1. What is the Blaze Indie L.A Show and how did it come about?

The show started out as a Web Series and Radio Show dedicated to keeping the BAD MUSIC out of the Universe by giving honest and knowledgeable criticism to the hobbyist artist and putting GOOD MUSIC on the map by gaining exposure for serious artists. The show specializes in the critique of Urban Genre Music.

How it came about is, artists would always ask “listen to my music and tell me what you think”, so I created this show to handle those requests. Artists send in music and we review it. The Blaze Indie L.A Show has been in production since 2013 and received over 100,000 views in the 1st year. Because of the show’s popularity we have this opportunity now to film for cable television, which is very exciting.

2. What do you feel the Blaze Indie L.A Show brings different to the marketplace and what is the process in reviewing a song or video?

If there is one thing you can say about our show is, we keep it really real! We review music on; originality, lyrical content, flow & delivery, commercial appeal, song structure, and the beat. If your song is not up to par you will be told exactly that.

What’s different about our show- everything! Artists get double & triple exposure because the audio from the show is streamed through FM and Internet radio. The show has always been a part of Urban Indie Radio- Los Angeles, and now I’ve also created a REMIX radio show from the audio as well that goes out through FM radio stations across the country. The whole format of the show is unique in the marketplace. No other entity can claim this. In addition to performing a service, we give artists a platform to showcase themselves. During our 1 hour show, we invite guest artists to come and perform live on stage. We are the #1 longest running Urban Music Review Show.

3. The Blaze Indie L.A show will be on cable television, how did the deal come about and will the network change the format of the show any?

I was approached by ILONDON FOG Studio’s to bring my show to it’s production facility. The plan initially was to shoot for their local E Channel. While the process on that has hit some red tape, I actually have moved on into talks with a major network and other local community access channels. We have been green lighted to film 10 episodes for the major network. As soon as those are done- I should be signing the licensing deal. I don’t want to name the network at this time. I expect the show to be on community channels across Southern California real soon. The only change in format involves the fact that we now need clean radio edit music and we can’t use any curse words, which was actually a MAJOR change for us. As we cater to underground music and artists , so yes, we’ve had to make some changes. However, it’s still an entertaining show.

4. What are the pro’s and con’s of producing a show like Blaze Indie L.A ?

Some of the Pros are that I get to enjoy the artist’s reaction to being in the spotlight and knowing they will be able to watch themselves on television. My own celebrity status is growing and palpable. People now want to take pics with me when I go out places, it’s very cool! Plus, it feels good to know that we are giving artists such a wonderful platform to showcase their talent.

The Cons of producing a show such as Blaze Indie L.A (that spotlights mostly indie artists) is that many of the artist’s don’t have a lot of experience and lack professionalism. One of my biggest pet peeves is when an artist doesn’t show up on time or take the opportunity seriously. There’s also a lot of planning, preparation and editing that has to take place, but those are just procedures that are essential to creating such a wonderful show.

5. Where do you see the brand and the show in the next 5 years?

To continue being instrumental in helping artists look, feel and be successful. I would like to see the Blaze Indie L.A Show picked up nationally. And definitely for my company URBAN STARZ MEDIA to be the gold standard for innovative urban indie music publicity. That would be awesome! I’d like to give shouts out to the cast and crew of the Blaze Indie L.A Show including Insane, Micangelow, Tony Roq, Ericka Turner Production Assistant, Photography by Jason Crump. Also to my Executive Assistant Jessica Elizabeth.

6. How can artists connect with you?

Artists can send their clean radio edited Mp3 to Blazeindiela@gmail.com, for a free review, or, by going to the website www.BlazeIndieLA.com, and on Twitter @blazeindiela.

The post Quick 5 With Blaze Indie LA appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The fight many have been waiting for is happening tonight. And to celebrate that the Billionaire Boys Club have teamed up with Feature for a limited-edition shirt titled “Fight Of The Century.”

