Photo from @papichuloteej

Personally, one of my favorite parts of Hip-Hop are rollouts. Call me a nerd, geek or whatever, but I love watching artists come up with wildly creative schemes to promote their album’s release authentically. Despite being independent, Las Vegas native Teej handled the release of his debut album, Spotlight as if it were a major release, using billboards, city-wide kickball games & of course fullproof singles to promote it’s release & despite all of the hype, it did not disappoint.

Clocking in at a solid 12 tracks, Spotlight is a melodically driven, self reflective project that brings all of Teej’s intangible qualities together that drive his success. Songs like, “Japan” & the Chop 808 assisted, “Swing on By” are sure-fire hits while tracks like, “Down For It” showcase his strong flow & surprisingly good voice.

Being a fan of Teej’s since the 2017 release of, “Spotlight” — which serves as a perfectly placed intro to brings the listener to nostalgia — it’s encouraging to see his development into somebody who can depend on his songwriting to carry the weight of a song as opposed to resorting to the old melodic pop tricks.

With the album already reaching numbers on the streaming services, I suggest you get familiar with Teej sooner rather than later. Listen below.

The post Las Vegas Rep Teej Finally Drops His Highly Anticipated Debut Album, ‘Spotlight’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

‘Feels Like Yesterday’ album cover.

They say that the best artists are tortured souls. That the people who are most happy on the exterior, are often the most torn apart on the inside. The best artists, to me, are the ones who turn that pain into beauty that not only helps their listeners heal, but also themselves. One of those guys is Chop 808, a Memphis native who is based out of Las Vegas and he checks in with his new project, Feels Like Yesterday.

Produced almost exclusively by Vegas native Mac Nealy, Feels Like Yesterday is a high introspective album that peels back many layers of Chop’s journey. The most common theme being heartbreak. The catch here, is that instead of feeling sorry for himself, he picks himself up through self reflection, highly enjoyable meoldies and improved lyrical structure.

Being a fan of Chop’s since, “Body Complex,” seeing his growth on tracks like, “Ms. Good Stuff” & “Rain” is very satisfying. Chop has always had the potential to make hit records, but on this project he turns potential into reality. With tracks like those complimenting the sure fire hit that is, “Sorry Ain’t Good Enough,” Chop is poised for a very fun second half in 2018.

Check out, Feels Like Yesterday below and be sure to get hip to Chop 808.

https://soundcloud.com/chop808/sets/feels-like-yesterday

The post Chop 808 Delivers a Groovy Self Reflective Album in, ‘Feels Like Yesterday’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

When it comes to promoting a project, the more attention the better. Sometimes, artists opt for the fake marriages and exploitive publicities, others try to flood the market with hot music. Sin City rep Teej decides to go with the latter and drops off two new vibrant singles in, “Drama Queen” and the Chop 808 assisted, “Swing On By.”

Sticking the the nostalgic, 90’s vibe that helped his previous hit, “Spotlight” Teej and Chop channel their inner Bel Biv Devoe with quirky rhymes and singalong cadences that make It a true candidate for not only online success, but also radio considering that the song is mostly clean. On, “Drama Queen,” Teej decides to slow It down a bit more and focus in on the adult crowd, talking to an estranged lover about making everything all better, and being a bit more rational.

With his project set to release in the near future, be sure to stop sleeping on the Vegas songwriter. And with, “Swing On By” already approaching 8K plays in it’s first week, it’s better to do so now rather than later. Check out, “Swing On By” below, and listen to “Drama Queen” here.

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The post Las Vegas Artist Teej Returns With Two New Singles, “Drama Queen” & “Swing On By” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Quick question for our readers/hoops fans: who’s got the better pump fake? Kobe post-number eight, or Drake and his team — including his father — when it comes to releasing his highly anticipated new “playlist” More Life. After seemingly shutting down all rumors of a push back with this cryptic — okay not cryptic but foreign — picture on Instagram, The Boy & Co. failed to deliver on what was supposed to be an OVO Sound Radio premiere. Drake’s producer — and lifeline — Noah “40” Shebib gave an update on IG the other day in regards to the project, saying that they were “finishing it up”. But cmon now. Following update after update peppered in teasers like this and this, fans have been starting to grow weary. Drake and his team better drop it bef… you know what, I can’t even finish that sentence with a straight face. We’ll all be waiting by our iPhones in anticipation whether it’s released now or in 2075, the same year rumored to have Detox releasing. Until then, check out these 5 new tracks that will be ringing through speakers everywhere, which includes Demrick, new TDE signee SiR, and more. Check it out below.

Ravyn Lenae – “Unknown”

What do you get when you mix beautiful neo-soul inspired production with enchanting songwriting and alluring vocals? You get Chicago native Ravyn Lenae and her refreshing new EP, Midnight Moonlight. After receiving cosigns from of Chicago’s brightest up and comers like Mick Jenkins – which is how I came across her – through her last projects, the songstress returned strong with the new EP, particularly the track, “Unknown”. The best part about this track is how she brings you into her world. You have no choice but to feel her pain. When she says, “I long for warning won’t you let me know?” or “I know you told me that you won’t be long, time lapsed and I’m trapped in another’s arms,” you can feel the sorrow in her voice as well as the guilt of moving on. In an era where sound triumphs lyrical content, it seems like Lenae has found the perfect mix. Check out the track below and get hip.

