While we live in times where Hip-Hop is evolving, and developing sub-categories within the genre, some of today’s youngest emerging rappers still honor, and are inspired by the golden era.

Today, 14 year old emcee, Mighty IV, pays tremendous homage to one of the illest and most legendary emcees to ever grace the mic, Big L, of D.I.T.C.  IV unleashes his latest visual spitting some of the most prolific and notable bars ever heard from a 14 year old, and yes!, he writes his own rhymes!

Gotta move in strategy/

Everything’s done tactfully/

And if you talkin down on me/

Get beheaded for blasphemy/

Under the direction of producer Nick Wiz, and his father, Ran Reed, who’s also made a name for himself in hip-hop, Mighty IV has undeniably acquired knowledge and learned the importance of staying true to the game.  The young lyricist aims to remain diverse within his music, and caters to today’s popular Trap sound, as well as the classic Boom-Bap. Many of his favorites consist of some of today’s most reputable artists such as J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Joey BadA$$, Logic, and Travis Scott.

The “Platinum Plus” video takes place in probably the most appropriate location for this remix of the classic, D.I.T.C. Studios.  Check it out above and be sure to look out for Mighty IV’s forthcoming project coming soon!

Also! Do remember to respect the Legends that have paved the way for today’s artists.  Here’s Showbiz of D.I.T.C. sharing his thoughts on someone who considers Big L over-rated.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpc-1gbB1ij/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1yqyjbmut2nq

Follow Mighty IV Below and show him some support if you’re feeling the flows!

The post RESPECT. Premiere: 14 Yr. Old Mighty IV Pays Homage to Big L on His Rendition of “Platinum Plus” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

While you’ve been paying attention to Van Jones and Jay-Z’s interview yesterday, with U.S. President Donald Trump’s follow up on Twitter, here’s a quick hip hop fact for you:

To this day, Big L and Jay-Z’s exclusive 1995 Stretch and Bobbito freestyle is the most viewed hip hop freestyle on YouTube.

That’s pretty significant for hip hop which will be graced by multitudes of hip hop overtures in this evening’s awards show. 

Before the internet, did you ever wonder where some of your favorite lyrical emcees got their huge break?

Stretch and Bobbito introduced the world to a multitude of unsigned artist in the 90s. 

I mean, we’re talking:  Big L, Nas, Biggie, Wu-Tang, Big Pun, Jay-Z, Eminem and the Fugees!!

Many of your favorite lyricists rocked the mic on NYC’s Stretch and Bobbito Show, which aired Thursday nights from 1-AM – 4 AM out of a basement studio with an old operating board from the 60’s.

According to Bobbito their underground rap show “put the street corner in a box.” The impact of that show was the subject of “Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives.”

So how did that come about?

“This is actually my second film, my first was titled Walk In The Park: Pick Up Basketball in NYC,” Bobbito Garcia told me on Scoop B Radio.

“I co-directed and co-produced that project which aired on PBS in January of 2014. A young producer by the name of Omar Costas was blown away by it and reached out to me by way of mutual contact and asked me about my next film. I told him that I just had a child and that my first film had aired on public television, so I wasn’t even trying to think about another film. He told me that he used to listen to me and Stretch and a lightbulb went off in my head. So I looked up his reel and knew that we needed to explore and literally three days later we were filming.”

The rest was like logical clockwork.

“I met Omar on Wednesday and on Saturday we were shooting. Riggs Morales who is the former editor of The Source Magazine and Noah Callahan, the Editor In Chief of Complex. 18 months later is when we started getting the big names like Jay-Z, Nas and Eminem because it took a long time to get them on camera. They were all willing and happy to be apart of it because they all premiered on our show as unsigned up and coming artists and that list runs long.”

The long list included Nas, Biggie, Wu-Tang, Mobb Deep, Eminem, Big Pun, Mase, Cam, Big L and more. As a matter of fact, total record sales for all the artists that premiered on their show exceed 300 million. The late-night program had a cult following in the art/fashion world and prison population.

Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives from Saboteur Media on Vimeo.

As to the infamous Jay-Z and Big L freestyle, Bobbito says folks are still in awe. “I actually mentor a couple of kids in Harlem and they’ll talk about the freestyle,” said Bobbito.

