet up fully relaxed. Just chillin’. I tried to, bruh. I just do what I do. I appreciate it man. That’s wavy.

Who is A$ton Mathews? What were you doing before hip-hop?

I’m just a normal dude. I like to smoke weed and drink a lot, take drugs on occasion, probably fuck with lean on occasion. Before rap, I was doing the gangbanging shit, caught up in a lot of fuck shit. Being young and dumb. Doing that fuck shit.

So, did you have any previous projects before Versace Ragz?

I had a previous tape to this. It was called No Fvcks Given. It was like 10 tracks. I started rapping like right after I got shot. I was 18, and I started fucking with a couple guys from the area.  I didn’t give a fuck I just wanted to show people I could rap. I did that shit in two weekends.

What’s your recording process? Where’d you record it at?

I be walking around and come up with a verse and just go fuck the shit up. I recorded in my garage. I got my own little shit. It ain’t nothing expensive. It’s just a mic and speakers and a computer. It ain’t no fancy shit.

How did you get up with Joey Fatts and Vince Staples and those folks?

Joey [Fatts], that’s my nigga. Vince Staples hooked us up. Vince posted a song of his up through Twitter and I heard his verse on the “Pretty Flacko” beat. I listened to it and I was like, “Damn, this little nigga out here gettin’ it, bruh.”  I had to hit him up and I said, “Let’s link.” So he got at me on Twitter and we linked, and it’s crazy — he had a Mac at the time and I needed one so I was like, “Sell me that computer, bruh.” He gave me a good price and we met up in L.A. We met each other in front of  a Burger King, and we was out there talking for like two hours. Off the jump, the first time I met him I could tell he was a real nigga, and we messed with each other ever since. We fully dedicate ourselves to this music everyday. I’m proud of Fatts. He’s come a long way.

Did you record that entire project in your garage? It sounds pretty clean.

Yea man. He edits and masters everything. He’s talented. [Joey] Fatts did most of the production and everything.

What’s the situation with Yams from ASAP? There are rumors of a Yamborghini Records brewing?

I want to keep that under wraps for right now but Yams is definitely the homie and he’s really showing a lot of love right now that he doesn’t have to. Him and Chace don’t have to be. Everybody reached out, and my nigga Chace is from Inglewood .  He’s from the West. He came out and linked with us. He oversees all my shit right now. We have a conversation everyday.

 Did you record Versace Ragz prior to meeting them? What’s the inspiration behind the tape?

I did all this prior to meeting them. I’m a big Juvenile fan, and he had a mixtape called Soulja Rags, and it was inspired by that.  I wanted to put more of my life into this one. People really appreciate that when you get honest with it. I’m just giving you what I’m going through and if nobody likes it then I don’t give a fuck.

What’s the influence behind your flow switch? I feel a lot of influences on this tape but I can’t quite place it.

I don’t know where it comes from, to be honest with you. One of my homies that raps would tell me, “Yo,  switch your shit up every two bars or four bars.” So I would say the homie. I would say I listen to Mobb Deep, and 50 Cent and G-Unit. 50 Cent definitely had a lot of influence on me. I had a song with Schoolboy Q, it’s called “May 31st” and that was inspired by 50. Oh, I will come clean. I’ve been fucking with Eminem and Cam’ron. It’s a combination of their stuff.  I’ll go really complex and then come really smooth with it.

I love the visuals. I saw the Belly scene in the beginning of the video. That was dope. What was the budget on all this stuff?

I direct all the videos myself. Every video this far I directed myself. I wrote the treatments for it.  The lighting was all my idea. My budget was nothing. I probably spent like 50 dollars on the drugs and shit and some gas to drive the mini van.  It’s just the homies looked out and I had the vision. All the homies is showing love and they got my back, man.

Where’d the name Mini Van Dan Come from?

I was really high that night and I think I was leaning that night too. For some reason,  I kept thinking of mini van, and it means a lot bad shit in my life. A lot of violence happens in mini vans. A lot of people get snatched up in mini vans or people put in work. I got a lot of different aliases. If you get Mini Van Dan you gonna get some fucked up crazy shit. That’s what it is.

I was interviewing KRNDN of S.A.S and he told me he saw a lot of you young cats coming up in California.

