Rhymesayers, the nearly-twenty year-old independent Minnesota record label, is home to many great talents. Artists such as Atmosphere, MF DOOM, Brother Ali, Evidence and more call it home, and have released plenty of music through the label. That may be, at least in part, because the label shows some passion when it comes to releasing product. It’s important, as an artist, to know your art matters to people, and there’s no better way to show support than by pumping some cold hard dollars into those shiny circle things.

While the rise in digital sales continues, there is still a market for physical editions of albums, and perhaps none understand this market better than Rhymesayers. Throughout the years, the house Atmosphere, Musab and Brent Sayers built has released some extremely inspired pieces of art (that also house some pretty good music). Here are the five coolest album designs Rhymesayers has ever put on the shelf.

P.O.S. – Never Better
P.O.S.’s follow-up to 2006’s Audition found the rapper in pieces — at least in the album packaging. Never Better includes six transparent inserts, ranging from a skull to a snake to the SMPTE color bars. In addition to those, there are 16 solid inserts that come stitched together, and can be pulled apart and laid under the transparent inserts, making for some crazy images (as well as alternate album covers when re-inserted into the case). Think of this as a cooler version of your grade school arts and crafts projects.

Grieves – Together/Apart
Grieves’ Rhymesayers debut comes housed in a folded digipak that, when pulled apart, showcases some pretty great graffiti art. Unfolding the next two panels reveals the “Together” portion, which holds the CD, while the bottom grid (“Apart”) houses a bonus biographical DVD titled “Present/Tense.” While this may not be the most visually-striking album on the list, it gains points on the concept alone. The listener is finally “together” with Grieves on the CD, while being “apart” from him his whole life on the DVD.

Atmosphere – The Family Sign
Think of the packaging for Atmosphere’s sixth studio album as a classier version of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. You get seven inserts emblazoned with lyrics written in silver foil and the digipak itself doubles as an actual picture frame so you can house each of the panels, giving you the option of seven different covers. Nothing classes up that empty mantel above your fireplace more than some smiling rappers. Also notable is Atmosphere’s previous album, When Life Gives You Lemons…, which includes a children’s story written by Slug.

MF DOOM – MM..FOOD?
MF DOOM has always been one of the most enigmatic figures in hip-hop, so it was only appropriate that the Rhymesayers re-issue of his long-awaited follow-up to Operation Doomsday would come in nothing but a plain foil wrapper. Playing off the “Food” title, the packaging is reminiscent of pop tarts and other food sold in microwave hazardous material. The nutritional information-themed label not only gives buyers a small hint as to the contents — but it is also a scratch and sniff sticker that smells like hamburgers (yes, really). As if that wasn’t enough of a novelty for every Williamsborough-residing hipster to scour eBay for a remaining copy, the inside of the album also includes a vintage diner poster, as well as an MM..FOOD? coaster.

Freeway & Jake One – Stimulus Package
Designed by the legendary Brent Rollins, Freeway and Jake One’s Stimulus Package is a crowning achievement in album design from any label, in any genre. The album features four Freeway dollar bills, along with four Jake One dollar bills, housed in a wallet. The wallet also has a slot for a digital download, in the form of a credit card. The whole thing is wrapped in a currency strap, featuring the album title. This may be the only album to make your wallet heavier.

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Top Dawg Entertainment had a banner year in 2013. They capped off 2012 with Kendrick Lamar’s prodigious release and rode the tidal wave of success all the way to a platinum album and even into this year’s Grammy’s. While good kid, m.A.A.d city didn’t earn anything that night other than a sanctimonious text message, the cultural impact of the album helped catapult the whole Black Hippy and TDE squad into the limelight. However, there were plenty of quality releases to come out of Top Dawg’s house prior to October 2012 that deserve to be talked about, as well. With Schoolboy Q’s Oxymoron finally arriving on iTunes (and those big brick and mortar things in the real world), we thought it would be appropriate to take a retrospective on the past releases of the label. Kendrick may be running ahead of the pack, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the label is lagging behind. TDE has been eatin’ for years. [Ed. Note: This list is meant to examine official albums over projects initially given away for free, thus omitting such releases as Kendrick Lamar’s Overly Dedicated and Jay Rock’s Black Friday.]

