Image credit: Polydor

UPDATE: Courtesy of director Nabil comes a new visual for “Mile High,” which has been added below…are James and Travis in the sunken place?

UK music chameleon James Blake is mere hours from the release of his new album Assume Form, his official follow-up to 2016’s The Colour In Anything. As a last-minute treat, fans get to check out a track from the project titled “Mile High,” a genre-bending collaboration with Metro Boomin and Travis Scott (NOTE: Scott worked with Blake before on the ASTROWORLD cut, “STOP TRYING TO BE GOD“).

Check out “Mile High” and the aforementioned album’s lead single “Don’t Miss It” below. Pre-order Assume Form (which also features André 3000) here is out now.

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The post NEW VIDEO: James Blake Connects with Metro Boomin & Travis Scott for “Mile High” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Image credit: Epic/Sony

Following a documentary and a selective interview run, Future officially returns with a new album titled The WIZRD, his seventh. The project sees 20 tracks and appearances from Young Thug, Gunna and Travis Scott. Speaking with Rob Markman at Genius, he explained the meaning behind the title:

“My uncle used to always call me ‘the wizard’… Rest in peace, but that was his thing. He called me ‘the wizard’ and it was just showing love to him and dedicating the album to him and the name that he respected and I feel like I’ve worked for. I’ve worked to become everything he’s seeing before it even happened.”

Stream The WIZRD below.

YNW Melly – We All Shine

Image credit: YNW Melly

Currently-incarcerated Florida rapper YNW Melly releases his new album We All Shine, which sees 16 new tracks from the rising star — including “Mixed Personalities,” which features Kanye West and comes accompanied with a Cole Bennett-directed visual. Check it all out below.

Toro y Moi – Outer Peace

Image credit: Carpark

Genre-bending artist/musician/producer/DJ Chaz Bundick — better known by many as Toro y Moi — has returned with a new album titled Outer Peace, his sixth official and latest since 2017’s Boo Boo. The project comes with 10 tracks and appearances from Abra, Wet and Instupendo. Chillwave returns for 2019.

James Blake – Assume Form

Image credit: Polydor

Following his dope collab with Metro Boomin and strikebreaker Travis Scott, James Blake liberates his new album Assume Form, his fourth official album and latest release since 2016’s The Colour In Anything. Assume Form boasts 12 tracks and — in addition to the aforementioned — appearances from André 3000 (!), Moses Sumney and ROSALIA. Vibes await below.

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The post NEW ALBUM FRIDAY: Future, James Blake, YNW Melly & More appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Following a successful North American run, Kendrick Lamar is now taking his DAMN. tour across the pond. This week, the Compton star announced the European leg, which will see support from Electro-Soul artist-musician James Blake. Blake follows previous support from D.R.A.M., Travis Scott and YG.

It all kicks off this February in Dublin (as can be seen above and below)…tickets details aren’t yet known. In the meantime, you can also check out both the full schedule below and “New Freezer,” his new collaboration with Atlanta’s Rich The Kid (video on the way).

February 7th: Dublin
February 9th: Birmingham
February 10th: Manchester
February 11th: Glasgow
February 12th: London
February 13th: London
February 15th: Frankfurt
February 22nd: Cologne
February 23rd: Amsterdamn
February 25th: Paris
February 27th: Antwerp
March 1st: Copenhagen
March 2nd: Oslo
March 3rd: Stockholm
March 5th: Berlin

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The post Kendrick Lamar Taps James Blake for European Leg of ‘DAMN.’ Tour appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Mellow Monday Playlist

1.   Jai Paul – “Jasmine (Demo)”

2.    Childish Gambino – “Me and Your Mama”

3.   Kaytranada – “At All” 

4.   Solange – “Cranes in the Sky”

5.    Childish Gambino – “Zombies”

6.    LION BABE – “Jungle Lady”

7.    Thundercat – “Them Changes”

8.    Quiñ – “MATH”

9.    James Blake ft. Chance the Rapper – “Life Round Here”

10.    NAO – “Feels Like (Perfume)”

11.    The Weeknd – “Til’ Dawn (Here Comes the Sun)”

12.    The Internet – “Matt’s Apartment”

13.    Jesse Boykins III – “Show Me Who You Are”

14.    SZA – “Ur”

15.    Chance the Rapper – “Lady Friend”

Listen and comment what you think below. Happy Monday readers!

