By: Barrington Bryant

What does your playlist reveal about you? Rap music enthusiasts listen to songs they can relate to. A careful analysis of your playlist can tell you a lot about yourself. This is what rappers like Kaliwae consider when developing lyrics. In a recent interview, Kaliwae talked about her new single. She also talked about the inspirations that ignite her sassy appeal.

She was recently asked to describe her music and she stated the following. “My music is fun, catchy, a bad b***h anthem. I try to create music that’s a reflection of me. Something a bad b***h can ride to!” She creates many vibes to stay diverse. However, her focus is to influence women who listen to her music. This is an affirmation you can confirm when playing her new single “Melrose.” A statement of dominance, independence and sexy confidence.

Rappers work hard to be creative. Regardless of their personal challenges, expectations, or perceptions. Kaliwae believes that female rappers don’t get the same reception as their male counterparts. She has an interesting strategy to counter this. She confirms, “My focus right now is learning to brand myself in a new way. I’m basically the clout chasing- brother dissing rapper.”

Last summer Kaliwae released ‘friendly diss track’ targeting her brother Blueface. The track came after a family argument. What better way to deal with male chauvinism than to poke at your sibling? This is Kaliwae’s version of creativity. The same sassy attitude that helps her stand out as a female rapper.

Kaliwae has her opinion about the music industry. Some of those opinions will trigger resentment from other rappers. She reiterates the need to positively impact other people. Which is secondary for most artists. “Rap songs used to tell stories; lyrics were a means of connecting with the fan base”.

She is worried that those principles are slowly being forgotten. All her songs have messages that people can relate to. Especially women who want to love themselves again. This is her purpose, which demands dedication and consistency.

The recording studio is heaven for Kaliwae. “It’s a place I feel safe and can let it all out”. Her commitment to growth as a rapper is outstanding. Focus is integral to achieving her personal life goals. Kaliwae strives to put all these analogies, perspectives in her song lyrics. If you find yourself loving her new single “Melrose,”. We can probably guess your personality traits and what’s important to you.

You can follow Kaliwae on Instagram here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5WR86aJ3ij/

The post Kaliwae Talks About Her New Single, “Melrose” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Image Credit: Barrington Bryant

Patience is a complementary virtue for any dreamer, a statement reiterated by Cali Dubb. He is an upcoming rap musician from Ontario, California. Establishing the C.O.D Music Group label in 2016 is one of his best achievements, a venture that has exposed his talent to the world. Well, Cali Dubb affirms that his current success did not come easy. He needed a combination of dedication and resilience to achieve his objectives but most of all, patience.

Perspective is important, it shapes and prepares our minds. We look up to artists to excite our existence through the message they share. The moment our emotions are triggered through their works, we become more attached to their energy.

Cali Dubb confirms, “I have tons of unreleased music to where I can stop recording a whole year and just put out music. No Cap!” He is very particular about the music he plans to release, always concerned with specifics. “I’m my own worst critic, but I’m gonna make up for the lost time by flooding the system once I establish a broad platform”. His experience as a rapper reminds him that patience is the best aspect that defines the success of any ambitious person.

“Expect full-court press!”, are Cali Dubb remarks when prompted about what his fans should expect in 2020. He is a prime example of a philosophical dreamer, using his talent to inspire greatness. Perspective and patience lead to perfection.

Check out his music:

The post Cali Dubb: Strategic Patience as a Rapper appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The Crenshaw-native has hit records with Cozz (“Bonnie and Clyde”), Correy C (“Foreign Girl”), Rucci (“Light It Up”), and many more. A song is nothing without a good beat and Mike Almighty acknowledges that on his forthcoming release, Flood. “The city knows, but those who don’t know are going to find out from this project,” Mike notes. The album boasts features from many artists that anyone from the outside looking in may not know of.

Mike Almighty recently shared his debut single, “Like This,” featuring two the most prominent artists from Los Angeles. On the West Coast banger, Rucci and BlueBucksClan trade verses about their success and impact. On the song’s opening verse, Rucci can be heard rapping: “Aye, this beat bang, Mike Almighty.” Peep our interview below.

How did you get started in the music industry?