“And I’ll tell them you know that’s me saying “ooh wee” on the freestyle right and they don’t believe me at first, but they go back and listen to it and tell me: ‘yo that’s crazy, I heard you on the freestyle.’”

Suggested Articles:

The Next Big Showcase’s Cliff Po & DJ Tarzan Making Dreams Reality in NYC & NJ

Scoop B Radio: Turner Sports’ Steve Smith Talks Career & More

The post Scoop B: Before the Grammy Awards, did you know Jay-Z’s big break came from a 90s NYC radio freestyle with Big L? appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Royce The 5’9 checks in with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio Overtime. Photo Credit: Shyrone Haskins

Man, I remember the first time I caught on to Royce da’ 5’9″

It was my junior year of high school and I wasn’t allowed to watch music videos on MTV or BET.

So, what’s a guy to do? I did it anyway!

My mom would tell me she was going to check the bottom of the cable box and see if it was hot when she came home from work. So, naturally, I found the cheat code. I ran the cold water in the kitched sink until it got extra cold, then I got a sponge and cooled the cable box. By the time my mom came home, the cable box was cooled and was left the way it was when everyone left for school and work that morning.

Why are these details important, you ask? This set the stage for the formative years of my hearing Royce da 5’9’s music.

Well, I clearly remember coming home from school and checking out the music video for Rock With Me.

That song, Royce’s, also featured Eminem. I’d been sold on Eminem since he appeared on the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards and marched into the entrance of Radio City Music Hall with a ton of Eminem look-a-likes.

In turn, Eminem shook Carson Daly’s hand and left Fred Durst hanging while rapping to the hit, “The Real Slim Shady.”

Now that I’ve bored you, I say all of that to say that I thought Royce was talented in Rock With Me and the collaboration of he and Eminem meant the world to me back then.As talented a lyricist that Royce is, one would wonder who else he repects lyrically.

In a recent conversation on Scoop B Radio Overtime, Royce da’ 5’9 broke it down for me. “Biggie, Jay-Z, and Nas were in terms of albums were the first albums that I was able to appreciate from a technical, lyrical, standpoint,” Royce da’ 5’9″ told me on Scoop B Radio Overtime.

Royce da” 5’9 Checks In With Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson On Scoop B Radio

“I’ve always been influenced by Redman, Ras Kass, the Helter Skelter album was a big album in my household. D.O.C. is a criminally slept on emcee out of the west coast. I think had he not had that accident he shoots to top three easily, Big L.”

Big L??  Yup Big L, Harlem’s finest! He’s very underrated. Royce thinks so too. “Criminally underrated,” Royce da’ 5’9 said.

“I think Big L was better than Jay-Z at that time, just in my opinion. Let me know if y’all disagree because we can argue.”

Nope, we’re saying nothing. 

Suggested Articles:

The post Royce da’ 5’9: “Big L was better than Jay-Z” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“I’m skilled at it, I’m Illmatic, so “yes” answers your question if you ask me do I still have it.”

Longevity and respect; two words, of many, that are properly assigned when mentioning Lord Finesse. Respecting the essence, respecting the culture, and most importantly respecting yourself in this bitter-sweet game we call hip-hop are some notes we can take from the Under Boss. There’s really no arguing that he’s been remaining true to his craft since day one. Before getting into his latest successes with the promising SP 1200 Project releases we wanted to take you on a brief journey through the world of Lord Finesse, highlighting some key elements for you new jacks and ultimately displaying what a true artist looks like in 2015.

As him and Dj Mike Smooth‘s Funky Technician approaches its 25th anniversary, we can safely say it’s one of many landmarks he left in hip-hop. To avoid this seeming like another drawn out album review, we will keep it brief and save you the hassle. This record introduced us to his clever metaphors and seemingly-effortless wordplay, prior to him stepping to machinery and shocking the world on the production side. Only a couple years later would he return with “Return of the Funky Man”, addressing the allegations that he fell off, and even dead at one point. This 1992 “return” would be his premiere on the boards as well, which in retrospect would more or less be the all-in point for carving himself as of one of hip-hop’s top tier producers.

