Alright, we’re in the final stretch of 2017. We can all agree that it’s been an incredible year for all spectrums of hip-hop. Let’s skip all of the filler sentences and jump straight to it – Griselda Records (WESTSIDEGUNN, Conway and Benny) & company body slammed this year. Of course that’s subjective, but we stand firm behind that. If you’re just getting familiar with them you may have bypassed the underdog Camino, understandably. Outside of spitting a few bars on Shade45 alongside the late Prodigy and GxFR squadron, and a short amount of available records/features, it’s easy to bypass his abilities. But the hyper Griselda Records fans most likely know what’s up, and have certainly been waiting for this release since the original announced release date in late September. I’ve had the pleasure of following both of their recent tours on a few stops and had to give you, the reader, a verbal recap (or flashback) to one of the most special shows I’ve ever attended.

I’m constantly flashing back to June 8th 2017 at the Studio Webster Hall. On that night, if you were not headed to the kick-off of Griselda On Steriods tour, you may have been strolling 3rd ave and on a double take in your head thought…”Did I just see Hitler’s face painted on a shirt?” But if on that night you were seeking out the basement of a late 1800’s tried and true music venue you may have seen that shirt and it would have only heightened your excitement for what would turn out to be a blood-sweat-tears all out passionate night for music. A night that put music back in its’ place.

The stage was manned by many – the list looks like a dream on paper (Raekwon, L.O.X., Prodigy, Roc Marciano, Statik Selektah, Mayhem Lauren, Smoke DZA etc.) but the theme on stage was singular the whole night. RESPECT. Artists that did not have any other reason to be there, were there- solely out of respect. And that feeling on stage spread throughout the venue immediately. The first artist responsible for making this element felt throughout the venue, was Camino. And he embraced that responsibility with a clear and profound stage presence. It’s easy to sum up performances in catch-phrases and physical reactions. But when an artist on the cusp of breaking through into full stride gets on stage – you have to go deeper than dope. Camino took the stage that night like it was grounds for proving himself – and it was. With only a handful of recorded solo tracks he would find himself alongside legends of hip-hop, so… Where did he come from? He answered that question loud and clear with a display of lyricism, and backed it up firmly with a physical gusto in his stage presence making his performance look natural. On topic, he’s one hell of a hype man while the GxFR squad performs.

Truthfully every artist that night had a goal to accomplish on stage, Camino included. The goal was to rep New York music as a collective beyond just the city – to come together as a state. Most of the artists filing out on stage dealt with that goal in a simple manner – basically by showing face and bars. All love. But Camino was one of the newest faces to show, and his bars were not synonomous with the likes of Styles P. But Camino still managed to set the tone with a respectable amount of his bars in the mouths of the audience. That is the work of an artist who can rise to the occasion, and when it comes to artistry in rap this is what we look for. Someone who has the vision to see what obstacles lie ahead on stage, and deliver under circumstances that demand the skills, knowledge, and abilities of an MC.

We could go on for hours about how incredible the debut show of that tour was in the summer. If you were there you know how legendary it was – if not luckily the entire show is available on YouTube. Point being, Camino played a big part that night. Rest in peace Prodigy.

Anyhow, back to the premiere. You can stream it below now and tell your friends and cousins and shit. This is only the start of a long, healthy career in hip-hop for young Camino – mark our word. We had a sturdy conversation with him that you can read below as well. Learn something. As always, peace and love.

The first thing I want to get into is the last two tours you’ve rocked with the team. How important is the art of the live performance to you? And talk to us about the first touring experience as well.

I be all over the place during show time but man, live performance is a huge part of being an entertainer. You gotta think – I’m only 23 so when I’m out there on the stage I’m really competing with your Travis Scott’s your Lil Uzi’s. My music is just different. It’s a whole different vibe, you know? The vibe you’re supposed to get from Buffalo, NY niggas. But yeah I admire them niggas performance wise . They know how to capture the crowd. I think I do a good job too. Once I loose this quick 20 pounds I’ll be able to crowd surf (laughs).

Lets talk about your history with WESTSIDEGUNN, Conway and Benny. You’re a bit younger than them. How did you guys all meet initially? 

