We all have our own ways of coping with the quarantine that our world is currently facing. For some people, it’s working out on a daily basis, it may be comfort cooking or trying a new hobby such as quilting. Others have turned to the latest dance craze on Tik Tok or finally putting together that business idea that’s been waiting in the wings.

For the creatives of the world, this has become an unprecedented time to work on their craft. Normally, we’d be deep into social events, album releases, day parties, studio sessions, filming, editing processes and so on but as of now, everything is on pause. Using this time to foster those creative ambitions for a new flow or to connect with other artists to work on features while getting the business side of things handled can all be taken care of now that everyone has the time.

To be more specific all of those things hold true for a bright young star that goes by the name TheHxliday. Born in PerryHall, Maryland, the Hip Hop crooner has garnered over 10 million streams following his latest release ‘Broken Halls’ and has worked with producers Twice As Nice, Danny Wolf, Internet Money, Sledgren and Young Kio.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-fZhyzlK40/

Currently quarantining in Chicago, I was able to catch up with him on “The Alternative Road Podcast” and discuss a swarm of topics starting off with his quarantine and what he’s been doing during this time:

Really I’ve just been listening to all my music…it’s just been a lot of music tho, I’m not even gonna lie to you it’s about like 500 songs in the vault I’ve been listening to.

Aside from listening to his 2pac vault level of music he’s been staying on top of keeping the essentials needed to last him the oncoming weeks inside:

I’m set (with Ramen Noodles) for the next couple of months…I’ve got some chiken, some chili, and some shrimp.

With enough Ramen to last him the entirety of quarantine, it seems TheHxliday’s fans may be in for a treat if and when he decides to release more songs from his vault. A song most of his fans may be familiar with now “Save Me”, had its own video snippet appear on his Instagram page not too long ago.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9m041wFa25/

The question was posed and TheHxliday was pretty tight-lipped as to not give away any of the details. Yet, we were able to pull from him a couple of things that pinpointed the inspiration behind the song, the same ex-girlfriend from his viral hit “Enemy”:

That was actually around the same time (as “Enemy”). Look, I promise you half the songs you’ll ever hear from is about the stories from us. I have about 3 main exes that I talk about in my music but she is most of them. Almost all of them. And “Save Me” was around that time where I felt like, I didn’t want to talk to anybody or trust anybody or anything. It just had me really isolated. So at that time I made that song I was sitting in my room and I was just in the moment. I wasn’t expecting it to be such a pop sounding song though which is crazy.

When pushed a tad more, I was able to get a time frame for when this video will be released:

Not a certain date yet but certainly in the next week, week in a half. Or possibly two, two because I have a Lyrical Lemonade interview coming out right before. Once that interview comes out, it’ll be right around the corner.

Again this quarantine time is ripe for artists to be able to connect with fans and specifically other artists to make collaborations that may have been impossible due to their busy schedules. In speaking about a few features he’ll release for his fans during 2020, TheHxliday had this to say about future collabs he has Cowboy and Lil Baby:

It’s definitely going to be for the summer. I promose you that. It’s gonna heat up the summer.

While it may seem as if TheHxliday has already given so much, and has even more stored away in his vault, he also touched upon ideas on a ‘Dead Life’ album that he’ll chip away at:

It’s funny in how I just explained, you know the problems of my ex I told you about and eveyrhting and this first album is gonna be like, that whole story and summing it up so that I can move on and talk about the next siuation. This album is like a story all together. I’m calling it ‘Dead Life’ it’s like a play on words…it’s funny because I dyed my hair specifically for the meaning behind it. I had like green and red dreads. I have one green dread and one red dread and the green dread symolizes life and the red dread symbolozies death and everything. What that means is a part inside of me is kinda dead and green symblizses a part of life coming back inside of me. I feel like I’m finally moving on and coming out of that situaion. But it’s going to be that one bit of memory and everything. So that’s what I’m feeling right now. I’m putting a lot of thought into it and I don’t really have a release date or anything for it. It’s funny because a lot of fans and eveyrhting they catch onto that without me even telling them, it’s crazy.

The Alternative Road Podcast

Make sure to keep checking back to RESPECT.Mag for more TheHxliday and #TheAltWithMel news!