Yeah man, I linked up with him through Chace Infinite. That shit was crazy.  He’s a real cool dude. The big homie looked out .

Where are you at right now?

I’m in Lakewood right now. It’s Long Beach. If I walk down the block, I’m in Long Beach. If I cross the street, I’m in Long Beach. It’s like an off-brand Long Beach. It’s a lot of little cities around here. They should just name it one thing.

What’s the culture there? Is gang culture still relevant ?

Oh yeah, it’s still very relevant. Gangs are a definitely major part of the culture out here. Thats just what it is. Ain’t really no way to explain it. It just is what it is. It’s a lot of black and Hispanic sets that really get down. Mo’ fuckers don’t really get a long. It’s a lot of black and Hispanic folks that don’t really get along where they should just be getting money together.

There’s still a divide between black and Hispanic culture?

It’s a little bit of beef, but it really depends. Summer comes around and bodies start dropping. People selling crack, coke, and motherfuckers start dying. It’s really few of us that really get along with each other, but a good example of the opposite is me and [Joey] Fatts. It’s a bunch of esés round here. They pretty much outrun everybody but it is what it is. Not everybody’s a gang member.

What’s your nationality? How would you describe your upbringing?

I’m Guatemalan. I’ve lived in a lot of different places. I lived in L.A. plus a lot of different places around this area. My father’s from Guatemala and he moved out here when he was young. Then he moved us from L.A. [My upbringing], it’s some weird shit but the normal shit you see when you in a bad neighborhood. From  crackheads to people getting killed and shit. I played a lot of sports and just did my thing but in high school it started crackin’. People I knew started dying to this shit and it started getting crazy.

So you have a scar going up from your stomach? Can you tell me about the incident that led to that?

I was out here gangbanging. I’m a Blood from out here or whatever. I’m a Piru. People from the other side was in the party and I knew who was in there. Shit started happening and motherfuckers started letting off. I just so happened not to have my burner on me that night so I got caught slipping. I was definitely out here by myself, and they got me, bruh. In that gangbanging shit it’s what you’re supposed to do and I got caught slipping.

How do you feel about that life afterwards? Did you feel like it was dumb?

It definitely opened up my eyes to a lot of different things. I didn’t want to die. It’s a lot more things out there to do than this shit. I was out here trappin’ and doing shit low key. You definitely want to survive and make a better life for your people. I didn’t see that at 16, 17. I dedicated myself to this rap shit.

Are you ever worried about having people confront you because of the gun talk?

If it comes, it comes. I definitely never ran from anything. Gunplay, I’m definitley with the fades. Half these niggas ain’t ’bout shit and they not really with it. I got niggas just like everybody else does. Either they respect it or they don’t. I’m not worried about shit. If I’m meant to die, I’m meant to die, bruh. I know plenty of people that get shot in the head and the live. God has a purpose for me, man.

How do you feel about the reaction to your music? It seems to be picking up steam on your Tumblr and YouTube.

I don’t even know how to react to it. I’m never really known for anything other than the whole gangbanging thing, so to be known for some positive shit, I’m really proud of my shit. The response is crazy right now. California has an image of Hispanics and esés, but there’s a whole new generation of people who aren’t esés, they just get fly. The response from Crips and Bloods and the hipsters. Everybody fucking with it.

Do you have any plans for the future? If so, what are they?

I think I might drop a project before December. I got a fucking crazy title and everything because I don’t want to give people too much. I’m trying to be here for 10 years down the line. I got to be wavy out here. These niggas not fucking with me. I’m trying to have my people real cozy with the Versace robes on with just the socks off. I’m trying to make a way for my people.

The post Exclusive Interview: “Choppin’ On Sight” – Meet A$ton Matthews appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Straight out of Long Beach, CA Joey Fatts is setting the record straight on his latest visual, “Curfew”, produced by Stoney Willis. They young emcee has been buzzing a lot lately due to his collaborations with A$AP Ant, Vince Staples and  A$ton Matthews.

The new visual, directed by Calmatic, features the young goons riding around the west coast on this syrupy banger. Reportedly, Yams, mostly known for his joint venture with A$AP ROCKY is starting up a new record label, Yamborghini Records. Well, look forward to more from these guys. The record is actually pretty tough. Look out for the impending project, Chipper Jones Vol.2.

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