Letter from RESPECT. Founder

I’m honored to curate along with longtime collaborator, Datwon Thomas, “Brooklyn’s Finest: Legends in Focus” — a civic installation opening February 4 at Brooklyn Borough Hall, presented as part of Black History Month.

This installation brings together a selection of photographs that honor Brooklyn’s sizable impact on hip-hop culture and the photographers who helped document it. Hip-hop is one of New York City’s great cultural gifts to the world, and photography has been essential to how that story has been seen, remembered, and carried forward across generations.

With a limited number of images, it’s impossible to represent every Brooklyn rap artist, era, or neighborhood that helped build the legacy. Instead, this installation focuses on a tightly curated group of works reflecting the spirit, pride, and influence of Brookly —celebrating Hip-Hop icons whose lives and cultural contributions are deeply rooted in the borough.

At the heart of this display is the work of Jamel Shabazz, the legendary Brooklyn-born street photographer whose images have come to define generations of NY life, culture, and self-expression. His photographs are inseparable from Brooklyn’s visual history and from the lived experience of street culture itself.

The installation also features contributions from Matthew Salacuse, Mike Schreiber, Sarah A. Freeman, Justin Jay, and Lisa Leone—documentarians whose work captured BK icons in their respective emerging moments. The display is anchored by one of the most iconic portraits in music history: Baron Claiborne’s timeless image of The Notorious B.I.G., a photograph forever linked to BK’s imprint on the world.

At the center of the installation is a sequence honoring The Greatest Day in Hip-Hop History—a historic moment I helped organize in 1998 that brought together one of the most extraordinary assemblies of artists ever captured in a single image. While Harlem is the Mecca, Brooklyn showed up—and this moment belongs here because the culture has always moved between boroughs. The image featured here was captured by Gordon Parks’ trusted protégé, Johanna Fiore, whose lens preserves that day from a rare and personal vantage point. There also two images by yours truly capturing Busta Rhymes and Rakim on that day in 1998. Being in the right place at the right time is often what makes photography magical.

Additionally, a proclamation will be given to Hip-Hop pioneer, Fab5Freddy.

As a proud Brooklyn native, and as a co-founder of XXL Magazine/xxlmag.com and founder of RESPECT., the photo journal of hip-hop culture, it’s an honor for my firm iD8 Entertainment to underwrite and curate this installation in a civic space where New Yorkers can experience these images together.

Thank you to the Brooklyn Borough Hall President’s Office (Donavan Swanson and Roslyn Campbell) and the Borough Hall team for making space for public cultural storytelling.

— Jonathan A. Rheingold
Curator / Producer / RESPECT. Founder

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Check out the nostalgic (yet very current) vibes below.

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Foxy Brown Jumps Into Nicki Minaj/Remy Ma Beef With Diss Record Of Her Own

The post Maliibu Miitch Channels Foxy Brown in “Chyna White” Visual appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

As the Remy Ma/Nicki Minaj beef heats up (or doesn’t, thanks to Nicki’s silence), another female emcee has decided to join the fray. Foxy Brown has apparently been awakened by Remy’s “shoutout” on “ShETHER“, which made light of Foxy’s hearing issues and even a possible STD:

Talkin’ shit about me to a deaf b***h
And usually I have sympathy for the impaired
But not when you hard of hearin’ from untreated gonorrhea
But you point your fingers at me? I’m the bad girl
When she the one out here misleadin’ the black girls?

In response, Foxy has released a snippet of her own diss titled “Breaks Over”, which sees her matching Remy’s use of Nas‘ “Ether” with JAY Z‘s “Takeover” instrumental. On the preview, the Brooklyn veteran takes an equally scathing approach, describing her as less than human and even mentioning Remy’s (widely-televised) miscarriage:

This dusty ass broad think she somethin’ sweet
She give the part to a Hot 97 in this street
You still in that dirty ass TS piece
And Pap fucked that dirty ass BX beast
I’m a mothafuckin’ BK savage, you heard?
And I heard about that bitch miscarriage

Ouch. Being that Nicki Minaj isn’t looking for anyone’s studio right now (she’s currently in Paris living it up alongside fashion’s elite), it seems as if Remy might have to divert her attention to Foxy for now (unless, of course, Lil Kim decides to drop a diss record). In related news, Remy and Fat Joe recently appeared on Wendy Williams, where she further explained why she dissed Nicki in the first place. Check can enjoy Foxy’s snippet and Wendy’s interview below.