In the shirt’s center is the Billionaire Boys Club astronaut dressed in boxing attire, with the BBC logo acting as a backdrop. The back of the t-shirt has an illustration that brings together the companies logos and hint at the fight’s destination. “Fight Of The Century” comes in either black or while, and can be purchased here.

Look at the photos below, to see if you want to cop. There are only 100 so be swift.

The post Billionaire Boys Club and Feature Collaborate on “Fight Of The Century” T-shirt appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Hi-Rez’s artistic re-introduction may just be the catalyst for his projected breakout year. It’s been an interesting journey for Rez. Having consistently released music since an age where he technically couldn’t buy a ticket to a R rated movie, the Fort Lauderdale native is transforming his art and brand to match his maturation process. As a sharp lyricist and an engaging personality, Rez’s inevitably prolonged breakthrough isn’t due to lack of talent, drive, or work ethic, but finding the right balance of underground consciousness and mainstream appeal, while staying true to his craft and letting the music speak for itself. With two new releases, “Victim Of The System” and “Swear,” (Feat. Cory Gunz) an upcoming project, a true love for performing, and endeavors reaching far beyond Hip-Hop, Hi-Rez is positioned to make the leap from popular mixtape rapper to widely acclaimed MC. Hi-Rez sat down with RESPECT. Magazine to discuss early discography, performing, social media, comedy, and how amidst all his releases he’s really just getting started.

RESPECT.: Let’s start with discussing your discography. From projects like “Early Release,” “A Walk To Remember,” and “Product Of My Environment,” how have you grown and evolved artistically?

Hi-Rez: “To be honest man, just growing up and getting older. I started making music at a really young age and started putting out mixtape at like 15-16, so the industry has been hearing from me for years already. Whenever you ask anyone how much they’ve changed from 15 to 21, people would laugh at how different of a human being they are. Just experiences too, experiencing life and building relationships. I was kind of stuck in a bubble of an environment back in the day, so once I started traveling and experiencing different things, my music reflected that. I used to make music only looking at it from a sonic point of view, I didn’t put emphasis on lyrics, flow, the hooks, etc., just how it sounded overall. There’s no longevity in that. I just have a whole new approach to my music.”

RESPECT.: Do you still have the core fanbase you had with your earlier projects?

Hi-Rez: “Statistically I’ve grown a certain amount, but I’ve definitely seen a decent amount of the people who were there for me in the beginning. When I was younger though I was making music for younger kids as well, now at my shows it’s anywhere from teenagers, my peers, to 35-year old people. I still have young fans which is crazy to me because I’m in the works to tour with artists like R.A. The Rugged Man, Masta Ace, and Pharoahe Monch, so it’s gonna’ be interesting to see a 15-year old and 40-year old at the same show.”

RESPECT.: Being a true lyricist first, how have you been able to maintain relevance in a rapidly changing Hip-Hop market?

Hi-Rez: “My goal is just to maintain relevance in the mainstream market while still being true to myself and fans of underground, conscious music. I have at least 40 unreleased songs. I like making ignorant music and conscious music, I enjoy both sides. It’s not like it’s one for the them and one for me, but it’s just being aware of both the mainstream and underground. You might ask that same question to an ignorant artists and they’d have no fu*kin’ idea what you’re talking about. Just being aware of both puts me a few steps ahead.”

RESPECT.: Discuss “Victim Of The System.” Give us some details about how that record came about.

Hi-Rez: “To show my fans that I’m versatile in making conscious, as well as mainstream records, I’ve been dropping one party vibe, then the next conscious, another party vibe single, then a conscious record to drill into people’s heads that I can really do both. “Victim Of The System” is basically about a drug deal gone wrong. It’s actually based on a true story. I had a homie a while ago who was stabbed and passed away from a drug deal. It wasn’t like as soon as it happened I went in and wrote a song about it. One day I just heard a beat I liked and decoded to tell the story. It’s kind of embellished the way I tell it because I’ve learned not to follow every exact detail because that can rub people the wrong way. It’s like a re-imaging and re-creation of the event, that way people can really relate to it.”

