For the holiday season, famed photographer Terry Richardson created a stylistic lookbook of socks? featuring the likes of Action Bronson and a ton of models. Shouts to the big boy who seems to be everywhere now-a-days.

Terry’s Take on feet

Hit the jump for a behind the scenes look at the shoot. Shouts to HYPEBEAST.

The post Shot of the Day: Action Bronson x Terry Richardson appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Yelawolf’s Shady Records debut Radioactive drops today, so in lieu of our review of the album (which will be coming soon) check out Complex Magazine’s special online cover story on Yela in honor of a week that is fittingly his.

Complex’s Radioactive Week

There were some records that I thought were just too big…and [Eminem’s] like, ‘Your opinion is WRONG.’ What am I gonna say? He’s sold more records than the Beatles.

The post Read: Yelawolf Breaks Bad on Complex Magazine appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

If you’ve been hanging around these parts for a few weeks, you may have read a few words on Dallas natives A.Dd+. If not, now is as good a time as any to get acquainted with the dynamic duo. I had a little e-sit down with A.Dd+ this past week (Google: changing the way you browse the internet and interview rappers). Check out the results.

(For the full 360 experience crank up the volume & bump their debut project: When Pigs Fly)

For those just getting acquainted, who is A.Dd+?

Paris: A.Dd+ is Paris Pershun (the short one) and Slim Gravy (the tall one).

Explain the name A.Dd+: what’s the origin, what does it mean, and how do you pronounce it?

Paris: Our group name is based on the first few letter(s) of our birth names. My first name is Arrias and his is Dionte, or Dd, which is what people called him growing up. We put that together and called ourselves A.Dd+, also playing off of the disorder. The plus sign is silent, yet symbolic. It means being beyond what everybody else is on, always adding to the craft, never subtracting. It can also stand for “A Dynamic Duo,” “Always Doin’ Dirt,” “Audio Day Dream,” etc.

Have you had some difficulties early on with a name new fans might not necessarily pronounce correctly?

Slim: Always. It’s pronounced like aye-dee-dee, with the plus sign silent. People call us Add Plus or A.Dd Plus, mainly because they see our name on social networks that don’t allow punctuation or characters in names. It causes minor confusion, but it’s all good. The folks who listen to our music know what up ‘cause they catch us saying it, so that’s a good way to really know if folks are true fans *laughs*.

When did you guys get together as a group?

Paris: We’ve known each other since we were 13 & 14 yrs old. We started writing at about 17 years old and came up with a group name when we were 19 and 20. That’s when we started taking the writing and recording seriously.

Growing up in Dallas, what’d you listen to?

Paris: I listened to everything, ‘cause my mama listened to everything from Blues to R&B and Jazz. I’m a big fan of Frankie Beverly and Al Green, and I have been known to wanna give it to Anita Baker *laughs*. In terms of Hip-hip, I was on Bone Thugs, Jay-Z, and of course Outkast.
Slim: I mostly listened to rap. I didn’t grow up around a lot of music, so anything that was hot at the time was what I was on. A group by the name of DSR was the hometown crew, so I listened to them from time to time.

Who are some of your biggest influences outside of the city?

Paris: Outside of the city, my biggest influences growing up were Jay-Z and Outkast. Newer influences are Big Krit and the whole TDE crew, especially Ab-Soul and Kendrick.

Slim: My biggest influences are Lupe Fiasco, Nas, Jay-Z, Outkast and Cee-Lo.

When listening to older artists, what do you look for as inspiration? What cues have you taken from some of your favorites? What do you see in your contemporaries that inspires you?

Paris: I’m more inspired by the instrumentation – the way the records were produced. It seems like so much more time and effort was put into the music back then, like, they DID NOT want to fail. They DID NOT want the listener to be like, “What the hell is this?” in a bad way. I keep that in mind when we create music. Lots to learn on that end, but the drive and desire for quality is always there.

Slim: Hell yeah, what he said. But I also listen to vocal arrangements and layering, take note and try to apply it to what we do. Of course, we aren’t singers, but I find ways to apply that shit when we construct hooks.

What’s the feeling like between different cities in Texas? Is their some rivalry musically or is there a sense of camaraderie?

Paris: In a sense, there is some minor animosity between the Houston and Dallas scenes, but not as much as people may let on. We’re only four hours apart, so the rap shit can be territorial and competitive. Houston is the only city folks think of when it comes to Texas rap, but Dallas has a great range of creative and boast-worthy musicians in all genres, not just rap. We’ve been to Houston and gotten love. We’ve been to Austin and San Antonio and gotten love too, so its all good.

Does Dallas have a developing network of young artists and promoters? Is there a sense of camaraderie?

Paris: Yeah, things are really bubbling now. There is definitely a sense of camaraderie amongst those of us who are like-minded in our approach to music and even business and shit. Our generation of hip-hop artists, promoters and fans in Dallas have never seen anything like what’s going on right now, so it’s a cool thing to see unfold. Of course, the more things bubble, the more competitive things get. So there is a sense of community and camaraderie, but there is also a spirit of competition. Our team is really focused on what we do. Sometimes that gets misinterpreted for us not supporting or trying to keep a low profile on the scene, but shiiiit we’ve done over 150 shows here in 2 years! Everyone we roll with, from our manager, to our producer, and DJ has been paying dues in the Dallas scene for years, so hopefully people understand that.

What has the response been like in Dallas so far?