 9) Setbacks

Schoolboy Q will be the first to tell you he didn’t always dream of becoming a rapper. In fact, he noted that the concept behind Setbacks was to talk about all the reasons why he can’t rap. From drugs to women, Schoolboy had plenty of distractions and rap was only a means to an end. Given this, one would assume the album would more or less suck, but it’s quite impressive, especially considering all the aforementioned circumstances. Q had a long way to go to improve his mic skills, but the material was already in place for a promising career.

8) Longterm Mentality

Ab-Soul said he wanted Longterm Mentality to capture his life and his aspirations in the music business. While his debut was not meant to be a continuation of his Longterm mixtapes, it was still an all-encompassing idea of the themes presented in the previous two works. Songs like “Almost There” demonstrate Ab’s sacrifices and ambition to make it big in the game. While the album was understandably a little raw and underdeveloped, it was clear that Ab-Soul had plenty of potential and a lot more to say.

7) Cilvia Demo

Isaiah Rashad initially planned for Cilvia Demo to be exclusively verses, with each song averaging around 90 seconds. After continued studio time, the project morphed into an official EP (although even that can be debated given its LP length). Rashad seamlessly blends harmonizing, rapping and melodies into a dreamy 14-track sequence. Vices, demons, insecurities and hopes are all explored here, and are mostly handled exclusively by Rashad with minimal features, making for an even more impressive debut.

6) Control System

Ab-Soul may be the “weirdo” of the Black Hippy crew, but he comes alive through his music. His independent sophomore effort demonstrated plenty of growth for one year’s time. While Longterm Mentality focused inward, Ab turned his pen outward on Control System and broadened his subject matter to society and politics. He continued to self-analyze as well, except this time it was with far more polished beats and flows.

5) Habits & Contradictions

A year following Setbacks, Schoolboy Q had grown into a far more confident rapper. He showcased a better understanding of song structure, with a hit record in “Hands on the Wheel,” while demonstrating rarely-seen vulnerability on ‘Blessed.” Furthermore, he became infinitely more menacing and haunting on “Oxy Music” and “Nightmare on Figg Street.” The makings of Oxymoron were already in place here.

4) Oxymoron

After a few false starts, Q’s major label debut arrived to critical praise. The missteps of Setbacks and Habits & Contradictions were mostly absent on Oxymoron and we instead received a focused body of work. Furthering the introspection from his previous album, Q delved deeper into his drugs problems on “Prescription,” easily his most personal record to date. Records like “Gangsta” and “Fuck LA” showcased the aggressive side of Schoolboy that made him a TDE favorite and he even tacked on some crossover potentials such as ‘Studio” for good measure. The South Central spitter also proved he could mostly stand on his own two feet, limiting the Black Hippy features and going for self. While Oxymoron may not have been the crowned jewel of the Top Dawg catalog, it was by far Schoolboy Q’s best body of work.

3) Section.80

Kendrick had been around for a while by the time Section.80 rolled in, but it was this album that put the Compton native on the mainstream map (and caught the ear of Dr. Dre). Kendrick’s penchant for anthemic hooks was fully developed by this point, and he flexed those abilities with tracks like “Fuck Your Ethnicity” and “HiiiPower.” While there were plenty of attention grabbers such as those, it was Kendrick’s heart that kept people listening. “Tammy’s Song” and “Keisha’s Song” showed the depth that the Black Hippy capo had and his potential for crafting timeless music.

2) Follow Me Home

Following Jay Rock home was an exhausting ordeal. The Watts rapper had unsuccessful stints at both Asylum and Warner Records before finally signing to Tech N9ne’s Strange Music in 2010. Rock would then spend a while on the road and deliver his Black Friday mixtape before finally dropping his debut album in July 2011. While Follow Me Home was not a commercial success, it was critically praised for its classic West Coast lyrics and booming production. Songs like “Elbows” and “Just Like Me” demonstrated Rock’s knowledge for the importance of powerful hooks, while “Code Red” and “Bout That” delivered a menacing feel for his core audience. The album bleeds with vintage West Coast gangsterism yet sets itself apart with fresh flows ideas.

1) good kid, m.A.A.d city

No surprise here. When it came out to unanimous critical praise in October 2012, Kendrick Lamar said the only thing keeping good kid, m.A.A.d city from classic status was time. Well, it has been over a year and the album is still as good as ever, if not better. GKMC is a fully-conceived, thought-out story, the likes of which we rarely get in hip-hop. Not only does the album require your full attention in order to understand the narrative, but it also has some jams on there for you to vibe to. “Backseat Freestyle” and “m.A.A.d city” are high octane tracks that demand movement when being played, while “Money Trees” and ‘Poetic Justice” soothe your soul. Add to that moving records like “Sing About Me” and you have the recipe for a masterpiece.