Some by-passers may throw him in a box for having the freshest similes and metaphors and leave on that note – but no. The wordplay, the ability to jump on any groove and sail it naturally, and confidence in his delivery since the beginning are all qualities with equal impact. Remember the classic ’89 battle with Percee P? Enough said. Many artists have maintained some sort of charisma over the years, but more than half of the time it seems to be a gimmick that becomes forgotten. His charisma as a recording artist, and off the mic, is evidently natural. Once again, new jacks, please take note of these qualities while we still have you tuned in.

The Diggin’ In The Crates crew is a topic we could talk about for days, but right now we will call your attention solely to Finesse’s chemistry with his DITC family. Was this because he was so close with the mostly Bronx-bred crew? Or was this because he can adapt to working with any dope artist doing it? Perhaps the answer is both. Outside of the clique Finesse has done records with some of hip-hop’s most renowned acts. Biggie‘s 1994 classic “Suicidal Thoughts” come’s to mind.

In a sit down with Fuse’s Crate Diggers series he not only blessed us with some back stories on working with Big, but he mentioned something shortly after that stood out to us above all, which again attests to his level of respect as an artist:

As a producer I don’t want to just sell you a beat to make a dollar. I’m going to make sure you pick something and do something incredible with it.

 

Fast forwarding to the present we can now discuss Lord Finesse’s recent success. The SP1200 Project was released in August 2014, but due to its heavy acclaim and potency the world needed more. Only a handful of months later he returns with The SP1200 Project: A Re-Awakening to keep us real hip-hop junkies fed – loaded with an additional eight tracks. There’s no doubt that this one is for all you beat junkies out there. The project is basically a must-have for those who’ve been itching and scratching for that staple Funky Man sound, with the help of Bossmen/Slice of Spice Records‘ perfection on the scene. He is seemingly back with no sign of stopping. We’ve attached a nice video clip below from the project which provides with just enough snippets to get you on board. Still not on board? Well, we don’t know what to tell you. Be sure to grab this release here at iTunes, UGHH or Slice of Spice.

With all that being said, we hope this inclines you to open your eyes and gather what a true artist looks like. Lord Finesse has been keeping it humble for a long time, never “selling out” from any angle, and markedly remaining passionate for this culture – that us real hip-hop heads genuinely have a desire to keep alive. What do you perceive as relevant longevity? Peace and love.

The post Lord Finesse: The Funky Man Still Keeping Fans Satisfied appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Yesterday, the young, New York boom-bap revivalist known as Joey Bada$$ released a video for his Basquiat produced single, “Christ Conscious.” The single, along with “Big Dusty” will be included on his forthcoming LP, B4DA$$. The M-I-E directed video puts a modern twist on classic 90s boom-bap videos, particularly Big L’s “Put it On” video from 1995. In the video, Joey waves his arms around, sports a bucket hat, Timberlands and a New York hockey jersey, keeping the tradition of New York swagger typified by Big L and more recently A$AP Nast. There are however, subtle differences between the “Christ Conscious” video and those aforementioned. As he walks through the streets of Brooklyn, rectilinear video effects glimmer in the background. He also casually get’s seemingly possessed and levitated into the sky as the song fades. Watch the video below.

The post New Video: Joey Bada$$ – “Christ Conscious” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Italian artists GRADONER GRAPHICS put together a compilation of photos in remembrance of some of hip-hop’s fallen kings. The set, published in 2011, is a collection of photographs all edited into a similar graphic style. You can check out a selection below, book-ended by Biggie and 2Pac and visit here to see more.

The post Photos: “Tribute to the Kings” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Lamont Coleman, better known as Big L, was gunned down 14 years ago today at the age of 24. He was shot nine times in the face and chest in Harlem. Just weeks prior to his death, L was in the process of signing to Jay-Z and Dame Dash’s Roc-A-Fella imprint.

Big L left a legacy one of the most gifted lyricists  of his time, although his body of work was nowhere near as expansive as anyone would have liked it to be. In remembrance of his talent, you can check out a few classic freestyles of his, including the legendary 10 minute freestyle on Stretch and Bobbito’s show in 1995 along with Jay-Z.

98 Freestyle

“You ain’t a leader, nobody followed you, you was never shit, your mother should’ve swallowed you”

All Black

“I was taught wise, I’m known to extort guys , this ain’t Cali, it’s Harlem n*gga we do walk-bys”

The post Remembering Big L appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.