Well shit, I met WSG through my sister. He ain’t really know me all like that. Bro just a down to earth ass nigga. I wouldn’t have fucked wit me lol, but long story short them niggas found me in the bushes (laughs). I met Conway through WSG naturally. Ever since then them niggas been my brothers. They taught me a lot about life and helped me mature over the years and grow. They kept me out the streets and basically just gave me a platform. Conway and WAG them niggas – my big brothers and mentors. Same wit Benny. I always knew of Benny because, shit, if you’re from Buffalo you know Benny (laughs). I used to always see the nigga at the barber shop and would never speak to him. That’s that Buffalo shit – no matter how many times you see a nigga, if you don’t really know him you ain’t gon speak. But come to find out he was cool as hell too. That’s my big brother. That nigga nasty.

It’s no secret that Griselda gives a lot of praise to the ART. When I say art I’m speaking on everything – lyricism, sound, fashion, painting, drawing, poetry and so on. Why is art important to Camino?

All art plays a huge part in the culture. It all brings us together in a way like say, for instance, fashion. I rap nothing like Lil Uzi, Young Dolph (laughs) but we all rock Gucci! I fuck with Goyard. I fuck with Balenciaga. We all go to the Blue Flame and throw money at the club – they just throw more for personal reasons (laughs). I live in Atlanta too and I don’t rap like 21 Savage but I fuck with 21 Savage’s music. And I was raised in Baton Rouge but I don’t sound like Lil Boosie. I’m all about the art of it if it makes every thing make sense. Art gives the music meaning. The poetry, the drawings, the paintings -it’s all very necessary. I feel like people don’t value art as much as they should! Not just our music but art in general. It’s just like music – another way of expressing yourself.

What are your personal thoughts on all of the new grimey/stripped down hip-hop music that is surfacing since Griselda? I know Wes addressed this recently on his latest record. In a way it’s beautiful, and a homage to you guys and your authenticity.

(laughs) I love it. I hear it. It’s out there, but it ain’t it. Only because they are not us. Nah, I respect it I just need niggas to pay homage because there are bums out there that niggas like WSG fathered but don’t give him credit. Even the fashion influence. I feel like alot of designers bit his styles. For instance the half and half REJECT and FLYGOD hoodies (laughs) – nobody was even thinking bout half and half and then next thing you know Bape is dropping half and half hoodies. And Fabolous was wearing half and half afterwards. I don’t know, mabye I’m just tripping but I see it alot (laughs).

Lets talk about the new record. It’s safe to call this your official debut release. Tell us about the choice of production, the writing process, and why you chose this cover art, etc.

Well my man Boodeini made all the beats. He produces most of my music. He is like my Daringer – my in-house and go to producer of choice. He got some shit with him too! He produced majority of the project. My writing process is pretty simple – I just look for beats that fit the vibe that I want the project to give and I write them all in the studio. I only write at the studio right before I record. Also the cover art is a picture of my house that grew up in. I took that picture a while ago on my phone. This house is in the middle of my blocks – D Block and C Block.

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RESPECT. Interview: Westside Gunn Discusses Changing Lives, Art Exhibits & Production

Premiere: Westside Gunn Drops off New ‘THERE’S GOD AND THERE’S FLYGOD, PRAISE BOTH’ EP

Premiere: Conway & Prodigy ‘Hell Still On Earth’ EP (stream) + WESTSIDEGUNN “Peter Luger” (Video)

The post Griselda Records’ Camino Drops Off Debut Release & Talks Touring, Art And Meeting WESTSIDEGUNN appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

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At this point if you’re plugged into relevant underground rap music you understand how sure we all are going into a single from Nolan the Ninja, Quelle Chris and Denmark Vessey. Nolan, in a short amount of time, gained our trust. Chris and Vessey a while ago. It feels right to note their fearlessness and experimentation, so them three coming together is cool. And exciting for listeners. It’s safe to say that Nolan sticks to what he’s good at – lyrical, timely machine gun like bars and tipping the scale on the rather lo-fi, 90’s side. But collaborations like these show glimpses of an early passionate emcee who is barely just getting started. He’s young. Watching him mature via music should be eye opening (young artists take note).

