By: 1501 Certified Ent

1501 Certified Records founder and CEO Carl Crawford, has transitioned from Major League Baseball to the music business in a major way. His love for music and the city of Houston, Texas prompted him to found his own label providing new opportunities for local acts in town. Having discovered and signed Meghan Thee Stallion, his raw passion for discovering and breaking new artist is unmatched. To show the city of Atlanta what type of talent is coming out of Houston, Crawford and his roster of artists including HOT GIRL Meg, Railey Rose, D Raww, and Kona Lisa, are taking over the city this week!

I caught up with the music tycoon for a candid interview, as he openly discusses transitioning from the MLB to the music business. Check it out below.

Carl Crawford Interview 

The post 1501 Certified Ent. Founder Carl Crawford Talks Discovering Meg Thee Stallion, Working With J. Prince & Bringing Houston to ATL appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

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UPDATE: Pusha T is also saying the beef is over, following “conversations.” Okay.

What a different world we’re in in regards to Hip-Hop battles. Following Pusha T‘s “The Story of Adidon” (which was in itself a reply to Drake‘s “Duppy Freestyle“), Rap-A-Lot head honcho and southern Rap pioneer J. Prince has declared the battle to be over.

Currently on a press run for his new memoir, The Art and Science of Respect, Prince sat down with Sways Universe, The Breakfast Club and Desus & Mero (along with others, I’m sure) to speak on how the mentioned battle crossed lines and was headed the way of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G.:

I definitely feel like it crossed the line where music was concerned; the disrespect for his mother, the disrespect for his father, for 40 — a man that’s dying — I know these people so I felt like that was totally disrespectful. After even speaking with Kanye because I spoke with the brother and he didn’t want this and I saw this going to a place that I feel would’ve ended his career if Drake would’ve put out the song that he had on him. It definitely would’ve hurt families and we’re not in it for that. That’s not Drake’s character to tear a man down to that extent.

Other news stories also state that the now-vaulted diss track was more so a destroyer for G.O.O.D. Music boss Kanye West…unfortunately, we may never know.

So, yea…you can check out the interviews below. Thoughts?

Suggested Articles:

Pusha T Talks New Diss Track & More with ‘The Breakfast Club’, Funk Flex

NEW ALBUM FRIDAY: Pusha T, A$AP Rocky & Zaytoven

The post J. Prince Defends Drake During Press Run, Declares That the Battle is Dead appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Devin the Dude doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. The soft-spoken everyman isn’t afraid to call bullshit when appropriate—he’s written beautifully about caste and injustice in America—yet he is rarely angry or invective. When it comes to being neighborly and approachable, he is without equal. In fact, an argument could be made that 1998’s The Dude was in fact the most charming rap debut album since De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising. (The cover depicts him squatting on a toilet, newspaper in hand.) Devin spent his most productive years on the Houston imprint Rap-A-Lot. Hip-hop labels can be pushy and myopically bottom line-driven, but Rap-A-Lot founder J. Prince made a nurturing home for his flagship artist. Devin’s first four LPs were eccentric, honest and sweet-natured at a time when those adjectives could not be applied to most rap music. Rap-A-Lot later went down belly-up, leaving Devin temporarily orphaned, but he’s much too comfortable in his own skin to diminish with changing circumstances.

One For the Road is contagiously upbeat, an album of ultrabutter melodies, well-timed jokes and deliberate, drawly rapping. In the songs, Devin portrays a humble reefer head dealing with the challenges of a cash-strapped lifestyle: cold-fish girlfriends, rude grocery shoppers, cars that won’t start. He’s too skinny to fight and sometimes too impotent to fuck, but he takes it all in stride. Few emcees are gutsy enough to admit feeling emasculated by their significant others, but as Devin did on “Cootie Brown” a decade ago, he always prioritizes truth telling over macho myth-building. On One For the Road, he imparts lessons learned as an adult, Tuesdays With Morrie-style. “Stop Waitin’” offers counsel to the makers of jaded singles, and “Reach It” implores overthinking listeners to get up, get out and get something.

Rarely does his self-help this sort feel corny or perfidious. The redundant “Please Don’t Smoke Cheese” cautions against crack use, which feels a bit anachronistic since crack use is increasingly rare these days, but otherwise friendly humanitarianism comes naturally to Devin. He rhymes in a soothing, unforced brogue and sings his hooks in an empathetic falsetto. “Fresh Air” is a great track about respecting the homeless, with consolatory flutes and guitars.

One For the Road differs in one aspect from other Devin albums: the production is more challenging. Whereas 2007’s Waitin’ to Inhale was nothing but baby-making grooves and vibey Fender Rhodes (think Brothers Johnson or The Time), One For the Road takes a few exploratory detours. It’s not like Devin to rap over distortion or distant tribal drums, but that’s what he does on “Livin’ This Life” and “I Hope We Don’t Get Too Drunk,” respectively. Nevertheless, this is not cause for alarm. All in all, Devin is still Devin, still providing sunshiny falsetto funk and introspection strewn with cheeky humor. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer, One For the Road is worth your time. Don’t sleep.

Written by M.T. Richards.

The post Don’t Sleep: Devin the Dude – One For the Road appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.