Dr. Dre is back with new music and is seemingly preparing for a new album.

The legendary hitmaker dropped his new single “Gunfiyah” is featured in Dre’s new documentary Defiant Ones, a new HBO documentary series chronicling the rise of Dre and Jimmy Iovine from Interscope Records to Apple execs, after premiering on Dre’s Beats1 radio show The Pharmacy. The staccato-paced track features  Dr. Dre dropping heat as he drops jewels while flexing on his peers.

“Who got a hit just like this? And got heart and rich like this?/Never failed, 20 years and he still got grip like this/And got kids with a super hot bitch like this/You spending time tryna get like this.”

In addition to dropping new music, the documentary has also brought up old wounds as Dre discussed the infamous 1991 incident between himself and veteran journalist Dee Barnes. During the second part of the four-part documentary, Dre recalls the event calling a “blemish on who he is as a man.”

“Any man that puts his hands on a female is a fucking idiot,” Dre says in the documentary. “He’s out of his fucking mind, and I was out of my fucking mind at the time. I fucked up, I paid for it, I’m sorry for it, I apologize for it.”

In regards to his reputation following the attack, Dre says, “I have this dark cloud that follows me, it’s attached to me forever. It’s a major blemish on who I am as a man.”

Part three of the documentary is scheduled to debut on HBO on Tuesday at 9 pm est.

Check out the single below.

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The post Dr. Dre Talks Dee Barnes, Drops First Song in Two Years, “Gunfiyah” [Listen] appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

We’ve all heard the stories of record labels and the ups and downs being contracted with one may cause.  Here and now BET network is taking us all behind the scenes of some of the greats.  Tonight, May 17th at 8:00 ET and 9:00 ET make sure to tune into the first part of the eight-episode-docs-series.  Uptown Records is the first up in the spotlight to dig into all the dirt, good and bad with a Part I and Part II episode of the journey.  Some of Hip Hop’s most iconic labels will be featured  in the eight-week series for one-hour long like, Grand Hustle, Loud Records, Slip-N-Slide, Terror Squad, Ruff Ryders, Disturbing Tha Peace (DTP), and Murder Inc.  

Founder, Andre Harrell will be among the industry insiders like, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, and Guy’s Teddy Riley and Damion Hall giving they’re unique takes on Uptown’s success, legacy, and so much more.  We can expect to see some never-before-seen footage in an up close, first-person narrative kinda way.  The series is executive produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions and DTP co-founders Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Bridges’ manager Chaka Zulu, and Jeff Dixon.

“The dreams and visions; the successes and failures … we want young aspiring entrepreneurs to have a blueprint as to what really goes on in this business and understand how much work it takes,” says DTP’s Dixon of the inspiration behind the series. “We [as African-Americans] also want to document our own history, especially in this industry. This is like our natural resource. No one can tell these stories like us.”

According to Billboard, these are some of the other power players that will be “playing” in each episode of Inside the Label:

Uptown Records: Andre Harrell, Diddy, Jay Z, Mary J. Blige, Babyface, Teddy Riley, Damion Hall, Brett Ratner, Laurieann Gibson, Robin Thicke, Sanaa Lathan, Doug E. Fresh, Al B. Sure, Eddie F, Kim Porter, Father MC, Jeff Redd and Monifah.

Grand Hustle: T.I., Jason Geter, Young Dro, Kevin Liles, Lil Duval, Killer Mike, DJ Toomp and B.O.B.

Loud Records: Steve Rifkind, RZA, Xzibit and E-Swift.

Slip-N-Slide Records: Ted Lucas, Rick Ross, Trick Daddy, Trina and DJ Khaled.

Terror Squad: Fat Joe, DJ Khaled, Noreaga, Cool & Dre and Jesse Terrero.

Ruff Ryders: Joaquin Dean, Darren Dean, Chivon Dean, Swizz Beatz, Eve, The Lox, Irv Gotti, Drag On, DJ Clue, DJ Kool Herc, Lyor Cohen and Jimmy Iovine.

Disturbing Tha Peace: Ludacris, Chaka Zulu, Jeff Dixon, Chingy, Bobby Valentino, Shareefa, Lil Scrappy, Bangladesh, Lil Fate, I-20 and Poon Daddy.

Murder Inc.: Irv Gotti, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Jay-Z, Charlie Baltimore, Kevin Liles and Lyor Cohen.

