By: Thomas Howard

Texas rapper Thomas Howard, has officially released his new single “The Backstory Pt. 1”. Since gaining the industry’s attention in 2015, after being discovered by Bizarre from D12, Howard has only taken his career to new heights. This single dives into a deeper layer of this emcee’s honest tongue, and raw lyricism.

On this song, you will hear the Texas native rapping about his trials and tribulations, as he pushes through pain in order to garner success. As this single is geared to appear on his upcoming EP The M.I.M.O.E, it sets the tone for what we can expect from Howard all year. His storytelling abilities are out of this world, and thrive like never before on his latest material. The most notable element of this release is the consistent, heavy hitting bars that go on from the beginning to the end of the record.

Being heavily influenced by a long list of greats, such as Big Pun, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Bizarre of D12 and Eminem Howard is figuring out ways to joins the ranks of some of the greats.

With a thriving sound, stead fast fan base, and musical bliss, he is ready to take over the mainstream circuit. Press play below to stream “The Backstory Pt. 1” and tap in with some new vibes.

The post Texas Rapper Thomas Howard Releases An Honest New Single Titled “The Backstory Pt. 1“ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The post World Renowned Afrobeat Artist, Dee Tweh “D12,” Performs Live For Liberia’s 172nd Independence Day appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

For the latest single off his highly anticipated solo debut, Rockness A.P., Hip-Hop veteran Rock (of Heltah Skeltah) connects with Kuniva (of D12) to deliver snarling and slick threats on the menacing “Wishin,” produced by Pascal Zumaque.

The two emcees make for an immediately compelling duo, partially because they’re both known for their show-stealing verses alongside their affiliated crews. And on “Wishin,” they spit venom-filled rhymes at their opposition.

For Rock, that means using his trademark growl to make clever pop-culture references amidst some crazy wordplay (the way he raps “Brownsville, aka the Wish-A-Ni**a Woods” is hilarious). Kuniva’s right there with him, though, as he dubs himself the “hood version of Eddie Haskell” and likens his rhymes to Ice Cube’s on Death Certificate.

It’s wild to think that Rock has been in the game for more than 20 years—as part of Boot Camp Clik and one half of Heltah Skeltah—but is only just now releasing his debut as a solo artist. But the rapper himself is aware of that, and its title, Rockness A.P., is a reference to his former partner-in-rhyme. The A.P. stands for After Price, a loving nod to the late Sean Price, who passed away in 2015.

“Wishin,” which can be streamed above courtesy of RESPECT., is the fourth instant grat track ready for download off the iTunes’ pre-order for, Rockness A.P. In addition to Kuniva, the 14 track LP includes guest features from Method Man, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, M.O.P., Ron Browz, Ras Kass, and more. The album, which is due out Sept 22, is now available for pre-order on CD as well as through the digital retailer of your choice via Digital Déjà Vu Records.

Tracklist:
01. Just Rap
02. Wishin (feat. Kuniva)
03. GW BaG
04. Camp-Wu (feat. Instpectah Deck, Method Man, & Tek & Steele)
05. Rumble for Me (feat. Kofi Black & Ron Browz)
06. O.G.
07. FaxMachine (feat. M.O.P.)
08. The Purge
09. Poof (feat. Buckshot)
10. Declaration (feat. Raekwon, Ras Kass & The Last American B-Boy)
11. Rockness A.P.
12. F.A.M. (feat. Young Noble)
13. Shine Down (feat. Kofi Black)
14. Da Streets Want Blood (Ron Browz Remix)

Pre-Order Rockness A.P. (Smart URL): http://smarturl.it/RocknessAP

Twitter:
• Rock: https://twitter.com/_ROCKNESS_
• Kuniva: https://twitter.com/KunivaD12

Rock Online:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rocknessbcc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrRockness

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The post RESPECT. The Track: Rock (feat. Kuniva) – “Wishin” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

D12 made a surprise return near the end of last year with their latest mixtape, Devil’s Night, a sequel of sorts to their debut multi-platinum album that went by the same name. Their iconic rap style has branded itself in hip hop history and the group members have made themselves stand out as more than just “Eminem’s band.” Although Eminem laced an intro to the mixtape, Kuniva, Swift and Bizarre carried the mixtape and exceptionally showcased their evolution as hip hop emcees.

