Rapper & Everyday Struggle Host Joe Budden & retired NBA forward Kenyon Martin. Photo Credit: VIBE

Kenyon Martin Chatted With RESPECT Magazine’s Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson about EVERYTHING on Scoop B Radio. Press Play Below To Listen In

Summer 2003 was big for both Kenyon Martin and Joe Budden.

For Budden, a former cast member of Love & Hip Hop New York and current host of COMPLEX’s Everyday Struggle, his self-titled debut album, Joe Budden released June 10, 2003 via Def Jam.

The Jersey City, NJ representer’s album had hits guest appearances from  Lil’ Mo, Busta Rhymes and 112 and had top singles Focus, Fire and the Just Blazed-produced crossover hit, Pump It Up.

June 10, 2003 for Martin was a tad bit different. He and his New Jersey Nets were preparing for Game 4 of the 2003 NBA Finals after dropping Game 3 84-79 to Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs two days before at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  

New Jersey’s Jason Kidd, left, and Kenyon Martin watch as San Antonio celebrates a 93-83 win in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The Spurs won the game Friday in East Rutherford, N.J. Photo Credit: Lawrence Journal

Martin would score 23 points and hauled in 11 rebounds in Game 3. and would would lead all Nets scorers in Game 4 with 20 points and 13 rebounds in New Jersey’s 77-76 win.

The Nets would lose the series 4-2, but K-Mart was the man around the Garden State.

So was Budden.

Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic gave his album four stars out of five, Chris Ryan of SPIN gave the album an eight out of ten and HipHopDX’s K.B. Tindal gave the album a four and a half out of five. Pump It Up was placed on the soundtracks for 2 Fast 2 Furious, You Got Served and EA Sports’ Madden NFL 2004.

Fire even found it’s way on the Mean Girls Soundtrack.

With all of the success going on that summer for said rapper and said NBA baller, can you believe that the two were mistaken for each other in public?

Everywhere,” Kenyon Martin told me on Scoop B Radio.“Everywhere! You name it!”

Martin says that their mistaken identities would mostly happen while he’d go shopping in downtown Newark, New Jersey. “I used to go onto Clinton Ave a lot and in the hood on Clinton Avenue shopping,” he said.

“It would be at a distance and then they would get up on me and see the height differential and say: ‘Oh hey! It’s K-Mart.’”

While you listened to part two of Martin’s interview above, make sure to also check out part one of our discussion. He talked about his Nets days and the 2002 NBA Finals against Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. “I have never been afraid when it comes to basketball, period,” said Martin.

Check Out Kenyon Martin’s Part 1 Interview Scoop B Radio

“I’m not afraid to mix it up with guards or big men. But that experience there was a good team and we got to, but Shaq was dominant that series. We got to being out there and playing on that level, me holding my own, helping my team and putting them in a position to win. That meant a lot that I was there for my career and my confidence moving forward.”

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The post Kenyon Martin Says He Would Get Mistaken For Joe Budden During His New Jersey Nets Playing Days appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Ransom chats with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson about the landscape of today’s music. Photo Credit: Angie Vasquez

If you’re a hip hop head pre-iTunes, then there’s a huge chance you’re keyed in on Ransom.

A Jersey City, NJ representer, Ransom became popular during the mixtape era of hip hop in the early to mid 2000s. 50 Cent, Fabolous, Joe Budden and others are also on that list.

He checked in with Scoop B Radio Overtime and chatted with me about today’s digital hip hop generation vs. the mixtape era, the generation before. Apparently, this generation couldn’t hold a candle to the last genertation: “It’s too easy now you know, ” Ransom told me on Scoop B Radio. “Now it’s all Joe Shmoe little 16 year old he set up a little mbox in his house you know he throwing’ stuff out from his dirty ass room. “

Ransom continued: 

Check Out Ransom checking in with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio Overtime.

Ransom however admires certain things about artists like Chief Keef.

“Looking at Chief Keef, you put that shit out I don’t know where the hell they was at, some dirty ass apartment and that from his living room right to Broadway. It’s not the same thing, before you had to kind of work at what you said, you know it had to be dope or else people wouldn’t listen. So everything had to be sharp, everything had to be dangerous sounding, you know that’s the era of 50 (Cent) coming up and us. All the stuff sounded like Lloyd Banks, bars and dangerous bars and living on the edge because you wanted people to kind of listen. Now you don’t really need people to listen, Joe Shmoe from some shit kicking town got 10,000 Twitter followers he drop a little something on ITunes and sell a little two, three hundred copies he’s good.” 

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The post Ransom Tells Scoop B Radio About Digital Hip Hop Era: “It’s too easy now” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Jersey City, NJ has been a hidden gem over the last couple of years.

No difference as YGK artist Fly Kahh dropped his latest visual to his track titled, “GO GO.”

Directed and edited by KRU$HH AKADEMY FILMS’ The Dean, it’s not a bad video and F1Y Kahh exudes his passion for music.

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The post F1YKahh Drops “GO GO” Visual [WATCH] appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

It takes a lot to be Jefe; so says Barry Bondz!

This latest video installment places Barry Bondz, a Newark, NJ representer everywhere you could imagine in New Jersey and North Carolina.

The fourth single off of his, “The Genco” album, the video zeroes in on the day in the life of Bondz.

It isn’t an easy feat, but he seems to be doing okay.

Follow Barry Bondz on Twitter at @BarryBondz25  and visit www.barrybondz.com for all the latest news on his brand.

The post New Video: Barry Bondz – “Jefe” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Jersey City-bred rapper KiddLee recently released his latest mixtape, I’mperfection. An up-and-coming artist, the award-winning college radio show host utilizes his newest project as a platform to openly express his beliefs that are raw enough for us all to relate to and feel his genuineness. A mix of catchy, tracks designated to liven up crowds and more ethereal joints to make you open your mind, this piece of work is an eclectic mashup of styles, genres, and themes anchored in knowledgable hip hop. A diamond in the rough, check out this promising artist’s newest mixtape and follow his journey so you can be one of those proud, “I knew about him since ____” fans.

Listen to KiddLee’s new mixtape I’mperfection below:

The post Stream KiddLee’s New Mixtape, ‘I’mperfection’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.