RESPECT.: I know it’s still untitled, but can you discuss the new project? Will it be your most impactful yet?

Hi-Rez: “What I keep telling blogs, magazine’s etc. is that I’ve put out four or five projects already and each one was too much or too little if that makes sense. One was too mainstream, one was to conscious, I hadn’t found a good balance. This is my first project where you could put some songs on a playlist with Migos and others with old heads. People always have their opinions, but as the creator, it’s my most versatile. I’ve handled the creative side of it so as long as everything goes right with management, publicists, and the business side of sh*t, it’ll be great.”

RESPECT.: Your performances seem to always be high-energy, is that the way you approach all your shows? How important to you is performing?

Hi-Rez: “Performing is just as important, if not more important than your music. You could be the greatest studio artist ever, but if you’re just standing on stage and not doing anything, you’re not going to impact your fans at all and leave an impression that will make them want to spread your music. You don’t want to leave your fans with the image of you being a boring dude who just stands on stage. I’ve seen both sides of it. I’ve met dudes that just stand there, holding their fu*king nuts in one cubic foot the whole time. I’ve also seen the wildest and craziest fu*king performances. That’s what I want people to take away from me is that I’m not just a rapper, but a MC who can really perform. If you seen some of my new performances there’s a lot of eyes-on-me type sh*t, a lot of crowd interaction, and sh*t like that, which is very necessary if you want to impact your fans.

RESPECT.: Where do you envision the Hi-Rez brand? Will this project effectively be your breakout moment?

Hi-Rez: “I was just talking to my manager about this and for years I’ve felt people have had a false perception of me. I’m sure some of it has to do with me indirectly, putting out corny, gum ball, white boy suburban music, which is the opposite of what I grew up listening to. Definitely not what I was inspired by. Looking back it’s not a reflection of self at all. Even if you look back at my twitter, I’m a dude that really likes to laugh and joke around, so sometimes I was just forcing an image because I was impatient, my words were way louder than my actions at the time. I’m quieting down a little, letting the records speak for themselves instead of wildin’ on Twitter. The plan is for this project to be the one that sticks in people’s minds. I’ve never had these emotions and feelings for any other project I’ve done. It’s really the plan for this project to set the brand and show people how versatile of an artist I am.”

RESPECT.: Having released music at such a young age, how has the major advent of social media impacted your career?

Hi-Rez: “Social media is a blessing and a curse. Social media didn’t play a role in artists that I grew up on, so sometimes I wish I could get back on the corner and hand out mixtapes, have street teams, sh*t like that, but the reality is, that sh*t is gone and isn’t coming back anytime soon. That being said, it’s allowed me to grow the fanbase I have. I’m not the dude to sit around refreshing my social networks, but it’s really something you can’t ignore. My BackSeat Bars freestyles made my Facebook jump from 100,000 fans to over 300,000 fans in about 6 months. It’s sometimes the smallest things that give you the biggest jump start. All of these things play a part in my re-introduction.”

RESPECT.: What does the future hold for Hi-Rez?

Hi-Rez: “It’s way beyond music. My ambitions and goals with music are just as important as comedy, animation, sh*t like that. I don’t want to wait until I’m big in music to venture off into other things, I’m doing all that sh*t right now. I’m trying to build my brand through connections, The Lucas Brothers, contacts at Adult Swim, etc. I cook all the time, I love animals, (laughs) I know it sounds weird but that’s why we’ve got management and publicists on board to let people know it’s much more than rap.”

The post RESPECT. Interview: Hi-Rez Talks His Re-Introduction, Social Media, and More appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Koncept returns with his latest “Gooey” remix from a successful series he has been systematically blessing the masses with. Not only have they all been stellar works that speak for themselves, but he is displaying his many abilities on records – with other bands. All of these remixes are slowly but surely leading us into his upcoming, highly anticipated work alongside J57 (as Koncept & J57). The EP will be titled ‘The Fuel’ and should be released sometime this coming summer. Keep an eye on all of their moves as they promise us this is their best work yet. But meanwhile, wake up and enjoy this premiere Koncept dropped off to us.