Shout out to my mom and dad, they actually were making music when I was younger. They had writing credits when I was younger so that’s when I saw that trident. From that, I started playing the keyboards. Right around that time was the Jerking movement or whatever, and me and my friends make some songs. The first beat that I gave someone, I don’t want to say it was a hit, but it did pretty well. It’s called “Bad Chick Alert” and made some buzz. From that, a nigga got a deal and started work with Miguel and Cozz. Everything just came from that so shout out to them.

You dropped Free Wifi with Correy C back in 2015, can we expect another joint project between you two?

For sure. Definitely in the works. Me and Correy C got tons of music in the works. We were actually on the phone talking about when we were going to that for the city. A lot of people been hitting us about asking “when is that going to drop?” We’re definitely going to work on that, guaranteed.

Recently, you dropped your debut single, “Like This,” with Rucci and BlueBucksClan. How did that collaboration come about?

I started work with Rucci about two or three years ago. We made songs like “Light It Up,” “Taxi,” and other unreleased songs. That was just a phone call away. BlueBucksClan really started to blow up five, six months ago. As soon as I saw that, I reached out like “yo, come get in the studio. I got some beats for yall.” They tapped back in. It turns out, the first session, Rucci wanted to do a show with them and BlueBucks wanted to do a song with him. What better do it than on a Mike Almighty beat.

Shout out to everybody for making it happen. “Like This” out now on iTunes, Soundcloud, and every other major streaming platform.

How did you come up with the album title Flood? What’s the inspiration behind the entire project?

Well, I came up with the album title based off the Noah story. Really simple. I’m spiritual so when it comes to Noah, i feel like I had a connection with him because of the waves and water. I found somebody I feel like I can relate to in the bible. The story is very self-explanatory. He, I went around, saying “there’s a flood coming.” Not everybody listened to him and not everyone listened to me, and what happened, a flood came. Whoever isn’t on the boat is going to drown.

The inspiration came from my team. They would be like “yo, Mike, you’re a loner. You never come out, but every time you do, it’s a wave.” I had to capitalize off of that.

Who, or what, can we expect on your debut album?

You can expect most of the buzzing artists in the city doing their thing. I don’t want to say too many names because I don’t want it to spoil it. From Rucci to 1TakeJay to AzChike to Petty Petty, and Correy C of course. District Boyz might be on there. Hopefully, Ambjaay, he just responded to my DM a while back.

You can expect comradery. Everyone is in there bag right now, it’s the industry. It seems like with this circle right here in L.A.: District Boyz, Winning Team, Makk & Co., Az Cult. Everybody is just working together and it’s hard to divide right now. Everyone is genuinely fucking with each other. The city knows, but those who don’t know are going to find out from this project.

What’s one thing you’re hoping people will take away from your project?

Like I said, the comradery. I want them to see the teamwork, and if anything, the production. Even though everyone has the rhythm, I want them to see that I brought the sound. I want them to say “Mike did a good job, he actually did an album instead of putting a bunch of artists on a project.” That’s what I want them to take away from the project.

Let’s talk about the state of Los Angeles music culture. There’s Casey Veggies, Cozz, Dom Kennedy, and many more, how would you describe it?

Shit, bro. I would say it’s in the right hands. It’s a lot more artists out here and it’s dope. I feel like the rap scene is very similar to the NBA. Every year, there’s someone different. The top artists are always going to remain the star players, but each year there’s another young nigga doing there thing. It’s just like that. Zion came in, AD got traded. I think everyone just needs to keep working hard to perfect their craft. Whatever team you can find to put you in the right situation, that’s where you need to be.

Dom is kind of older, but at the end of the day, he hasn’t been in the industry very long. That nigga is one of the greatest rappers in Los Angeles. He kind of put a culture vibe on us. I feel like even he knows that it’s in the good hands. It’s eras, but I feel like he has a lot in his bag. In time, it may be someone else. Just like Ambjaay, Blueface, District Boyz, there’s always going to be someone new. It’s time to embrace the next person. Just how they did K. Dot.

Outside of music, what are your goals for this year?