On their latest video for the track “Raw As It Gets,” D12 show what makes Detroit emcees stand out from everyone else in the game: lyrical wit. These guys take it back to 8-Mile cypher format as they kick bars back to back in a graffiti-laced skateboard park somewhere in Detroit. Their bars are filled with energy and demonstrate why Detroit is a city that no rapper wants to tackle.

This video features Lazarus, a buzzing Detroit-based rapper, who also happens to be a full-fledged doctor. D12 place Lazarus in the center of one of their most fiery joints and he proves that he indeed can hang with the best of them. Detroit definitely breeds lyrical greatness. All in all, let’s just say this video is as ‘Raw As It Gets.’

Check it out and let us know if you’re feelin the comeback.

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The post #PeepTheVisual: D12 ft. Lazarus – “Raw As It Gets” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: Artists as Alchemists: Just as an alchemist transforms led into gold, do you feel that being an artist relates to that of being an alchemist? Do you view the artist journey and your creative expression, as alchemy?

DENAUN:  I would have to say we are that in a way. But all of the art we create is only gold to us. People today are experts (sarcastically speaking of course). Not even for good reason but because they want to comment and have their moment even if it is just to start an argument. So when we put something out these days we are afraid of having those ideas aborted. The art of alchemy today would have people testing your gold’s quality instead of them seeing it as a great accomplishment.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: The Evidence of the Journey: Artists are often labeled as “stars.” Just as a star radiates light and the planets then reflect this light, do you see your work as an artist like that of a star? Is this “light” that stars radiate merely the evidence of this journey of becoming a star/learning to radiate light?

DENAUN:  Yes because I’m trying to guide people with my music. Either to bring light to a subject or make them think of a subject in a more logical way and not just judging books by covers. Eventually we will navigate amongst the stars and just like we used them to find our place on the earth we would use then to travel to the next planet like signs. The more energy we put into trying to guide or bring attention to social issues. We will shine brighter. Some stars won’t, and some stars burn out. The hardest thing to do is keep using energy to stay illuminated.

THE MUSEUM OF LIGHT: The Courage to Create: When an artist is not “creating” it is often labeled a “creative block.” How do you navigate this space, how do you find the creative spark in the dark, and does it require courage to create from this unknown space? Describe this process.

DENAUN:  I remove myself from the studio. I don’t belong there if I’m not contributing or giving or learning. I play the piano and instantly become inspired so the blocks are a little less these days. It’s not a lot of drama to make me frustrated so I’m always creating. If I don’t feel like being in the studio, I play piano and record voice notes in my phone so when I do feel the desire to be inside her again I’m there with purpose not just for pleasure.

For more info on The Museum of Light visit:

http://www.themuseumoflight.com/
https://instagram.com/museumoflight/
https://twitter.com/museumoflight

The post CONVERSATIONS IN LIGHT WITH DENAUN appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Here’s a throwback: Tim Westwood dug up this 2001 video of Eminem, Proof, and the rest of D12. Watch as Em comes off the top, which is rare nowadays for a radio show–shouts out to Lupe Fiasco, Los, and Asher Roth for keeping that alive. The late Proof brings the nicest writtens, trading back and forth with Marshall before Swifty, Kuniva, and Mr. Porter take over (the clip cuts before Bizarre has a chance to get his disgusting on.) Check out this vintage video of the Detroit boys below, take a moment to remember the underrated and dearly missed Proof, and be on the lookout for Eminem’s upcoming project, dropping later this year.

The post Video: D12 Freestyle on Tim Westwood appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

We haven’t repped the D in a POTD in a minute.  Instead of the usual Em or Big Sean, today we have Bizarre fully kitted with his shower cap.

Photographer: Diwang Valdez

The post Photo Of The Day: Bizarre Shit appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.