Paris: We get a lot of love in Dallas, man. We are extremely grateful for that, too. When we first started recording seriously with our manager in 2009, there wasn’t a very active hip-hop scene. They were always people making music, but not really an audience for shows and shit. The groundwork for that kinda thing had been laid by groups before us like PPT (which our producer Picnic was a part of) and others. Some folks say we were a big part of the resurgence of the hip-hop scene in the city. So in that regard, we are at the forefront. We didn’t realize that’s what was happening, though. We just wanted to perform. Because of our consistency and the quality/originality of our output, we attracted a lot of supporters. We’ve done over 150 shows in Dallas and within the state since 2010, so we proudly accept the recognition that we’ve earned here. With that said, we’re still tryna reach more people within the city, but we know it’s just a matter of time. We have a goal to give out, sell or have people download 20k copies of our debut mixtape, When Pigs Fly, which came out in late March 2011, before we move on to the next project. We’re almost half way there.

If the scene was so underdeveloped in Dallas, where did you turn to for Hip-Hop as teenagers? 

Paris: Of course, we had radio and we’re young so we had the internet. That thirst for knowledge of all types of music was in me, so I would go out of my way to find new music. When I was in high school, I listened to everything from East Coast to Dirty South to West Coast shit. I was a big Outkast fan, the biggest Rocafella fan too. Everyone was. From Jay to Beans to Bleek to Kanye to Freeway, and Young Gunz, etc. I was on all that shit heavy. Like I said before, growing up in a household where my mama listened to everything instilled that curiosity and love for all kinda music in me.

Slim: I was in to the same rap shit as Scrappy (that’s Paris’ first rap name *laughs*), but my ear for music drastically changed after high school when I got on Little Brother, DOOM, Lupe and others. I was always an Outkast and Jay-Z fan and an even bigger UGK fan.

Have you had stronger support locally or with the internet community so far?

Slim: Both have showed us a ton of love. The local support is more tangible, though, and those folks are our foundation. Their power in numbers helps attract attention from the outside. When folks see that our own people from Dallas support us, that we’ve been invited to open for big acts that come through our city (like Wu-Tang and Devin the Dude) and that we’ve put on our own sold out shows here, it brings other folks, from major and up and coming bloggers to internet radio shows and individual folks in different cities.  It’s cool shit.

To date you’ve worked almost exclusively with Picnic Tyme on the beats? Do you prefer to keep production in house?

Slim: We prefer to keep things in house, because we are still developing our sound and that shit is a process, but we are also open to working with other producers if the chemistry is right. In fact, although our debut was produced by Picnic, we worked with other producers, like Black Milk and local Brain Gang producers Blue and X’Zavier on our non-album loosies. We have several unreleased tracks produced by Black and others. Who knows what we will do with them *laughs*.

What are some of the challenges you see in translating regional appeal into a national following?

Paris: We don’t see any MAJOR obstacles. We feel like once more people hear our music and see what we are about, they’ll wanna fuck with us *laughs*. It’s a steady grind, and we’re all about it.

Do you think there’s still a bias against certain sounds within Southern Hip-Hop? Does it surprise you that someone like KRIT, for example, is gaining notoriety with a sound not all that far removed from your own?

Paris: Good question. The answer is fa sho YES! In the south, we make a wide range of music, but for some reason the music that breaks is the shit that represents us in one, some say bad, light. People love dancing, so we need music for all occasions, but it’s time for balance.  Our generation and the generation after us, especially if they aren’t from the south, only really know one kinda southern sound. That’s a tragedy *laughs*, especially since we have had some of the most diverse artists in hip-hop like Outkast and Goodie Mob. Then we have UGK, 8Ball & MJG, Three 6, Scarface and even Cash Money. All of those artists sampled or incorporated scratches and shit – things people don’t even associate with southern music. Our legends are like dinosaurs to the new generation *laughs*.  So to hear an artist like KRIT come through and incorporate the best of the south was a great surprise. I remember first listening to “KRIT Wuz Here” and saying, “Damn this mufucka is amazing.” Whether people realize what he’s doing or not, they can’t deny quality. You can tell he’s not one of those mofos only raised on rap ‘cause his shit has soul. We are influenced by the same artists and create with a certain philosophy about good music, so it’s cool to know we aren’t alone. *cough* TrynagetthatfeaturefromKRITifyoujustsohappentoreadthis *cough*

Slim: To add to that, we have T.I., Ludacris, Z’Ro, Jeezy and so many others who still make quality music. People talked so much shit about the south, but our style dominates almost every artist’s sound now. Look around and tell me I’m lying.

What’s the next step? Is there a new project on the way?

Paris: We have some prospective tours lined up that we can’t speak on just yet, but it’s looking like 2012 will be a big year for us. We are also working on an EP, The Plus Sign is Silent, that we’ll release at some point next year once we’ve met our goal of 20k WPF albums out in the world. As of now, we have production from our producer Picnictyme, (who produced WPF in its entirety), from Detroit’s own Black Milk (Random Axe, Danny Brown, Slaughter House) and Dallas’ own S1 (Kanye West, Beyonce, Jay-Z). We also have 4 videos in the works right now, some for song from WPF and some from the non-album “loosies” we put out over the past few months.

Would you be satisfied carving a lane in Dallas (and Texas at large) but never reaching national exposure? If you could have the longevity that some artists in the Bay Area achieve, would you trade that security for a potentially riskier shot at countrywide reach?
Paris: Damn! Hell no we wouldn’t be satisfied! *laughs* We want national exposure, but we want it on our terms when the time is right. Easier said than done, I know, but we have an amazing team and we really do shit the way we want whether there is a precedent for it or not, so we’re confident we will succeed in whichever way our definition of success evolves. For now, we’re concentrating on making the music we love and getting it out to as many people as possible. We’ve been getting a lot of love in the city and we want to keep growing and expanding that to other hoods, the rest of the state and beyond. In due time…

Slim : Hell yeah! I would love to have that national exposure and even worldwide. I would not be satisfied with local fame *laughs*. We know we have a challenging road ahead of us to achieve that with the least amount of compromise, but it ain’t ‘posed to be easy.

