As artists try to figure out the best way to navigate the industry, RMG’s very own, Canon is speaking up so artists don’t get left in the dust.

Coming off the release of his album, Home, Canon has just dropped the visual for his track, “You Got Me” which speaks to the ups and downs of the music industry. Canon touches on the dangers of not staying alert and paying attention to who you bring into your circle. Though his experiences have been different, Canon has seen what the industry has done to others and through his music, he hopes to help other artists avoid those tough times.

Watch the visual for “You Got Me” below and make sure to listen to Home!

Check out our interview with Canon below and stay tuned for more to come!

RESPECT.: Tell us about the meaning behind “You Got Me” and how the concept came along?

“You Got Me” was aimed towards the culture and the industry. The industry is always looking for who they can expose or exploit next in order to make another dollar for another day. Or in the industries case, thousands of dollars for another day off of your talents and work ethic. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice then shame on me.” There are so many ins and outs to finding success in the industry but there’s a lot of realities people may not tell you until it’s too late. Thank God I’m not that victim. You’ll soon find how contracts work, the integrity and lack thereof from others in the business, the continual fight for relevance, the art in playing the numbers game, how many streams of income you need to remain successful, touring, marketing an album etc. In my little 19 year old mind, 10 years ago I would have thought, “Oh you just make music in the studio and get paid.” In a sense yes but entirely, no. You have to continue finding outlets for yourself. Not everyone here is for you and not everyone currently here will always be there when your not popping. It’s every man and label for his or herself and you have to keep that in mind. Otherwise you will most definitely give so much in hopes it being reciprocated just to find out you’ve been doing people favors for years and have gotten nothing in return. So…yeah you got me at first but I grew up quick thanks my label and team.

RESPECT.: What do you want listeners/viewers to get from this song?

I want listeners to think for themselves and watch very carefully the people that are in their lives. Either they will bring you up or bring you down. This industry, this world period, is not innocent. Watch closely the people you invite into your career, home and close relationships.

RESPECT.: Tell us a little bit about ‘Home’ and how the idea of the album came about.

I wanted people to be proud of what Home is for them. We live in a very compare and contrast society where clout is the new drug in our generation. And many are slowly overdosing. You can’t appreciate what you have if you continue looking left and right at what the next man has. Every home should reflect culture, history, morals, ethics, irreplaceable relationships, brokenness, vulnerability, emotion, confidence, pride etc.  these in which are beautiful. If Home is where the heart is then our hearts should be reflecting this rather then comparing from what others do or do not have that ends in materialism. In my opinion, we hold on to material so much because we lose sight and appreciation for things that are timeless and could never depreciate in value. The very things that here in our very homes today.

RESPECT.: Do you plan on taking ‘Home’ on the road?

We are planning a Home tour for my Day 1 fans. I pray this draws us closer as I share my life, history and culture with them on the road.

RESPECT.: Overall what is your message to fans? 

Neither one of us is perfect. We are only able to strive for such a thing but will never achieve it in our own wisdom and strength. Just simply focus on loving and serving God and others while challenging yourself to become a better person each day. We don’t need a false perception of you no matter what sells in the media. We need the best you, the honest you, the loving you, the understanding you. The inspiration to many, the friend to some and family to others. We need you, the best you because it’s through you we will make this world a better place. Live and die by your convictions. I’d rather die knowing what I stood for than live not knowing who I am or am becoming.

The post RESPECT. Premiere: Canon Shares Industry Knowledge on “You Got Me” [WATCH] appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The tragedy that took place at Sandy Hook elementary school was heartbreaking to say the least. Now, OnCue has teamed with Chris Webby for an uplifting record to remember the lives lost. You can stream the record below and purchase it on iTunes now. All proceeds will be donated to the Newtown families affected.

The post New Music: OnCue Feat. Chris Webby – “Home” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Now that the youngin’ Joey Bada$$ is back home from tour, he released a new snippet courtesy of Chuck Strangers‘ production. According to Joey’s Soundcloud, the track will be off of Strangers’ mixtape Freebass.

The post Snippet: Joey Bada$$ – “Home” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Photo by Sagan Lockhart

When Earl Sweatshirt returned form Samoa, the hip-hop community accepted him with open arms. As the young emcee has gotten back into the swing of things by making and releasing new music, some of those arms have started to take up arms, frequently firing shots at Earl for his alleged fall from grace. In true Odd Future fashion, Earl eventually took to the internet and responded with a sardonic tweet:

This nigga earl fell off bruh. This nigga boof.

— Earl Sweatshirt (@earlxsweat) July 21, 2012

It seems silly to debate whether or not Earl has fallen off– whatever that really even means. After all, he’s only released one song (“Home“). Other than that, all he has released is guest verses. Yet for some reason, Earl’s detractors see those verses as evidence of an imminent decline. Because these detractors can’t seem to shut up on their own, it’s time for an intervention.

First, it’s important to remember that Earl rose to prominence when he was not currently making music, kind of like an artist becoming popular after death or incarceration. Because Earl was neither making music nor able to talk about the music he made, the existing music and everything it embodied eclipsed him. In other words, because Earl was the dominant image of Earl and that image had nothing standing beside it, in fans’ minds, Earl is Earl. That image of Earl stands at odds with his experiences in Samoa and with Earl’s plans for the future. As expressed in Jon Caramanica’s article and more recent tweets Earl is done with Earl.

I hope i lose you as a fan if you only fuck with me cause i rapped about raping girls when i was 15.

— Earl Sweatshirt (@earlxsweat) August 12, 2012

That being said, the accusations being leveled against Earl aren’t necessarily about his content. According to the murmurs, post-Samoa Earl just isn’t as technically proficient as Earl. That doesn’t hold up. “Home,” Earl’s aptly named first released song upon his return, makes this apparent: “Mouth deliver poop, it’s spouting mucus from its stupid tongue/Alpha male, got the chickens looser than his cruising trucks/Losers get a Kuma Punch, I’m moving like a puma’s lunch.” The internal rhymes, the brash, impudent lyrics and the stunted delivery  that Earl is known for are all there. The only noticeable difference is a deeper voice and less undulation in Earl’s tone, products of physical maturation. In Syd the Kyd’s own words, Earl’s matured, but he hasn’t changed.

On his guest verses, Earl is just as vibrant as he is on “Home.” Domo Genesis’ “Elimination Chamber” and Frank Ocean’s “Super Rich Kids” feature an Earl that fits right in with the tone and concepts of the songs. Perhaps that’s the issue. While Earl was away, he stood out. Youthful, rebellious and absent in person, yet present in the music– the Earl we get on Earl is an iconoclast, an anomaly and an enigma. Now that he’s back, his tweets, his guest verses and video appearances constantly remind us that he is just like any other rapper. Put simply, now that Earl’s mystique is gone, the man himself stands in its wake.

In the end, the murmurs of a sophomore slump are nonsense. Earl hasn’t even started his next semester yet. So far, all he’s done is summer coursework. For fans who have always been more enthralled by the music than by the mystique, the former has been and will be the determining factor for any evaluations of Earl’s status. For those who are still in love with the mystique, that’s fine, but your relationship is a lie.

The post disRESPECT. To All The Earl Haters: He Hasn’t Fallen Off, Your Relationship Was Just A Lie appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.