To set it off, “Like a Dream” eases you in with its laid-back, bluesy production from longtime collaborator, Havoc. It sets the tone for the Mobb’s Big Twins, Ty Nitty, and Godfather Pt. III to spit their raw, realist bars about life as they know it in Queensbridge. “Like a Dream” is also the first single off their upcoming new album, IM3, that will include production from The Alchemist, DJ Muggs, Twiz The Beat Pro, DirtyDiggs, and more.

But before we hear IM3, the three-piece also has a new EP in the works. That’s where you’ll find the menacing “Queens Get The Money,” a hard-hitting banger that could be the soundtrack to a bank heist. It also sounds like a new anthem for the Infamous Mobb, who waste no time firing off warning shots to their enemies in their verses. The track is produced by Quiet Genius, but the rest of the EP (currently untitled) is predominantly produced by Twiz The Beat Pro.

Both tracks are available now for stream through all major DSPs via Grimey Records, and can be streamed right here courtesy of RESPECT. Be on the lookout for more music from the Queensbridge veterans as they make their long awaited return.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/infamousmobb

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infamousmobb_im3

Twitter: 
• Big Twins: https://twitter.com/BIGTWINSQB
• Ty Nitty: https://twitter.com/TYNITTYMOBB
• Godfather Pt. III: https://twitter.com/Infamous_G3
• Havoc: https://twitter.com/mobbdeephavoc
• Quiet Genius: https://twitter.com/GeniusQuiet
• Infamous Mobb: #InfamousMobb

The post QB’s Infamous Mobb Is back with 2 New Singles – “Like a Dream/Queens Get the Money” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The New York-meets-Los Angeles team of rapper Big Twins and production duo DirtyDiggs pack more into their Queensbridge EP than most acts could hope to do on a full-length effort. That’s because the six tracks on here embody the passion and spirit of the Queensbridge native himself, who sums up the gospel of his entire career on “Do It Big, Do Em Dirty” when he raps: “Back to the streets, f*ck the bullsh*t salary/ I gotta do it big and make my mom dukes proud of me.”

That sentiment rings true throughout Queensbridge, whether Twins is flexing over DirtyDiggs’ psychedelic production on “No Hesitation” or if he’s getting what he deserves on the soulful “Cash In.” Twins and his production collaborators absolutely put their whole foot—and then some—into their respective work throughout the EP, and a big part of that drive has to do with the emcee’s upbringing.

“Growing up in Queensbridge scarred me for life, but also helped me get out of the hood to become a businessman and do what I do,” Twins explains. “To this day, I continue to visit QB a few times a year, shooting videos and keeping in touch with people there. It reminds me how hard my life is and makes me want to work harder.”

Twins shows love to other cities as well, including his collaborators’ own hometown of Los Angeles, where he traveled for the new two-part video for “Do It Big, Do Em Dirty” and “Cash In” which can be viewed above. The visuals showcase the emcee in his element, meditating on life and its woes while delivering raw, tack-sharp raps.

As a whole, Twins puts on for his native Queensbridge stomping ground and for hip-hop in general. There’s a lot of love for the culture in his raps, especially in the way he continues to hustle and work at his craft. As he says on the track “Smell Like Blood”: “[I’m] a hard worker, never see me lazy.” It’s a fitting slice of bravado, yet an accurate descripton of his plans for 2020.

In addition to this EP, Twins has a stocked pipeline of releases set for the remainder of the year with the likes of DJ Woool, Twiz The Beat Pro, Alchemist and Havoc, as well as his IM3 family, to name a few. He also has a project in the works with Durag Dynasty, the West Coast trio of Planet Asia, TriState and Killer Ben who appear on Queensbridge‘s “Infamous Chain” along with Godfather Pt. III.

Despite the heavy release roster, Twins is already leaving a major mark on 2020 with this EP alone. We’re just all lucky that it’s only the start of what he planned for this year. The Queensbridge EP is available now through all digital retailers and streaming platforms via Grimey Records and can be streamed right here courtesy of RESPECT.

Smart URL: https://smarturl.it/queensbridge

Big Twins Online:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigtwinsqb
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BIGTWINSQB
• Spotify: http://bit.ly/SpotifyBigTwins
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialbigtwins

Dirty Diggs Online: 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtydiggs
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DIRTDIGGS
• Spotify: http://bit.ly/SpotifyDirtyDiggs
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DirtyDiggsGCM

The post #RESPECT The Collab: Big Twins & DIrtyDiggs – “Queensbridge” (EP Stream/Video) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Queensbridge’s own Big Twins heads to sunny L.A. to visit his collaborators, production duo DirtyDiggs, in their appropriately grimy new video for “No Hesitation.”

Directed by Diggs themselves, the visuals center on Big Twins, his rhymes, and his fly outfit, particularly his dope Muhammad “The World’s Greatest” Ali snapback. Thanks to this direction, you’re able to fully digest exactly what the rapper formerly known as Twin Gambino is spitting on here, which is that he’s not here for the bullsh*t. But if you do bring that noise around him, well, we’ll let him tell you: “You see Big Twins shinin’/ Target on my head so I keep the iron/ Real life, different situations/ Shoot my gun with no hesitation.”