The post Interview: A Conversation with A.Dd+ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Love him. Hate him. You can’t ignore him. Lil B’s a poignant provocateur poised to take a dedicated cult following to greater heights. Sky’s the limit, Based God. 

Words by Elliott Wilson
Images by Trevor Traynor

This social-media assassin sure sounds friendly on the telephone.

Beaming in from the Bay Area on my phone line is Lil B The Based God, the big dreamer MC who’s used MySpace, YouTube and Twitter to build a captive audience that continues to grow with him. Just a few minutes into the conversation, it’s clear that his charm can disarm a hater—of which he has plenty.

They all came out in full force when Brandon McCartney declared this past spring during his Coachella set that his next collection of underground tunes was going to be released under the title I’m Gay. No, B isn’t a homosexual, but he does know the power of words. His catchphrases, such as “Thank You, Based God,” have become part of daily hip-hop jargon, and he’s even been offered the ladyfriends of a few impassioned fellas at concerts on occasion. Must be nice.

Seriously, the kid from The Pack has a knack for gettin’ under fel- low rappers’ skins with his ambitious antics, but he’s also networked his way into career-turning achievements, like his recent guest spot on Lil Wayne’s Sorry 4 The Wait mixtape. Yup, you can attack his still developing art, but don’t dare dismiss this online hero’s hunger and desire for more. Good luck, young homie.

Lil B tells his own story, after the jump.

“I just feel like I’m on a path to being rap’s Michael Jackson in my world. I feel different. Anytime I get on a song, I feel like every- body listens, and everybody really cares, and everybody’s really moved. I just feel like Lil B is something that stirs up so much, and that’s so passionate with rap, and that has so much love, it’s crazy. There’s going to be something epic, like when people look back on the greatest painter, and all the greats—the Einsteins and stuff, peo- ple who really made history. I’mma be one of the hip-hop forefathers based on the music I’ve produced, all the things I’ve brought to hip- hop, the sounds, the trends, all the stuff I’m doing right now. I got history to make.

“I understand what Tupac was doing. Look, Tupac said stuff in his videos that I speak about daily to my partners, or that I just preach about. You know, I don’t even watch his videos, because we’re on the same tip. I do sometimes now, but then it’s so weird. I feel the same thing with Lil Wayne. Before I met him and we recorded the first time in the studio, I was always like, Man, Wayne is doing it right, writing and stuff. And this is years ago. Wayne made me work hard. And now to have my music touching people, and the letters that I get, all that, man. It’s like, tattoos of the songs. I feel different, for real.

“I feel like I’m going to be one of the mega-bosses, like Jay-Z, like Wayne. My brand is going to be trusted like Whole Foods, because the greats embrace me and understand me. That’s the main thing. The people who have the great opinions, like Jay-Z, Wayne, people who really mean something…Jay Electronica, Freeway, Lupe. And that’s just off the dome, that I can remember. The people talking, the rappers that’s hating, it’s like I understand. But then, I don’t never hate and not know what I’m talking about. First, I don’t even hate, but it’s like, All right, if I’mma hate on something, I’d rather just know what I’m talk- ing ’bout, or research. Like when I made the Joe Budden diss: I don’t know Joe Budden. All I did was pull shit off the Internet and things that I thought about. And that was hating on my part.

“But it’s like, if you’re going to hate on somebody, if you’re gonna hate on Lil B, you have to do your research. And then when you do the research, it’s going to hurt you, ’cause it’ll be like, Ay, ay, bam, bam, bam, you’re going to dig, and then you’re going to find some- thing you like, and then it’s gonna hurt ’em [laughs].

“I used to be that way a long time ago. I didn’t used to understand Tech N9ne and Insane Clown Posse. Used to be scared of Three 6 Mafia. I was like, Three 6 Mafia works with the devil a little bit. Like, Why does Tech N9ne have the face paint on? It’s scaring me. Insane Clown Posse, they scary. I still haven’t grasped Tech N9ne, but I know he’s amazing—not saying I haven’t grasped it because I don’t understand it, I just haven’t really been listening to him how I should be, and I’m ’bout to start, I’m ’bout to get on in. So I understand when people are like “All right, whatever” about me. People misun- derstand me because…it’s just like…I’m a great. People just kind of have to take it for what it is. I used to hate on my name. Now my name means something epic. I’m also—I got the exterior, the Based God—Lil B the Based God. But I’m always Lil B, for sure.

“The Based God came from my freestyles. I freestyled over, like, 1,300 songs. During that time, I was rocking, finding out stuff about myself and going into parts of my brain. What being based means is just being yourself, doing what you want to do, making people accept you for you, staying positive. When I was doing that, I was like, Man, you know, I feel like the ultimate, like, I-don’t-give-a-fuck ultimate, like I’ll do anything I want to.

“The “Thank You, Based God” thing…I was just making fun in my songs, joking around in some of my freestyles, saying funny stuff like, “Thank You, Based God,” like, “Fuck my bitch, Based God.” We’d all be joking on the Internet, people started making pictures and writing, and then we’d write it in a funny language. A lot of people who fuck with my music, nerds and funny people and some cool people, they like to joke and they like to be serious. Broke people rock with my music, rich people, fresh people rock with my music. It’s girls—slutty girls that rock with my music, dirty girls. You know, brother, you know we respect women. The tumblr? You know! It’s love, man. The [Dior Paint] tumblr is going down [laughs].

“I came out the fire, brother. I came out the fire. I’m successful. You know what I mean? I’m still breathing, when I first did it… Now everybody’s trying to hop back on and forget about it. I’m telling you, when I first did it, man, muthafuckin’ friends was hitting me, or so- called friends hitting me like, “I can’t fuck with you no more” [laughs].