“Modesty”, the second leak from Nolan’s forthcoming YEN lp, encourages being more like the three of them – modest. Having worked with Nolan on a few occasions we can comfortably say that his aura is indeed modest for a rather larger guy with large talent. He does carry himself humbly and is respectful. The confidence in his artistry, however, isn’t hard to find – both here and the first leak “14K“. Denmark Vessey held the production down. A humble head nodder. I’m not sure how much Vessey production you’ll find out here recently – his last Mello Music Group effort entirely prodcued by Gensu Dean (do the Whole Food lp now if you haven’t and thank us later).

Quelle Chris is his usual self – pretty care-free but actually always very in tune no matter how far in space tripping he may seem. That dude is a damn genius. And cares about the damn art – all facets. It’s beyond welcomed and cool to hear next to Nolan’s straight forward, direct darts. Score, gentlemen.

Play the single 200 times below and tell your aunts, uncles, moms and neighborhoods to do the same. Maybe you’re a notch more excited for the YEN lp now. Good. You honestly should be. The pre-order links are at the bottom of this feature if you’re into pre-ordering stuff. Peace and love.

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YEN (LP)

9 | 22 | 17 (Left Of Center / Fat Beats)

Pre-order DIGITAL

Pre-order VINYL

Pre-order CASSETTE

The post Nolan the Ninja Invites Quelle Chris & Denmark Vessey for A Lesson in Modesty appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

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And we’re back in Detroit. It’s refreshing to visit on a proud contemporary note. To be blunt, this is anti-bubblegum. This is anti-colorful braids. This is anti-incoherancy. This is what some, or most, may consider much closer to raw hip-hop‘s purest contemporary form. You know, that Onyx meets MOP meets Lord Finesse meets Nujabes type of sound. That’s quite the pot to stir but a damn welcomed sound in 2017.

If you’re new to Nolan the Ninja, he is in his early twenties. He’s pretty hard to ignore, as his presence is quite literally demanded on record. In the past year life has been kind to him. Linking up with the promising imprint Left of Center and releasing multiple projects last year, one being his official debut, was a success. Keeping up with him on social media has been invigorating – quick to update his followers which seasoned veteran he has met or larger stages he’s rocked. That being said, you should keep your eye on the young shooter. The work ethic, authenticity and professionalism alone was impressive for such a young artist. Oh, and range.

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Nolan isn’t coming up short on the hardware either, dropping off his self-produced “14K” here at RESPECT. Mag. It’s not too far off from what we’d expect Nolan to produce – simple head nodder, evident lo-fi boom-bap influence. The first half of 14K may be a bit jazzier than we’re used to (see previous releases). Opening the record with vulnerable lyrics is a home run. The widespread and shared struggle of young 20-something’s looking for financial security, consistency and a smile on their grandma’s face. More than a smile, a hypothetical 14 carat trophy of sorts. Nolan recently sat down with HuffPost and added:

When I started working on YEN, “14K” was the first song that I made. It helped lay the foundation for the direction that I wanted to go in. After releasing my debut album last year, I’ve been blessed to be a part of things that was just a mere dream not too long ago. Because of that, my goals have become bigger. On the track, I said “I’m trying to get a Grammy to Granny before she transcends”. I wasn’t thinking like that before. It’s all about progression and going for yours. Gold is associated with the idea of high achievement. As kids, we all wanted a gold star in school. So that’s what it’s about. Executing for what you seek. I want the “gold” for not only me but my people.

Stream the single a million times and do be prepared for Nolan’s sophomore effort ‘YEN’. It’s due out in the second half of September via Left of Center/Fat Beats (the 22nd to be exact). You have our full co-sign and stamp of approval for the record. If you’re on the fence but easily influenced by bomb features, let’s look at a few of the guest artists – Royce Da 5’9″, Blu, Quelle Chris. I shouldn’t have to keep going. The pre-order links are right below this sentence. Peace and love.

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iTunes Preorder | Fat Beats Preorder

Twitter | Instagram

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The post Nolan The Ninja Is Out For Gold With New “14K” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

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Welcome, welcome. If you’re just getting introduced to producer Fredfades you can thank us, and him, after this. Don’t be intimidated by the amount of overseas talent. Rather embrace it. That’s a blanket statement but damn true – here focused on Norway. I’m not there to see every ounce of art, but I can say with certainty that Fred and the whole Mutual Intentions collective/label have done an applaudable job at reach and making a dent here on the east coast.