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The post Mellow Monday Playlist [LISTEN] appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Frank Ocean‘s Blond appears like a mirage we’ve anxiously been hoping for — we can hardly believe it’s here. Now, the album can slide right into number 1 on the Billboard 200.

This will be Frank’s first number 1 album on the Billboard 200. In 2012, Channel Orange made it to number 2.

The release of the visual album Endless, the album Blond, and the ‘zine Boy’s Don’t Cry is monumental for the hermit-like Frank. Dropping more media than ever before, fans now have buckets of Frank to soak up.

Blond’s album cover artfully features a crying Frank Ocean (the tortured artist). Ironically, Frank sports green hair under the title of “blond.”

We were also graced with an explosive visual for the first track from Blond, “Nikes.” The dark, brooding, and glitter infused video adds a new layer to Frank. He’s growing more comfortably into himself — winged eye-liner and all. You can watch the video here.

The first words of the track “Nikes,” are “I got two versions.” The line references the double album release, but also sounds humorously like “two virgins.” The visual nods to this with two statues of Mary.

From Beyonce to James Blake, Frank pulled many of his fellow artists and friends into the creation of the albums. A$AP Rocky appears in the “Nikes” video to pay tribute to A$AP Yams (“RIP”). Ocean goes on to sing “RIP Trayvon, that n*gga look just like me.” Ocean looks intently at a photo of Trayvon Martin (who was shot in 2012), then looks away in thought — considering that he could have the same fate.

Among the plethora of Frank’s music that we’re swimming in, the soulful r&b albums need to sink in.

The next date we’ll patiently wait for is for Blond and Endless to no longer be exclusive to Apple Music, and for a way to purchase Boys Don’t Cry everywhere! Back to counting the days…

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The post Frank Ocean’s ‘Blond’ Coasts to the Top of Billboard 200 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Frank Ocean teases us to tears with an Apple Music-hosted live-stream on his website today. The live-stream (or looped video) graces us with images of work benches in a warehouse-style room/studio, and occasional muffled voices. But what does this mean — is the album coming? Is Ocean testing out his new video camera? Or does this mean anything at all?

Ocean’s album Boy’s Don’t Cry is one of the most anticipated albums of, well, last year. After the dust from Channel Orange settled in 2012, all Ocean’s fans could think of was when they’d get their next dose of Frank. However, four years later, and we’re still waiting for Ocean’s Godot-like album.

The title Boys Don’t Cry references a song by The Cure, and matches Ocean’s soulful sensitivity. Frank is a mystery, and is certainly keeping up his mystique.

Ocean’s website recently teased a photo of a library slip, with album release dates stamped up until July 2016. As the calendar rolled into August today, the live-stream might be there to acknowledge the (yet again) late due date. Ocean must never have been popular with his school librarian.

This isn’t to say that Ocean hasn’t been working hard, as opposed to hardly workin’. Ocean sang on Kanye‘s song “Frank’s Track” on The Life of Pablo — a high honor considering how much Kanye loves Kanye. Ocean also worked on James Blake‘s recent album The Colour in Anything, and starred in Calvin Klein‘s 2016 campaign.

We can only hope that this live-streamed sign of life, like a digital lighthouse, might have us out of this dark and stormy ocean soon.

Frank — we are thinking about you, and it feels like forever. Check out a picture from the live-stream below:

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In case you missed it, Frank Ocean had fans in a frenzy earlier this week after announcing via Tumblr that he indeed has a new album in the works. Boys Don’t Cry is slated to hit stores as well as iTunes this July.

In the spirit of surprises, singer-songwriter James Blake had even more of a treat for Frank’s U.K. fans after he revealed that the “Pyramids” singer would be joining him on tour this weekend.

The weekend shows kicked off Thursday night in Bristol and will continue on tonight in Manchester and then wrap up on Sunday, April 12 in London. Hopefully, Frank’s brief touring stint prepares him for a U.S. tour in the near future.

The post Frank Ocean Joins James Blake On Mini U.K. Tour appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.