“Muthafuckas were dropping like flies, you feel me? Like friends and fans were just lost, lost so many supposed fans. Really, it was just like a strike in history for me. Because who’s ever been that savage? I’m different, bruh. You know why, family? Because, look, bro, who can call their album—who could disrespect themselves, in American terms, the worst thing…. This might just be me being ignorant, but I’m just saying, in America, if you’re not gay, it’s disrespectful to call yourself gay. You know hip-hop does not fuck with the gay shit. So it’s like, I went further than anybody will ever go in life, I went further than anybody, and still being a straight man and holding my dignity. [Calling myself a “pretty bitch”] wasn’t enough, wasn’t powerful enough.

“Nah, the [“I’m Happy” in parentheses] wasn’t to clean it up—it’s just that I’m not gay. If I was really a homosexual, then I’d keep it as I’m Gay, but I’m not. People thought I was trying to cop out, but I’m not trying to cop out. If I was gay [laughs], then I’d be like, “Yeah, I’m gay, there’s no stopping it.” I’ve helped some of my homophobic fans that don’t respect the gay lifestyle, and now they accept it for what it is and accept people and love. I’ve helped people in hip-hop be less homophobic. I’ve changed the world and helped the world because of this. That’s how I feel.

“Since I own all my stuff and I’m unsigned, I do what I want to do. And to tell the truth, I’m Gay was a mixtape. The hype was so big, people started calling it an album. I mean, everything I’ve put out has been, like, LPs, and these are original works, and those are original works, but when my real album comes out, y’all gon’ know. That’s gon’ be worldwide, in the stores, no problem, on TV, I’m talking about the whole nine. I got the master plan, and I’ve been working on my album my whole career—six years strong. I’m only 50 percent done. But that’s going to be coming in due time.

“I haven’t really dropped my official first album. Nah, nah, not yet. And this is me talking to you about this first. I respect the love I’ve been given, and it’s not bad selling a couple thousand mixtapes. My mixtape made it on Billboard, the Heat Seekers. I’m Gay was an amazing piece of art to add to my collection. It made Billboard charts, and I pulled that album out of my ass. I’m not done.

“Right now, I’m having some thoughts. You know, I definitely wanna work with Weezy again. I wanna work with him on my album. I’m in the best position ever. The stuff I got upcoming, it’s going to blow people away. People are not gonna expect it. I was blown away when I did this verse, and I can’t tell you with who, but I’mma tell you like this: We got in the studio this month, and I’m telling you, man, it’s going to be crazy. It was that one, in how hard I went, and who I’m rapping on there with. It is going to shut the game down. I don’t know how I did it unsigned, bro. I don’t know how I’m doing it, but I’m doing it. Yeah, this is worldwide. I’mma say it like this: Some might say he’s the greatest of all time.

“I’m really trying to finish what Drake started. I’m trying to go like how Drake was with it. He kept killing it. I do what I want, I’m happy at the end of the day, and I’m getting money with it. I’m in the right position, you know? Shouts out to Mack Maine, that’s my fam. Really, I’ve been rocking with them for a minute, like Mack, and having love for Wayne, reaching out to them for some years, even before they were super-super-super poppin’. A nigga always been a supporter. It was just a matter of time. Wayne said he really liked a song I did called “Free Wayne” when he went to jail. Like I’m glad just— me as a fan—you know, it was over a beat that he and the Hot Boys did called “50 Shots,” and I redid it.

“I was just listening to him heavy, and I’m like, man, like Wayne killed this, so I did it for him. When I finally met him for the first time in Miami…how I met him was so crazy. We were in a club and I had the glasses on, and I couldn’t even see, and I see a muthafucka screaming like, “Ayee,” and I looked, and it was Wayne. It didn’t register in my head. I’m like, “Ah, man, that’s what it do,” and then 10 seconds later, it hit me. I’m like “Fuck this, bro.” I started screaming like, “Ayee!” and started tripping out. Man, those moments are some of the reasons why I do it, why a muthafucka’s got swag and shit. Wayne gave the whole industry a motivation and a pedestal for the longest. It’s great to be embraced by him. We met up and just chopped it up for a second, real fast, not really, and then I found out the next day: “Wayne wants to get you on the song for a mixtape.” I’m like, “Let’s do it.” So muthafuckas hit the studio later on that night. And you know, man, I’m not gonna lie, I was nervous the first time being in the studio with Wayne. He had everything already ready, too. It was a bunch of rappers in there. Muthafuckas was surprised, too, like, “Damn, boy, like who this nigga B, how is he here?” Like, “I can’t believe it.” All these rap niggas is spitting, and I’m in there like, “That’s what it do,” ’cause it really just hit me like, Man, I’m a star. Like, I made it. I mean, God bless Wayne for giving me this motivation and this positive energy, and respecting me enough to want to get me on his mixtape.

“I’ve always been a warrior and also always had a good, pure heart. I just look at it like, man, stay positive, stay out the way of the negative and deal with situations as they come. It’s the only way I’ve found that I can make it in life. I just think that’s the best thing I can promote, unconsciously and consciously, and just say it even when I don’t want to say it. Staying positive, being positive means a lot to the brain and to the spirit. It means love, peace, just being relaxed, having fun. Because America sucks. Coming back from Europe to America, I was thinking about making a move, because America is like the land of the real killers. There are real hunters in America. Muthafuckas got guns… there are real savages out here in America. Real inhumane humans. Everybody has to find out how they want to live. I found out how I wanna live, and now I’m happy with life. I don’t wanna die. I don’t wanna get shot. I don’t wanna fuck around. Because I’m so happy.