Where does Oxymoron fit in to TDE’s catalog now that its available? Let us know.

The post Ranking TDE’s Albums From Worst to Best appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

In a unique move, Long Island natives De La Soul are offering up their entire catalog for free starting today. All seven of the group’s albums can be downloaded through their website until tomorrow afternoon. “It’s about allowing our fans who have been looking and trying to get a hold of our music to have access to it,” Posdnuos told Rolling Stone. “It’s been too long where our fans haven’t had access to everything. This is our way of showing them how much we love them.”

For fans who may not have enough free cash flow to cop all the albums and may have too much of a conscious to access them illegally, this is quite the gift. This may also be a new path for older groups to get discovered by the younger generation. You can head over to their website to grab all the LPs guilt free.

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Save for perhaps 50 Cent, there is no other rapper who had a bigger impact on the mixtape circuit, with more releases than any one torrent file can hold. His Mixtape Messiah series is legendary, if for no other reason than the fact that part one was the most purchased mixtape in Texas history. He also scored a platinum debut with the Sound of Revenge and has managed to stay relevant while many of his Texas peers who blew up around the same time period have faded away. Therefore, in the interest of education, we’ve compiled a list of ten records that showcase a broader and deeper side of Chamillionaire. You gon’ learn today.

“Void in My Life” (Sound of Revenge, 2005)

The most introspective track on his major label debut finds Cham looking for a deeper meaning in life, turning to religion and even mentioning the conflict of having a Muslim father and Christian mother.

“Rain” feat. Scarface & Billy Cook (Sound of Revenge, 2005)

With the help of Scarface and a soulful chorus from Billy Cook, “Rain” details some of the hardships faced in life and having to power through them. Never one to dwell on the negative, though, Cham turns what could have been a down-on-your-luck story into an uplifting and positive message.

“Willing to Try” (Hangin’ With Mr. Koopa, 2009)

If there was one record that could encapsulate Chamillionaire’s character, it may be this one. From starting out as a mixtape hustler, to becoming a self-made success with a platinum plaque to his name, the Houston rapper is nothing if not determined. Here, he makes note of his perseverance in the face of doubt.

“It’s Just Pain” (Mixtape Messiah 3, 2007)

If you’re going to tackle a classic beat such as “Renegade,” you better put your unique twist on it. Instead of delivering an arsenal of bars to show that he can match up with some of the game’s top lyricists, Koopa paints a somber picture of his childhood. From a fractured relationship with his father to his fear about the afterlife, this is a fan favorite and certainly one of the rapper’s finest moments because of the detailed, specific pieces of Cham‘s life on display.

“I Think I Love You” (Ultimate Victory, 2007)

Chamillionaire has always had a knack for storytelling. On a standout record from his sophomore album, we get a compelling story worthy of a Hollywood movie. Cham details his relationship with money, but masks it as a girlfriend, capping it off with a show-stopping third verse.

“Internet Nerd’s Revenge” (Mixtape Messiah 4, 2008)

In addition to being a great rapper, Cham is also a pretty funny guy. He takes advantage of that humor on a brilliant concept record for Mixtape Messiah 4. Here, he plays the role of an internet troll who despises Chamillionaire’s music. The troll, unsurprisingly, is a lonely, angry kid. The song takes a dark turn at the end but it makes for an extremely memorable record.

“Roll Call Reloaded (Fire Drill)” (Mixtape Messiah 2, 2006)

Continuing on the lines of comedy, Cham makes use of some impression skills here and delivers a star-studded posse cut — all by himself. Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne, E-40, Jim Jones, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, Jay Z and more get dead-on impersonations as Koopa gives us some of their typical lyrical content.

“Go Hard” (Mixtape Messiah 4, 2008)

Aside from moments of comedy, introspection and radio hits, Cham can flat-out rap. He showcases this many times throughout his career but this one in particular is a standout. A lyrical tirade is delivered here for over four minutes and Cham rips through this record with noticeable hunger in his voice.