While we have your attention, do take note that Koncept & J57 will be at the legendary SXSW festival this year performing alongside some other amazing sets (Austin, TX). Be sure to catch them bless the stage. RESPECT. Magazine’s Dread Solo had the chance to see them perform on a few occasions, and it’s something to experience. Visit Koncept’s website for more information on the festivities.

The post New Music: Glass Animals – Gooey (Koncept Remix) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“Self-awareness is the capacity for introspection and the ability to recognize oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals.”

Not only is it important to have a voice and knowledge of self for all paths on this earth, but hip-hop is in demand for such. It’s seemingly easy for today’s younger generation to get lost in the midst of trap-queens and senseless subject matter. And if you think this doesn’t impact our society and hold weight on the next generation, you are highly mistaken.

Hailing from New York City by way of Brooklyn, Chelsea Reject is here not only to display creative genius but shed light on a crevice that needs the shine; queens in hip-hop. When we say queen, that takes you back to self knowledge, alongside respect, dignity and truth. Early-20 year old Chelsea is beyond qualified and reflects all of this, reminiscent of an early Lauryn Hill  with an Erykah Badu aura.

With no official album out and a comfortably suited number of songs/visuals released, Chelsea is keeping fans on their toes. It is not uncommon today for artists to catch a heavy buzz and cross paths with life changing opportunities with no official album out, in which she is doing, and doing it well.

Let’s also take note of Chelsea Reject joining partnership with the legendary Duck Down Records. This speaks miles, not only because of the mark Duck Down has and continues to leave on hip-hop’s timeline, but being the first female emcee alongside the camp. It really doesn’t get much better then that, especially being in Brooklyn where it all started. Now that’s a milestone and something to certainly keep an eye on.

Coming soon this year is the ‘CMPLX’ project, which will be a compilation release. With a lot of build up and solid promotion on her and managements end, the release should be a total success. Considering Chelsea is in her early stages and still publically experimenting with her sounds and delivery, it’s refreshing to watch her grow as an artist. In a recent interview with Dj J Hart’s ‘The Big Bang Show’ she explained the project in a little more description:

“It’s a 15 track compilation of a bunch of different sounds I have been experimenting with. I have a lot of Pro Era on there. It’s going to be a different vibe. My goal is to give people a new perspective into my music. I’m trying to give people a new sound, and show my versatility.”

Let’s talk about the new wave of amazing artists hailing from New York City. Joey Bada$$ and the whole Pro Era Crew, Flatbush Zombies, Action Bronson and a handful of other standouts over the past five or six years have been go-to’s when mentioning hip-hop’s east coast life jackets. Chelsea Reject has been building with some of the best artists of our generation, and fans are excitingly sitting back and enjoying watching her journeys unfold. It’s a sigh of relief for us real hip-hop and music heads.

Before we close out, it’s important we touch on Chelsea’s stage presence. The art of performance is something that gets slightly bypassed in conversation and can easily be a slept on unofficial element in this game. I mean, it’s one thing to release awesome records and professionally edited videos. But it’s another to compliment this with a live performance, on or off your turf. We had the pleasure to catch Chelsea Reject live in Philly recently alongside Pro Era’s Kirk Knight and Mick Jenkins. She blew the lid off at the Barbary, and many other states following that evening. With all that being said, be sure to catch her live when you can. It will not be a disappointment. Much love and respect to Paul Bogosian and Duck Down James.

