SK Da Hitman provides the instrumental, keeping the elements light but engaging. Fluttering keys and pounding bass drive the beat, but they’re not overbearing, allowing RiFF and Bronson‘s flashy weirdness to shine through without any impediments. It’s also worth mentioning that is probably one of RiFF RAFF‘s most polished choruses. Like he told us in our interview with him last year, he’s no longer taking any chances. This is possibly his only shot, so he has to be in top form. Listen to the track and RiFF and Bronson‘s previous collaborations below.

The post New Music: RiFF RAFF feat. Action Bronson – “i Shoulda Won A Grammy” (prod. SK Da Hitman) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Sam Rubik‘s second part to his two-part “Many Smiles”/”HURT U” video release series is here, one week later, as promised. The Texas born and bred artist teams up with his label mate Dijon SAMO for this track, keeping the artistry in the family. Nouveau Riche Records (an imprint of URNR.TV) is getting ready to release the deluxe edition of Sam Rubik‘s Survival Tactics through the label on iTunes and Spotify by Christmas 2013. So be on the lookout for that. Rubik and his label are currently working to “…unite artists from Texas to create a scene familiar to the Swisha House era”.

In fact, keeping his creation “at home” has been a staple of Rubik‘s work thus far. His first tape, Life Without Commercials, was almost entirely produced by his Texas padna Beautiful Lou (who has garnered a huge amount of success working with Lil B, Kitty Pryde, and A$AP Rocky). And in the same vein, Rubik keeps this work close to his heart, and close to his fans.

Dijon‘s instrumental doesn’t necessarily scream “Many Smiles”, and to be honest, it’s hard to say that it could induce “any smiles,” even. But that’s meant in the best possible way. Inspiring minute movements only at the corners of the mouth, this instrumental coerces choral vocals to weep organic strings into and out of muted states of existence. With Dijon‘s steady cymbals washing over the entirety of his instrumental, listeners are treated to an experience defined by a trampling solemnity. Reflective in its tonality and energizing in its tempered pace, Dijon‘s instrumental lays thoughtful groundwork for Rubik‘s hopeful musings.

Rubik takes his time on this track, allowing an extended intro to build before imposing himself on the track. His drawl relaxing around the initial moments of the track, he takes a soft grip around the noose wrapped by the instrumental. This makes his moments of toothy heaves more vengeful, and his moments of melodic swooning all the more stirring. Constantly contradicting himself throughout the track, he uses this torn motion as a method of exploration. His imagery revolves around the split between the motivated and the interrupted, the gratified and the struggling, the thoughtful and the muted. His ability to carve out a clear character from a place of contradictions and opposing forces is impressive, and maybe even shrouded until after a few listens. So go through it a few times. You’ll enjoy it: this is one of the most literate pieces of music that you’ll have heard in a very long time.

And in case you missed last week’s premier of “HURT U”, featuring Western Tink, check it out right here.

The post Video Premiere: Sam Rubik – “MANY SMILES” (prod. by Dijon Samo) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Beautiful Lou just might be one of the best kept secrets coming out of Texas, having already worked with artists like A$AP Rocky and Lil B. For his latest installment he teams up with Himanshu of Das Racist to reflect back on the nineties. This track is pretty sweet and definitely solidifies that Beautiful Lou is a force to be reckoned with. Don’t say we didn’t tell you so.

The post New Music: Beautiful Lou & Himanshu — “Sumone 2 B Young With” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

OK, where do we start with this one? Kitty Pryde is a white girl from Daytona Beach, Florida. She’s a rapper; actually, Vice just called her “our new favorite Tumblr-wave rapper.” Luke O’Neil writes that “the handful of songs she’s put up on her BandCamp page in the last year…are the funnest, and funniest, rap tracks I’ve heard in recent memory.”

Her flow is soft, cozy, and fuzzy — um, in a good way — though she bumps Lil Ugly Mane and calls Danny Brown her idol. In fact, she namechecks the barky Detroit spitter in the video for “Okay Cupid,” released today, her collaboration with Beautiful Lou. Beautiful Lou, you should know, produced some of the strongest tracks on A$AP Rocky’s debut mixtape after being swooped up alongside Clams Casino for his work with Lil B. On “Okay Cupid,” his surreal, thumping, syruped-out beat is the perfect cushy backdrop for Kitty’s giggly-ass lyrics. The song fuckin’ works.