“Music saved my life. Rap saved my life. I live my life to rap.”

The post RESPECT. Online Exclusive – “Who Gon Stop Me” – Lil B, in His Own Words appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Photography by Loni Schick

RESPECT.‘s Peter Marrack recently caught up with French Montana during his stay in Toronto. French addresses Coke Boys branding, drug accusations, and one very special birthday cake.

Read the complete review & interview after the jump.

My ex Tamara and I were rolling through Yorkville in my dad’s Escalade when I came to the conclusion that some questions are better left unanswered, especially the question of Moroccan-born, Bronx-bred rapper French Montana. Montana is the popular dude behind a string of successful mixtapes, entitled Mac & Cheese 2, Coke Boys, Mr. 16: Casino Life, Coke Boys 2, Coke Boys Run NY, and Lock Out, on which he collaborated with Brick Squad phenom Waka Flocka Flame. Frenchy, as his fans call him, is somewhat of an enigma, in that his music and live performances arouse heated questions within the tight-knit hip-hop community, such as 1) Will Frenchy sign to Bad Boy, Maybach, or GOOD Music, or will he sign at all? 2) When will the ears of a Coke Boys’ concert-goer recover from French’s hard-hitting bass and thundering ad-libs? 3) How does French Montana make so much money, being a newcomer in the game? These are all questions I set out to answer during French’s brief stint on the Canadian concert tour, performing for the Toronto crowd this past weekend at the Kool Haus.

As of late, rumors have circulated that French Montana will sign to the GOOD Music imprint of Def Jam Recordings, while other sources speculate that the Mott Haven-native is more likely to sign with Maybach Music Group or Diddy’s Bad Boy. No matter where Frenchy ends up, one thing’s for damn certain. He’ll go where the money is. “I need more money,” demanded Frenchy over the phone, gazing out at the Toronto harbor from his room at the Westin Harbour Castle. It was Saturday evening, 24 hours after Frenchy’s sold out performance at the Kool Haus, and French was busy dismissing rumors that his performance had sparked two drive-by shootings which occurred after his show. “I don’t understand how that has anything to do with French Montana,” Frenchy complained, addressing a room full of his supporters, LoLa of iLuvLola, a dude named Fresh, the Spiff TV guy on Maybach’s payroll, and of course, yours truly. “Maybe you got them so revved up they went out and shot up the block,” joked Fresh, but French was already back on the phone (locking in a feature for fifteen grand) and couldn’t respond properly. “Naw,” was all he said. Now, all this may sound fine and dandy for a so-called ‘Coke Boy’ from the Bronx, however, if you paid close enough attention to my paragraph you would have noticed the bit about a media guru on Maybach’s payroll. Hell, I assume Rozay’s bankrolling the dude, as he adorned a Maybach Music chain up on-stage the night before… Regardless, what’s Ricky doing sending a photographer out to shoot Frenchy if he isn’t about to ink a deal with him? Logic tells us something’s probably in the works there.

Moving on to the show, LoLa of iLuvLola has to put on the most commendable, if not best, hip-hop events in all of Toronto, and French Montana was no exception. First of all, rumor has it that LoLa is hooked up with the same high-powered Canadian attorney who coerced customs officials to let Lil Wayne into the country (for three hours) to perform at Drake’s OVO Fest. She negotiated a similar deal with Frenchy, making up for the Waka fiasco a couple of weeks prior. LoLa also managed to convince Kool Haus security to look the other way when it came to blatant smoking violations, as concert-goers toked freely for the entirety of the performance, even during the opening acts when the floor wasn’t so packed. Hell, I’ve never witnessed so much weed being smoked in public as I have in Toronto over the past couple months. The city is beginning to act like a mini Amsterdam, spurning French Montana to remark, “I may even buy a house here”. The only downfall of the show had to have been the extreme sound levels they had the speakers jacked up to. My right ear is still ringing from Frenchy’s coke-slanging anthem, “Move That Cane” featuring Waka Flocka, 48 hours later. It didn’t help that the Coke Boys’ DJ insisted on treating the show like an extension of Frenchy’s mixtapes, unleashing violent gunshots and Coke Boys ad-libs every couple of seconds, to the utmost discomfort of my Vestibular nerve. In terms of the set, French ran through some of his more recognizable mixtape records, including “New York Minute”, as he swaggered around stage between an usually-cumbersome pack of supporters, including fellow Coke Boys, dressed in various leathers, designer belts, and sparkling diamonds, and a few too many caramel honeys done up like Drake’s pros from Club Paradise. The only odd moment was when French brought out Canadian artist Belly, who’s managed by LoLa [correction: LoLa does Belly’s online marketing], to perform the record, “Num8ers”, off his new mixtape, The Greatest Dream I Never Had. The feature appeared more like a business transaction, arranged by LoLa, than a gesture of mutual respect by French. But hell, who’s to blame a gal for taking care of business, right?

The only further (relevant) question pertaining to French, that I was able to squeeze in as we convened in his hotel room overlooking Toronto Harbour, Lake Ontario, and beyond that, Niagara Falls and Lewiston, had to do with his jewelry, the Mr. 16 pendant, his diamond studded ring, and a blinged-out bracelet. “I like your jewelry,” I said, seated across from French in a chair by the window. “Is that all from rap money?” “50/50,” he responded. “What’s the other 50?” “Construction,” said French, which drew a smirk from his fellow Coke Boys lounging around the beds. “Hmm,” I thought. “So the Coke Boys thing is not really a show, or a performance huh?” French looked at me sideways. “Are you asking whether I sell drugs?” I grinned, and said, “Well, not necessarily now, but in the past.” French made no comment. “Okay,” I regrouped, “Well, then can you tell us when you started in construction?” Another chuckle came from French’s camp around the room. “I can’t tell you about that either,” smirked French. “Maybe one day when I’m in a better mood I’ll tell you.” [read the complete interview below]

