Laura Stylez is the ma’aam on Hot 97’s Ebro in The Morning Show.

Stylez moved from LA to New York at 19. Like many starving artists looking to claim their own territory, she didn’t have her family’s full cosign at first. In spite of all of that, she kept trucking.Stylez went to school and interned at radio stations to earn her keep. “It goes to show you that you have to claim your destiny sometimes and believe in yourself,” Stylez told me on the Scoop B Radio podcast.

Her big big break came when Stylez became an online digital producer at Hot 97 in 2013. She hosted live streams and assisted former Hot 97 personality, Angie Martinez, who recently celebrated a birthday. “She’s truly been a mentor to me,” said Stylez. “Took me in and really just believed in me.”

In between filling in for Ebro, Cipha Sounds and others, Stylez ended up being a mainstay and here she is now fulfilling her dream. “ I’m thankful every day,” she said.

Check Out Laura Stylez Chopping It Up With Scoop B Radio

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The post Laura Stylez Reflects On Hard Work & Sound Advice From Angie Martinez appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Lil Yachty has just released “Terminator”, a turnt up track featuring none other than A$AP Ferg.

new song. 10 minutes.

— lil boat kot* (@lilyachty) December 7, 2016

? pic.twitter.com/J0diNIvmRn

— lil boat kot* (@lilyachty) December 7, 2016

Yachty has undoubtedly proved himself this year with the continuous drops of projects, features, Sprite commercial appearances and most recently a Grammy nomination for his contribution to D.R.A.M.‘s chart-topping hit “Broccoli”.

“Terminator” showcases Yachty and Ferg going verse for verse as they quite appropriately compliment Maaly Raw‘s production.

This track follows up Yachty’s “Judgement Free“ which he premiered on Ebro‘s Beats 1 radio show.

Check out “Terminator” below.

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The post Lil Yachty Drops New Track “Terminator” Featuring A$AP Ferg appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Prior to the release of his latest song ‘i,’ a track that has gotten individuals from all over proclaiming their love for self, Kendrick Lamar had kind of been staying under the radar. Now, with all of the buzz surrounding the new joint and Lamar’s untitled forthcoming sophomore album, the Compton native has come out of the cuts. During his visit to the Hot 97 studio, a cool and collected Lamar sat down with Ebro and Rosenberg for a lengthy, meaningful interview. What kicks off as a sh*ts and giggles interview eventually kicks into overdrive as he opens up and breaks down the inspiration behind recording ‘i.’

My initial idea of writing this record.. for .. really, it was for two people. It hit Top Dawg, I said, ‘I wrote a record for the homies that’s in the penitentiary right now. And I also wrote a record for these kids that come up to my show with these slashes on they wrists, saying they don’t wanna live no more.’

Additionally, he touches on a subject that I’m sure many of us have had conversations regarding. The state of hip-hop and music, in general. In agreement to Ebro’s statement about him musically being on a mission, Lamar assures that he is.

I’m so focused on what needs to be said and what needs to be heard, excluding what the industry standards wants you to do… This is a mission that I have to accomplish and I’m gon’ do it, if it takes this album, the next album or 10 years from now. 

In regards to what he feels the music industry is lacking, Lamar believes that artists are failing to make a connection with fans, allowing them to believe that the music they create is only ‘entertainment.’ Lamar also notes that the mission he’s on is to create music that people can relate to, because he feels that no one else is.

I’m gonna do it the way I wanna do it, the way I’ve been doing it. Regardless. We in a world where black people don’t necessarily support the artists the way they should. Period… Because we don’t believe in it like we should.

Kick back and tune in to what else Kendrick Lamar had to say.

The post Kendrick Lamar Discusses ‘i,’ the State of Hip-Hop + More on Hot 97 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The mighty Unit made some radio runs today. They hit up the Breakfast Club first and then made a stop by Ebro and company. 50, Banks and Yayo touch on their falling out, money issues, and Floyd Mayweather. Watch it all below.

The post Video: G-Unit Visits The Breakfast Club and Hot 97 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

One of our favorite photographers in the game, Jonathan Mannion, recently sat down with Ebro for an interview at Hot 97. He touches on his early classics covers for Jay Z, Eminem, DMX and others. He also discusses his new work with AKOO. Check it out below.

The post Video: Jonathan Mannion Discusses Photography with Hot 97 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

RiFF RAFF recently stopped by Hot 97 for a noticeably intense interview. Sitting down with radio hosts Peter Rosenberg and Ebro, RiFF was subjected to some tough questions regarding his authenticity as an artist, particularly from Ebro. The uncomfortable exchange was recorded and uploaded to Hot 97’s Youtube channel. Before continuing, watch below.

Saturated with tattoos, sporting flamboyant jewelry and speaking with a twang that’s half Texan, half mouthful-of-Listerine, RiFF RAFF is certainly an odd spectacle to behold. In that sense, it makes sense that radio personality Ebro confronted RiFF so aggressively. For Ebro, RiFF is the latest manifestation of a troubling history of white artists rising to prominence through ridiculing black artists. The example par excellence is Vanilla Ice, who is infamous for being one of rap’s first “perpetrators.”

While Ebro’s tenacity is heartfelt and understandable, there are some serious issues with his comparison between Vanilla Ice and RiFF RAFF. First of all, like RiFF RAFF, Vanilla Ice wasn’t a joke. The story that he fronted as a gangster in order to be a “credible” artist is half true. While there were efforts to alter his history to make him more street, these efforts were on behalf of his label rather than himself. SBK Records, the label that he was signed to during his meteoric rise to fame, published unauthorized biographies about him and sold them, notably altering his history to “justify” him as a rapper. Ice didn’t even know about these biographies: he found out about them while he was on tour. So Ice technically isn’t even an example of a perpetrator.

Beyond the myth of Vanilla Ice perpetrating, the bigger flaw with the comparison between him and RiFF is the implication that RiFF and Ice are similar simply because they’re both white rappers. This is a shallow understanding of race. While race is hard to look past, an important thing to remember is that it is always intertwined with other social categories, especially where you’re from. At one point during the interview, RiFF RAFF, who is from Texas, mentions his affiliations with famed Texas record label Swishahouse. Swishahouse’s heyday may be over, but it is well known for introducing the world to Paul Wall. Although Paul Wall and RiFF are far apart on the spectrum of flamboyance, their common origin in Texas suggests that in Texas, what might be seen as mockery in other places is completely normal. In other words, by Texas standards, RiFF isn’t so odd. The same goes for Vanilla Ice, who is also from Texas. Ebro doesn’t even consider this. For him all white rappers can be compared to all white rappers. C’mon Ebro, didn’t Yelawolf already solve the white rapper conundrum?

This isn’t to suggest that all white rappers from Texas get a pass, but merely to highlight that race isn’t this free-floating thing. Location, time period, gender, nationality, class and various other social categories should always come to bear on the assumptions we make about race.

And beyond that, the simple things that people want for themselves are important as well. Just because RiFF says he isn’t a joke doesn’t mean we have to believe him (Full disclosure: this writer believes him), but it does mean we should at least take his reasons for not considering himself a joke somewhat seriously. Ebro didn’t do that. He looked at RiFF RAFF, made up his mind then berated him for what he thinks RiFF RAFF is doing. That’s disrespectful.

For more on taking RiFF somewhat seriously (but not in a dumb, pretentious way), check out these essays by Cameron Kunzelman.

The post disRESPECT: RiFF RAFF is Not the New Vanilla Ice appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.