Featuring sultry lyrics, a swanky 70’s theme, and a very lucky stuffed bear, UK singer Taliwhoah teams up with SBTV and Spacey Blak to drop off her latest video for “Funk”.

If you’ve been paying attention, Tali has been teasing this song and video for quite some time now, so it’s awesome that we finally get it. Not to mention that her timing couldn’t be better, as today is Valentine’s Day.

If you need more songs for that sex playlist that you have revved up for tonight, make sure you add “Funk”, and be on the lookout for Taliwhoah’s upcoming EP, The New Wave Order.

The post It’s Valentine’s Day and All, But Taliwhoah Just Wants to “Funk” (Video) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The saying goes, “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue,” and very rarely does one get all of that and more in a single package, much less a single album. But here I am, in the living room of my West Philadelphia apartment, receiving a gift fit for someone entering a long term commitment. And I suppose I am, in some ways, committing to this music. This album is loving me back or, at least, I like to think it is. Whether it’s the way he marries lighthearted pimpin’ with a coarse, sultry tenor, or the funky bass riddled boom bap that has become a hallmark of his brand of hip hop, it’s safe to say that Anderson .Paak is making his own lane in an industry that has become altogether cut-and-paste.

If Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly is the album that urged hip hop back to its jazz and soul roots, then Malibu is the album to solidify this new era with an unmatched accessibility. The culprit’s name is Anderson .Paak, formerly known as Breezy Lovejoy, who is often cited as the grooviest man in the room. Malibu has dropped after a year marked by a relentless campaign of releases and collaborations with the likes of Knxwledge, Tokimonsta, and most notably Dr. Dre. His prominence on Compton, from tracks like “Animals” and “All In A Day’s Work”, brought him a considerable amount of attention and set the stage for a breakout release in this most recent LP.

On Malibu, .Paak delivers a unique mix of grit and longing in his vocals that helps elevate the album from fitting neatly into a single genre. The matrimony of singing and rapping intertwined with incredibly refreshing production from the likes of 9th Wonder, Madlib, Hi-Tek, and many others creates a soundscape that travels back and forth in time without missing a beat. On the tracks “Am I Wrong” featuring Schoolboy Q, and Lightweight, we find ourselves in a disco laden groove with .Paak giving us his best McFadden & Whitehead impression. On the slower, more sensual cuts (i.e. The Waters, Room In Here ft. The Game, and Waterfall), we receive an irresistibly smooth, sly voice that’s convincing us to stay for awhile. But what is most distinct about this album is the mastery of Anderson’s cadence–the shift from rapid fire rhyming to swaying phrases to all out singing creates textures that are a delight for anyone with an open mind and a love of hip hop.

2016 is already on pace to be a phenomenal year in music. Malibu is out of the gate bright and early, on bended knee, asking for your affection, if only for the moments until another album whisks you away on another love affair. But that’s just it–it doesn’t take much convincing when the music loves you back. RE

Malibu is available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music, and if you dig it, slide the man $9.99. Consider it a gift to yourself, you deserve it.

The post REVIEW: Anderson .Paak Delivers with “Malibu” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Gorilla Glue, the new mixtape from underground staple DJ J-Scrilla (presented by M&&B and Maniiifest), is a seamless blend of funk, soul, and electro played at a slowed down speed with scratching, mixing, and remixes sprinkled throughout. According to DJ J-Scrilla, all the music on the project comes from 45″ vinyl records that are slowed to a 33 RPM speed, making them sound like they are “moving through glue,” hence the title. The title also has a double meaning, as it is also referencing a medicinal strain of marijuana called Gorilla Glue. If you like mash up megamixes, alternative music, remixes, screwed music or breaks, then hit play and let DJ J-Scrilla take you on a 32-minute journey through the quicksand.

Gorilla Glue artwork is also by DJ J-Scrilla and features music from the following artists:

Al Green, Soul Survivors, Otis & Carla, Lowell Fulsom, Maceo & The Macks, Shannon, Kraftwerk, Afrique, Arthur Baker, David Bowie, Rockwell, Jimmy “Bo” Horne, Al Hudson, Segments Of Time, The Five Stairsteps, The Jaggerz, Dennis Coffey, Pete Rock, AZ, Inspektah Deck, D’Angelo, The Invitations, Pat Lewis, Camron, Raekwon, Patrick Adams Initiative, Goodie Mob, Raheem DeVaughn

The post New Mixtape: DJ J-Scrilla – ‘Gorilla Glue’ Presented by M&&B and Maniiifest appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Thundercat – Apocalypse

“It’s superficial, the way that you listen // Open your ears and your mind // Just take the time to look a bit deeper // You’d be surprised what you find inside.”