Perhaps most notable for his highlighted and acclaimed work with Ivan Ave, Fred has been very consistent for years now. It’s easy for quality artists to slip by us, overseas or not, due to the over saturation of music and click-of-a-button era we’re in. It’s okay. In an attempt to make a long story quick, Fred is an even and respectable hybrid of hip-hop, jazz, soul and boogie rolled into a contemporary spliff. Hearing the inspiration is unavoidable and evident. After you visit his portfolio and check out his two recent leaks you’ll gather.

And we’re here with the third release titled “Some Things Don’t Change” from his forthcoming solo debut Warmth LP. The first two singles offered new vocal material from Ivan Ave, Moruf, and Chester Watson. Reeling listeners and fans who’ve been following the campaign back into the canvas, Fred offers up a short instrumental headknodder. It’s nothing too far off from his original recipe. Simple, clean boom-bap drums, until the invited and sped up drunken closing. A bit analog. Some synth. Easy on the ear and refreshing scratches by Mutual Intentions’ Sraw. And most importantly passion. The Warmth LP should be on your radar, if the three leaks haven’t convinced you already. Peace and love.

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Pre-Order the Warmth LP

Interview with The Find Mag

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The post Fredfades Drops Off New “Some Things Don’t Change” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Design: Hans Jørgen Wærner

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“Every wolf needs a pack. Mutual Intentions is that pack for me. If you want to go on long solo hunts one night and eat your own rabbits, you can still link up with the pack the next night and collectively kill and eat something bigger” – Ivan Ave

What’s the recipe solidifying groups and collectives’ lasting stamina and longevity? It’s important to note intent. If every key player’s intentions are on the same wave length and the work ethic is equivalent, you’re onto something. We can take a quick look at Stones Throw Records or Mello Music Group. The mutual intention, or common denominator, with both labels is growth, respectable experimentation and most importantly quality art. Oslo, Norway is home of Mutual Intentions, a vibrant power house of musicians and visual artists. Under the umbrella you find some familiar faces and perhaps new talent – Ivan Ave, Fredfades and Yogisoul for a brush up. If those are new names to you, you’ll thank us later.

Outside of music and art ventures, Mutual Intentions has a rich history of friendship. They’re a family. Stu, their manager and backbone for all things visible to the public, had a few words on their journey:

Mutual Intentions has in reality been active since 2008/2009, we just never formed it. Everybody was busy working in different directions, and on different platforms like radio, journalism and DJ’ing. Me, Fredfades and Hans are all from the same place in Oslo, so we’ve known each other for 20 years. Everyone else has been working together in some way in 5 years or so, so it was a natural thing to start something. We just didn’t quite know how we should do it, and when. But the trend of starting collectives really blew up in 2013, and that was a fitting description of our friendship and similarities in music, art and photo. A collective. So we just pieced together a tape because it seemed like a good introduction to who we were, and suddenly the tape got a lot more buzz then we could imagine. From there it’s been a great ride with Boiler Room, Øyafestivalen, NTS Radio, gigs in a bunch of countrys and so on. We have now started as a record label, and I see great things coming from here. More power to the independent labels.

Entering the new year (2017) Mutual Intentions announced that they’re now an official label, shifting the gears a bit for fans of the music and for themselves. But anyone following the music would have already thought they were an established record label alongside Jakarta Records based on the amount of comradery and consistency as a unit. Ivan Ave’s new Helping Hands album was mentioned quite a bit across the map in people’s year-end lists, and is comfortably spinning its way into 2017 on our side. Now’s a good time to also note producer Yogisoul’s latest By Nights LP, another record from the Mutual Intentions collective that was received really well across the board. They’re both incredible records and a solid preamble to what Mutual Intentions artists have to offer, as well as their collaborative debut ‘Mutual Intentions #1’ tape from two summers ago. The cassette sold out and the digital traffic is still chunky – you should check that out too. Though they’re tight-knit and moderately selective with who they work alongside, their resume is plentiful – having collaborated with Blu, Planet Asia, Illa J, Frank Nitt and others that we here love.