“No Hesitation” stems from the emcee’s collaborative EP with Dirty Diggs, whose past work includes credits with Roc Marciano, Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Camp Lo. The project, Queensbridge, features guest appearances from Planet Asia and Godfather Pt. III, among others, and serves as the followup to Twins’ great 2018 album, Grimey Life.

Check out the video premiere right here courtesy of RESPECT., and head over to your preferred digtial retailer or streaming platform to support the track. The six track EP drops Tuesday, Feb 18 through all major DSPs, and is available now for pre-order via iTunes, Amazon Music, and Google Play through Twins’ own Grimey Records.

Smart URL: https://smarturl.it/queensbridge

Tracklist: 
01. No Hesitation
02. Infamous Chain (feat. Godfather Pt. III, Tristate, Killer Ben & Planet Asia)
03. Do It Big, Do Em Dirty
04. Multi Million Art Collection (feat. Planet Asia & Willie The Kid)
05. Smell Like Blood (feat. Hus Kingpin & Planet Asia)
06. Cash In

Big Twins Online:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigtwinsqb
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BIGTWINSQB
• Spotify: http://bit.ly/SpotifyBigTwins
• Bandcamp: https://drumsetmusicworks.bandcamp.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialbigtwins

Dirty Diggs Online: 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dirtydiggs
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DIRTDIGGS
• Spotify: http://bit.ly/SpotifyDirtyDiggs
• Bandcamp: https://dirtydiggs.bandcamp.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DirtyDiggsGCM

The post RESPECT. Premiere: Big Twins & DIrtyDiggs Announce Collaborative ‘Queensbridge’ EP | Debut Visuals for “No Hesitation” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Cover Art: Andre Deck

This may be your introduction to Dj Skizz. Maybe you’ve been familiar with his music over the past few years. Maybe you’ve been an avid listener to The Halftime Show and have been familiar with his name for over a decade. Either way, hip-hop gladly welcomes artists like Skizz. Good producers with a generous range of sound, whether released or willing to, are hard to come by. Or, if they do have range they usually just suck and no one wants to hear their range (see your nearest radio for examples). Skizz is refreshing. Like an overdue exhale – the exhale you let out when you know it’s going to be okay and there’s still hope.

Skizz’s 2013 B.Q.E. (Brooklyn-Queens Experience) full length is a good time hop, let’s go there for a second. A seasoned boom-bap palette, a buttery confirmation that he is indeed a focused swordsman on the hardware. If a list of emcees like Masta Ace, Nature, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Roc Marciano, Torae and say, O.C. doesn’t appeal to you, perhaps you have some homework to do. While you’re at it we’d suggest you checking out Kings from Queens (2012). Or you’re in the wrong place.

Fast forward to today. There’s a ridiculous amount of quality independent releases already this year. Cruise Control, Skizz’s second official producer LP, is a day shy of being one to add to your list of top shelf  “underground” releases. You may have heard the few singles released via the internets. If those are any indication to what the new full length will offer, done deal. Guest artists include Conway, Planet Asia, Your Old Droog, Evidence and more. We’ll leave the rest a pleasant mystery and not bore you with an in-depth review. Below we had the pleasure of talking briefly with Dj Skizz to discuss the release and a few other goodies. Check the interview out, learn something cool, and be sure to cop/stream the entire record tomorrow (7/29). Peace and love:

RESPECT.: Before we set it off, thank you for your time. If you could give a new fan some backround about yourself what would you tell them?

RESPECT.: You have some pretty rich history and involvement in hip-hop aside from producing records. Can you tell everyone a bit about the Halftime Show days and its importance leading up to where you’re at currently?

RESPECT.: Lets talk about your ‘Cruise Control’ album. The packaging is top notch! And from what you’ve released already off of the LP the featured artists are just as potent. What should heads be expecting with this body of work?

RESPECT.: What’s your most memorable moment throughout the creation of ‘Cruise Control’? Any cool stories or pinnacle moments?

RESPECT.: Though your catalogue is already stacked with a boatload of elite recording artists – if you could work with one artist dead or alive today who would it be, and why?

RESPECT.: To close this out, if you had to give some advice to a new jack looking to produce what would you recommend him/her?

Dj Skizz: Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud | iTunes

Cruise Control: BandCamp | FatBeats (cd)

The post Dj Skizz Sets The Ride In ‘Cruise Control’ (Interview) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Queensbridge, N.Y. bruiser Big Twins heads back to his stomping grounds in the stylish new video for “Rap Star,” another standout joint off his stellarTNT album with Los Angeles producer, Twiz The Beat Pro.

Watching “Rap Star” provides some visual insight into where Twins is coming from, something he points out from the jump when he spits that he’s “born and raised in 41-16” over Twiz’s dark, piano-fueled instrumental. Twins also admits to taking a break from from NYC to get his “mind and his vision right,” which led him to residing in different spots (L.A. most recently) and touring the globe. Of course, this was all part of his journey to reach his goal of becoming a “Rap Star,” which he details in between speaking with the youth and flexing in front of some ill graffiti.