The post Chelsea Reject: The Most Refreshing And Self Aware Female Voice In Hip-Hop appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

On an overcast Friday, I found my way into the inconspicuous entrance to Williamsburg’s Bowery Studio. A white kid with an Oakland Raiders cap (a producer who goes by RC Bankwell) leads me into the studio, where apparently Raekwon shot a video one week before. It’s a gorgeous, quaint studio, with wooden walls enclosing sound rooms and booths, a corner bar and dim lighting. In comes Rilgood with a black leather jacket over a yellow T-shirt with none other than the 35th president on it. The JFK image not only faces me during the interview, but also graces the cover of Rilgood’s first mixtape aptly titled JFK.

As sound checks from a nearby studio session filter through the studio’s infrastructure, Rilgood discusses his vision, upbringing and his mentor, Dot Da Genius, who oversaw the project while also working on his and Kid Cudi’s WZRD. Here, the story of Rilgood unfolds.

When’s the first time you figured out that you fell in love with hip-hop and the craft of MCing?

Rilgood: I fell in love with it more as a culture. I’m not from here; I was born in Nigeria. I came here when I was 7. My dad dropped me in the heart of Bushwick and the only two kinds of music we listened to was hip-hop and whatever was coming out of the Spanish people’s speakers.

It was like a culture shock and I just liked it. There were two groups that I took to: it was Wu-Tang and Boot Camp Clik. And I took to them for how rugged they were. They were just mad cool with their Tommy Hilfiger…and they ran in a crew. That’s key to creating something that’s gonna withstand time: Before the people pick it up, you got to pretend the people already picked it up by having a lot of people around you. So I bought into it. And then there was a point where I just felt like ‘I can do this.’

What was that catalyst that sparked to transition from listener to performer?

It was the revenge of the nerds, kinda. I was feeling like, ‘When’s the last time a New York rapper really did it?’

Take somebody like Mac Miller. He comes from Pittsburgh. I’ve been to Pittsburgh once. There’s nothing there. Yet, he’s able to package Pittsburgh for the whole world to see. And he had a number one album in the country at one point. New York is great, but it seems like the rappers don’t understand the packaging of New York. I travel a lot. New York is always gonna be the number one city in the world no matter what. But yet, there hasn’t been a rapper than can kinda package it and sell it to the world. The last major rapper that popped from New York was 50 Cent. That was 2003, if you think about it. The only other person close is Nicki Minaj, but she had to go attach herself to a southern brand. There hasn’t been a guy from New York that’s said, ‘I’m this guy from New York doing my thing and I’m gonna take over the world.’ And I will.

So you just released the JFK mixtape. How has the reception been so far?

Oh, it’s been great, man. Honestly, the industry insiders are chasing me now. 2 – I’m getting fans from all over the world, and that’s how you know I’m gonna be that guy for the next five years. I know it because of the fans I got. On top of that, there’s people who picked it up on their own, like LiveMixtapes, I didn’t reach out to them, they put it up and I’m like #3 on their Indie [list].

Why John F. Kennedy?

It would have been cliche to do an Obama mixtape. I wanna pay homage to another great dude who was a thinker and was avant-garde and just had style. And JFK was that guy. He was the first Obama, if you think about it. He was the first [Catholic] president, he was mad young, he was getting mad bitches. He was not like anyone before and he was so young. So I was like ‘that’s how I’m gonna come in the game.’ I’m the chosen one. I’m sure he knew that, too.

Also, JFK is our international airport. A lot of these rappers, they not representing New York correctly. It’s so crazy, if I show you my Twitter and the people that are hitting me up, like Osaka (Japan) and Australia…exactly what I wanted to do is what I did. You have to go through my mixtape, it’s the airport, to what New York really is. I’m making music about New York, from New York, that they’re connecting with all over the world, which is my plan to begin with: global music.

What’s your take on New York hip-hop right now? I heard someone on Twitter say, “New York rappers need to stop using the South’s style.”

