Paypaman is back with a refined sound that describes the culture of Chicago “Ballin or Politickin.” Produced by Xcel Beats, Paypaman uses this simply track to spit lyrical metaphors, comparing himself to Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving. Putting himself in boss status, Paypaman describes not only his ability as an artist but his lifestyle. Campaigning to be the best out of the Chi, Paypaman brings a unique edge to music that has been missing in Chicago hip hop.

Check It Out:

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The post New Music: Paypaman Drops “B.O.P” (Ballin or Politickin) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

DENVER, CO – MARCH 17: NBA Legend Dikembe Mutombo Smiles for the camera during half-time where the Los Angeles Clippers took on the Denver Nuggets on March 17, 2014 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2014 NBAE (Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

Yesterday we celebrated the legacy of achievments of one of America’s greatest civil rights leaders in the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of his greatest mantras was: ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ 

An NBA legend who embodied that is Dikembe Mutombo. Mutombo is one of the NBA’s All-Time leaders in blocks and has been heralded for his humanitarian work in his native Africa.

In 1997, Mutombo, a retired 19-year NBA veteran started the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to improve living conditions in his hometown of Congo. That earned him the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship award in 2001 and 2009.

He enjoys doing what he does and realizes that as a public figure, the higher that he’s gone up on the ladder, it is his surely his responsibility to send it back down. “You have to think about the future of our society,” Mutombo told me in a recent interview. “What are we leaving for the future of our grandchildren?”

What’s interesting is that he’s always been that way.

Need proof?

The former Denver Nugget, Atlanta Hawk, Philadelphia 76er, New Jersey Net, New York Knick and Houston Rockets big man once sat down with me during the 1997-98 season and schooled me on what he planned to do, what he was doing, the importance of achieving inside the classroom and what it was like playing for Georgetown University under ormer coach John Thompson.  It was chronicled on a recent episode of Scoop B Radio.

Check out the 2015 Hall of Fame member Dikembe Mutombo and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson  

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The post Scoop B: Like Martin Luther King, Jr., Dikembe Mutombo Focuses On Helping Others appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Have you ever felt some type of way about something but really couldn’t express how you were feeling because maybe because of the people around you? Well, that’s exactly what happened to political commentator, Angela Rye when she was listening to Kayleigh McEnany, conservative correspondent talk on the “great things” that Donald Trump has done.

According to the Huff Post while McEnany was going on and on about Trump’s high achievements for veterans all across his foundation and went on to state how we’ve all done great things in our lives, Angela Rye’s eyes was the tell-all in how we all feel anytime the name “TRUMP” is mentioned. Thanks to Marcus Gilmer whom tweeted about the incident, we too can all say “YES! that’s how I feel too” to Rye’s not so poker face.

Rye, whom is much aware that she makes facial expressions on air, stated that she doesn’t have a “poker” face and can’t pretend on subject matters. She also stated that she has to be aware of how she truly chooses to express her discontent on TV as she doesn’t want to be thought of as “an angry black woman.”

Rye stated:

“For me, yesterday, it was such a historic moment. Regardless of whether you’re with Hill or you’re feeling the Bern, we had to appreciate the magnitude of that moment, “To switch gears from shattering glass ceilings from Michelle Obama’s dynamic speech to Cory Booker to Eric Holder the night before, to then talk about ISIS? Are we really doing this right now?”

Other people also caught a glimpse of Wednesday night’s CNN’s program and was in agreement of Rye’s response:

This girls face on @CNN is EVERYTHING. 🙄😂 #mythoughtsexactly pic.twitter.com/J7bQdLXzuU

— Rachel Potter (@therachelpotter) July 27, 2016

YO. @angela_rye's faces on TV are LEGENDARY…. https://t.co/vLZOqnYi4U

— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) July 27, 2016

Please don’t think that Rye has anything against McEnary as off air the two are actually really good friends, but as the saying go “Peace is a victory. Not an Agreement.” Rye just showed us it’s okay to not agree with everything we hear whether it’s by speaking or simply by expression. Go Girl!