The video was directed by the Hostage Media crew, whose past work includes collaborations with Cormega, Cam’ron, and Rick Ross. And given that their slogan is “It’s not what u shoot, it’s how u edit,” it’s only right that their words come to life here. Otherwise typical scenario become vibrant and almost psychedelic through the use of shape-shifting edits and effects.

Peep the visuals right here courtesy of RESPECT., and then go ahead and support the duo’s TNT LP, which is now available for stream and download through all major platforms and digital retailers, via Sound Unity Entertainment.

TNT Buy-Links:
• iTunes: bit.ly/iTunesTNT
• Amazon: bit.ly/AmazonTNT
• Google Play: bit.ly/GooglePlayTNT
• Spotify: bit.ly/SpotifyTNT
• Tidal: bit.ly/TidalTNT

Twitter:
• Big Twins: https://twitter.com/BIGTWINSQB
• Twiz the Beat Pro: https://twitter.com/TWIZtheBEATPRO
• Sound Unity Entertainment: https://twitter.com/DJBOriginal

Suggested Articles:
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Travis Scott Reveals Release Date For Upcoming Album

The post #PeepTheVisual: Big Twins & Twiz the Beat Pro – “Rap Star” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Artwork: @cepenwhy

Second winds usually set in midway through a busy day, more or less. It’s a refreshing reassurance and almost a guarantee. We all need that second wind to get through a day sometimes, preferably with music and some more coffee in hand. That’s where Lyric Jones comes in the picture today.

She’s pure. “2nd Wind” is essentially a quick glimpse at one beautifully developed polaroid of her extensive capabilities. No, were not just talking nonsense for the sake of another mindless blog post. Lyric Jones is skilled in many areas – ranging from playing drums, singing, emceeing and writing. It’s refreshing, in a time where average music listeners aren’t offered this package deal too often (see local rap station for example). With that comes this loose release, inviting frequent flyers Big Twins, SmooVth and Ea$y Money along to paint Backpack Beatz‘s rather gritty canvas. If you’re not familiar with these names you may have some homework to do.

It’s important to note her affiliation alongside Gold Chain Music – Planet Asia, TriState and company. Also more recently you may have noticed the organic meshing with The Winners (ChainWinners), another talented collective of recording artists who’ve been making noise in the underground. She works with and studies under the wing of a lot of talented artists and all of her collaborative efforts come with meaning.

“Sometimes you gotta talk that fly sh*t with no apologies,” Lyric’s end note. Braggadocio isn’t a focal characteristic looking back at her catalogue, but do believe there is definitely diesel-fueled veins pumping inside of that beautiful physique of hers. She will sing to you, she will plays drums while rapping to you, she will recite a fly poem to you and move a crowd for you – as her fans have noted. Check the record out. Peace and love!

Lyric Jones & DirtyDiggs’ “Gems from the Cubicle” EP (stream and download)

“Listen, C’mon” ft. DMT (video)

“Fly Aura” ft. Sean Rosati via 7th Boro

The post Catch Your ‘2nd Wind’ With Lyric Jones [LISTEN] appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Underway for quite some time now, we finally have March of this year to mark on our calendar for Infamous N the Hood! After the release of the official album art and a few videos to hold us over (see below) heads are eager. What will the full length offer? If it’s anything like the few records we’ve heard already, it will certainly be one for all hip-hop heads’ collection.

There’s no denying New York City natives J-Hood and Big Twins‘ refreshing energy together on a record. Can you agree? If not, hopefully after this article we will have changed your mind a bit.

J-Hood, Yonkers representative and co-founder of D-Block Records, still holds his spot firmly as an emcee – with over a dozen years on the hip-hop scene. He entered young. He has studied more then you probably think, seen a lot (both personal and business) and still has a lot to offer moving forward. ODG is the clique, a collective of dedicated artists who pride themselves in unity and moving as an equal. It’s deeper than rap.

Now let’s take it to Queens for a moment. Having first heard Big Twins on early Mobb Deep records and becoming a Queensbridge staple to all hip-hop heads it’s safe to say he has taken quite a few notes over the years as well. Though currently basking in the west coast sun, his east coast grit is still very apparent and represented. Actually, he’s probably not basking a whole lot. He’s busy making moves out there – with multiple projects underway for the ’16 and cooking up marvelous dishes. Yes, Twins is an incredible chef – flexing his culinary muscles just as much as his emceeing.

Long story short, be prepared for a busy year from Hood and Twins. ‘Infamous N the Hood‘ is going to be an incredible Lp, period. It’s almost here. In the meantime, J-Hood’s forthcoming ‘Uncrowned King‘ will be available on 1/22 via DatPiff! Save the date. Big Twins and producer Twiz the Beat Pro will be releasing their ‘TNT‘ project this coming February. Keep it locked and most importantly enjoy the music. Peace and love.

J-Hood Instagram | J-Hood Twitter | Big Twins Instagram | Big Twins Twitter

The post J-Hood & Big Twins Gear Up For ‘Infamous N The Hood’ Album appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.