She might be a bit too meme-y for some of y’all, but dat #based music, dat ambient-nonsense-Riff Raff-Internet shit, it’s hot. I dunno. I was born in the ’90s too, so…

Kitty Pryde just signed with Main Attrakionz’s managers, and until she disappears, or gets sued by Marvel, or rises from Kreayshawn‘s ashes, you might wanna check it out. Download “Okay Cupid” right here, peep the video below, and more shit on her BandCamp.

Sidebar — her biggest influence?

It sounds really lame, but I’d say Earl Sweatshirt. I haven’t liked Odd Future’s music in a while, but I just think Earl’s flow is really cool. And, the band Why?, too. They have a lot of sounds. They’re pretty eclectic. But, whenever they do rap stuff I’ve always liked it.

via MISHKA

The post New Video: Kitty Pryde – “Okay Cupid” (Prod. by Beautiful Lou) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Spitter du jour ASAP Rocky’s hotly anticipated LiveLoveA$AP has finally hit the e-streets and, after an evening of hasty listening, it’s mostly excellent. Rocky flexes a bit more rapping muscle than he has on past tracks (particularly on dazzling Clams Casino-assisted opener “Palace,” which sees Rocky running down his influences, bouncing from his usual languid cool to an almost Bone Thugs-esque flow all the while discussing his love for Houston and Master P) and generally sounds like a star in the making, or, at very least, a rapper who can reach some level of sustained appeal with a bit more grooming.

You’ll probably be reading a lot about Rocky’s personality and rapping on other blogs, and you’ll be reading more still about his recent deal and what this tape means for his future as a major label artist.

I’m not here for that though. I do want to discuss a skill that bodes well for Rocky’s future.

Whether you, dear reader, want to admit it or not, one of the most talented and important beat selectors in the industry today is neither a producer, an A & R (though in a past era he would have been a masterful A & R), nor an executive, but a rapper: Rick Ross. Though he’s not always great at choosing productions for his underlings (Pill raps far too densely for a lot of Ross’ lush soul epics, and Wale is…Wale…I’m not really sure what kind of beat he’s supposed to be spitting on yet), he has an uncanny knack for populating his albums with productions both tasteful and timely, from the extravagant 70s stylings of the Justice L.E.A.G.U.E. to Lex Luger’s now pervasive hard hitting southern apocalypses (which, let’s not forget, were not pervasive until “B.M.F.”). Throughout his career, in spite of technical inadequacies as a rapper and constant assailment of his character and authenticity, Ross has thrived. His larger than life personality no doubt has much to do with his success, but it is his ability to select beats that are undeniable and subsequently get in where he fits in over them that has extended his life far beyond the expected one hit wonderdom of “Hustlin.”

To get to the point: ASAP Rocky has an exquisite ear for beats. Not only does Rocky assemble a cohesive sound for LLA from a diverse set of producers (including monster contributions from the aforementioned Clams as well as names you should be looking out: DJ Burn One, Spaceghost Purrp, and Beautiful Lou), he also manages to choose incredibly of the moment beats without sounding the least bit derivative or uncomfortable. On highlights “Kissin Pink” “Keep It G,” “Roll One Up,” and “Demons,” Rocky brings listeners sounds from the south as well as the cloud-hop popularized on the internet by Clams in conjunction with Lil B, Soulja Boy (trust me), and Main Attrakionz, sounding at home on each beat he chooses.

(Of course missing from the tape is ANYTHING that sounds remotely like it came from anyone’s conception of New York Hip-Hop…but maybe this means it’s time to update what New York Hip-Hop sounds like, especially when I sit on the N train and hear a Luger or Southside beat blaring out of every other pair of headphones)

So I don’t know how ASAP Rocky’s career will turn out. Apparently they’re playing “Peso” on Hot 97 here in NY, but I haven’t listened to the radio in years, so what the hell do I know anyway? If Rocky’s able to continue choosing beats that highlight his qualities as a rapper–his voice and a flow both sharp and languid, alternating as Rocky sees fit–he’ll at very least maintain his core audience. He still has room to grow as a rapper and, just as in Ross’ case, this continued change will hopefully be accompanied by a sharpened and ever-evolving ear for beats. If his record deal is half as good as it sounds (or anywhere near as good as what Odd Future got), Rocky may actually get the chance to progress and make some hits in the process. We’ll check back in after this little tour with some dude named Aubrey.

Photography by Far Fetched Future. Catch more flicks of Team ASAP here

The post Thoughts on ASAP Rocky & Hanging Around in the Rap Game appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.