His love for rap-rock fusion has been inspiring him since High School. He was the lead vocalist/rapper in a band called ‘Flint Eastwood’ —the bands ultimate breakup lead to bLAck pARty coming into existence, stylizing it with capital letters to single out “LA” for Los Angeles, where he lives, and “AR” for Arkansas where he was raised. In 2013 he began producing for Kari Faux. The two had met when both were in their mid-teens. Their collaboration, “No Small Talk,” caught the attention of Childish Gambino, who remixed it and featured it on his STN MTN/Kauai mixtape. Which only lead to bLAck pARty inking a deal with the Childish Gambino’s Royalty collective. bLack pARty contributed production to Gambino’s GRAMMY® Award-winning album Awaken, My Love! as well as scores a placement with TV series Dear White People, Insecure, and Atlanta.

His 2019 album Endless Summer is his first release through Wolf + Rothstein and RCA Records. The first single, “No Complaints,” features DMP Jefe, watch it below.

Out of his busy schedule bLack pARty took the time out to catch up with RESPECT MAG about everything from music to his future plans.

RESPECT.: Growing up, what were some of your biggest musical influences?

bLAck pARty: Growing up my biggest influences were Stevie Wonder, India Irie, Nirvana, MF Doom, Kanye West, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Bad Brains, Zro I came across a lot of music being around the different people in my life. I also grew up in the internet age when music became much easier to access.

RESPECT.: So congratulations on signing with Childish Gambino’s label! How did that happen?

bLAck pARty: Thank you! I actually connected to Childish Gambino back in 2014 when I was mostly doing production for Kari Faux, we had made this song & video “No Small Talk” that went viral and through that I ended up connecting with one of Gambino’s business partner’s Fam, Kari allowed Gambino to remix the record and we built a working relationship since.

RESPECT.: How did your first conversation with Childish Gambino go?

bLAck pARty: I don’t remember exactly, but I remember it was the day his Sway interview dropped so it was mostly conversations about that and conversations about rap music in general. I’m a huge supporter of underground rap, so I remember showing him some of the underground rap groups coming out of Atlanta at that time.

RESPECT.: You also produced on his Award-winning album, “Awaken, My Love!” how did that happen? What was that process like?

bLAck pARty: That actually came about because I had moved to Los Angeles around the same time he was working on “Awaken, My Love!” We always talk about music so it started off from me just being in the studio giving feedback to doing background vocals and some drum programming. It was an interesting experience that I feel I learned a lot from. It was actually the first major album I worked on and being able to be around some of the most talented musicians in the business was a blessing.

RESPECT.: So you write, produce, and engineer and do vocals? Which one is your favourite and why?

bLAck pARty: I’d say my favourite is probably producing because it’s the more creative and fun job. It allows you to think outside of the box and make something that resonates without actually using language.What I’ve learned from playing in places outside of the US is even if the people don’t necessarily speak my language they can still get with the rhythm of the beats and even catch on to the lyrics if they’re simple enough.

RESPECT.: Do you play any instruments? Regardless, what is your favourite instrument and why?

bLAck pARty: Yes, I play whatever I can figure out. If i were to pick a favourite I would say guitar. I always find it easy to write songs with just a guitar. Also a large majority of my favourite artists play guitar: Lauryn Hill, D’angelo, Prince, Kurt Cobain, India Irie, Amy Winehouse- all guitarists!

RESPECT.: Tell us about your song “Dancing”. What are some of the themes found in that Track?

bLAck pARty: Dancing for me was a record that originally was up as a demo, over time it was revamped to be more groovy. I wanted to make something that felt like a day party going into the night time. When it came to video the director [Dylan McGale] and I wanted to play off of one of my favourite movies, KIDS, and one of my favourite music videos, “Frontin” by the Neptunes. I’ve been skating since I was young, and skateboarding and music go hand in hand, so I had to show love to the skaters.

RESPECT.: How do you feel after having your music placed on Insecure?

bLAck pARty: Shout out’s to Issa ! It feels incredible. I have a lot of people tell me they found out about my music through watching Insecure. I actually watch the show so it’s kinda wild to hear my music on there.

