Fresh off the release of his most recent mixtape ’88, Nick Grant comes through with new visuals for his outstanding track “The Plan”. The video places Nick Grant in the position of planning and executing a dangerous heist. Surrounded by a squad of sultry female criminals, Nick successfully escapes with a shipment of classic vinyl records (Big L, Wu-Tang, etc.) but not before tying up a few loose ends. This video couldn’t be a better metaphor for Nick Grant himself. Nick is proving to be a classic vinyl record among a sea of MP3s. Through his incorporation of golden age mentality, flow, ideals and style, Nick Grant has once again separated himself from his peers in a special way.

The video itself was directed by Spike Jordan who is known for his previous work with Future, ASAP Ferg and up and comer Lil Uzi Vert. We caught up with Nick to get his take on working with Spike Jordan.

Nick Grant: “”The Plan” was directed by the great Spike Jordan, which was a collaboration of our ideas. I had the idea in my head to shoot this video that had a Dead President’s-type storyline, but not robbing people, I’m a hip hop dude. The classic albums at the end are symbolic to me taking the game back. Finding all these dope albums like they’ve been hidden for so long, like ‘where have they been?’ People weren’t making albums like this so I’m stealing the game back and bringing real music back to the forefront for the people.”

Nick has new music on the way, and while we’re not quite sure when that will be, we’re excited to see the wave continue. Hit up @nickgrantmusic for more information.

The post New Visuals: Nick Grant – “The Plan” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“Consciousness [kon-shuh s-nis]: the state of being conscious; awareness of one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.”

A seemingly lost element in today’s rap game, consciousness appears to be few and far between. That is not to diminish or take shine away from those emcees who are still releasing a conscious, self-aware message on records. Peace to those who are, and who push for this type of sound in 2015.

Before Mos Def‘s Black On Both Sides and Talib Kweli‘s Train of Thought (Reflection Eternal) came Black Star. It’s tough to find a place to begin as far as explaining this albums potency and lasting relevance. Let’s start with the duo’s title, Black Star. For those unaware, this was inspired by Marcus Garvey‘s birth of The Black Star Line. In the midst of Garvey’s growing UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) he originated this as a means of transportation. To make a long story short, a series of unpleasant events took place involving informants, corrupted management, misconstrued mail fraud charges and the FBI that led to Garvey’s arrest. He would than spend five years behind bars, followed by him being deported back to Jamaica by way of Kingston, in which he still kept things alive and made moves for change.

Now with a little background on Black Star’s reference for the group’s title, you should have a better understanding of why this album is so major, among many other reasons. Let’s get into the LP.

Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star was released in ’98, prior to both of the their official debuts. In just over 50 minutes, they covered some serious ground in terms of content. There is no need to break down each record, as most of you reading this either love it, own it, or heard it a chunky amount of times. They covered every sound possible, with joints still relevant today for B-Boys, deep thinkers, graffiti writers, narration fiends, mothers, grandfathers and aunts. And most importantly the youth. This is an album you can play to your inner-city middle schools and use as a tool for education.

With production from Da Beatminerz, J. Rawls, Hi-Tek, 88 Keys and Ge-Ology all bases are covered. Another notable factor is today’s overall production versus this raw mid/late 90’s sound. There’s really no argument that most of us real hip-hop junkies probably miss albums to this level of rawness as far as the sounds are concerned. Also, the amount of features is far from oversaturated, which you often find in today’s scene. It’s generally a hit or miss, but this was beyond a win.

Black Star, as mentioned earlier, is an extremely powerful title for Mos and Talib. Did they stop at the title? No. Many records, like “Astronomy (8th Light)”, “Thieves In The Night” and “K.O.S. (Determination)” took unaware listeners to school, beautifully embracing and shedding a positive light on the culture. Also, the pictures painted of inner-city life are overwhelmingly present when you listen to these records, which is still very much relevant for all of us in and out of the city currently in 2015. They didn’t stop in 1998 either. Albums, shows, features and years later Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) and Talib Kweli are still shedding this light and keeping a positive, uplifting message. Longevity best describes it.

This article was not meant to be another mediocre, time-passing album review of an LP we all know. That would be exhausting. It was written and conducted with intentions of highlighting one, of many, classic albums that uphold a positive message. Hopefully this will inspire two things: a new-jack is exposed to what a timeless LP is, and for some crazy reason the reader does not own or never heard this album to go buy it, along with both of the emcee’s catalogues. The odds of that last one is almost impossible, we suppose. Also, don’t forget to check out Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) and Talib Kweli’s recent moves, as they’re very notable. Talib is really fattening up today’s rap game with his recent Javotti Media successes. Stay tuned, trust us.

