San Francisco producer Fly Commons drops his original production album “Greyscale” featuring Erk Tha Jerk, Jay Ant, G-Eazy, D. Bledsoe, and more. The 12-track album strays away from the typical Bay area vibe, displaying a wide-range of musical influence, from softer melodies to upbeat jazz-like instrumentation. Fly Common’s use of ambient embedding and sonic diversity allow for a well-rounded and inventive sound, putting the west coast in a different creative space.

The post Fly Commons – “Greyscale” (Album) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

HBK’s Jay Ant teams up with G-Eazy for a Bay area connection on “Fully Focused.” The two MC’s deliver smooth and airy flows over a Bay-esque tempo, adding even more legitimacy to the new wave of music coming from the west. Hope to hear more records from Jay Ant and collabs like this is the near future.

The post Jay Ant feat. G-Eazy – “Fully Focused” (Prod. By Fly Commons & Christoph Andersson) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

What up mixtape lovers? Here’s our latest Mixtape Madness!

Cassie, RockaByeBaby

Remember Cassie? “Me & U,” Cassie? Well, she recently released a tape and it’s really good. As the all-gold pistol and jewelry tape cover implies, Cassie is at her baddest: “Bad Bitch” may very well become the anthem. The tape shows a growth that separates the songwriter from her previous tongue-in-cheek style. There’s an abrasiveness and confidence in Cassie that had not been fully explored in past releases. Her specialty is mid-tempo, R&B vibes but even on turned up bangers such as “Bad Bitch” and “Turn Up,” she does a great job. Do not let the tape’s title fool you, RockaByeBaby will swaddle listeners in dirty sex-driven narratives, accompanied by sleek and luscious production.

Standout track: “Sounds of Love” feat. Jeremih

Raekwon & Scram Jones, The Chef Vs The Beast

The best of Raekwon and Scram Jones, in 26 head-bobbing tracks. Not much can be said. Whether you’re already acquainted with Raekwon or not, this is a listenable tape that captures some of his most recent work with a great hip-hop producer.

Standout track: “Shaolin Vs Wu Tang”

Jay Ant, Blue Money

Jay Ant’s Blue Money is pretty good. What works to Ant’s benefit is how versatile his tape is. From cloud-rap high vibes to hyphy bounce, the production that backs Ant reflects the Bay Area scene he reps. As a lyricist, Ant can create some telling stories. “You ever wonder why they tell you things but you can’t trust that,” asks Ant on “Temple Run.” Ant is at his best when he’s introspective, providing moments of insight, in similar fashion to Lil B. “Dreams Promises” is Ant’s “wow” song. There’s a well-balanced combination of memorable hooks, production, lyrical content and flow. Ant is still coming into his own, but judging by Blue Money, he’s headed in the right direction.

Standout track: “Dreams Promises”

Corner Boy P, RNS

“The same streets I call home might lead me to a goner,” states Corner Boy P on tape opener, “1997.” Life in ’97 was not so sweet for Corner Boy P, and this serves as his moment of retrospection, especially considering how much more upbeat the rest of RNS is. What’s enjoyable about P is he can follow in suit with his Jet Life cohorts while refining his own sound. His flow resembles that of Master P and Mannie Fresh, which is certainly a plus. At nine tracks, three of which are basically freestyles over other rapper’s songs, it’s hard to fully get an idea of what Corner Boy P is all about. It’s a decent tape but a few more songs or an increase in original tracks would have been nice.

Standout track: “Box Chevy”

Big K.R.I.T., King Remembered In Time

One thing is for certain about K.R.I.T.’s latest tape: he can definitely produce. Every track is luscious and maintains a southern backbone to it that gives the production a warm and inviting atmosphere. Peep our full review here.

Standout track: “My Trunk” feat. Trinidad James

Lore’l, Billboard Bytch

Now a TV star, it’s easy to forget about Lore’l’s rap sessions with the Outsidaz back in the day. This tape serves as a reminder that she can still spit some pretty hard bars. What’s immediately noticeable about Lore’l is her delivery, however. Confident and unwavering, her boasts hearken back to Lil Kim at her prime, and the production only empowers those boasts. The only complaint with the tape is Lore’l’s sing-song moments, which are not good and unnecessary. Aside from that, Billboard Bytch is heavy in all the right ways.

Standout track: “Outta They League”

The post Mixtape Madness #7: Download The Best Mixtapes Of Last Week appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Erk Tha Jerk is a pretty big deal. With projects like Nerds Eye View and Nerds Eye View 2 under his belt already, the Cali native is releasing his new project Free Erk. The 11-track project features collaborations with fellow Bay Area artists Nio Tha Gift, Jay Ant, Skipper and more. Download the mixtape here. 

The post New Music: Erk Tha Jerk – Free Erk (Mixtape) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Just a few days ago, Compton based rapper Problem was featured on the new track from Terrace Martin, “Something Else.”  Now, the MC hooks up with Bay Area based Iamsu! for their collaborative project Million Dollar Afro. The project features collaborations with the Bay Area Legend Too Short, as well as Juvenile and Wiz Khalifa. Download it here.  Also, if you are unfamiliar with Iamsu! make sure to download his last collaborative project, Stoopid.

The post New Mixtape: Problem & Iamsu! – <em>Million Dollar Afro</em> appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.