The opening stanza of Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner’s song “Evangelion” is a contemplative bounce offering excellent advice on how to deal with both life and his latest album. The record, which was composed following the death of close friend and former Brainfeeder affiliate Austin Peralta, is a telling tale about personal loss and coming to terms with it. With Thundercat’s infamous six-stringed bass leading the tone of the album and co-producer Flying Lotus keeping equilibrium with his signature percussion ,the album is a refined effort that drowns genre divisions in a sea of sounds.

There are multiple ways to dive in. You can swim, float or sink into “The Life Aquatic,” where the duo teams up for the first of the albums instrumental offerings, or you can level up to the more optimistic “Special Stage,” where Thundercat and FlyLo take you on a mellow ride that is something like cruising along rainbow road with the top down. On the reassuring “Tron Song,” Flying Lotus’ bouncy production melds with the harmony of Thundercat’s airy vocals, becoming nearly pulse-like.

In addition to “Tron Song,” the album offers another largely instrumental track by the name of “Seven.” Taking a page out of the late Dave Brubeck‘s book, Thundercat and Flylo churn out a mind-blowing prog-rock jam with a tricky seven-four (7/4) time signature. Then they lightly strut into the undeniably funky “Oh Sheit It’s X.” Based on a true story, this space-age jam is sure to have you dancing in ecstasy.

And as if the combined talents of the Brainfeeder music wizards wasn’t enough, they also enlist the help of Thomas Pridgen of The Mars Volta. Pridgen offers up a killer drum solo on “Lotus and the Jondy”, solidifying the fact that this isn’t your run of the mill Soul/Electronica offering. Dancing from soul to prog rock to jazz and back, the album showcases the possibilities that emerge when an artist is willing to shun the limitations of genres.

Most interesting is how, building on personal experiences, Thundercat finds a way to directly yet delicately address the subject of death, reminding you to “do your best” through it all on the short but sweet, “We’ll Die.” That heartfelt offering leads right into a charged symphony titled “Message for Austin.“ With the spirit of friend and collaborator Austin Peralta looming nearby, the records closing track  “Enter the Void” combines some ritualistic percussion and softly chiming bells. Strangely, that combination perfectly loops back into the album’s start, encouraging you to drift back over the previous eleven tracks to take the journey once again.

Apocalypse is an eclectic ride that has something to offer everybody,from those who have experienced loss to those eager for the next leg of life’s journey. The careful blurring of genre’s display both Thundercat’s expansive talents and his progression since his debut album. Available now for digital purchase here, the Vinyl and CD versions of Apocalypse are set to release June 9th. If you don’t already have your digital version, you’d be advised to grab a hard copy and take this musical journey.

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As contemporary hip-hop fans bob their heads to today’s unprecedented influx of fresh female femcee’s, they are easy to forget the soul, funk, and disco sirens who paved the way for black female musicians. Fortunately, to rescue comes acclaimed Canadian producer, DJ Skratch Bastid, here to remind us of hip-hop’s roots and bless us with sounds from the past’s most talented, trail blazing, songresses. His new project, “Soul Sisters Stand Up,”  pays homage to wonderful women of the mid 60s and 70s who brought the jams, long before the likes of Lauryn Hill or Missy Elliot. In a collaboration with fellow producer The Gaff, the duo concocts a masterfully mixed, choped-and-screwed compilation of classic hits by an array of powerfully empowered female vocalists from the golden era of soul.

Dj Skratch Bastid describes his project as “a snapshot of love, pain, happiness, oppression, strength, struggle, and more from an era when records were the primary outlet for these voices.These messages are driven home by the beats and grooves from what is undeniably the funkiest decade in music history.” Of course, Bastid and Gaff enhance the funk by adding carefully executed scratches, routine turntablelism, and conjoining Hip Hop tracks. In effect, they are able to highlight the the already- outstanding performances of Aretha, Diana, Davis, Levette, and Drew  to create a mixtape that is, dare I say, flawless.

The post New Music: DJ Skratch Bastid and The Gaf — <em>Soul Sisters Stand Up!</em> appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.