“Voice of Reason” (N/A, 2012)

Over J. Cole’s “Lost Ones,” we get two perspectives from Koopa. The first verse is the young man, getting his first taste of fame, while the second verse is the more mature, seasoned man giving his viewpoint.

“Think I’m Crazy” (Sound of Revenge, 2005)

A fan favorite here from Cham’s debut album. The song finds the rapper at a bar with a woman who begins telling him a story. As the record progresses, the story becomes more frantic. Without spoiling anything, the song is another metaphor, this time about a few old friendships Koopa lost along the way.

The post Deeper than Ridin Dirty: 10 Chamillionaire Songs You Need to Know appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Yeezy has said a lot of things this week. Just five days before the release of Yeezus, we collected some of his most memorable quotes. It’s pretty amazing that ‘Ye said all this within the last seven days. Enjoy!

10.  “You know, if Michael Jordan can scream at the refs, me as Kanye West, as the Michael Jordan of music, can go and say, ‘This is wrong.'”

9. “I love the fact that I’m bad at [things], you know what I’m saying? I’m forever the 35-year-old 5-year-old. I’m forever the 5-year-old of something.”

8.”Dark Fantasy” was my long, backhanded apology. You know how people give a backhanded compliment? It was a backhanded apology. It was like, all these raps, all these sonic acrobatics. I was like: “Let me show you guys what I can do, and please accept me back. You want to have me on your shelves.”

7.”Maybe 90 percent of the time it looks like I’m not having a good time.”

6. “I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means. I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture. Period. By a long jump. I honestly feel that because Steve has passed, you know, it’s like when Biggie passed and Jay-Z was allowed to become Jay-Z.”

5.”The idea of Kanye and vanity are like, synonymous. But I’ve put myself in a lot of places where a vain person wouldn’t put themselves in. Like what’s vanity about wearing a kilt?”

4. “I am so credible and so influential and so relevant that I will change things.”

3. “I understand culture. I am the nucleus.”

2.”If you don’t make Christmas presents, meaning making something that’s so emotionally connected to people, don’t talk to me.”

1. “I just talked to Jesus / He said “Whatup Yeezus?” / I said shit I’m chillin’. / Tryna stack these millions.'” (From “I Am A God”).

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Kanye West’s cryptic tweet from earlier in the week is still being debated. The date could be the arrival of baby KimYe, his new single, or anything in between. Regardless, a new Yeezy album is definitely on the way, if not this summer then certainly by the end of the year. Therefore, it’s only fitting to take some time to put Kanye’s previous efforts in perspective. You’d be hard-pressed to find many rappers who have amassed a stronger five-album catalogue than Mr. West, but even in a sea of great music, there are varying degrees of GOOD.

5) 808s & Heartbreak

Kanye’s genre-bending fourth album is undoubtedly his most polarizing. The loss of his mother put him in a place where he could not simply go in the booth and rap. He had other emotions he needed to convey, be it through singing, tribal drums, or arctic-cold soundscapes. The album’s most telling point comes on “Coldest Winter.” In contrast to the heart-warming “Hey Mama,” this record finds Kanye distraught and angry over the loss of his rock. Though not the album’s highlight, the song encapsulates 808s & Heartbreak perfectly: Kanye was attempting to work through his grief, regardless if it resulted in successful records.

4) Graduation

Graduation was the turning point for Kanye. Following two skit-heavy albums, he delivered a succinct 13 tracks. His rhymes were more polished and he was clearly more focused as an MC. The album was also the start of the more experimental Kanye we know today. However, he had a few misses on this album, and on a smaller tracklist, those misses are more noticeable. “Barry Bonds” was nowhere near the lyrical monster one might have thought it would be, as we were clearly on the way out of the Mixtape Weezy era. “Drunk and Hot Girls” not only sounded like the 2am ride-along music for all date rapists, it also broke up the flow of an otherwise very coherent project.

3) College Dropout

You don’t get a second chance at a first impression and Kanye certainly didn’t need one. At the time of College Dropout, he was a producer trying to make a name for himself as a rapper, crafting hit after hit to back up his bravado. College Dropout boasts several iconic Yeezy records, including “Jesus Walks” and “Workout Plan.” The most special thing, however, is the brief glimpses of vulnerability exhibited, like on “Through the Wire.” Kanye proved that he not only had the hit-making ability to get in the door, but that he also had the substance to stay.