What has New York been the last 10 years that you’ve been living here? If I go to a club right now, what songs are they playing? They’re gonna be playing “Racks.” Where’s that from? Atlanta. It’s to a point where the kids – that’s what we grow up to now. Think about it. Since snap music, everything is from the South. And that’s what we have to hear on the radio ourselves. So essentially, that’s what we are too now. Ain’t no way around it. I feel like it’s the people who have lost touch and are not thinkers – that cannot pick that up. It is what it is. If I go to a club right now, I’m not going to be hearing Wu-Tang. I’m gonna be hearing Southern songs in the club. Lil’ Wayne is on the radio 24/7. Toronto – Drake on the radio 24/7.

I feel like in New York the rappers are selfish, man. The guys that have a shot aren’t really trying to paint a picture of what New York fully is, you know what I mean? They wouldn’t necessarily leave that gangsta thing alone because they want that credibility. And that’s being selfish. You’re not giving back to the culture because New York is bigger than that. You’re making a false representation of New York now. I could take you to a place in East New York that is exactly like what these gangsta rappers are talking about, though.

But then all the kids now – are in Soho, designing T-shirts and wearing wood chains. And that’s New York also, and that’s why you have to capture everything. You can’t just be that gangsta rapper because you have that street credibility you’re dying for. You’re only gonna stay local, you’re not going to do anything. Keep it real with New York and the rest of the world will keep it real with you. The world is bigger than that.

On the tape, there’s a few clips of JFK and some clips talk about revolution. Why did you choose to include the reoccurring topic of revolution on the mixtape?

With that, it was more renaissance. We gotta start a revolution over, where it’s cool to make different music. We gotta change New York. We gotta revolutionize and make New York cool again. It’s not cool. The kids are not coming here. They coming to Wiz Khalifa from Pittsburgh, the coming for Kendrick Lamar from Compton…these are the new guys that run hip-hop. New York is not cool and we gotta do something about it. And even outside of music, as a fan I’m passionate about music, but not even as a rapper.

How do you mean?

I don’t go to the studio to do freestyling ‘cause I wanna rap. I’m doing this because I paint a picture, I put the artwork together. I painted a scene behind mine to actually do something to the culture. I more so want to permeate the culture with my ideas and just bring back decency to the world. I’m not passionate about rap. I’m more passionate about changing people’s lives. I am so thoroughly passionate about music as a fan. I listen to more music that most people.

I can tell from the wide range of sampled tracks that you went off of. You used a Lonnie Liston Smith sample (A Garden Of Peace) off of the track “Rules of Engagement” on your mixtape Good Times. On the record you talk about how the record industry will chew you up and spit you out. What sort of relations have you had with the labels so far?

Honestly, I wasn’t referring to me. I was actually thinking about Wale. “Get a co-sign, they’ll pick you/ Flop, they’ll chew you and spit you.” And that’s what happened with Wale at Interscope. Mark Ronson and the whole Roc Nation people supported him. It didn’t too well. And they spat him.

You used Miike Snow’s “Animals,” as well as Passion Pit’s “The Reeling” on the Good Times mixtape. What attracts you to artists with the Indie/Electronica-type sounds?

My lifestyle, really. There’s not much a rapper can tell me these days. I’m not saying that the art form can’t still move me, it’s just that most rappers are stuck in this certain box. So, when I listen to radio, there’s nothing there for me. But when I listen to these guys, they’re so abstract that you can kinda pull certain meanings from your own life that kinda make it relevant. It’s grown man music, because it’s about you. Even though he made it about him.

Like Passion Pit, (singing from “The Reeling”) “It reels and calls me towards it confounding destiny.” It’s my destiny right now. And that song is relevant to what’s going on right now. So that’s what I mean with the abstract way they make their music. The actual production is cool, but on top of that, the poetry and the abstract writing, you can pull your own life out of the music. That’s not really prevalent in hip-hop.

What’s your creative process like?