And that’s the exact story, word for word, I recounted to my ex, hours later, as we toured the ave’s of Yorkville in my dad’s Escalade, pumping A$AP Rocky’s new mixtape, Live. Love. A$AP. “I can’t believe I came out empty-handed,” I kept complaining to her, tugging at the wheel, when Tamara cut me off and said, “Wait a minute, maybe the questions are more interesting than the answers, right?” After all, French Montana is foremost a businessman, and it’s in a businessman’s best interests to stay elusive, even if that means putting on a ski mask and rocking out to “Chopper Down”, as Frenchy did in Toronto. I contemplated this idea some more, watching Tamara skim through the queue at Club V. Then I revved the engine and swept the Caddy back onto Avenue Rd., accelerating off into the night.

It was your birthday the other day, right?

Yeah, on the 9th.

Happy belated, man.

Thank you. Thank you, bro.

What did you guys do?

We had a stripclub party.

In New York?

Yeah, everybody came out for me.

Who was there?

Lloyd Banks, Flocka, Uncle Murda, I think Amber Rose. Mad people came out. Shout out to the whole city, DJ Clue. Everybody came out.

Did you receive any incredible gifts? Do you have anything left to wish for, at this point?

I mean, I got gifts, but the best gift I got was my birthday cake. It was nice. It was with the Pillsbury Doughboy on it. It was fly.

What kind of cake was it?

It was regular cake, but just the whole theory-

What is that? You guys keep talking about the theories.

Yeah, yeah, that’s Spiff’s dictionary.

Is that going to show up on the mixtapes?

Yeah, it’s already on the mixtapes.

Which one?

[speaking to Spiff of Spiff TV] He’s asking you about the theories.

Spiff: He wants to know about the theories?

Yeah.

Spiff: He can’t know about the theories yet. [laughs]

[laughs]

I listened to Coke Boys 2 again the other day. Did you record that while you were smoking? I have my own theory [laughs]-

[laughs]

If the artist records something high, I think it’d probably sound better high.

I was definitely high and drunk.

So I guess that’s why it sounds so good.

It sounds a lot better that way.

Yeah, “Yah Mean” is fucking incredible.

Crazy, right?

Yeah.

Thank you, bro.

Coke Boys 2 sounds almost like a movie, in the same way Reasonable Doubt sounds like a movie. You said Smack, the film, inspired you.

For the DVD, for the Cocaine City DVD. It was kind of doing the same thing.

Are you inspired by movies a lot?

Movies, yeah, all I do is watch movies. I love watching movies.

What have you watched lately?

Lately I’ve been watching Scarface. Scarface is funny to me. It’s action but it’s funny. It’s the accent and everything, the way he runs things, it’s funny to me.

Any recent movies?

I want to go see that new one, The Immortals, it dropped today. It looks cool.

The Immortals, yeah, my buddy wants to see that.

He said it’s good?

He doesn’t know, but he said it’s supposed to be sick.

Yeah, so I’m going to go see that tonight, but I love movies. I think movies can brighten up your mind about a lot of things.

Speaking of movies, I wondered how big of a role performance plays in your music. Obviously you’re going to assume the persona on-stage, but how much of it is you?

I feel like when you make music it’s like a movie, because you picture it. When you write something, you thinking about it being done. It’s like you’re doing it, like an action thing. Like yesterday when I performed “Chopper Down” with the ski mask on- were you there?

Yeah, I was there. My ears are still ringing.

Yeah, when I put the ski mask on and came out. That’s like a movie scene, bringing it closer to the song.

Was there a moment when you were coming up, when you thought, “Okay, I need to brand myself like this,” you know, create something out of yourself?

Yeah, that’s all I think about every day, how to brand myself.

Any more you can elaborate on that?

I mean, it’s branding, brand myself as like- I try to brand myself as far as making the same street music, but being separate. I don’t know if that makes sense. Like when they hear that sound they know it’s the Coke Boys. Like the beat could just drop, and they know it’s some Coke Boys shit.

Distancing yourself from the Lex Luger thing, kind of like that, but on your own.

Yeah, on my own, like see how Coke Boys 2, if you hear something off that, I want them to be like, “Damn, that’s Coke Boys 2”. It’s branding yourself. A beat could drop right now, and you could tell it’s a Dr. Dre beat, cause you brand yourself.

What producers are you working with to accomplish this? You work with Harry Fraud a lot, right?

Harry Fraud, yeah. He’s my brother. He’s my main producer.

How did you meet him?

I met him way back, a couple years ago. I met him through a mutual friend. I’ve just been building with him. I heard something in his music, so I said we’re going to make it happen.

And speaking of branding yourself, do you ever worry about losing touch with the kid who grew up in New York? I look at someone like Rick Ross and I think, who really is Rick Ross? Does anyone know?

[Spiff chimes in] We know who he is. We know who he is.

Yeah, yeah.

Spiff: His boys in his crew who’ve been with him know who he is.

That’s what is is, yeah, yeah. As long as you keep your immediate family with you, you going to keep making the same music. I don’t feel like Rick Ross’s music changed. I feel like it’s the same music. He just grew. He grew as an artist. But after a while the immediate people who grew up on your block not going to like you anyway. At the end of the day, you can’t go by their opinion. That happens with everything. You make it big in anything and there’s always going to be some dick riders, there’s going to be niggas who hate you, there’s going to be family, good people around you, that’s how it is, how the game goes. I don’t give a fuck if you play rugby.

I like all your jewelry.

Oh yeah, thank you.

And the chain you were wearing.

Oh, the Mr. 16?