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Where are they now? Take a look below.

Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige has had her music featured on numerous film soundtracks, been featured magazine covers and has acted in film and television shows. She has also gone on to win 9 Grammys. Mary J. Blige is currently the host of Real Talk on Beats 1 Radio. The show premiered in November and has featured Jada Pinkett Smith, Tyrese Gibson, Demi Lovato and other guests.

The Notorious B.I.G.

May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997

On March 9, 1997,  The Notorious B.I.G. was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc album Life After Death, released 16 days later, rose to No. 1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000, one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification. Two more albums have been released since his death.

Foxy Brown

Foxy Brown is an American rapper, model, and actress. On August 14, 2012, Foxy Brown appeared as a special featured guest on Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday Tour in New York City. On August 15, 2013, Foxy Brown appeared on MTV Rapfix and announced her fourth studio album tentatively titled Bandz Up and a single of the same name, produced by Joe Milly, which was set to be released December 24, 2013, but was not released for unknown reasons. Foxy has also had a slew of legal trouble and personal health issues regarding her hearing. Recently Brown said her hearing is fine now, and is excited about recording and performing again. According to NY Daily News, she also received a key to the city from Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams recognizing her as one of the “Leaders of Tomorrow” for her music.

Memphis Bleek

Memphis Bleek currently hosts parties and making vlogs. Since Reasonable Doubt he discovered Rick Ross.

Sauce Money

In 2006, he appeared at Jay-Z’s ‘I Declare War’ concert to perform “Reservoir Dogs.” Sauce Money also released a 2008 single entitled “Listen 2 Me”, sampling the Oompa-Loompas from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Big Jaz

Besides being an emcee, he has produced songs for several hip hop artists other than Jay-Z, such as Group Home, M.O.P, Ras Kass, Rakim, Kool G Rap Neilleon and others.

Mecca

In 2014 his single “ZOOM ZOOM” was featured in numerous workout DVD’s as well as VH1’s Single Ladies and Fox’s Red Band Society, and then featured again in Chasing Life on ABC Family (now FreeForm) in 2015. His single “FLAT STOMACH” was the premiere single at the 2014 Labo Ethnik Fashion & Lifestyle week in Paris.

Pain in Da Ass

Has a budding acting career and continues to appear on multi-platinum albums.

DJ Clark Kent

DJ Clark Kent is a hip-hop DJ and producer. He is well known as a sneaker collector and has worked with Nike a handful of times in creating sneakers, many of them carrying his signature 112 look. According to SneakerNews.com, Kent has also teamed up with Adidas Originals under the Quickstrike monicker featuring a two-pack of classic three stripe silhouettes with subdued woodland camouflage accents throughout.

Jay-Z

Jay-Z has been a busy man since his Reasonable Doubt days. The 21 time Grammy winner is not only a music power house but a business mogul as well. His empire, according to Business Insider, includes:

Roc Nation, LLC 

An American entertainment company founded by rapper Jay-Z in 2008. The company has offices in New York City, London and Los Angeles. It is a full service entertainment company housing a record label, talent agency, touring and concert production company, music, film, and television production company as well as a music publishing house. The company is home to a diverse roster of recording artists, musicians and record producers such as J. Cole, Big Sean, Rihanna, Kanye West, Grimes, Demi Lovato, DJ Khaled, T.I. and Rita Ora. The company also has partnerships with global management companies Three Six Zero and Philymack. The firm has a multi-year partnership with live event company Live Nation. In June 2009, Roc Nation signed a 4-year distribution deal with Sony Music. In 2010, Roc Nation partnered with London-based entertainment company Three Six Zero Group. In February 2013, Roc Nation signed a worldwide music publishing administration deal with Warner/Chappell Music. In April 2013, Roc Nation formed a new sports management division, Roc Nation Sports, a subsidiary dedicated to sports representation for professional athletes. Shortly thereafter, Roc Nation Sports also launched a boxing promotion division. After the Sony deal expired, in April 2013, Roc Nation signed a multi-year partnership with Universal Music. In February 2015, Roc Nation and Three Six Zero Group announced the formation of Three Six Zero Entertainment, a division representing clients in film, television and the literary arts.