I write my raps in like 3 minutes. I don’t organize it. And I’ve been getting a lot of hate on the Internet saying, “this nigga flow is wack.” And that’s because I don’t take time. To me, the music matters more. The rap is just what you’re saying. I’m not a perfectionist with raps. It’s about to change though. ‘Cause now I’m getting eyes on me, so I wanna show you that if I take my time, I could be a great rapper. But right now, it was more the music as a whole. The verses are just there to carry the song. But now, I’m getting exposed, I’m like ‘Alright, I’m gonna show ya’ll niggas. I’m gonna take my time with the raps.’

You ever feel like you have to compromise your music or your content to cater to any demographic?

In terms of compromising lyrics, I did, but it came from an organic place. It wasn’t a compromise like ‘oh, this is how I’m gonna pop.’ What happened was – I’m a college graduate. I can really talk about intellectual stuff, my life, the grind and doing this music thing – my life can be mad complex. I don’t wanna have to digest music to the point where I’m deciphering lyrics, so I dumb down. And it’s not dumbing down to gain more fans, but it’s like Bob Marley, one of the greats. He’s one of the simplest lyricists ever, but so powerful. When he said ‘We don’t need … no more trouble,’ that’s so simple, but yet so deeper than a rap talking about hieroglyphics.

I’ll touch a little bit on some more stuff, but I don’t really want your ears all hurting like you getting an ulcer from listening to it. Something cool, not too much, but definitely say something. The kids have to know. That’s how your music becomes timeless – you need substance, because that subject is still gonna be relevant 20 years from now.

How did the relationship with Dot Da Genius come together?

We met through my cousin, OBreeze. He’s on the mixtape as well, he’s on “Metropolis.” He just brought me around and he was like ‘I’m about to start making music.’ And Breeze and Dot’s dad are both pastors. So they be going to church conferences and I guess they had to bring the kids. And I guess they clicked. Breeze told me to come through and Dot was the first dude to develop me, when it took me 3 hours to do a 16. I guess he saw what I could be, without [me] having the skills yet. And Dot was just like, “I’m going to keep recording you, I’m going to develop you.”

Him and Kid Cudi have an album, WZRD that came out yesterday, February 28th. It’s known that this is going to be different for Cudi, it’s going to be more rock ‘n roll inspired. Do you make it an effort or is it more a natural process for you to experiment with different sounds?

It comes natural. There’s a few tracks on JFK that are up-tempo. And a lot of people will think it’s some jiggy shit, or some Flo Rida or Pitbull, trying to be some pop artist… No! Last year, I was on tour with Kevin Saunderson, the founder of black electronic music. Him and his friend brought electronic music to America. Period. This is how authentic this is for me. I listen to this. It’s in my fiber. One of my closest producers, his nephew, Kweku Saunderson, he just hit the charts on Beatport. And he’s like a regular black dude from Nostrand. So we’re not really forcing this at all.

Do you ever feel like there’s a need to tie in your African roots? Like K’naan does or Wale sometimes does?

No, but I will though. Not because I’m African or what I listened to when I was growing up, it’s solely because I love music. I love Amadou & Mariam. I don’t even listen to Nigerian hip-hop. I’m not into that, but I’m so into Amadou & Mariam and they’re from Mali. And Youssou N’Dour. I will do it and I have done it, but it has nothing to do with the fact that I’m African.

On Twitter, your username is Ril Scott-Heron. What’s your inspiration behind that?

Gil Scott is a legend. And he’s a revolutionary. This was around the time he died, the more he was sampled, the more familiar I got with him. When he died, New York Times had this article about it. I was like, ‘this guy was crazy.’ Drugs, he had bitches in Paris, he was just an ill dude, but at the same time a revolutionary. So that’s just me paying homage to him. That’s just me saluting him and showing that we young rappers study. I probably wouldn’t have this platform if he wasn’t doing the things he was doing. It’s no disrespect, I’m not on his level of revolutionary shit.

Do you ever see yourself progressing to the point where you’re as driven to stir up a revolution?

I plan on it. It’s part of the master plan. And I wanna do it right now.

The post Exclusive Interview: Rilgood talks JFK mixtape, Dot Da Genius & New York Hip-Hop appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.