Shit, I’m a dad first. Taking care of my family, putting them in the right position to win. Making sure my family is straight. Other than that, pushing my agenda. I really can’t say outside of music because that’s the base of everything. I’m trying to put Flood on the map and put my team in position.

The post Exclusive Interview: Mike Almighty Plans To Bring Los Angeles Together With His Forthcoming Release, ‘Flood’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Blink-182 has been out of the spotlight for quite a while now. However, that doesn’t mean that they haven’t been recording some awesome music in the studio. The trio which consists of Mark Hoppus (vocalist), Travis Barker (drummer) and new group member Matt Skiba (vocalist), who replaces founding guitarist Tom DeLonge. That is to say fans have been questioning DeLonge’s decision for quitting. Some speculate that the reason for him bailing out of the band was due to boredom. To put it differently, he wanted to venture into other projects aside from music. It’s important to realize that the band will continue to rock out with or without him. Moving along, the artwork is animated and on the dark side of the spectrum. The image displays a skeleton man behind the wheel, and a woman riding shotgun displaying the band’s logo tatted on her arm. An obvious homage to the band.

Not to mention, the album title might seem like a no-brainer, but there was a lot of scrambling going on. Many ideas for the title were tossed around by the band members. Barker said the upcoming album was almost called ‘No Future’ or ‘Nude Erection.’ Hoppus also dropped his two cents into the bucket and suggested the title “OBGYN-Kenobi.” It’s obvious that these guys haven’t lost their youthfully twisted sense of humor! Talk about calculated timing – the album will be released on the 182nd day of the year. Check out the tracklist for the jaw-dropping ‘California‘ album below.

California Tracklist:

1. Cynical
2. Bored to Death
3. She’s out of Her Mind
4. Los Angeles
5. Sober
6. Built This Pool
7. No Future
8. Home Is Such a Lonely Place
9. Kings of the Weekend
10. Teenage Satellites
11. Left Alone
12. Rabbit Hole
13. San Diego
14. The Only Thing That Matter
15. California
16. Brohemian Rhapsody

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The post Blink-182 Reveals ‘California’ Album Artwork & Tracklist appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

@GuyATL and Hustle Gang recently released the newest single,  Pull Up.  Out for only a few days, the track has been burning up the streets like wildfire.  The enthralling production is accompanied by the sounds of Charlie and Young Dro.

The post New Music: Charlie featuring Young Dro – “Pull Up” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

click to follow her on twitter, instagram & soundcloud

The post New Music: “Forever Mine” by Andra Day appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

 

We recently sat down with E.G. Young this week and was given the opportunity to interview the newly emerging Southern Californian MC. Instead of focusing on just one project, or issue, we wanted our readers to meet EG Young for the first time, and get to know the man behind the mic, not just the most popular track on his YouTube channel. Born Geivon Cisneros in La Mirada, California, E.G. Young is a rapper and producer who can also hold a note on his own hooks. E.G. has been in the game since 2011 and is keeping the hype present with the recent release of his first free album, The Masterpiece. Accompanied by a tour, E.G. is quickly expanding his horizons in the Hip-Hop world and looks to further establish himself moving forward. E.G. Young is also a verified MTV artist and a student to The Avila Brothers, who are Grammy Award winning producers.

Style: An artist’s style and look is paramount to his or her first impression. Often, an artist’s choice on how they visually express themselves can be the difference between an intrigued fan, and an alienated hater. E.G. let’s us in on his thread game…

RESPECT.: An artist’s name is one of the most crucial components to their total essence. Where did the name E.G. Young come from?

RESPECT.: Do you have any inspirations for your look? Or is EG Young the master of his own wardrobe?

RESPECT.: You represent your hometown “the IE” rather heavily, where is this and what does IE stand for?

RESPECT.: With traveling and touring now a part of your schedule, has it weakened or strengthened your food game?

MUSIC: After getting to know E.G. Young, here he talks his sound, albums, features and the future of his career…

RESPECT.: Is there a system in the way you release your music, or do you simply release what you want, when you want?

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnHxi776HxxFkM6hF8n5efQ

Website: http://egyoungmusic.com/

The post Interview: Meet E.G. Young appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.