That introduces the label’s sophomore tape ‘Mutual Intentions #2’, here with the premiere of the first batch of four tracks, and Ivan Ave & Mndsgn’s complimented “Machines”. We had the pleasure of inviting Ivan Ave to weigh in on the forthcoming release, adding:

“It’s dope how this second tape feels very different from the first one, while staying close to the core of what we’re about musically. I think that speaks to the crew’s diversity, but also the strong foundation of what we do as a unit”.

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“Space Carnival” is a track from my upcoming solo LP. The beat was made by me and Mndsgn at my spot in Oslo when Mndsgn toured Europe with my homeboy Ivan Ave. Later on I passed some beats to Chester Watson and this was one of his two picks – a short and interesting piece made together with two artists that I really dig. -Fredfades

The new batch here is a refreshing few-track outing that showcases Mutual Intentions’ span, inviting Awon, Mndsgn, Chester Watson and their staples Yogisoul and Fredfades. We left the door open with this premiere for Yogisoul to chime in on the new music and the latest developments with Mutual Intentions.

“”Down” is the first track off of a new project that Awon and I have been working on for a while. The project is soon to be finished and we felt that the vibe is representative of the project overall. The track came about like most of what we do. I sent Awon a batch of beats, he sent me stems and gave me full creative freedom to arrange and mix. I ended up doing scratches on the hook, something that you don’t hear too often nowadays. Also ended up doing a lot of processing to the track that gives it a retro but future-leaning feel. There’s a mutual respect and trust in our creative output that makes tracks like this possible, and Awn and I know where we want to go even though all of our tracks come to life from different continents. I’m definitely looking forward to realeasing some new music. ‘MI#2’ will show a bit of what’s been going on with Mutual Intentions since the first tape. We’re grateful to have grown to the extent where we are a label now, and can’t wait to put out new shit. Also really grateful to share the tape with producers and artists that I really like and respect”.

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In addition to the premiere and announcement of the new tape, it’s important to note their respect for the music and culture. This sounds simple because it shouldn’t even be an issue, but it’s something that is more so lacking in contemporary music. Rooted in jazz, funk, soul, blues, boogie, electronic and so on, Mutual Intentions and the artists within are quite the scholars of music and art history. It’s evident in all of their material. Outside of music, the talent on the visual art side of the fence is rich – with in-house artists Hans Jørgen Wærner (Dirty Hans), Erik Treimann and Moe Chakiri. Moe wrapped up 2016 with a successful art exhibition in Oslo at Kollectiv. Together, Mutual Intentions quite literally cover every area of creativity – quality coverage that is. John Rice joined in on the publishing to tell us a little bit about his introductory track on the new tape:

I selected my tracks for the new tape from a bunch of music I did with my DX100 synthesizer some time ago. I think this work sounds great on this tape. I have been working on some different projects that I’m excited to share with you all as well.

Whether it’s a photography series with Moe, carefully edited video footage, emceeing with Ivan, DJ’ing at Touchdown with Hans and Fred, producing an atmospheric neck snapper with Ol’Burger or penning words with Stu, every artist under or near the Mutual Intentions umbrella does it with pride and sincerity. That’s not just fly talk for the sake of beefing up this editorial – it’s true. It doesn’t take much as a listener to notice authenticity. It’s refreshing and we’re always grateful for collectives to this caliber.

Though United States is home of some incredible music and art, it’s important to never close the door on overseas talent. We do not look at it separately, as the current digital, right-in-your-palm era is in full effect and the furthest of artists are just as available in seconds as the domestic. Distance is merely distance and quality is quality, it’s that simple. Life is too short to listen to horrible music, so do yourself a favor and get on board with Mutual Intentions. Peace and love.

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Artists:

Ivan Ave: @ivanave
Fredfades: @fredfades
Yogisoul: @Yogisoul
SUNRAW: @sunraw
Ol’ Burger Beats: @ol-burger-beats
John Rice: @jawnrice
Touchdown: @touchdownsound

Visuals:
Erik Treimann: @erik-trei
Hans Jørgen Wærner: @dirtyhans
Moe Chakiri: www.instagram.com/moechakiri/

Management/PR: @stianstu

The post Mutual Intentions: The Now-Label To Know appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

