By: Mark Spratley

Mark Spratley Interview

The post Mark Spratley Talks Influencing Hip Hop Culture For The Future Of Tomorrow appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Image credit: Pro Era

Joey BADA$$ and his Hip-Hop outfit Pro Era have announced their fourth-annual STEEZ Day Festival, which is in honor of their fallen member Capital STEEZ. This go ’round, the event will be returning to NYC’s Central Park and will also features Flatbush Zombies, The Underachievers, STRO and more.

STEEZ Day will reportedly continue the tradition of supporting STEEZ’ family; it will also apparently help expand CityPark’s Summerstage events around the city.

It all goes down July 8th. Tickets go live this Friday.

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The post The Pro Era-Led STEEZ Day is Returning to Central Park appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The origin for the stoner holiday of 4/20 has been widely debated for years. With theories such as police codes and chemical compounds nobody really knows the exact truth, but we do know one thing: its awesome. April 20th has been a day for decades for stoners and prudes alike to come together in unison and celebrate their hidden or public love for the tree. With the wide popularity of the holiday, there will sure to be many ganja related playlists that will mostly feature similar songs. This is not that list. With hidden gems such as Azizi Gibson to stoner staples like Wiz Khalifa, check out this hazy playlist we put together for you to sit back, relax and enjoy your smoke sesh to. Light it up.

1. “Let’s Get Blown” – Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell 

 What better way to kick off the holiday than with a silky banger from the Doggfather himself? While other well known Snoop hits like “Gin and Juice” and “Drop it Like its Hot” are certainly classics, it’s this funky album cut off of Rhythm & Gangsta that sets the spark off right like no other. With a funky baseline accompanied by offkey melodies from Snoop and Neptunes front man, Pharrell, this track provides the grooves to get the vibe going. Plus, you can never go wrong with a Snoop and Neptunes collab.

     2. “Smoking With the Gods” – Azizi Gibson

Anybody who’s ever been around stoners knows that when you’re on cloud 9, you tend to think a little deeper into situations than others. Pothead conversation topics usually can range from anything from conspiracy theories to debates about politics. But the number one hotly debated ganja topic has always been and will always be about religion. Trainwreck psychologists have always had crazy and fairly rational theories on our origin and our creator. Maryland hotspitter, Azizi Gibson did his own freethinking on his 2014 track “Smoking With the Gods” in which he explores religion and religious tales with lines like, “Don’t you dare pass the blunt to Judas// He a traitor motherf*****, are you stupid?” The song is paired with a catchy hook and banging production that will get your mind thinking and your head bobbing.

     3. “How High (Remix)” – Method Man & Redman

Longtime collaborators and known weed connoisseurs Method Man & Redman are a must on any hazy playlist you might throw together today. After helping bring weed to a more popular mainstream mass with their stoner cult classic, How High, they must be acknowledged as legends in the toking business. Meth & Red spit over a hard hitting dusty, Erick Sermon track while trying to reach the top of stoner mountain. Coming off of the duo’s 1999 classic Blackout, this track is a mainstay on many smokey playlists.

   4. “High All the Time” – 50 Cent

While Queen’s emcee 50 Cent has said on many occasions that he doesn’t smoke weed himself, he sure does know how to make a record for the smokers. A hungry young Fif spits over a hard hitting Sha Money XL track about how he’s getting ready to take over the industry, and like it or not he’s doing it stoned. Lyrics such as “You don’t want me to be your kid’s role model// I’ll teach them how to buck them 380s and load up them hollows,” give you the overall gist of his mind state doing the recording of his Freshman classic Get Rich Or Die Tryin’.  The chorus itself could be a ceremonial chant for any weed advocated group. It’ll be the perfect sing along for you and your blunted friends.

   5. “Herb Shuttles” – The Underachievers

The Flatbush based duo features Issa Gold & AK and have been a fan favorite in the underground scene for a few years now. Their forward thinking rhymes and far out theories about many topics have grasped the attentions of stoners across the country. A big reason for that is this wavy cut from their 2013 mixtape, Indigoism which along with the video, drew acclaim from critics and fans alike. Make sure to bump this to help energize you in the middle of a crucial sesh.