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The post Angela Rye’s “Eye-Roll” Concerning Trump is Priceless appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

In 2000, Esquire commissioned portraiture expert Platon Antoniou—professionally known by his first name, Platon—to photograph outgoing POTUS, Bill Clinton. The result was the above shot—which subsequently revealed more about the psyche of much the viewing public than it did about this country’s 42nd President. We recently spoke with Platon, and he shared the story behind the photo, which we found interesting enough to share with you.

Platon:

It was his last official portrait as President. And it was a big deal that the magazine got him to pose for me. It was my first President so I was clearly in the deep end. And they said to me, “Right, Platon, we want a nice dignified headshot of our President looking very slick, very warm and friendly. And don’t do any of that weird wide angle stuff—whatever you do, don’t use that lens,” they said. They gave me eight minutes. They closed down a 200 room hotel just to do the picture because he was on tour somewhere. It was insane. Eventually, he walks in the room after this big buildup. I spent seven-and-a-half minutes doing the pictures for the magazine and then I thought, Screw it. This is the moment where you step up. Where you were told not to do something, but your heart is saying, Alright, I need to express myself here as an artist. And against all opposition, I thought: Screw it, man, how many times am I going to be in front of the President again? I owe it myself to do a Platon picture. So I put on my usual lens and I said to him, “Mr. President, will you show me the love?” and everyone in the room gasped in horror, because it was about thirty people in the room—all his White House aides, the drivers, security—and they all were like, Oh no. Whatever you do, whatever this guy’s after, don’t give it to him! And Clinton told everybody to shut up and he knew what I wanted and he put his hands on his knees and he gave me the Clinton magic. It was like ten seconds to do that picture. He was a new generation of Presidents at the time—he was a rock n’ roll President—and I was a new generation of photographers because I hated that stuffy portraiture with a hand on the chin and everything that the establishment wanted. I hated that. I want something much more punk rock. So you put us together and that’s what you’re going to get.

But, of course I had no idea it would offend so many people and create this crazy controversy. Bob Woodward from The Washington Post made these terrible accusations on Larry King [Live]. Larry King dedicated a whole hour to it—they were analyzing it on TV as my wife and I watched it in horror one night, and Larry King said, “Tonight we’re talking about this,” and he held up my picture. He said, “This is disgusting. This is an outrage to be showing our President in this sordid way.” And Bob Woodward starts analyzing the picture, saying the tie is an arrow pointing to his penis, his legs are splayed to present his crotch to us, his hands are big to grope you, and he’s smiling in a way to say I got away with it. And I was just dumbfounded that people read into something in this way and, to me, it said something really sick about all the people that criticized the picture for being sexual. Because I never thought it was sexual at all. I shoot everyone like this. This is what I do, this is my point of view. But it was the time when everyone wanted to believe one thing and no matter what you present them with, they’ll sort of transpose it into their realm, and that’s they way the media operates. But in the end, it’s all good. If I can stimulate debate, if I can get people to think about the times they’re living in through a picture, then that’s something that I’ve achieved.

I had just a few seconds and you’re operating like a deer in headlights. When you come into contact with the Presidency, it is a big deal—especially if it’s the first time. I remember looking out the window and seeing the twenty-car motorcade arrive and [hearing] people’s screams outside, all the crowds and my heart was just pounding against my ribs. I was thinking, Oh my God. There’s just me here to do a portrait of this guy and there’s all this: a closed down hotel, twenty vehicles—they probably flew in on Air Force One, for all I knew. It’s very intimidating, and any artist in that position has to find a way of controlling your nerves and channeling that nervous energy into something that is useful. Otherwise, your nerves destroy your state of mind and you can’t operate. It chokes you. So you have to learn to find a way of taking all this tension and pressure and putting it in a useful way into the picture. And that’s what I’ve done. And I’ve done it the same with [everyone]. Musicians are the same. That’s just a challenging situation every time. You can’t take people for granted. You can’t assume anything. I never go in thinking, Alright, I’ve photographed over a hundred world leaders, I’ve achieved a few things in my time—but I never go in to a shoot assuming that someone is going to have to come into my world. It’s always me that’s the humble one. I’m trying to reach them. So you start from scratch every single time.

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