The post Black Star: Remembering The 1998 Classic And Its Relevance Today appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

      

ASAP Rocky’s upcoming sophomore album already has a ton of hype behind it, so here’s a little more. Around 4AM on January 30th, Juicy J tweeted and confirmed that he would not only be co-executive producing Rocky’s next project, but assures us that it will also be a classic (see below). There’s still a lot of mystery behind the album and what exactly it will be, considering we still don’t have a confirmed track-list or title yet. But with heaters like “Multiply” and “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodeye II” the album’s roll-out seems to be going well. It’s been a few weeks since his last drop, but with news like this you should lookout for new ASAP Rocky material.

I’m on a mad one lol!

— juicy j (@therealjuicyj) January 30, 2015

Gues what? — juicy j (@therealjuicyj) January 30, 2015

I’m co excutive prod @asvpxrocky new album it’s gone be classic

— juicy j (@therealjuicyj) January 30, 2015

The post Juicy J to Co-Executive Produce ASAP Rocky’s Upcoming Album appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Before and after it leaked, Kendrick Lamar‘s debut album, good kid, m.A.A.d city drew the inevitable comparisons to Nas‘ debut album Illmatic. On one hand, these comparisons are just fun ways of saying, “Damn, this new album reminds me of my favorite old album!” On the other hand, these comparisons are actual comparisons, genuine claims that Kendrick has produced something equivalent to what Nas released back in ’94.

Do these comparisons hold up? Do the albums actually have anything in common? No.

The first sign of dissimilarity between the albums is their tones. Illmatic shows some energy before Nas even gets into his rhymes. On the aptly named “The Genesis,” as low drums thud anxiously in the background, Nas and his crew goof off, anticipating the rawness of “N.Y. State of Mind,” the following track.  In contrast, good kid, m.A.A.d city starts off with a group of young men reciting a somber, solemn prayer. That solemn mood is maintained pretty much throughout the album, with “Compton” and “Backseat Freestyle” being the only exceptions. ” Illmatic oscillates back and forth between solemnity and energy throughout the album.

Perspective-wise, the dissimilarity  between the albums is even more apparent. Even though good kid, m.A.A.d. city is narrated in the present, the album – from its cover art to its subject matter – is firmly anchored in the past. Kendrick doesn’t come back to the present until the end of the album (“Compton”). Illmatic moves freely between the past and present. In  fact, on “Memory Lane,” even though he’s supposed to be taking the listener on a trip down memory lane, Nas frequently brings up the present. On “One Love,” reciting a letter written to an incarcerated friend, Nas does the same thing, both recounting how his friend ended up in jail and updating him on the current events in the neighborhood.

The most striking difference between the albums is the difference in flow. Even with differently cadenced instrumentals, Nas’ flow always maintains a steady pace, calmly and smoothly gliding over the beat like a marathon runner on a treadmill. The album as a whole follows suit, with transitions between songs fitting together seamlessly. Kendrick’s flow is more like a marine recruit madly dashing through an obstacle course: there are abrupt stops, pauses, leaps, falls and sprints. Likewise, the album as a whole corresponds: the frequent interruptions via voicemails and skits do the same work as Kendrick’s dynamic flow. Both albums are coherent in the end, but in very distinct ways.

To be fair, a lot of the comparisons between the two albums don’t even pay attention to content. The typical reason for comparison is that the albums represent the “voices of an era.” When an album is the voice of an era, it is said to be “classic.” “Classic” is always a highly retrospective designation. Illmatic didn’t come to “define an era” until that “era” had been retrospectively carved out, until the people living in the moment when it came out looked back at that moment. good kid, m.A.A.d city‘s moment has just begun. How can it already be classic?

Even Kendrick himself seems uncomfortable with the comparisons. Check this interview:

In the end, the unwarranted comparisons between these two great albums show two important things: 1) a lot of hip-hoppers don’t know their history. To make this comparison is to forget that Illmatic was not very successful when it came out; it took 2 years for it to be certified gold and didn’t go platinum until 2001. Let that sink in: in the 90’s, the era of million dollar music video budgets and multiple multi-platinum albums, Illmatic, a so-called “classic album,” was largely ignored. Sure, there were probably thousands of bootlegs in circulation, but even if you look at the singles, Nas wasn’t getting much love. That delayed reception says nothing about the quality of the album, but it does say something about the notion of something being “classic.” 2) “Classic” is a dumb idea. Both albums are good, but they’re ultimately doing very different things in very different ways. Accordingly, they should be allowed to stand alone.

The post disRESPECT: <em>Illmatic</em> and <em>good kid, m.A.A.d city</em> Aren’t Comparable appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Before the internet, hip-hop was the home of frequent million dollar deals and private jets. It was a time where record companies actually had control of the recording industry and platinum albums were still a reoccurring thing. Before the 360 deal was invented, Strong Arm Steady was there, rolling with Xzibit during a different era of the west coast.