2) Late Registration

While most people were quick to predict a sophomore slump for Kanye following a classic debut, he was once again prepared to prove everyone wrong. He showed up as a hungrier, more polished MC and still delivered radio hits, perhaps none bigger than “Gold Digger.” In retrospect, the tracklist is still bloated, especially with 4 skits, an intro, and an interlude. Not to mention Kanye was still getting lapped by big brother’s on the “Diamonds” remix. Nevertheless, Late Registration would prove to be the statement that Kanye West wasn’t going anywhere.

1) My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

By 2010, if Kanye West wasn’t public enemy #1 he was living right next door. He had incurred the wrath of every late night talk show, skit show and internet show following Swift-Gate. He was still grieving over losing his mother and he had ended a long relationship with Amber Rose. But, as is true with most artists, his best work comes out of suffering and tribulations: Kanye flew to Hawaii and crafted a masterpiece. With the help of an ensemble cast, we were privy to a darker, hyper-experimental Kanye West. He came across at once lost and right where he wanted to be. MBDTF is far from Yeezy’s biggest success on radio or the charts, but it connected with fans and critics alike. While some supporters still clamored for the return of the sample-loving, backpack-wearing Ye, the realists knew that version was long gone. “Power” was years of packed aggression in 5 minutes of venting. “Runaway” and “Blame Game” showcased that the vulnerability still lived in the man, yet he was growing as a person. “Monster,” “So Appalled” and “Gorgeous” proved that Kanye could rap his ass off in case anyone had forgotten. While MBDTF certainly lacked the radio hits and soul everyone came to expect from a Kanye West album, it replaced those with pain and triumph balled up into a frantic, maniacal opus.

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The year isn’t even half-way done, but we’ve already seen some very memorable artwork for singles, albums, and mix-tapes. Below is a compilation of ten of our favorites.  While music is their primary medium, these artists clearly understand that strong acoustics are only strengthened by strong visuals.  We doubt that any of these artists would willingly say, “Yeezy taught me,” but in terms of the quality of these covers, Kanye‘s go-to artist  George Condo definitely comes to mind.

 10. The cover art for Harry Fraud‘s Adrift is a beautiful picture of a pier that evokes alienation by contrasting the grey sky with the ocean and emphasizing the distance between the pier and the beach.

9. Thelonious Martin’s From Me to You –artwork has many layers to it. In addition to its dark background, if you look closer you can see some writing that resembles newsprint. Somehow, probably with a meticulous attention to detail, the artist was able to give the viewer the sense that light is coming out of the piece itself.

8.  Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge  know how to go old school with 12 Reasons to Die. This cover is straight out of the blaxploitation thriller playbook.

7. “Creepy” doesn’t even begin to describe Azealia Banks‘ artwork for “Yung Rapunzel “. The cover is brutally nightmarish and the track is just as dark. Notice the similarity between the cover and Rene Magritte’s painting, “The Rape.”

6. Quasimoto – Yessir Whatever – The concept for this art work is innovative and intriguing. Using a sticker that creates an illusion of movement, the art has multiple layers, just like a Madlib beat.

5. Tyler, The creator  artwork for Wolf  shows us a fun portrait of Tyler as a child. This work is admirable due to it’s high attention to details. If you look at the tree you’ll notice a subtle eye; in the bottom right you can see a random doll head on top of a little trunk; and at the bottom left what looks like a chipmunk dressed in a traditional Irish outfit. This art work is fun and a little ridiculous, much like the artist himself.

4. Big K.R.I.T‘s cover for  King Remembered in Time is reminiscent of an ancient Greek vase. The gold color in contrast with the dark-purple galactic background works very well.

3. The art work for ANTHM‘s latest project,  produced by Blu as GODleeBarnes, features a very harmonious fusion of writing and image.

2. Chance The Rapper embraces his weird side , using a combination of psychedelic and galactic imagery to evoke his uniqueness. The intriguing thing is that this uniqueness is contrasted by the trees and the home at the bottom. It’s the perfect combination of being down-to-Earth and out of this world.

1. Finally, the victory goes to Mobb Deep’s Prodigy and The Alchemist artwork for their joint LP, Albert Einstein. This art cover is a piece of art that can stand on its own without the music.The artist’s ability to re-create the well-known portrait of Einstein with originality  and adaptability to contemporary times is beyond admirable.

Let us know who you like best!

The post Best Album and Single Artwork of 2013 (So Far) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.