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The post BET Network Takes us ‘Inside the Label’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine have made a lot of great things together. From Beats headphones, to helping the careers of Eminem and 50 Cent, to Beats Music (okay, 2 out of three ain’t bad). Last year, they invested $70 million in the University of Southern California to launch a four-year bachelor’s degree program. The school will accept 25-30 students each year and grant degrees in Bachelors of Science in the Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation.

So, how does the program measure up? A student gave Hypetrak his experience. Read below.

As a USC freshman in the inaugural class, I’m stoked to share my experience at the Iovine Young Academy because of how Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre are completely disrupting the traditional model of college education in the best way possible. Over the next three years, the thirty-one of us will go through a rigorous multidisciplinary program learning visual design, computer programming, audio production, communications, and business. A typical day in my academic life this first semester consists of analyzing the practices of innovative companies, learning my way around Adobe After Effects, building a 3D geometric cardboard model using Adobe Illustrator and a laser cutter, and working on a PowerPoint slide deck for a potential product. During our senior year, we will partake in minimal coursework and are encouraged to put our freshly learned skills into action by beginning to build revolutionary products and launch companies. In an interview with New York Times last year, Iovine said, “If the next start-up that becomes Facebook happens to be one of our kids, that’s what we are looking for.”

We see Jimmy and Dre, as we affectionately like to call them, from time to time. In late August, we went on a “field trip” to Jimmy’s home for a backyard BBQ where we met with him, Dr. Dre, will.i.am, and others. Two weeks ago, Jimmy visited our on-campus workspace and checked out some of the class projects we’ve been working on. In addition, for one of our classes titled “Innovator’s Roundtable,” we present products and solutions to people like Ian Rogers, CEO of Beats Music, and Rodney Mullen, widely known as the godfather of skateboarding. However, being a student at the Academy has perks beyond just opportunities to interact with accomplished individuals. We have access to top-of-the-line 3D printers, laser cutters, industry-grade software, and a comprehensive fabrication workshop – everything we could possibly ask for.

Despite all of this, I believe without a doubt that the best part of the Academy is the students. The school has done an excellent job at attracting a solid group of brilliant yet highly genuine, down-to-earth kids for the first class, and it truly is an honor to work with them everyday and join them on this journey. While each and every one of my classmates is amazing in their own distinct ways, we are all connected by a simple desire to build cool stuff that will make the world a better place.

The post Read a First-Hand Account of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine’s Music Academy appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

50 Cent is planning to release his 5th album, Steet King Immortal, on February, the 10-year anniversary of his explosive debut, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’. A bold move for someone who’s been off the music map for a while. He’s forcing everyone to remember the old 50 and this time, he thinks he can top himself. The businessman is back in the music game– hear what he has to say about rap life today.

First, congrats on having the #1 single on Itunes right now, “My Life,”a collaboration with Eminem and Adam Levine. This single feels like a resurgence of the 50 we all know and love.

Thanks for saying that. I just launched the first joint. Well, the second joint but it was intended to be the first. It felt good. It felt like I’m back in pocket. I been writing since ‘97. It wasn’t a long process writing it. What I did was I just wrote what I felt . There was only one other time in my music career when I was vulnerable like that and that was on “Hate It Or Love It” because I didn’t know whether or not people wanted that from me, so I put it on Game’s album.

We seem to love records that make you look vulnerable because as the listener, we can relate.

It kind of makes you human. On this project  I dealt with the pressure of people thinking I couldn’t actually write a hit song after I sold 40 million records.

What do you feel about the template of hip-hop succes stories right now? You’ve already had major hit records, but do you need to change your process? 

Hip-hop music particularly is about out with the old and in with the new. It’s not about what have you done. It’s about what have you done lately. This album took three years for me to actually release and this caution hasn’t been taken on my last few albums. My last album was actually on the street four weeks priot to my release. I lost records on both and it still sold 160,000 records [in the first week.] So when people look at the sales they say ‘Oh, he fell off,’ but it was all because it was out for four weeks.

Well, this record “My Life” definitely hit the nail in the coffin.

This is what I’m saying to you. It happens when you put out music in the right time period. Like, right now “My Life” is the perfect song.

How do you guys go about choosing a single? 

They don’t tell me what to release. I put out that “Amusement Record,” they actually asked me for that record because it reminded them of the metaphor I used when I released “Candy Shop.” The audience resisted it because it was like no, it reminds me of “Candy Shop.” So, I took it as ‘It’s not a hit, because it reminds you of a hit.’

That just proves that you should be making your own decisions.