A creative with tenacious vision echoing Kanye West and Basquiat’s effortless energy, and work ethic, WESTSIDEGUNN is a scholar whose trustworthiness has grown quite a bit this year. We’re all invited to witness his growth publicly on record alongside his tireless Griselda Records army. With production in its entirety by in-house producer Daringer, Hitler Wears Hermes 4 serves as WSG’s fourth installment to the ongoing series. A little over a year ago we heard part three, inviting the late Sean Price on “BLVCK TAR”. He and Griselda often pay homage to the rap giant; one of a laundry list of reasons authentic hip-hop listeners could note continued, solidified trust. When a recently developed artist praises Sean Price and J-Dilla, you listen. Getting familiar with WSG and Griselda early on, these type of things mattered – in a time where it’s almost expected for newer artists to ignore, even disrespect, their timeline’s frontrunners. And ultimately the culture. Now, Halloween day, we’re offered part four.

We had some fun and ran down a list of highlights that we’ve gathered from Hitler Wears Hermes 4. The title lists four reasons that your collection needs this, but there are far more.

Conway’s unrepentant transparency.

It’s common to hear Conway, the blood brother of WSG, compared to Beanie Sigel and Styles P. in 2016. It comes as no surprise. He’s cut from the same cloth, and we wholeheartedly agree that he belongs in the “hardest rapper” ranking at this point. There was a time when Hell Rell was mentioned on the unofficial list, but if anyone replaces him it’s Conway now next to Beans and SP. Perhaps that list is arguable. Isn’t everything?

“The Cow” is a welcomed surprise and the frame work for the 11-track Halloween day release. Conway has always been truthful and convincingly honest about hardships, street tales and hands on experiences. But this opening verse peels another layer of the onion off of the brawny wordsmith who, lets be honest, is one of the coldest personalities on record this year. It’s embraced and ultimately what makes him Conway the Machine. Hints of spirituality when referencing a close friend Machine Gun’s murderer, “..maybe that was a sign, maybe God ain’t want me killin’ them niggas and doin’ time, maybe God wanted me here to kill ’em with the rhyme, maybe that was part of his plan and part of the design. I don’t know, I’m not religious..” followed by a quick dose of gratitude while reliving the tragic shooting where he took a bullet in the head and almost lost his life. He wanted to quit pursuing hip-hop during and after recovery, now having to live with a slightly slurred delivery and a face “twisted up lookin’ ugly as shit.” Needless to say, we are glad he didn’t throw the towel in, as we’re sure hip-hop fans are in addition.

Thankful for his close relationship with WSG and Daringer, working with Kool G Rap, and still being alive to create today, it’s evident that he penned this verse with natural emotion. Grateful tears perhaps were shed. It may be one of the most convincing verses from him all year, and certainly builds even more anticipation for his forthcoming full-length G.O.A.T. (Grimiest Of All Time).

Art. And More Art.

An open invitation to controversy, the title Hitler Wears Hermes is unapologetically blunt. It’s a beautifully confusing and compelling label for a series. The title itself is drawn off of the Devil Wears Prada, but WSG needed something to stamp the newly wrapped package with his own flavor, a few years ago from his docu-series stating, “..some of the grimiest but flyest shit I could come up with. As soon as you hear it you think it’s crazy but fly at the same time,” explaining that’s what defines him – fly, grimy and luxurious. I don’t think an elaborate explanation is necessary for the title, much like most esteemed and admired artwork.

We’re here on the fourth installment. The cover art could be the most visually experimental piece we’ve seen from Griselda Records – an unbalanced, disproportioned digital collage of Hitler, well, wearing static Hermes attire. And a transparent mid-section (we think we see a spine there), which adds to the satisfying distortion. They’re quickly becoming known for their conceptual approaches on the visual art spectrum, adding another layer to the army’s flair. WSG is not shy about admitting his love for art, whether it be painting, drawing, fashion, emceeing or poetry. FLYGOD, his newly released debut record, exhibits a young stylized WSG wearing a careless, sincere smile and three gold chains. With his head wrapped in a tight crown of thorns and blood dripping from both his forehead and eyeballs, it raises questions. Art imitates art. Life imitates art. The questionability, the doubt, the curiosity and measurable conclusions.

Daringer’s canvas.

