I recently had the pleasure of chopping it up with Harlem’s pop expressionist artist Justin West (formally known as Jay West). From Renaissance influences to old school cartoons, he can literally do it all and is definitely one of the most important visual artists of are time. You may have seen him on HYPEBEAST or may have spotted him discussing his influences with Sprite, but he is far more than what meets the eye. Not only is Jay West responsible for doing the artwork behind A$AP Rocky‘s videos like “Peso” and “Purple Swag” but has also made many contributions (along with our trap lord A$AP Ferg) to the beloved and highly respected Bape . Whether you’ve been able to witness his creative work yet or not, he is definitely a force to be reckon with and I got the interview to prove it . Be sure to check out the recap of his latest solo exhibition in Seattle below as well as what he’s bringing to table, his upbringing with A$AP Ferg, and what he has coming up next all at my blog Everything Boisterous.

The post A Harlem Visionary: Jay West appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Jae Tips has been nothing but prepared for his moment to shine. The lyrical beast his been releasing tracks on top of tracks and he has finally received the attention he deserves. Now that all eyes are on him, Jae has decided to release his newest track, “Unappreciated.” The Dizz produced track is deep and is an expression of how Jae felt for quite some time as an under appreciated artist. The single was quite special to Jae so he decided to keep it off his most recent mixtape, Hypebeast but he’s ready to let everyone hear his thoughts. Check out “Unappreciated” below and let us know what you think! And if you are feeling the track, go check out Jae Tips perform it live tonight at SOBs; flyer is below!

The post Premiere: Jae Tips “Unappreciated” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Jae Tips has released his full-length mixtape titled “Hypebeast.” This project features 15 tracks that make for an all-around solid project. Check it out here.

The post Jae Tips Gives Us His New Mixtape “Hypebeast” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Most folks first caught wind of Maryland native Uno Hype following a standout guest appearance on “HYPE/Beast” by the late Capital STEEZ. Around that time he also released his stellar but underrated Fxck the Hype tape with features from the likes of Smoke Dza and Pro Era emcees Joey Bada$$ and CJ Fly. Still, though, folks continued to sleep. Now the DMV representative brings us his commanding second offering, Be Good, a compact 11 tracks that whets your appetite for more. While he was a solid rapper before, he has an even greater mastery of his robust voice now, rolling syllables on top of one another with extreme finesse. The project has features from only previous collaborators Smoke Dza and Hassani Kwess. Production is handled by DJ Dahi, BrandUn DeShay, DJ Black Diamond, and Kenny Keys among others. Steam and download below.

The post New Mixtape: Uno Hype – Be Good appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Hypebeast is back with the second part of their “Dissecting Creativity” series, featuring Pharrell Williams. Pharrell speaks on his involvement with the Liberatum Hong Kong Festival and who he viewed as competition while growing up.

You can pick up his new book, Pharrell: Places and Spaces I’ve Been, over at Amazon.

The post Video: Dissecting Creativity with Pharrell Williams, Part 2 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

In our first colloquial dialogue with Pharrell — of which there will be an eventual two parts — he touches on everything from art, managing projects, his thoughts on the difference of American and Asian cuisine as well as sharing memories from his past experiences with NIGO.

via HYPEBEAST

The post Video: Dissecting Creativity with Pharrell Williams, Part 1 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.