Earlier this week, singer/songwriter SAM BLVCK released the video for his newest single “Battle.” The video, directed by Racquel Charles and Niara Nyabingi, features BLVCK in Washington, D.C. fighting between the extreme passion, and the dreary toxicity that relationships can put us through. This intoxicating visual takes us through the battle between the highs and lows of BLVCK’s flawed relationship with his love interest. This is a video we can all relate to on a personal level, and a song many people won’t have a problem identifying with.

SAM BLVCK may be a newer artist but as far as entertaining goes, he’s been dancing and singing his whole life. “Since I was a young kid, I can’t remember a time not singing or dancing. I have always loved to sing, dance and entertain. It was my way to find comfort in growing up by myself,” says BLVCK. With inspirations like: Stevie Wonder, Usher, Pharrell and Chris Brown just to name a few, it’s no surprise that BLVCK  always strives to expand his creative mind and his versatility as an artist. Whether through singing, songwriting, dancing or performing in any other aspect, we definitely have not seen the last of SAM BLVCK.

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While one of the most anticipated battles of the year, DNA vs. Ill Will, was abut to take place, RESPECT. caught up with Smack and Beasley to discuss the competition, their battlers and Night of the Main Events 4. You can read all about it in our upcoming issue but, prior to watching DNA and Ill Will go at it for three rounds tomorrow, we’re giving you a preview of Smack and Beasley’s mindset on the event and their “imitators.” Read on below.

RESPECT.: With all the competition going on right now, how do y’all feel? Are you the leaders in the battle league space?

Beasley: I still think that URL is the leader in the space. All of the major talent that attracts viewership at MC battles online, they come from our platform. Even if they weren’t a big name, they were established here and we broadened their profile to enable them to go out and battle. Any other league that’s out here, they are trying to secure views, they are using our talent pool to do so. Whether they are small leagues, major corporations that are now trying to come in, labels… I’ll say it’s good on one end when you have them imitating what you are doing, ’cause it shows that you are making an impact. But it’s also frustrating because in addition to us being businessmen and entrepreneurs we are also true to hip-hop.We always believed in being original.

Night of Main Events is coming up, but your marquee event is the annual Summer Madness show. What do y’all expect from both high-powered battles?

Beasley: Energy. I expect energy, performance, excitement, and elevation of MC battle culture to another level. People have to remember that we were able to do something that few thought was even possible. People laughed at us, thought we were jokes, clowns… “There’s no money in this.” Now we are selling out venues. One of the owners of [famous New York venue] Webster Hall told us the only people to sell out Webster Hall were The Killers and The Rolling Stones. They said no one else ever in hip-hop was able to haul out to that level with the ticket price point that we had. [Editor’s note: Tickets can reach up into the $200 range.] They said it was insane. We are providing jobs, opportunity for these guys to make money. They are actually making a living off of battle rap now. They can pay their bills, travel the world, have opportunities to go to other leagues overseas. You see guys in other countries acting like they are Smack. So even if we don’t get any bigger, it just feels good to know we did something that contributed to hip-hop culture that will be around forever and that’s documented that people will always refer to.

The full issue hits newsstands soon.

The post RESPECT. The Preview: Smack and Beasley in Vol. 5, Issue 1 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.