“We went from telling cops we gonna blast toys/to every n***a trynna cop a Blastoise.”

Rapper DAYLYT has very strong feelings about Pokemon GO. He also has very strong feelings about the sociopolitical issues plaguing our society today.

In order to address the overlap of the two, DAYLYT dropped “Pokemon Lives Matter,” a callout toward the very popular phone application that has been making a tremendous amount of heads turn over to its attention. With a loop of the ever recognizable Pokemon Theme Song as an instrumental, DAYLYT raps lines like, “I’m hoping we would go/But GO got blacks lazy.”

Similar to Kendrick Lamar’s “Cartoon & Cereal”, which addresses the idea of food and entertainment as “Opiates for the Masses” (term coined by Karl Marx), DAYLYT says the application has overrun the comprehension skills of Blacks, who should instead be paying attention to the bigger issues in the world, especially the ones concerning their well being, instead of trying to capture Pokemon.

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The post DAYLYT Drops Song Addressing “Pokemon GO” as a Cover for Bigger Issues appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Nipsey Hussle and Yo Gotti grace the cover of RESPECT. Mag’s 21st issue. In a transient and ever-changing market, both Nipsey and Gotti have laid the blueprint for how to remain independent while progressively and successfully growing their brands. Everything from dynamic mixtape sales to signing artists, these two are CEOs in every sense of the word. RESPECT. Mag’s 21st issue also includes content on artists like Drake, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Nas, and Big Sean. As well as Childish Gambino, battle rap heavyweight Daylyt, Awful Records frontman Father, and Killer Mike + El-P duo Run The Jewelz, and more. Make sure you grab a copy of issue #21 set to release 3.10.15. RESPECT the grind. RESPECT our culture.

The post America’s Most Wanted: Nipsey Hussle & Yo Gotti cover RESPECT’s New Issue appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“Stop my time” was the prevailing soundbite during the first ever Total Slaughter battle rap pay-per view. What we should have heard instead was, “stop the show.”

Over the course of three hours, fans were treated to a series of production blunders including live stream failures, sound issues, microphone snafus, a lackadaisical crowd and uninspired performances from the battlers themselves.

There’s a certain feeling that is synonymous with battle rap: It’s grimey, rough, and dangerous. Seeing two battlers backed by their entire crew (and a couple of disinterested women) on stage is compelling. It anchors the moment in reality and also makes for an entertaining watch as we observe reactions. Clearing the stage, Total Slaughter attempted to make it all about the two participants which, while very admirable, hindered the performances. There were no hype men, no people off whom to play lines, and simply no energy.

Arsonal and Big T kicked off the show and Big T proved that his loss against T-Rex was not a fluke, as Arsonal proceeded to pick him apart for three rounds. However, this battle quickly became an afterthought once T-Rex and Daylyt hit the stage. Rex delivered as he had in all previous rounds, but it was Daylyt who stole the show – for all the wrong reasons.

Reverting back to his cartoonish ways, Daylyt showed up to the battle in full Spawn cosplay, and was thoroughly beaten for the first two rounds. In the third and final exchange, Daylyt spit one line: “To come up with this third round, it took a lot of dedication/ See this? This is prescription for my schizophrenia, and as you can see I’m all out of medication.” Daylyt proceeded to crush an empty pill bottle, and tear apart his costume, while screaming inarticulately. The round ended with him stripped down to his boxers, laying on the floor as co-commentator Ebro pleaded for him to, “get the fuck up.” It was more than disappointing to see Daylyt squander such a huge platform with childish antics.

Following that debacle, the crowd was more out of it than ever, and Loaded Lux did not do very much to buoy their spirits. After a promising first round, the crowd sided with Murda Mook and essentially booed Lux out of the venue. It is worth noting, though, that Murda Mook was the (perhaps only) highlight of the event. Three ferocious rounds of bars proved that the old veteran was still a force with which to be reckoned.

The most anticipated battle of the night followed with Joe Budden taking on Hollow Da Don in the main event. The production of the show fell apart at the seams around this time, as the crowd sat through what felt like an eternity of technical delays. The wireless microphones were not even affixed to either competitor prior to them coming to the stage and when they were attached, they did not work properly. In between rounds, Budden and Hollow were in constant discussion of whose sound was working, who should use the handheld mic and more. Host Sway did his best to entertain the crowd during the endless lulls, but to no avail.