   6. “Herban Legend” – Capital STEEZ

Keeping the vibe in the Beastcoast, the next track in the 4/20 playlist comes from the late Pro Era co-founder Capital STEEZ off of his 2012 classic tape Amerikkkan Korruption. The short two minute track shows Steelo going into a lyrical presentation of a day in life of Steez, the weed head. Going in on topics from slangin’ eighths to copping beats from a young Kirk Knight, the “Free The Robots” rapper takes you into his mind for a brief moment. RIP King Steelo.

  7. “Acid Lake” – Jay Bel

Brooklyn upstart, Jay Bel turned some heads in 2015 with the release of his hazy and accurate dive into the mind of a struggling artist with the track “Kate.” He failed to disappoint with a 2016 follow up with the faded and new age sounding “Acid Lake.” With crazy keyboard melodies and nice blends of singing and rapping, the song captures your head and will help ascend your already blunted mind. Keep an eye on the 19-year-old emcee.

  8. “Still Blazin” – Wiz Khalifa

 28-year-old Pittsburgh native, Wiz Khalifa made his way on to the scene as the heir to Snoop Dogg’s stoner throne with his mega hazy 2010 mixtape Kush & Orange Juice which is widely regarded as one of the best new aged mixtapes. The reggae themed track shows Wiz spitting bars about how the weed is making him feel with lyrics like, “You might go to sleep// Your throat might ache// You off that good weed// you need a nice break.” While the flow is simple, any seasoned stoner with many bong hits under their belt will be able to easily relate.

  9. “Crumblin’ Herb” – Outkast

While some people love to use grinders as a means of breaking down their weed because of things like the convenience and the opportunity for kief, any classic smoker will tell you themselves, there’s nothing better than breaking down a good nug by hand. Nobody captured this feeling better than Atlanta natives Big Boi and Andre 3000 with the classic joint off of their 1994 album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. With smooth bars about how all of their troubles are temporary, this is the perfect track to help get you out of your worries and into the sky.

  10. “Mary Jane” – Rick James 

Words don’t do this justice, throw this on to close out your playlist and then check out Rick bully Charlie Murphy. Happy 4/20 y’all!

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The post New Music: Ab-Soul-“47 Bars” (prod. Alchemist) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Brooklyn duo  The Underachievers sat down with Montreality for a new interview. The two discussed their upcoming Cellar Door album, Capital STEEZ, school, drugs, and plenty more. Watch below.

The post Video: The Underachievers Montreality Interview appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

#15: 1017 Thug – Young Thug

For better or worse, 2013 has undeniably been the year for trap music. Saturated with molly references, menacing bells, thudding bass and auto-tune, most of this music has been aggressively forgettable. Even the most passionate trap-enthused DJs haven’t kept most of these songs in rotation. Nevertheless, amidst this atmosphere of ephemeral mediocrity, one particular artist is etched into our minds: Young Thug. The Atlanta artist released 1017 Thug back in February, but it’s still a fresh project. Released a few weeks after Young Thug‘s signing to Gucci Mane‘s 1017 imprint, the mixtape reminds us of the unbridled experimentation that characterized trap’s initial emergence. Before trap music had a readily identifiable aesthetic, it was basically the sound of people trying to make money by any means necessary. Accordingly, no stone was left unturned; no idea was left unconsidered. Young Thug keeps that spirit alive, using trap sounds to create music that doesn’t easily fall into the categories of “street anthem” or “club-ready.” 1017 Thug features him truly exploring what trap can do beyond making people “turn up.” Of course, this mixtape will make you turn up, but that’s not all there is to it. There’s some genuine craftsmanship here.