The New Jersey Nets

Jay-Z is a part owner of the NBA team the New Jersey Nets. Last year Forbes valued it at $269 million.

The 40/40 Club

Jay-Z founded The 40/40 club, a chain of sports bars with a club atmosphere. The club now has eight locations, including Tokyo and Macao.

The Spotted Pig

After investing in the semi-famous chic New York bistro in the West Village, Jay-Z bought the entire building. The place is Michelin-starred and doesn’t empty.

Rocawear

Jay-Z founded Rocawear back in 1995 and has promoted the hell out of it since, and it’s worked. He sold the company for $204 million in 2007, but retains creative and operational control.

Carol’s Daughter

Jay-Z co-owns the Carol’s Daughter line of perfumes and beauty products. The line has been featured on shows like the Tyra Banks Show and Oprah.

Decoded

Jay-Z is publishing a book called Decoded, built around his lyrics and that is, according to the WSJ, “a hybrid of music history, social commentary and memoir.”

What’s interesting here from a business perspective is the innovative promotion: Jay-Z got Microsoft to put up $1 million to promote the book as part of an initiative with Bing. Pretty cool.

Reebok

In a four-year partnership, Jay-Z became the first non-athlete to have a line of Reebok shoes named after himself, the S.Carter line, which was popular.

Budweiser Select

In 2006 he didn’t just star in ads for Budweiser Select, but he also helped craft them.

Cherry Cola, HP, Translation Advertising

Coca-Cola, the world’s greatest brand, brought in Jay-Z to advise on the redesign and relaunch of Cherry Coke. Most of these brand partnerships (Budweiser, Coke, HP) go through the ad agency Jay-Z cofounded with Steve Stoute, a serial entrepreneur who had sold his previous company to Interpublic, the third largest ad agency conglomerate.

To read up more on Reasonable Doubt, hit up the respect-mag.com site. It’s Jay Day, All Day Baby!

The post ‘Reasonable Doubt’: Where Are They Now appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

It has recently been brought to light that rap veteran, Foxy Brown has allegedly been the victim of an airport theft, with the thief running off with at least $100, 000 worth of valuables.

Brown (born Inga Marchand) flew to Palm Springs, California last week to perform for the Greater Palm Springs LGBT Festival . It was when she landed in LAX at American Airlines she realized her suitcase filled with high-end tangible goods were gone.

Like any normal person would in this circumstance, Brown filed a complaint with the airline authorities and her case is under investigation. There happens to be footage of a person abducting her suitcase but unfortunately no ID on who the suspect is.

Over the weekend, Brown took to her Instagram page to express to her fans the disbelief of her predicament and how authorities are justifying the situation.

?ATTENTION? FAMILY, you know I’m an exceedingly strong woman and have endured what would’ve flatlined most; but I need to air out a very personal, disturbing VIOLATION (which we plan to address further publicly). Fans saw my performance at the PALM SPRINGS, CALI GAY PRIDE FESTIVAL last FRIDAY but what you guys didn’t know…(trusting the investigative process takes it’s course) is that I was ROBBED hours before the show (luggage stolen on videotape) at LAX AIRPORT for over 100K worth of my most valuable, LUXURY possessions at the @AMERICANAIR BAGGAGE CLAIM. Still, (filled with ineffable fury) I could NOT disappoint my LGBT FANS; mustered the strength to perform and lit the stage! Airport security was immediately alerted and we’ve spoken to Detectives, but the THIEF who’s on CAMERA FOOTAGE is still on these streets!!! Material things can very well be replaced, but some items are true FOX VINTAGE and we’re horrified that a week later we have NO answers. We intend to vigorously pursue until JUSTICE is served and my possessions found. My ABIDING FAITH IN CHRIST?? kept me thru my most vicious storms, so to THIS just know I’m SUITED UP IN HIS ARMOR watch him MOVE! Not just the “protocol” of the AIRLINE but the slow feedback from law enforcement shocks the conscience. I’m definitely NO “conspiracy theorist” but we were there the night my close friend BIGGIE? was murdered and more often than not, HIP HOP stars are blatantly targeted or their plights swept under the rug. Cut from the cloth of the “go hard” who, (before FOXY BROWN ever existed) chose not to retreat but go hard, so every young black boy and girl is afforded swift justice when VIOLATED, gives us the fight to find this bastard. Thank You @TMZ_TV & HARVEY LEVIN WE JUST WANT ANSWERS! #WatchGOD @rachelnoerd

A video posted by KING FOX?2016 KEY TO BROOKLYN! (@foxybrown) on May 14, 2016 at 4:51am PDT

It is very unfortunate how adversity has seem to follow Foxy over the years. However, these dilemmas have never prevented her from showing love to the loyal fan base she built through the early years of her career.

