In the midst of overnight stardom and trendy waves we real hip-hop fans yearn for a refreshing, authentic sound that offers longevity, and most importantly trust. Niko Is may just have what you’re looking for. Though born in Rio de Janeiro and currently grounded in Orlando, Florida, pin pointing his sound is impossible. Respectable [versatility] is an understatement when discussing his music, which we’ve been able to observe for the past few years since he hit the scene.

2012’s Chill Cosby release was seemingly Niko’s take off, with an acclaimed response and help from Talib Kweli‘s Javotti Media. Action Bronson made a guest appearance on “Steffi Graf”, which certainly excelled our attention to the forefront. This release was absolutely album quality. Multiple renowned media platforms took notice, and soon after it was merely impossible not to see something about Niko Is featured with online hip-hop publications. With that being said, he was just dipping his feet in the water, and nationwide fans would begin to flock.

It’s only right that we highlight Niko Is’ producer-of-choice, and friend, Thanks Joey. They’ve been rocking records together since their early high-school years, and the chemistry is undeniably bold. There really is no arguing that they compliment one another. Close, consistent work as an emcee-producer duo, or a few man production team, is something that we don’t see enough of in 2015. This is not to put him in a box with just his Colours Of The Culture team, because Niko has done records with a handful of other producers and the quality is just as dope.

During the recording of Chill Cosby and Good Blood, Niko Is was simultaneously working on his long awaited, acclaimed Brutus album. Keeping it brief, the Lp is released alongside Javotti Media and some of the features include Talib Kweli and Kool A.D. Production credit goes to Thanks Joey, who definitely destroyed the boards and gave his all to this collection. Despite his loose, free spirited approach on the mic, a track like “Nobody’s Watching” reminds you he can display much deeper content, where staying honest and true to yourself surrounds the message. Other tracks like “Vamoose” and “We Know” pull you back to the feel-good, left to right head swaying side, while still offering relevant content. Niko Is solely reflects his everyday life in a poetic, loose and energetic manner. In an interview with Straight Fresh, Niko states:

My name, being called NIKO IS, is pretty much an ongoing invitation to discover who I am.

Talib Kweli took notice a while back and it has been a wrap since, with Niko now being Javotti Media’s staple artist more or less. Kweli’s vision and inspiration for Javotti is amazingly, “A platform for independent thinkers and doers. A home for those who are driven by passion and vision. A place for us and those like us.” He continues to give back to this culture any way he can, and this movement is one to be reckoned with. You get nothing but quality from Javotti Media, with a roster also consisting of Res and Corymo. Keep up with everything they’re putting out and be sure to support such a beautiful movement. This is much deeper than music, and very necessary.

Okay, so we got the point across and hopefully opened you up a bit to Niko Is and his music. But what about live performances? How’s his stage presence? Do know he does not come up short for the crowd. The reviews from his live performance are beautiful, as he is currently on tour with Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, Constant Flow and Hasan Salaam. The tour will end mid-April, but be sure to catch them in a city near you if you live on the east coast as they head north from now til then.

Be sure to visit the official Niko Is website for purchase links and more album information. Peace and love.

The post Niko Is: Gaining Hip-Hop’s Trust Alongside Talib Kweli’s Promising Javotti Media appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“Consciousness [kon-shuh s-nis]: the state of being conscious; awareness of one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.”

A seemingly lost element in today’s rap game, consciousness appears to be few and far between. That is not to diminish or take shine away from those emcees who are still releasing a conscious, self-aware message on records. Peace to those who are, and who push for this type of sound in 2015.

Before Mos Def‘s Black On Both Sides and Talib Kweli‘s Train of Thought (Reflection Eternal) came Black Star. It’s tough to find a place to begin as far as explaining this albums potency and lasting relevance. Let’s start with the duo’s title, Black Star. For those unaware, this was inspired by Marcus Garvey‘s birth of The Black Star Line. In the midst of Garvey’s growing UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) he originated this as a means of transportation. To make a long story short, a series of unpleasant events took place involving informants, corrupted management, misconstrued mail fraud charges and the FBI that led to Garvey’s arrest. He would than spend five years behind bars, followed by him being deported back to Jamaica by way of Kingston, in which he still kept things alive and made moves for change.

Now with a little background on Black Star’s reference for the group’s title, you should have a better understanding of why this album is so major, among many other reasons. Let’s get into the LP.

Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star was released in ’98, prior to both of the their official debuts. In just over 50 minutes, they covered some serious ground in terms of content. There is no need to break down each record, as most of you reading this either love it, own it, or heard it a chunky amount of times. They covered every sound possible, with joints still relevant today for B-Boys, deep thinkers, graffiti writers, narration fiends, mothers, grandfathers and aunts. And most importantly the youth. This is an album you can play to your inner-city middle schools and use as a tool for education.

With production from Da Beatminerz, J. Rawls, Hi-Tek, 88 Keys and Ge-Ology all bases are covered. Another notable factor is today’s overall production versus this raw mid/late 90’s sound. There’s really no argument that most of us real hip-hop junkies probably miss albums to this level of rawness as far as the sounds are concerned. Also, the amount of features is far from oversaturated, which you often find in today’s scene. It’s generally a hit or miss, but this was beyond a win.

Black Star, as mentioned earlier, is an extremely powerful title for Mos and Talib. Did they stop at the title? No. Many records, like “Astronomy (8th Light)”, “Thieves In The Night” and “K.O.S. (Determination)” took unaware listeners to school, beautifully embracing and shedding a positive light on the culture. Also, the pictures painted of inner-city life are overwhelmingly present when you listen to these records, which is still very much relevant for all of us in and out of the city currently in 2015. They didn’t stop in 1998 either. Albums, shows, features and years later Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) and Talib Kweli are still shedding this light and keeping a positive, uplifting message. Longevity best describes it.

This article was not meant to be another mediocre, time-passing album review of an LP we all know. That would be exhausting. It was written and conducted with intentions of highlighting one, of many, classic albums that uphold a positive message. Hopefully this will inspire two things: a new-jack is exposed to what a timeless LP is, and for some crazy reason the reader does not own or never heard this album to go buy it, along with both of the emcee’s catalogues. The odds of that last one is almost impossible, we suppose. Also, don’t forget to check out Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) and Talib Kweli’s recent moves, as they’re very notable. Talib is really fattening up today’s rap game with his recent Javotti Media successes. Stay tuned, trust us.

The post Black Star: Remembering The 1998 Classic And Its Relevance Today appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.