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The post #TheAltWithMel: TheHxliday Talks “Save Me” Video, Dead Life Album, songs with Lil Baby & more! appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Popcaan – Forever

Image credit: Mixpak

Popcaan! A true Reggae/Dancehall favorite, Vybz Kartel‘s protege has certainly made a name for himself — enough where major artists like Drake decided to mine Popcaan’s unique sound to create hits of their own. This week, Popcaan delivers his sophomore album Forever, a 17-track offering that sees a single feature from Davido. Check it out below.

Jay Park – Ask About Me (EP)

Image credit: Roc Nation

Newly-minted Roc Nation artist Jay Park — a bonified superstar long before he hit our radar — delivers his first official release under the label that Jay-Z built. Titled Ask About Me, Park’s 7-track offering also sees assistance from Rich The Kid (“FSU”), 2 Chainz (“Soju”), Vic Mensa (“Yacht”) and more. In addition to the streams, you can also check out his latest visual for “Yacht” below.

Buddy – Harlan & Alondra

Image credit: RCA/Sony

One must be completely honest: I’ve seen Buddy creating music for some time now (mainly thanks to Pharrell Williams, as far as him being on my radar). Even with such a major co-sign, the Compton artist’s releases kind of came and went — this includes collaborations with other notable artists. For me, it wasn’t until he aligned himself with Nipsey Hussle (I don’t know the magnitude of this bond); since then, I’ve found myself diving head first into Buddy’s incredible catalog of genre-bending tunes. The kid is talented, somehow separating his sound from the already crowded Compton scene.

Enough of that: I need you to take a listen to Buddy’s debut album, titled Harlan & Alondra, which sees 12 tracks and appearances from A$AP Ferg, Khalid, Snoop Dogg, Ty Dolla $ign (I’m pretty much laughing at this man’s superhuman productivity at this point) and more.

In addition to the new project, I’ve also included Buddy’s new visual for “Trouble On Central.”

The Internet – Hive Mind

Image credit: Columbia

Your artists’ favorite group has returned. Following the eventual classic Ego Death (which is GRAMMY nominated, by the way) and solo offerings from each member, The Internet returns with their fourth album Hive Mind. The project sees thirteen tracks, led by the singles “Roll (Burbank Funk),” “La Di Da” and “Come Over.” Catch these audio vibes — and visuals — below.

Hoodrich Pablo Juan & Danny Wolf – Hoodwolf 2

Image credit: Eskimo/Alamo

Atlanta’s Hoodrich Pablo Juan is definitely one of the hottest rappers from his city (and region) right now, and he’s making sure that his ever-growing fanbase is well-fed with plenty of new music. Following Hood Rich, Pablo reconnects with producer Danny Wolf for the second installment of their Hoodwolf mixtape series, which sees 13 tracks and additional appearances from Lil Skies, Lil Duke, BlocBoy JB and Rich The Kid.

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The post NEW ALBUM FRIDAY: Popcaan, Jay Park, The Internet & More appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

A$AP Ferg and Migos came through today to drop off the visuals for their collaboration titled “Back Hurt” which saw life on A$AP Ferg’s most recent album, Always Strive And Prosper. 

While still largely riding the wave of his most recent, and second studio album, Always Strive And Prosper, A$AP Ferg is in a position to keep climbing the ranks of hip-hop. One of the most important contributions to this is the now solidified, and exciting relationship between A$AP Ferg and Atlanta trio, Migos.

In the video itself, hypnotic filters and light distortions are utilized to provide the energetic and chaotic atmosphere that’s synonymous with both A$AP Ferg and Migos. Most notably, the video also showcases the corny yet endearing dance moves of an older gentleman who also appears to suffer from back pain as a result of “all these racks.”

This simple yet effective pairing of styles between these two polarizing artists is understandably the key to their success as collaborators. Produced by Danny Wolf  and Soldado, the track itself is catchy, and energetic, however doesn’t really “push the envelope” in any serious way. While A$AP Ferg and Migos rarely disappoint on a collaboration, taking their creativity in a new direction could prove quite fruitful.

While both A$AP Ferg and Migos look to further build upon an already impressive year, fans can rejoice in the fact this certainly won’t be the last time these two powerhouses produce music together.

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The post A$AP Ferg & Migos Drop off New Visuals for “Back Hurt” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.