On Friday April 29th, at the BlackMarketWares HQ in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, I had the pleasure of speaking with two talented up and coming artists: rapper, Riz Allah and producer/rapper, Dre Dollasz.  They represent the talented Brooklyn collective, Mogul Club. Riz, Dre and I engaged in an in-depth conversation where we spoke about their current sound, what they see for themselves in the future and how they plan to positively affect their community.

Riz Allah is a 20-year-old Bedford-Stuyvesant native. He was around the Mogul club as just a family member of the team until he started taking music seriously around 2013. He feels like this year, he’s really showing his peers and fans what he’s capable of musically. The name Riz Allah derives from his first name Tyriz and he calls himself Allah because of his own sense of spirituality. He doesn’t practice any specific faith but he does believe in the laws of attraction and speaking things into existence. In his words, “Whatever you name yourself is what you become. I wanted my name to be something godly because that’s what I want to be in this culture.” He also pointed out that 5 % ideology is embedded in hip-hop culture and that influenced him as well.

The standout track of Riz’s catalog is titled  “The God Bounce,” an up-tempo street single that speaks on the new way of hustling for underprivileged young adults in New York City. “Scamming” is the new crack trade and in “The God Bounce” Riz gives us a tutorial of this new street business. Riz stated that the reason he begins the song saying, “This is for the trap queens purses full of percocets/All them divas that be slamming/And they know to work a check,” is because he’s saying this track is for the few that understand the lingo of this underworld trade. For example, in one line he states,  “B**** you ain’t that bad if you can’t go and line a Chevy.“ Riz explained this line by stating, “A Chevy is slang for chase the bank, so when you say lining up a Chevy, it means persuading somebody to give up their bank card.” He went on to say, “So it’s like me telling a girl who’s trying to stunt on me, you’re not that bad if you can’t convince a guy to give up their card.”  

There was another noteworthy line in “The God Bounce,” of which Riz was happy to explain more in-depth. In the second verse Riz rapped, “Ain’t a f***in hipster, I don’t rock no vans.” Riz stated that on this record he spoke from the street/hustler perspective, where the accepted form of dress is classic timberlands and all white air force ones. Vans and skinny jeans are considered weirdo attire if you ask the majority of the individuals that live that lifestyle. He made sure to clarify that he had nothing against people who purchase vans and even joked about the fact that he does like a few pairs but could never wear them now after that line.

Riz’s sound will be boxed into the trap music lane. With Riz being a New York native, it was necessary that I asked how he feels about others that will criticize the fact that he lacks a traditional New York sound? Riz’s response was, “That s*** is corny, and that’s what holding New York back because they’re trying to make us sound like something that doesn’t really exist. I don’t know what it is and we haven’t known for at least ten years.” He also said that with him being born in 1995, his biggest influences have not been from New York. Despite that harsh criticism, Riz still stated that he is big on lyricism and new rappers need to step their bars up.

Riz is currently in college set to graduate in May with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. He calls it the “hood n***a” major.  He stated that Jay-z and other rappers from humble beginnings making major business moves inspired the hood. In regards to business ventures he wants to pursue in the future, he has several ideas. He would love to get into the fashion industry as perhaps a consultant. He also wants to make his own cartoon and  wants to be more involved with community organization,  BlackMarketWares. Overall, Riz has plans to give back to the hood. He stated “We definitely need more art programs. We definitely need more sports tournaments and teams.”

The question regarding gentrification in Brooklyn elicited a very passionate response from both Dre and Riz. Dre, himself, has been affected by gentrification. He stated that he lived in Crown Heights for most of his life but was forced to move elsewhere due to the changes in his area, as well as because of the decimation of  the section 8 program.  In regards to the changes that occurred he stated, “The most prominent thing is that the jewish community wanted control of that whole block, because besides my building it was nothing but town homes on the block owned by jewish people.” He stated that after section 8 was decimated and his mother had to pay an increase that they didn’t have, it just wasn’t financially possible for them to continue living there. Dre said he hasn’t felt at home since. That’s why his goal is to one day help to consolidate black funds and buy back our neighborhoods. He stated, “If we owned these places, this wouldn’t happen.” Riz on the other hand  stated that when us as black people were in those spaces, such as Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights, we weren’t appreciative of it. Brooklyn is full of culture and everyone is starting to  see the beauty in it but we as a people never did.