Technical difficulties aside, Budden and Hollow delivered a very admirable opening two rounds, with the majority of people awarding both to the underdog, Budden. things fell apart once and for all by the third rounds, though, as Hollow delved into tired Tahiry jokes and tasteless jabs at the Slaughterhouse member’s mother. The crowd was not feeling the direction Hollow went, and the energy evaporated at the Highline Ballroom. Joe Budden, perhaps already feeling the victory, delivered an uninspired and boring round before stumbling and enduring boos from the crowd. Clearly out of his element, the reaction got to Budden and he put the mic down and walked off stage before attempting to come back and finish – but by then it was too late. The judges awarded what felt like a default victory to Hollow and the show ended as awkwardly as it had begun.

There are rumblings of a Total Slaughter 2 and, should that take place, one can only hope it feels less amateurish and disorganized. Live streaming issues are to be expected as it seems no one has that technology down pact, but to fail at mic’ing up emcees is laughably sad. Battle rap needs energy and we felt none of that on Saturday. Next time, bring the crews and bring the bars.

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The highly-anticipated Total Slaughter PPV goes down tomorrow night. In the main event, we’ll see Joe Budden take on Hollow Da Don, but we’ll also have Loaded Lux vs. Murda Mook and T-Rex vs. Daylyt. To get prepared for the event, catch up on the latest Road to Total Slaughter episode, which sets up the final battle. Also, check out the 24/7 style show “Bright Lights,” showcasing Budden and Hollow’s preparation. If that wasn’t enough, Joe and Hollow hit up the Breakfast Club for a wildly entertaining chat on who will win and why. Watch everything below.

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Ab-Soul is a rapper who recognizes his strengths. In a world with an entrenched competitive nature and an ever-changing roster of characters and styles, MCs often fall by the wayside because they’re either unable to find their niche in the market or they simply aren’t able to flourish in any of the skill sets that make up a great artist. Fortunately for TDE‘s resident labyrinthian lyricist Soulo, his third studio album These Days demonstrates he has neither of those problems.

From the moment the ethereal sounds of label mate SZA‘s voice come in on opener “Gods Reign (These Days)” through to the final bars of battle rapper Daylyt‘s verse on the hidden freestyle skirmish following “W.R.O.H.”, there’s a lot that goes on during These Days. While artists like Kanye West have thrived recently by diving into minimalist production and short, condensed projects like Yeezus, Soulo packs These Days with just under 90 minutes of complex wordplay, varying production styles and an impressive and well-selected list of guest artists.

But while over-stuffing albums with guest verses and all the hottest names in R&B has diluted notable albums in the past, These Days is enjoyable and contemplative enough to keep things fresh through all 15 tracks. Most of this is credited to Ab-Soul‘s range, as the 27-year-old MC is able to thrive in delivering both gritty, materialistic trap anthems (“Hunnid Stax”) and dense, introspective lyrical landscapes (“Tree of Life”) with equal energy and effect.

Part of what holds These Days together through all the guests and juxtaposing production styles is its pacing. Any album that ends with a 23-minute track, 18 of which make up a sprawling, excellent rap battle between Soul and renowned freestyler Daylyt, doesn’t care about keeping things tight. And yet, while tracks like “Just Have Fun” and “Ride Slow” contain interludes that lead into seemingly odd sonic choices–the slow, bluesy “These Days” riff following “Just Have Fun” and the build up to Mac Miller‘s truly enigmatic alter ego Delusional Thomas‘ verse on “Ride Slow”–the frequent changes in pace only add to the calculated quirkiness of These Days. And, especially in the case of “Just Have Fun,” these choices often produce some of the album’s boldest and most musically-impactful moments.

Speaking of bold moments, it would be hard to talk about These Days and not pay special attention to the battle between Soul and Daylyt that closes the album. Nearly impossible to appreciate without multiple listens and access to the lyrics, the freestyle continues fueling modern hip-hop’s resurgence of respect for the rap battle (along with Eminem and Slaughterhouse‘s Total Slaughter competitive rap battle league) while showcasing just how talented these two MCs are. It’s an intimate affair, with audible gasps and laughs from those witnessing the wordplay in-studio, but ultimately just another area for Soul to demonstrate his lyrical dexterity: “When I think of daylight, I think of shit like/Breakfast, morning, birds singin’, kids playin’/See where I’m goin’?/That means you better break fast, or I’ll have your family mournin’.”

All in all, while Ab-Soul has already solidified himself as a legitimate talent in the rap industry with 2012’s Control System, These Days feels like a step in the right direction for an artist capable of creating an identity for himself outside of the red hot TDE universe. Whether or not he can find the same mainstream success as close friend and label mate Kendrick Lamar is yet to be seen, but for now, we should count ourselves lucky that we get to be a part of Soulo‘s Days.

Head over to iTunes to download These Days today.

The post Album Review: Ab-Soul – These Days appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.