Yeah, what is that?

It’s the Joe Montana jersey.

Ok. Ok. Ok.

Flocka gave me that idea.

And this is all from music money, the jewelry?

Huh?

All music money.

Half and half.

What’s the other half?

Construction.

Yeah, because I wondered-

[laughs]

Is Coke Boys part of the brand, or is there truth to that?

Are you asking do I sell drugs?

No, not anymore. But I don’t know. No disrespect.

Naw, man, we do music, sixteen songs, we do shows.

What about in the past?

No, I don’t know nothing about that. I just do music.

Okay, let me talk about the construction then.

Yeah.

Was that before your music?

Naw, I don’t know nothing about that. I just do music, my brother.

What about Waka?

Yeah, Waka’s my brother.

You ever party with those guys?

He’s the one who took me to the airport to come here. He’s my brother, man, we’re on the same label. We’re under the same management.

What about Gucci?

I don’t know. I can’t tell you if somebody’s crazy.

What can you tell me?

[laughs] You’re asking the wrong questions. You want me to talk about selling drugs, you want me to tell you Waka’s crazy. That’s negative shit. I don’t need any of that in my life. [laughs] I want you to talk about something positive, like we the hottest niggas in the streets, we about to get these M’s, you know, theories.

What Toronto artists do you like?

Um, Drake, Belly.

How long have you known Belly for?

Oh, for a little minute. I’ve known Belly for a while. I’ve seen him grinding. I’ve seen his work ethic.

You listen to the new project, The Greatest Dream I Never Had?

Yeah.

What stuck out that was different about that?

I like the first song on it, that “I’m Falling”.

I like the beats.

I like the production. Yeah, I like the production.

The post Concert Review & Exclusive Interview – French Montana @ Toronto appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Once upon a time, Pharrell Williams had a mustache.  He was a half of the Neptunes and a third of N.E.R.D., the funk master behind damn near every song you liked in the 2000s.  Along with Chad Hugo, he formed Star Trak Entertainment in 2001, a spaced-out subsidiary of Interscope best known for its classic Clipse and Kelis releases (as well as albums by Snoop, Robin Thicke, Slim Thug, and Pharrell himself).

But Star Trak was more notorious for what it didn’t put out.  Artists like Natasha Ramos, Fam-Lay, and Teyana Taylor have all bubbled and fizzed under the label’s watch; even the most hardcore Neptunes groupies came to expect push backs and shelvings whenever an artist signed.  These days, some of the ex-Trakkies are on to bigger and better things (i.e. Pusha T), while some have all but disappeared (i.e. Chester French).  Pharrell and Chad, too, share production credits less and less.

Meanwhile, Pharrell has become a man of extracurriculars, an eccentric entrepreneur in his own right.  Just this year, he designed a glass sculpture of a skeletal angel, spoke on behalf of an eco-friendly textile company, and has been touring the country promoting a new milky liqueur called Qream.  Quietly, he’s launched a new music venture called I Am Other.  It’s described rather nebulously as “a content-driven property that spotlights new musicians, filmmakers, designers, artists and innovators through online, mobile and retail channels, TV shows and films.”  Supposedly, YouTube stars Alyssa Bernal, Maxine Ashley, and Cris Cab are signed — an unexpected repertoire considering Pharrell’s hip-hop legacy.

That’s where Buddy comes in.  The heavy-hitting “Awesome Awesome” recently popped up on a promo mixtape for HBO’s “How to Make It in America,” backed by a Neptunes beat that sounds like a leftover from Already Platinum.  “Jordan Twelve’s my shoes / BBC’s my clothes” — he bounds onto the track like the excited 18-year-old that he is.  “The way he thinks, and his ability to articulate that is just — I  hadn’t seen anything like it,” quipped Skateboard P to XXL. “I was like, man, this guy, he is I Am Other. He’s not some ordinary child. He’s a kid that thinks outside of the box. He’s on his way to being one of those super special artists.”

He hails from California (Compton, to be specific), which is ostensibly the nucleus of hip-hop nowadays.  Pharrell was “mad as shit” about missing out on signing the West Coast’s Tyler, the Creator; could Buddy be the next best thing?  With such powerful backing, we’re expecting nothing less.

How did you get into rapping?

Entertainment in general has always been a passion of mine.  I’ve always liked to entertain, be in front of people, and have them laughing, smiling, whatever. Just acting out pretty much.  I started getting heavy into the music around sixth grade.  I really wanted a laptop.  I was begging my mom for a laptop.  She didn’t think I was ready so instead she got me a little mini Mac.  I hooked it up to a computer screen and got on Garage Band and just let my fingers do the talking.  Started fiddling with it, had a little mike set up, record, and it was kind of raw, unedited, but I got my point across.  I realized that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

You sing, you dance, you act.  Why do we know you for rapping right now?

I can’t be hitting everybody with everything all at once.  We try to just sprinkle a little bit of things here and there so they can get the gist of it, and then we’ll hit ’em with all the rest of it later.

How did you start putting your music out there?

Back when MySpace was hip, I had a MySpace page with photos on there, and then just showing them to my friends and them telling their friends that they liked it.  Just showing my friends, pretty much.

By the way, you’re 18, right?

Yes.

So are you still in high school?

No, I graduated in July.  I’m in college, actually, right now. I go to the College of Santa Monica.

How are you balancing your school and your bubbling rap career right now?

We definitely work around it.  I got all morning classes, so I try to get to sleep as early as I can and then just go to school, finish my classes, and then just get straight to the music after that.

Any idea what you wanna study?

Not at the moment.  I’m still kinda doing my general ed, but I’m kinda leaning towards business ’cause rapping is gonna be my business from now on, and I just wanna get to know it a little bit better.