Riz Allah is continuously growing as an artist. What makes him stand out is his natural confidence, his lyrical ability to report on his surroundings, and his seemingly innate musicality. Riz and Dre are young, humble, and creative: a dangerous trifecta.

Riz Allah is not working on any specific project currently but is always dropping new music. Be on the lookout.

http://https://soundcloud.com/riz-allah

Instagram:  Riz.allah

http://https://soundcloud.com/dre-dollasz

Instagram: dredollasz

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The post Rap Talk: Introducing Riz Allah & Dre Dollasz appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Dre Dollasz has been relatively quiet in front of the camera, but his debut visuals for “Flight Green” showcases a new side of the uprising artist. Particularly known for his production skills, Dre Dollasz has been making a name for himself as an MC and the video for “Flight Green” featuring guest appearances from fellow Mogul Club members Jay Richwell and History, further cement where this artist plans to go. Self-produced and directed by J-Emz, watch as Dre and his partners provide some ill inspirational vibes over a somber beat, backed by a hustler’s mentality. The visual is the first promotional video for Dre’s recently released project “Green Hues.” Be sure to download the full-length project here and stay tuned for more heat from the upcoming Brooklyn creative.

The post Dre Dollasz Soars On “Flight Green” w/ Jay Richwell & History appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“For two years I’ve been trying to figure out “how can I be the next best this or the next best that” when in all reality I wasn’t realizing that the reason I’ve even gotten this far was all off what i call the “3I’s” instinct, inclination and insight. I became overwhelmed with the fact of receiving such early success and fell victim to over thinking, heavily weighing every single option before making a move. My then child-like brain became jam packed with rational, concrete ideas as well as knowledge. I locked myself in a room and spent every minute of the day soaking up information like a sponge. My issue was how can I put it all together. I kept over thinking until I couldn’t write anything on paper. I really started to feel like my true uninhibited creativity was squashed into a box but yet I knew so much. Anyways I’ve finally came over to the other side of the mountain by realizing the best way for me to do this is to not ‘try’ to give you the best but give you the best version of myself, and that’s what I intend to do starting with this record here. I give you my first official record of 2015 “Big Baby Jesus 2 (The Dirty Version)” I didn’t leave the house or rarely talk to anyone until it was done, and YES IT IS ALL ONE SONG. Thanks for even reading this long ass shit. Love you for that my nigga Let’s get to it.”

If there’s anything to be said about the record, it’s that this is a clear indicator of the ability King Critical possesses as an all-around artist. Breaking the mold of being perceived as a “cypher rapper”, Critical delivers a 17-minute movie. Listen yourself and follow his Twitter for updates on future releases.

The post B.I.G.’s Lost Son? King Critical Drops 17 Minute Song, “Big Baby Jesus #2” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

New York is popularly known as one of the forefronts of Hip-Hop, but rarely do you ever hear an MC who’s lyricality is up to par with your favorites coming out of Poughkeepsie, NY.

Allow us to introduce you to MC I-Earn Chef and his debut album “Goomba Mick“, entirely produced by Blank Noriega.

Executive produced by Fifth God, this array of tracks is surely worth catching a listen if you’re into dope lyrics, delivery, and a barrage of features that help add diverse styles to the track list. Enlisting the likes of Madwiz, Dre Dollasz, Chris Wattz, Kye Russoul and more, Hip-Hop fans will surely be pleased. Be sure to stream the entire project here and watch the first gruesome video from the album entitled “Ted Bundy”.

The post New Album: I-Earn Chef – “Goomba Mick” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.