The record is a charity single where all proceeds go to Hammond Indiana’s Eastside Community Council to fund youth programs. Both Famsquad and Leroy Howard view it as an opening salvo to a greater program to improve the opportunities for children and incubate a greater ecosystem in the city.

Check out “HMD (Helping Millionaires Develop)” here.

Brief Summary of Hammond Indiana Crime Statistics

– Violent crime in Hammond is more than double the national and Indiana
state crime rate

– Murders and rapes are perennially double the National average

The post New Music: Famsquad – “HMD” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

With their new album, Sport Coat Willie, on the way after two years in the making, it seemed an appropriate time to catch up with UK & US based EDM/rap supergroup Famsquad for a quick reflection on the group’s success thus far and their goals for the future. Check out our catch up with Famsquad below.

RESPECT: It’s been two years since the group’s last release. How has the group and it’s sound changed since its last project?

Famsquad: Our sound changed a lot for this particular album . With this album we made a modern day Alexander O’Neal meets Curtis Mayfield album. Last album we did every genre you can name.

R: Sport Coat Willie is an interesting title for the project. What is the inspiration behind that?

FS: Sport Coat Willie is for the fly people out there who are tired of sucker sh–. He’s a character who’s part militant AND part playboy. He straddles the line between style and substance and he’s emblematic of what the Famsquad brand stands for. We also wanted to reintroduce the image of the panther to popular culture since it held so much weight and significance in previous decades.

R: You’ve co-headlined shows with Sir Michael Rocks at A3C and Z-Ro in San Antonio. How important have live performances proved to be for you to gain your fanbase?

FS: Performing is essential to the artistry because it’s a one on one experience with the fans and it gives a different feeling than just hearing the music in an MP3 format.

R: What do you think is the most important thing to focus on as an indie music group?

FS: Remaining consistent with being relatable and original. All artists in the indie world, whether solo or in a group, are held accountable musically and business wise .

R: Being that you guys come from two coasts, did you find it was easier to gain attention from US listeners or UK listeners?

FS: We’ve never thought about that but good music is good music. They mess with the music everywhere. I wouldn’t say we have fans – we have an extended family following.

R: What’s Famsquad’s biggest goal over the next year?

FS: We focus on the inevitability of the accomplishment so we use any and all means to achieve the result. For Sport Coat Willie, we’d like a broader audience to immediately have the project and release a new capsule clothing collection to accompany the album for our supporters. We’re also emphasizing a focus on community aid and development with companies who contribute to charitable causes (Lyph Of The Party) as well as organizations that develop youth opportunities (Helping Millionaires Develop etc).

R: How honorable. So, what’s next on the agenda? Have you already started working on the follow up to Sport Coat Willie? Will there be a tour?

FS: We like to take our time with projects. We put a lot of care into this new album so we plan on working these records for a few years on the road. However, you will see solo projects from group members release next year, so they can expand on their individual sounds.

R: Who are some artists you guys hope to tour with and work with in the future?

FS:  We’d love to work with artists that would broaden the base outside of our current market. Artists ranging from Tech N9ne and Z-Ro to Chance The Rapper and Macklemore would be ideal.

R: Tell us about what it was like to spit some bars for Sway in the Morning. That’s a big deal!

FS: It was a very humbling experience spitting bars for Sway because it’s one of the highest platforms you can reach on the radio today.

R: What has been your greatest accomplishment thus far?

FS: Greatest accomplishment is doing something for our people. Anybody can rap, anybody can tour, the real victory is when people contact us and say our music stopped them committing suicide or helped them through a rough point in their lives. As long as we connect with people on that level, we’ll continue to succeed.

The post Interview: FamSquad talks new sounds & future endeavors appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Longtime collaborators Famsquad and Thoth Set team up once again for the powerful “Monarch Life.” Omekka, Doc Phibs and Pitch Black use carefully constructed wordplay over nimble production provided by Cam Julkes and KEEYNOTE. Take a listen to the head-bopping, old school style hip-hop track here. Guaranteed to give you a sense of nostalgia.

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Thoth Set takes it to Vegas with Famsquad’s Giano Green for their newest visuals for “Lay It Down”, the third single from their debut release Abraxas Vol.1. The Max Flick-directed clip is equal parts celebration and psychedelia with the trio traveling through the strip and the desert with equal aplomb. The Keeynote-produced track is featured on Abraxas Vol.1 which is available now on iTunes and all digital retail outlets.

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Vell Da General is back today with a new track delivering a message we’ve heard in rap (and just in general) plenty of times before – “Money Makes The World Go Round.” And it makes your girl go down, etc., etc. To show how dedicated he is to the almighty dollar, Vell and Famsquad’s Omekka hit Chicago’s Wall Street with plans for a master heist. Will they emerge victorious, or lose their power to the money? Press play and find out.

The post New Video: Vell Da General ft. Famsquad – “Money Makes The World Go Round” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Longtime collaborators Thoth Set & Famsquad reconnect on “Lay It Down”, the first single from Thoth Set’s “Abraxas Vol.1” project arriving February 17th on iTunes. Give this single a listen & be on the look out for more music coming from both teams.

The post New Music: Thoth Set ft. FamSquad – “Lay It Down” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.