I remember I had went to this award show and they had me coming out of the sky and I almost fell off like 30 feet up in the air. So when I got down I was like fuck that, I snapped out of it. I’m in 50 cent mode now. I know if I fall off I’m on my own.We here together on this actual platform, but as soon as I fall off I’m on my own, ain’t I? I thought man, if I fuck up I’m on my own.

True.

Yea, so right after that. Jimmy [Iovine]  came to the hotel and I played him the record, “I Get Money” and he says to me, “Are you sure this is what you want to say right now?” And I looked at him and I was like what the fuck is he. I didn’t know what to say except for just let me think. Let me try and get it together and get it out and as soon as I left, I shot the video for “I Get Money” and put it out. Interscope reimbursed me for that. They never wrote the budget or agreed to the actual treatment. If you look at “I Get Money” it’s directed by me and J Jiffy.

That’s something that you decided on your own.

I did it myself. The song is a 50 cent record. A lot of times, they need to understand why or when that record needs to be put out. I’m talking to my core. I had just finished my deal with VitaminWater and I’ll tell you how to get money and it feels good.

I feel like people want that confident record from you, similar to a lot of records on Get Rich Or Die Tryin’.

Rich people don’t really want to have a conversation about money. They got it, it’s boring. So, thats why [Jimmy Iovine] said, “ Is this really what you wanna say right now.” And I’m like yea this is what I want to say.

You speak about Game  and Young Buck on “My Life.”  Do you feel like you’re done nurturing new talent? Do you feel let down as a listener?

Nah, I’ll get back into that at the top of this year, but I won’t bring them as close to me as before. You’ve seen me with Kidd Kidd and Precious Paris. In the past, I’ll take a new guy and put him on the stage in front of 30,000 people and 60,000 people in different countries and they want that right away. And I can’t actually give it to them. What I can do, is give them the opportunity to impress those fans and you can get back around and make some of those people fans themselves, but I can’t give that to them.

Beef is something that’s always fueled your music career in addition to the music. Do you feel like it does the same thing in 2012?

It creates the excitement but the hit is what matters. You’ll have guys consistently saying things about a high profile rapper just to get their name out there. To establish themselves

What is it about rappers that push your buttons? I see you and French Montana are feuding now.

Well, French Montana doesn’t push my buttons. Creatively he’s not somebody we can even have a conversation about. He doesn’t yet have one hot record by himself. It’s interesting because he’s a snake. He was a camera guy at first. He ran around and shot DVD footage.

Yeah, I heard he gave you the Khaled footage for your beef with them? What do you think that statement will do for him?

Yeah, he gave me the footage of DJ Khaled’s mother and her house and he went and got the footage for me and I put it out. It doesn’t matter what it does, but it explains why I look at him like he’s a clown. He’s saying that he can hurt my career. He doesn’t even have a song. You know how many people have had one hit wonders? The boy ain’t talented enough. He reminds me of a Rich Boy or a Young Joc or all these people that are apart of the culture that had big records, and are talented people. If you haven’t paid attention, I’m on the Forbes list every year regardless if the record goes out or not. That should tell you that I’m not sleepwalking.

What do you think about diminishing album sales?  Do you think It will ever get back to emcees selling like your first record did?

Well, it will be different. We’ll have it to where it will feel like it’s selling 13 million records, like when a song goes number one in 12 hours. Let me ask you this:  does the iTunes chart feel like it’s the number one song on the radio? It being number one on the radio could be because they’re paying a lot of money to get the spins up. You got a lot of records becoming number one because they’re paying.

You have more than a decade now of recording under your belt. Does it affect the music, and why are you so keen on getting money outside of the music industry?

Okay, the actual market has shifted. If you noticed, CD’s  going on sale now for $7.99 and the single that used to be $5.99 is now being sold for .99 cents. So they can’t allocate the same expenses in marketing as they did before. If you have the opportunity to be you have the ability to be cross-promoted with other major corporations. If you look in  the “My Life” video there’s a Chrysler in the video that isn’t actually out on the street yet. They actually paid a quarter of a million dollars to put that in the video.

Damn.

Hello.

50, This is your last album requirement with Interscope. Is this the last album we’ll see from 50 Cent or does it mean a new contract?

Yea, I’ll probably go back in with business. It depends. While I’ve been away for the last three years preparing this actual record, there’s been a lot of changes with staff there. If I get in touch with the staff and we have a successful launch of Street King Immortal we’ll continue or explore another option.

So this isn’t the last time we’ll get a 50 Cent record?

Right!

The post Exclusive Interview: 50 Cent Talks New Album, Rap Beef and the New Hip-Hop Business Model appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.