Fast forward to 2012 and the internet is a new tool in this hip-hop game with albums being sold for free. But they’re still here, kicking up dust. Xzibit’s gone but the remaining members Mitchy Slick, Phil Da Agony and Krondon are left. Planet Asia and Chace Infinite remain frequent collaborators. The most consistently collaborative members of the squad, Krondon and Phil Da Agony, met us at The Roebling Tea Room nestled in the heart of Williamsburg to discuss their latest album Stereotype. A great cohesive project, the album features key figures of  what fans would call The New West movement–emcees like Dom Kennedy, Skeme, Black Hippy and Casey Veggies. It’s a collaborative album with Boston-based beatsmith Statik Selectah, who provides a solid mix of soulful yet uptempo beats to match the hard broiled delivery of Strong Arm Steady’s revolving members.

Like camouflage, Strong Arm Steady has adapted to their environment while also sticking to their roots.  The group has stuck through some bleek times, like their record deal with Talib Kweli’s Blacksmith records. This pairing resulted in a five year delay on their second album, Arms & Hammer, which still didn’t receive the same love that their previous joint album with Madlib did.  But, it’s a misstep that has changed their recording process. Arms & Hammer was actually recorded prior to Stony Jackson, which caused the offset in reaction from fans. “We could’ve said, ‘We’re in a different time, let’s do something else.’ That’s why with this album there were no compromises,” says Krondon. “I was a stubborn asshole on this album. Some records I would just say ‘no, no’ and some records I said ‘no’, made it anyway.”

Now that the gang is back with Stones Throw Records/EMI, their new project is closer to the superior grade quality of In Search Of Stony Jackson, which was their first collaborative album with their highly regarded label mate Madlib. With their album, Stereotype, whose title takes a stab at the cliche’ imagery of west coast hip-hop, there is a vivid depiction of a calm California day in the life of a newly resurrected west coast scene. It’s a new day and everyone is eager to be more authentic than before. No smoke and no mirrors. Now, Kendrick Lamar is making songs with Dr. Dre and Odd Future is creating a different lane. The independent grind is unmatched. West coast hip-hop is very relevant again.  Strong Arm‘s addictive lead single, “Classic,” is a smooth gem which speaks on their sustainability. The black & white visual, directed by Jerome D, captures them in their comfort zone, as the camera flips back and forth to various classic cars. For how long they’ve been gunning, it’s apparent that they love this hip-hop shit. As Phil Da Agony passionately spits on the song: “For the people, who the fuck you think we making this for?!”

According to Krondon, the most vocal and visible of the group, the album’s display of The New West Movement was organic. “We took Skeme on tour with us a  year and a half ago. I feel like he’s amazing,” says Krondon. “I’ve known Dom since 2006 and Casey Veggies since he was 16.”  Though long term fans would like to put them in a box, Strong Arm Steady  is comfortable creating music with all types of emcees, young and old, considerably conscious or street. “The generation before us, I feel like the cats on the west coast didn’t respect what was after them, ” says Krondon.  Though he  respected his predecessors he remains truthful about the state the west was in.  “You gotta respect what comes after you. That’s like the little homie on the block and you on the block.  If you don’t embrace the brother, he’s going to work harder, he’s going to hustle harder,” he continues. “You’re going to be obsolete. He sell it for cheaper. He’s going to knock you out,” he says. “We were inspired by these cats who went from 0 to 60, in the sense of Dom and Casey and those cats.” Former member, Chace Infinite, who also appears on the album, now manages A$AP Rocky. In a way, they’ve all been very accepting of a newer leaf in hip-hop. Blending with the times has given them longevity.

Although Krondon and Phil are accepting of the newcomers, their predecessors weren’t always so generous. Remember when there were rumbles at Dr. Dre for not reaching down to the brooding emcees during a California drought? Recently things have been extremely different. In an interview between Snoop Dogg and Strong Arm Steady on his network GGN, he humbly credited Krondon with his ghostwriting efforts on “GangbandRookie.” Krondon wrote the song for the Dogg Father himself and Snoop‘s words opened up the floor  for Krondon to speak on writing for others like The Clipse and Xzibit.  It’s a big topic in hip-hop ever since writer Dream Hampton outed Jay Electronica and Stic.Man for writing on Nas’ Untitled album. While speaking on the art of ghostwriting, stepping into another mans shoes for a day, Phil Da Agony spoke about Jay-Z writing “Still Dre” for both Dr.Dre and Snoop Dogg. “I’m glad Jay-Z did write that,” Phil said barely lifting his eyelid above his pupils. “Here’s a east coast dude who wrote a west coast record. He’s the best for that.” Krondon chimes in, “If it wasn’t for artists like Snoop, or X to the Z,  I wouldn’t be here. It’s a humbling thing,” he shrugs. “For a Snoop Dogg to trust me to write his songs bro, and for him to talk about it on GGN. No rap nigga would do that ever.”

If Stereo Type is indicative of anything, it is one groups’ ability to prevail in hip-hop without general mainstream acceptance. They’ve operated below the radar long enough and now that hip-hop is in favor of the underground it is their time to shine. Get used to them, they’re not going anywhere.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/stereotype/id546752743
http://stonesthrow.com/store/album/SAS/stereotype

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