#14: Summer Knights – Joey Bada$$

Young Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ had a hectic 2012. The release of his mixtape 1999 was insanely successful, very quickly propelling him and his Pro Era crew from internet underdogs to widely acknowledged emcees. Yet despite these gains, the year ended with a tragic los:, the suicide of Joey‘s friend and fellow crew member, Capital STEEZ. Joey and company strongly kept chugging along, working with other artists, touring and just generally trying to capitalize on their hard-earned opportunities, but death is a strange and unpredictable experience, so when Summer Knights was announced, there was some genuine trepidation regarding how good the music could be in the wake of such a tragedy. Fortunately, Joey delivers. Whereas 1999 painted Joey and Pro Era as meticulous nostalgists, Summer Knights shows that the crew’s artistic roots extend far beyond 90’s New York. New York’s particular contributions to hip-hop are still central to how Joey creates, but Summer Knights depicts Joey with leanings toward reggae, dub, poetry and arguably even some punk rock, with flows to match.

#13: Cut 4 Me – Kelela

Kelela has the uncanny ability to establish harmony amidst the most elemental chaos. Featuring graceful melodies atop amorphous tracks from producer hive Fade to Mind, Cut 4 Me is 50 minutes of fearless exploration of voice and affect. Strikingly, most of the songs are remixes, yet Kelela stealthily colonizes them all, owning them for herself. Some of these instrumentals truly are intimidating, yet Kelela faces them like a veteran, variously taming them and absorbing their unbridled energy into her melodies. Cut 4 Me is the musical equivalent of the comic book character Storm controlling, unleashing and becoming one with the weather.

#12: King Remembered in Time – Big K.R.I.T.

The consequence of giving fans consecutively stronger releases is the escalation of their expectations. With the release of Live From the Underground, Big K.R.I.T. found himself fighting against the quality of his former releases, much to his chagrin. After all, he made many sacrifices for Live From the Underground, namely its necessarily small number of samples in comparison to his mixtapes. Dealing with the reception of his debut album, the Mississippi rapper doubled-down on King Remembered in Time, actively competing with and trying to best his previous works. He isn’t as successful as he could have been, but the tenacity and the gumption of the project resonate well. K.R.I.T. both gives fans what they want and gives them a potent “STFU,” all while remaining relatively innovative and open-minded. There are surely some misfires, but when K.R.I.T. is on point, he’s truly unmatched. Read our full review here.

#11: No Poison, No Paradise – Black Milk

Black Milk‘s biggest career mistake may have been titling his 2010 LP, “Album of the Year.” While that project certainly stands firm as a great body of work, it is on No Poison, No Paradise that the Detroit emcee/producer crafts his magnum opus and undoubtedly one of the best albums of 2013. From the Mel-assisted opener, the listener is taken on a morose journey through the childhood of Sonny, a fictionalized character brought to life by Black Milk’s own experiences. Think of this as a more flushed-out and hyper-realized version of The Roots’ Undun. “Deion’s House” tells the story of Sonny’s friend, who is a quasi-bad influence, given the fact that he pulls Sonny towards the street life, while at the same time pushes our hero to pursue his musical aspirations. Herein lies the narrative in a nutshell: dealing with the influences of your surroundings while striving towards a greater goal. While Black Milk’s production sometimes garners more attention than his lyrical skills, as do his collaborations with the likes of Danny Brown and Jack White, this is the album that proves that his pen game is just as lethal.

The post RESPECT. Roundtable: The Best 15 Albums of 2013 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The late Pro Era rhymer dropped an aweful lot of verses this weekend considering that he’s no longer with us. In addition to his feature on SMTH‘s “Last Straw”, a full Capital STEEZ track–set to be on the posthumous release, King Capital–released yesterday courtesy of Joey Bada$$. It’s a great deed the Pro Era boys are doing in keeping Steelo‘s memory alive: given the passion for music and social change he exhibited in his short life, it’s safe to say that they’re doing right by him. It’s important to remember, though, that these are just a group of kids–most of them barely legal adults–attempting to properly pay respects to a fallen friend whose life ended in the most tragic and confusing of fashion. This is far beyond just impressive music–it’s an impressive feat of friendship and strength through mourning. Listen to a bittersweet memory below.

The post New Music: Capital STEEZ – “King Steelo” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.