There’s a moment when listening to this piece where four songs, back to back, are built primarily off of gorgeous looped guitar riffs – “Aunt Rosie’s”, “Mr. Fuji”, “Ringside Rocking Furs” and “Nitro” to be exact. It’s not the first time we’re hearing Griselda’s in-house producer Daringer get loose and ornamental with guitar strings, but it’s the first time we’re hearing over fifteen minutes of display where guitar is the focal point. It’s uniformed. “Ringside Rocking Furs” is the lightest of the four, the guitar playing more of a backdrop as a result of the heavier drums – seeing fit considering its invitation to a new Keisha Plum spoken word piece and an introduction by singer Tiona D.

Daringer’s most enticing qualities lies is in his vocal samples. It may take a listener 10 minutes into any Griselda Records piece that he’s worked on to notice the highlighted skill set, though HWH4 finds only two songs where a looped vocal sample is the centerpiece – “The Almighty” and “Walked on Water Interlude”. A lot of their best work together is rather minimal. That’s chemistry in its purest, natural form. When it’s meant to be, you hear it. Again, sometimes art is like that. You can’t exactly put your finger on it. It’s a feeling. An indescribable one, bearing resemblant chemistry of Madlib and MF DOOM or Black Moon and Da Beatminerz. Daringer has even been called a young Alchemist, respectively.

All of his soundscapes leave us instantly in need of more. It’s not soul music, but it feeds the soul. There’s soul in the process and there’s undeniable passion. Real do indeed recognize real, and at the end of the day upstart producers should take note of the Buffalo, New York native’s work ethic. We like to think there’s folders of unreleased production that could, like WSG has been doing with rare, collectable vinyl records and clothing, be sold at a high number on the internet. HWH4 is another sure sign that Daringer is one of the most distinctive beatsmiths in hip-hop music right now.

Bringing out one of Stalley’s best guest verses in a while.

Griselda Records have yet to overwhelm a body of work with overbearing features. They generally keep the guest appearances within an arm’s reach – a healthy amount that seems to be the ideal recipe for an unabridged, contemporary hip-hop record. We’ve yet to think there were too many invited artists across their discography. HWH4 holds the door open for Conway, Tiona D, Benny, Smoke DZA and most notably Stalley, Maybach Music Group’s promising and often overlooked wordsmith. As for authentic Ohio representatives, it’s safe to put him up there with the Hi-Teks, the J. Rawls and the Kid Cudis. His latest (2014) full-length Ohio welcomed listeners globally into his classic apple red Chevy Impala with the boomin’ system. A wide, homely body of work that acquired additional trust for true-school rap fans.

Stalley’s Ohio, The Laughing Introvert and Saving Yusef releases all have their acclaimed highlights, whether it be debut sales, ideational subject matter or pure emceeing. As far as guest verses “5x a Day” may have brought one of the best moments out of him. We recently heard him on Skyzoo and Apollo Brown’s latest The Easy Truth. “Payout” is too an incredible contributing verse, but WSG and Daringer brought an edge out of him that we haven’t heard in a while. Maybe it’s the nature of the song’s reality, the nature of knowing when you’re invited into Griselda’s territory you let the pitbulls out. And the nature of a barbaric, reflective Daringer soundscape. Though notably topical, it’s more so a feeling you get that we’re referencing here.

iTunes | Spotify | AudioMack | XXL Magazine Feature

WESTSIDEGUNN: Twitter | Instagram | AudioMack | iTunes

Conway: Twitter | Instagram

Daringer: Twitter | Instagram

Griselda Records: Official Site | Instagram | YouTube | SoundCloud

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There’s a level of purity with Brooklyn’s ScienZe that we’re not offered too much. Refreshing from all angles, you know? Maybe you don’t know. If so, welcome. I think it was Toine on a DTMD record a few years ago that said something along the lines of, “if you want to get sampled in the future you better start loving people” – in reference to the lack of love and respect on the radio today. That gets brought up here because ScienZe is an example of maturity. He represents love on all levels, from respecting women to respecting this culture and hip-hop’s timeline that paved the way for him to create today. Oh, and most importantly respecting himself. None of this is being pulled out of thin air might I add. It’s all gathered from listening to his music and watching his career.