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The post Foxy Brown Lost 100K Worth of Valuables During Airport Robbery appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

This is not to take focus off of Kanye West‘s recent moves and successes, but to shed light on an old sound he used to offer from 1996 to 2000. If you study Kanye’s production over the years you will certainly notice a development in sound, as expected from any artist with longevity in this hip-hop game. We will be breaking down strictly production in this article, while also take note of his early emceeing days as well. In the summer of 1996 Fat Beats made a big store-front shift, and during their grand opening night Kanye could be found alongside Al Tariq, Butter Lee and Black Attack on some raw, smooth 90’s tip. There is a good chance you will learn something new from at least one or two of these audio clips below. If not, take it as a refreshing reminder or something that you can talk to your brother or co-worker about later on today. Enjoy:

Chicago emcee Grav released his heavily slept on Down To Earth in 1996 under Correct Records. Kanye West produced a total of eight records on this album, making it his debut appearance on wax. Notice the raw boom-bap sound he was rocking here. Aside from Grav’s lyrical debauchery, the album’s production alone was given a lot of credit. “Sick Thoughts” is a standout record. So much so, that all hip-hop heads should have it in their stash.

In 1998 Jermaine Dupri released his debut Life in 1472 LP, with “Turn It Out” featuring Nas serving as the introduction track. This is a straight up party record, really highlighting those early So-So Def days we all remember all too well. Kanye West had some fun with this joint, tastefully utilizing some Willie Hutch and Davy DMX on the samples.

After Foxy Brown‘s successful 1996 Ill Na Na, she returned in 1999 with her sophomore release China Doll. The album is loaded with concrete features and production, with Kanye being the producer on “My Life.” Kick back with this dreamy, relaxing hook while scratching your head in shock if you didn’t already know Ye was on the boards.

Harlem World was a short lived collective, with only one album release titled The Movement, also from 1999. “You Made Me” appears near the beginning of the album, and features Carl Thomas and Nas. Kanye West appeared to keep this one pretty simple, allowing the emcees to do what they do.

Do you remember the voice on the introduction to Biggie‘s “Kick In The Door?” How about Black Rob‘s “Whoa!?” That is producer/emcee D-Dot (The Madd Rapper) who released his debut LP in 2000 titled Tell ‘Em Why U Madd, with Kanye West on the science. This is a real zone-out, mellow cut from Kanye’s super early catalogue.

With all that being said, we hope you learned at least one thing from this article about Ye and his early production. If you didn’t learn anything, maybe this was simply a refreshing reminder for you hip-hop junkies that he has been doing his thing for quite some time, and not just some overnight pop star that the younger generation may view him as.

Wait, here goes that bonus footage from 1996 at Fat Beats, as mentioned in our introduction. You’re welcome:

The post Vintage Kanye West: Pre-College Dropout (1996-2000) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Such depths aren’t common, which makes his latest offering even more exhilarating. Cham’s collaboration with Damien Marley on “Fighter” is fierce and uncompromising, the two churning out a layered track that can be appreciated in the club as well as in the car.  Cham has created a deeply delicate record that manifests in embracing chords of frustration and self-awareness so stern that they’re haunting. RESPECT spoke with the Grammy-nominated artist about his foray into music, his ever-evolving fanbase, working with Foxy Brown and Alicia Keys and more.

RESPECT: What kind of music did you listen to growing up in Jamaica?

Cham: Growing up in Jamaica, we listened to all different type of music – reggae, dancehall, ska, rocksteady, soca, calypso, r&b, rap, pop – you name it, Jamaicans love music, and not just one genre.

How do you feel about reggae these days?

I love reggae music. It’s world music and so is dancehall. Yes, we would love for more to be done in promoting the music and for record labels  to step forward and invest a lot more. As much as the production, you have a lot of kids out there that are young and are doing their own productions. You can’t even blame them because they don’t even have a Steely & Clevie or Dave Kelly around them to show them the ropes, so you can’t really blame them for their level of production. You have to just hope that they study a little bit more and that they will raise their level of game.