Demrick – “Major Later (Feat. Reezy & Lil’ Debbie)”

When Funk Volume split last year, I was the first person to stand up and say it was the best move for starplayer Dizzy Wright. Though Hopsin had help nurture the young emcee into one of the best stoner rappers today, it was obvious that the label in general was hindering his growth. Enter in Still Movin’. Turning a potentially devesating situation into a positive, Dizzy started his own label with Funk Volume CEO Damien Ritter, creating a rare opportunity for himself and his family to eat on for years. His first signee? Dizzy’s Blaze With Us co-collaborator Demrick, who is criminally underrated. Starting off the label with a bang, the crew has been releasing new songs every Sunday in hopes of smoothly transitioning over their audience. By far the best song to come out of these sessions so far has been Demrick’s track, “Major Later”. On what sounds like a track cut from the new Fast and Furious soundtrack, Demrick, fellow Still Movin mate Reezy, and Lil’ Debbie trade scathing bars over this bass heavy beat by Reezy. Lines like “Use my pen to drop gems on a lost soul” and “How you see the bigger picture when you lo-fi” showcase Demrick’s dense lyrical ability while lines like “I f*ck with Vegas might just build me a condo” highlight the obvious chemistry between the Philly native and Dizzy. After scoring placement on the newest trailer for Minions, he might be on his way to matching his way to obtaining his own collective. Check out the track below and stop sleeping on the wordsmith, you owe it to Hip-Hop.

https://soundcloud.com/stillmovin/demrick-major-later-feat-reezy-lil-debbie

Chop 808 – “Body Complex”

Hit records come and go everyday B, and often so do the artist “behind” them. It’s not everyday that you meet somebody with the potential to produce multiple chart toppers, let alone ones with actual content. Hearing Memphis native and Las Vegas rep Chop 808’s infectious track, “Body Complex” is not an everyday moment, and Chop is not an everyday person. I’m not sure if its the geniusly placed synths or the beautiful harmonization from With All Due RESPECT. favorite Luna, but this track screams Billboard. Meshing funky cadences with uplifting lyrics — “I don’t need no sidekick, that’s just me being honest” and “Wish you were all on me, loving my melatonin” — with a heavy southern drawl that plays to his favor, Chop demonstrates a large potential to be around for a while. If his newest track, “Candy Lane” and his Soundcloud numbers — 20k and counting on “Body Complex” — are any indication, that potential may be realized sooner rather than later. Check out the track below and be on the lookout for the video, coming soon.

https://soundcloud.com/chop808/body-complex

6 Dogs – “Flexing”

Okay look. Before you press play on this track below the article, just hear me out. We live in strange times. Times where Beanie Sigel gets knocked out in Philly and rappers with red hair rule the airwaves. I don’t make the rules, I just turn up to them, and one song that everybody will be doing just that too soon is “Flexing“. Crafted by Atlanta suburb native 6 Dogs, “Flossing” is a catchy jingle that is intended to be neither of those things. Meshing depressive — though relatable — lyrics like, “You’ll be fine without me” and “Tear duct stains on my floor, I don’t know if I can do this anymore” with appealing xylophone keys, 6 Dogs is on the brink of superstardom. Kid Cudi officially became the man of the depressed forgotten with his cult classic Man On The Moon series, and I accept the Atlanta native to grab the torch and run with it. The song, which I traditionally wouldn’t even consider a rap record, isn’t the only reason I believe he’s headed for greener pastures though. After reading this fantastic piece from The Masked Gorilla on Dogs — which includes tales about getting grounded, botched video shoots and the dark inner working of Soundcloud Rap — I not only fully understood where he was coming from, but I could see how millions of teens would relate as well. With the track at already almost 700k plays without any MAJOR publication coverage, the teens will seemingly be the ones to ascend 6 Dogs. Check out the track below, as well as the peculiar video here, and get hip to the soon to be King of The Teens — sorry Yachty but teenagers aren’t always happy.

SiR – “Ooh Nah Nah (Feat. Masego)”

Earlier this year when Top Dawg announced that TDE did indeed release the albums of John Doe one AND two, many fans were left scaling 2016’s releases for what could be the hidden gem of an empire. The first obvious release was that of announced signing Lance Skiiiwalker, but the identity of the latter was left to the imagination of the rap world. Anybody in the know — or whoever was paying attention — knew that album belonged to Los Angeles native SiR, though. After delivering the aforementioned project — HER — to rave reviews, the crooner followed the announcement of his signing with the follow up EP, Her Too, and he did not disappoint. One of the standout songs on the project — though ALL six are worthy — has to be the Masego assisted, “Ooh Nah Nah“. Whoever thought to combine SiR’s beautifully wavy falsettos with Masego’s show-stealing Saxophones should be given an NAACP award for black excellence. This song is sure to be on every lover’s summer playlist and if the powers that be behind the record — cough cough Interscope — see the potential of this smash and properly promote it, the track could make the Spring playlists instead. Check out the track below and go buy Her Too NOW, your significant other will thank you later.

There you have it! Let us know how we did, did we get it right? Are we still sleeping on your favorite local artist? Let us know in the comment section below!

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The post With All Due RESPECT.: 5 Songs You’ve Been Sleeping On (3/8) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.