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https://soundcloud.com/scienze/water-to-wine-feat-blu-prod-black-spade-1

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It’s special when the content in one’s music adds up. I ended up spending an hour or so with ScienZe while in Brooklyn in the middle of one of our unrealistic heatwaves that we were microwaved in. Running around with Blu and Matt Diamond (Coalmine Records) while they were on their press run for Titans in the Flesh, Blu had to link back up with ScienZe for his cd collection and to say peace before he left town. The few of us ended up in Kith looking at sneakers, talking about books and bullshitting around the area. In that short amount of time it all added up. The content in his music actually matched him as a person, in his setting. That’s rare today. I guess this whole story lead up to us admiring ScienZe’s authenticity as an artist.

He was kind enough to drop off his latest single “Water to Wine” featuring Blu, his friend and frequent collaborator of many years. The production is credited to Black Space, who aside from offering beautiful palettes like this one here is an active singer and emcee/songwriter. It’s a taste at what’s to come with ScienZe’s forthcoming Kind of Dessert EP. The extended play will act as a follow-up record to Good Food, his latest body of work from back in May. It’s dope if you missed it. You might want to eat more too. Hopefully healthy eating.

We invited ScienZe to weigh in on a few things while dropping off the new single. Hope you enjoy the conversation. Peace and love:

Good to catch up with you again, and happy belated. Tell me a little bit about the forthcoming EP.

Peace! Thank you. The forthcoming EP is ‘Kind of Dessert.’ Originally I wanted to do a Deluxe album, but I want to give the people a whole new experience with this one. A second course.

It’s no secret that you live with a set of spiritual principles. It leaks into your records and your overall aura in person. Do you think this is a quality that’s lacking today and that more people in general could benefit from (in and out of music)?

I don’t think it’s a quality that is lacking in this day and age. I’m familiar with a couple of artists that have principles they stand by and beliefs that shine through their art respectively. I know we’re actually in a progressive time where more and more artists are mentioning God in their music. Before, in my opinion, mentioning your belief in the Most High could put you in a category of “Christian rapper” etc lol. Nowadays, the arts, specifically Hip-Hop welcomes the individual, their perspectives, ideals, views, in the name of creativity. I love it.

I didn’t know much about you and your music until the first Divine ScienZe record came out. From there I backtracked to find out that since 2010 or so, into present day, you’ve been very consistent. 

Indeed, indeed. God is good. I was able to keep the music coming.

A good friend of ours Rogue, and a few others, told us amazing things about the live performance the other night at Friends & Lovers in Crown Heights. Generally speaking, is the live performance element important to you? 

The live performance is very important. I remember chopping it up with King I Divine one day like, “bro, I think we got this music thing down. I think we should focus our energy on live performances.” At the time we knew we were great at performing and brought great energy, but I think there’s still more that you could do during a live performance, especially in Hip-Hop, to make the experience a greater one for the audience and yourself. The live performance is what makes a fan, a loyal fan. It’s an experience that you and the crowd share. It’s the time you get to make the people feel you – whether it be 10 mins or 20.

Outside of recording music for yourself and others, education seems to be an important part of your life. Talk to us about your current endeavors surrounding the children and the neighborhood.

Education has always been an important issue to me. For years I travelled the country with some great friends of mine for a movement called “The Hall Pass Tour.” The tour was founded by Holley Monelle and Janelle Bechdol, and our mission was to teach children of different ages, backgrounds, circumstances how to recognize their talents, strengths, and inner genius and how to utilize these qualities for obtaining a specific goal or dream. We wanted to instill in them that no dream is too big or unattainable. We still do. We basically supplied the guide for them to unlock what was already inside them. One big thing we wanted them to understand was, the idea that education is a hinderance to pursuing the arts isn’t true. What’s important is utilizing your education to push your art and your dream to where it needs to be.

Lets talk about Good Food, your latest body of work. It made me want to eat a bunch of healthy food and be the best possible human being that I can be. Excellent release.

LOL. Good Food did good for you then! It was a very very fun record… I literally recorded that recorded that record around the world… only project I can say that about. Some records were recorded in Europe while on tour back in 2013. Came back home and finished it off here in Brooklyn. It holds a very special place in my heart. Some special people in my life helped inspire that record and bring it forth. I intended it to be good for any diet, and it is.

All Praises Due to the Most High, and thank you.

ScienZe

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The post ScienZe Drops Off “Water to Wine” ft. Blu, Discusses Education & Spirituality appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.