Is music as fulfilling as you thought it would be?

[Laughs] I love music; music is everything that I thought it would be and even more. It gives me an opportunity to travel the whole world and learn about other people’s cultures. It also gives me an opportunity to take care of my family, and at the same time it’s not even a job, you’re really enjoying yourself and doing what you do best while getting paid for it.

You write really well about the underprivileged. Where do you feel that comes from?

It comes from my background. Growing up where we grew up in Jamaica, it was my mom by herself. She had to do two jobs and at the same time throw parties, sell peanuts, grater cakes and whatever she had to sell to make sure we went to a good school. There was no dad around at the time. It was just four of us living together, and you know what that’s like with four kids in a house where all of us had to go to high school. In Jamaica there are no free schools, so that meant all of us had to pay school fees. It was hard, but she is the one who basically stuck it out. The neighborhood which we grew up in wasn’t a soft neighborhood. It was rough and up until now it’s still rough. So just by looking at people’s lives alone and what I grew up seeing around me, is basically what reflects in my music.

Let’s talk about “Fighter” for a minute. First of all, do you ever see yourself as a future politician?

You never know what the future holds. Probably it’s going to take kids like us coming up to become politicians and to right the wrongs that have been done in Jamaica and throughout the world. You never know, but for now, no, I don’t see myself as a politician.

So exactly what message are you fighting to get across with this record?

It’s one of those records that let’s you see a light at the end of the tunnel, if you weren’t seeing a light. It’s one of those records that is relevant right now, because you find that so many people are loosing their jobs and are finding it hard in their day-to-day living. “Fighter” is one of them songs that you will listen and know that it’s not you alone going through this struggle, there a lot of people, so let’s fight.

How was it working with Damien Marley? I’ve never read a bad word about him. How is that possible?

[Laughs] Damian “Jr Gong” Marley is one of them individuals that are just unique in their own way. He’s just a calm soul, very relaxed, very humble. I got a call at like 5 or 6 in the morning from my producer Dave Kelly, who had found the hook for the song and had mentioned that Akon would sound good on the hook. We’ve always had a relationship with Akon from sometime ago, so he wanted to reach out to him, but when I heard it I knew it was “Jr Gong.” So I told him no, I’d rather reach out to “Jr Gong. To his credit when I did, he said, “Let’s get in the studio right now.” We went into the studio in the evening and it was like magic. We were just vibing, it was like a party. It wasn’t like a recording session because it was just so loose and free. He is someone who loves making music. He’s the type of dude that sleeps all day and then goes into the studio at 10 in the night and comes out at 10 the next morning, that’s how he does it.

In the chorus on “Fighter,” there’s a line where he says, “We grind cause the system does not favor the common man.” What does that mean?

The system favors the wealthy. We are basically what they call the minimum wage, the middle class. Yes, some of us make it out because of athletics, music or sports, but at the same time that’s where we’re from. So the system does not favor us. We are not expected to survive and that’s why we are fighters — we will survive [laughs].

Does the world need more Barack Obama’s?

The word needs more Barack Obama’s, more Bob Marley’s, more Jr Gong’s, more Cham’s and more strong positive leaders on a whole.

Back to the music, Damien has a distinctive style which is something everybody tends to talks about: the fact that he can combine singing and rapping. How do you feel he represents the track?

I personally don’t think we could have gotten a better delivery out of that song from another musician. So as far as representing it, he killed the track. Respect to Jr Gong, the track killer.

You have a very strong delivery style and presence on your records. I think it’s a presence that makes you stand out. Where do you draw your lyrical inspiration from?

To me, an artist is like a mirror of society and whatever society reflects we have to reflect it back through music, words, melodies and sounds.  I read newspapers and whatever that is going on around me is what I try to get inspiration from.

The range of things you’ve achieved over your career is pretty extensive. What do you currently bring to reggae that isn’t already on the page?

I bring Cham-blend. You don’t have a Baby Cham before Baby Cham. I bring that consistency in terms of music and lyrics, especially the way how I play with words in songs like, “Bumper Kart,” “Vitamin S,” “This Is Why I’m Hot” and “Ghetto Story.” We bring that hardcore vibe to the mainstream world. Those are hardcore records that have become pop records. If you check the track record, you will see that’s what I have done.