How did you link up with Pharrell?

My manager, Andrew Shack, actually is my main manager.  He brought Scott [Vener] along to the team and he thought it would be a great fit. They both came aboard as my manager, so I got the best of both worlds.  Shack, he was from Priority Records, back with N.W.A. and all that, so I’m well-rounded right now.

How did you link up with them in the first place?

Just friends of friends, just word of mouth pretty much.  He got a hold to it, he liked it, and we started working.  Scott and Pharrell are friends.  They were hanging out one day, just played him some of my songs and some of my old videos.  We used to shoot some videos back in those days.  I’d have my dad on the camera and I would just edit it on iMovie.  He saw those and he liked it.  Next thing I know, I’m shaking Pharrell’s hand.  Next thing I know, I’m signing a contract to I Am Other.  Next thing I know, I’m in Miami in the studio, putting down “Awesome Awesome.”

There were pictures that came out of you in the studio with Snoop and Kendrick Lamar.  What was that all about?

We been working for a while.  I think it’s been almost two years now.  In the course of the two years, I’ve worked with Snoop Dogg and Kendrick so far.

So you’ve been working with Pharrell for two years?

Yeah, just about.  Roughly two years.

What has your relationship been with him in the past two years?  Have you been making music together the whole time, or laying low?

We’ve definitely been working, but under the table.  We don’t wanna hit ’em with everything all at once.  We dropped the “Awesome Awesome” song, we just dropped “Bell Ring” last night.  We’re just kinda letting people get the feel of who I am.

When did you record “Awesome Awesome”?  How did that track come together?

That’s the first song that I dropped.  That’s actually the first song that me and Pharrell did together.  Right after the contract was signed, he flew me out to Miami.  When I got there, to the studio, he already had that beat.  He was finishing up that beat, he already had the whole idea planned out.  He had a melody, he already had the flow that he wanted me to use, and I just put the words to it and it came together like magic.  We decided that since it was the first song that we did together, it would be even better to be the first song that the world gets to hear.

When did that all go down?  When did you sign with I Am Other and go out to Miami?

2009.

So “Awesome Awesome” is two years old?

No, that’s when I signed the contract.  “Awesome Awesome,” probably like six months ago.

We just started hearing about I Am Other.  Before that, Pharrell was all about Star Trak.  What is the difference between I Am Other and Star Trak?

I Am Other is Pharrell’s own label.  That guy has amazing plans.  He’s pretty much just creating a platform for his artists to build their own music.  He was telling me that back when he was doing it, he had a lot of ideas but nobody was really helping him out.  He had to get there on his own.  Now that he’s there, he’s setting up a platform so kids like me can build.

You have a mixtape coming up — is it done?  Is it a wrap?

It’s not done, we’re still working.  I’m a perfectionist; that’s one thing you need to know about me.  I’m picky.  We’re still working on the mixtape, and once it’s perfect, we’ll release it.  Until then we’re just gonna drop songs just to make sure people get a feel of who I am.

How many other records do you have that are produced by Pharrell or produced by the Neptunes on there?

On the mixtape?  This is my own personal mixtape, so I don’t know if I’m gonna have any from Pharrell on there.  Save all the good ones for the album.

Any idea when the album will drop?

No idea at the moment.  Right now we’re pretty focused on “Awesome Awesome.”  I just don’t feel like the world knows me good enough for me to drop an album.  I just want people to get a feel of who I am before I drop a big project like that.

What is the sound that you’re aiming for?  Is it something similar to “Awesome Awesome,” or are you still finding yourself as an artist, exploring?

I’m building.  Right now I’m perfecting my craft, so we’re working towards finding the sound.  I just gotta work on it, just getting these songs out.  I’m just taking the beats and seeing what my mind does to it.

There’s a lot of artists from California right now.  They talk about the “New West Coast;” what is the feel in the hip-hop scene in Cali right now?

The West side is definitely coming back.  It’s a lot of good things happening on this side.  Kendrick, I’ve actually worked with Kendrick.  That’s the homie.  Everything is just going good for the West side right now.

You’ve got the skateboard scene with the whole Odd Future movement, then you’ve got Dom Kennedy, Kendrick Lamar…  How do you plan to find your niche among this wide array of artists that we got?

It’s gonna take some time and some hard work, but I’m willing to put in the work, and hopefully we’ll find it.  I don’t really wanna force it.  I kinda just want it to come on its own, and then once it’s here, I feel like I’ll know, for sure.

Who are your influences?  Who would you say you look up to in the industry and are inspired by?

A lot of West Coast artists.  I grew up listening to a lot of Snoop Dogg, N.W.A.  I was also real mainstream as a child, like a lot of radio songs.  Like Chris Brown — just more mainstream.  I didn’t get too into underground music until around my teen years.

Could you see yourself becoming like a mainstream Chris Brown type artist, especially since you already sing, dance, and act?

We’re definitely working towards that, but I’m still gon’ keep it as Compton as I can.

So no singing on records for now.

No, I totally don’t have a problem singing on a record, but I just need a couple voice lessons, if you know what I’m talking about.

One last question: your real name is Simmie Sims.  When did you get the moniker Buddy?

I’m actually Simmie Sims the third.  My dad’s junior, and my grandpa is senior, so as a child, when I was young, my family members always called me Buddy because I was very friendly, it was easy for me to make friends, very outgoing.  It just stuck since a child, and they’ve been calling me that ever since.  But a lot of people don’t even know — people at the schools, they know me as Simmie because roll call, they would call Simmie, that’s my real name, but anybody who knows me personally calls me Buddy.

Visit Buddy’s website, like him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter.

The post <em>He Is Other</em> – Pharrell’s New Artist Buddy, & Why He’s “Awesome Awesome” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.