Your success in different eras has given you a multi-generational appeal. Are fans maturing with you, or do you feel like you’re getting older while your fans are getting younger?

[Laughs] A couple of months ago this 14-year-old came up to me and said that his favorite song was “Ghetto Story,” and that means he was 7-years-old when the song came out. I think the life span and longevity of my songs has been the best thing for me in keeping up with that fan base. Nowadays, I find that my fans are actually getting younger. The first time I toured Europe, I was performing for real hardcore reggae crowds, but now we’re packing venues with teenagers and that’s a good thing. I hope it keeps on going that way.

Your single “Ghetto Story” from your 2006 album wasn’t a hit initially when it was released, but it certainly made a lot of noise when Alicia Keys appeared on the remix. Who called whom?

As far as it wasn’t a hit, I wouldn’t agree with that. “Ghetto Story” was already big when Alicia Keys reached out to us – that was the reason why she reached out. It was number 15 on the Billboard chart when Alicia called us, and when she went on it, it went into the top 10 and peaked at number three. Basically, she wanted to let the world know her story. A lot of people didn’t know she came from the background that she was singing about in “Ghetto Story.”

The way people digest music now is a lot different than it was 10 years ago. Don’t you think if you were to do a sequel to “Ghetto Story,” it’d have a better shot at going to number one?

Probably it would have a better shot, yes, or probably not. You never know because at the same time you need that record label backing to really push the record. But as much as people are concerned it was the number one record at the time — Billboard voted it 7th in the top 100 songs in that year, Rolling Stone voted it number 5 out of their top 100, and Vibe voted it their 10th top 100 song of 2006.

How did you become Cham from Baby Cham?

Baby Cham is for the ladies, but Cham was basically launched after my second album. During the time when we were working on the album, the idea was that nothing about my music was baby anymore, so we decided to take the “baby” off and use Cham only.  In terms of the music and life on a whole, I had grown so much so that there was nothing baby about me anymore. That’s why we decided to go with Cham on that album.

So, it wasn’t you feeling uncomfortable being called “Baby” when in fact you’re an adult?

No. I love being called “Baby,” especially by the females and it’s the female alone who called me baby. I am their baby [laughs].

I know a lot of fans, especially when it comes to success love to embrace artists when they break into the mainstream, which you started doing after collaborating with Rihanna on “Boom Boom”. How did that sudden exposure of attention affect you?

It didn’t really affect me in my personal life because I had always been on the road. Being a dancehall artist is different from being a rap or r&b artist, because they don’t have core fans. They basically go off whatever the mainstream brings to them. However, I’m on the road every week doing shows. The only thing that mainstream does is cut a bigger check and allow your music to go in more households than it would normally be in.

I don’t think any of your collaborations enjoyed the success that you had alongside Foxy Brown on “Tables Will Turn.” How did you two meet?

That is a dancehall-hip hop classic. I met Foxy in 1998. She came to a concert of mine in Connecticut, and said she was a big fan of my music. We called her up on stage, and the crowd went crazy. She had a grand time that night in our VIP section. She enjoyed the show and since then, until now, she’s like a sister of mine.

Is there any jealousy in the Jamaican music industry?

Jealousy is everywhere in the music industry. [Laughs] You name it from Biggie to Tupac, from The Beatles to Michael Jackson; it’s in every genre of music, not just Jamaican music.

Of the current reggae and dancehall heavyweights, there haven’t been many artists similar to you that have formed in your wake. Does that worry you?

No — to each their own. Seven different brothers, seven different minds. You probably don’t have people who structure their career like you, but you shouldn’t let that worry you. In the future, I’m sure there will be kids who will structure their career just how I structured mine and how I did it my way.

What else do you have going on surrounding your release?

We have a female dance track called “Bend Down” featuring O, which is out now and is doing well. I also have my Lawless clothing line, and we are on the grind working non-stop trying to make sure that we keep the fans happy.

If someone wants to make a Cham biopic. Who would you want to play you?

I would like me to play me — who better to play me? [Laughs] We’re still young, still fresh and vibrant, let’s make that movie.

You can join @thecham and @damianmarley’s Fighter Movement campaign on Twitter using #FighterMovement and stating what you’re fighting against.

“Fighter” will be released in the UK on February 17.

The post Interview: Dancehall Singer Cham Fights the Good Fight appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.