RESPECT.: Complex described your sound as a retro sound that could fit nicely into rotation if it came out in the ’70s yet still feels fresh for 2019. Do you agree?

bLAck pARty: Yes. I think the 70’s was one of the more interesting times in music. I’m definitely inspired by that era in music and I listen to more older records than I listen to newer music. The thing though is taking that inspiration and bringing into the present or the future.

RESPECT.: What was that moment in your life that you realised you wanted to be a serious musician? Like this was it for you.

bLAck pARty: When I was 13 I knew for certain I was going to make music. I remember watching videos online of Kanye, Alchemist, The Neptunes, Madlib, making beats and rapping and I decided that’s what I wanted to do: make music and have fun.

RESPECT.: Who are you looking forward to working with the most in the industry?

bLAck pARty: It would be dope to work with legends like Al Green, Patrice Rushen, Erykah Badu…

Photo Credit: Manny Singh

RESPECT.: If I was to see your playlist right now what would I find?

bLAck pARty: You would find Fela Kuti, Amy Winehouse, Al Green, Sza, Khruangbin…I just like to hear something with a lil soul or funk in it

RESPECT.: Tell us about your 5 goals in 2020

bLAck pARty: My only goals are to continue to get better as a person and as a creative.

Follow bLAck pARty on instagram to keep up with all his updates.

All Photos by Manny Singh.

The post RESPECT. Interview: Childish Gambino’s signee bLAck pARty talks Future & Past appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

By: Richie Valentino

New York rapper Richie Valentino returns to the scene with a fire new EP titled Multiple Personality. As he carries that east coast swag like most New York emcee’s do, this release is by far his most impressive body of work to date. He does an excellent job of creating a project that his thriving fanbase can enjoy any day of the week. I had the pleasure of catching up with Richie for a candid interview centered around his new Multiple Personality release. Check it out below.

Richie Valentino Interview

Respect: What city are you from and where are you based now?

Richie: I represent Long Island, New York. I moved out here to attend Stony Brook University and I never left. I felt like I could contribute a lot to the area with my Queens mentality. NYC in general is super competitive. I feel like it made who I am. Super competitive be daring enough to move my own direction and take my own risks.

Respect: At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music?

Richie: I been deejaying since I was 13. I took those talents to college with me then eventually got into club and concert promotion. I was always freestyle rapping as a kid. “Ready To Die” by Biggie is when I can say I really feel in love with rap. But the moment I decided to take music seriously is when Chinx passed. I felt connected to his music, and I took the pain of his loss and took turned into courage.

Respect: Has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your
sound today? If so, how?

Richie: Growing up in Queens, New York made me tough. There was no such thing as crying. No such thing as complaining. You dealt with the cards God gave you. You can hear it in my rap voice, its full of determination and power.

Respect: How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with
you?

Richie: I would like to think I’m two artists in one. That’s why I called my first project “Multiple Personality.” I rap and I sing. I’d describe my rap voice as powerful with a lot of vibrato. My singing voice is calm and soulful. If you didn’t know me or you weren’t a fan of me, you would say that I sound like two completely different people. On my track “Blow My High,” for example, I rap the verses and sing the hooks.

Respect: What ultimately inspired you to dedicate yourself to a music career?

Richie: Like I mentioned before, I’ve been surrounded by music my whole life. My pops was a DJ. I became a DJ and then a nightclub and concert promoter. I guess you can say it was just a matter of time until I built up the courage to show the world my talent.

Respect: What’s one reason you are passionate about music and what inspires you?

Richie: What I would consider to be good music is hard to find on the radio these days. Often times I find myself listening to old school R&B and Hip Hop. So my goal is to make new- style hip hop infused with real lyrics that make sense with solid metaphors and plenty of soul.

Respect: Who are some of your main musical influences?

Richie: I respect a lot of artists. Kanye, Nas, Jodeci, and Biggie to name a few, but personally I don’t think I sound like anyone. I really tried to build my own sound.

Respect: What are some of your music career goals for the future?

Richie: I would like to win a Grammy and give it to my parents.

Respect: Tell us about the latest project that you’ve released? What is it about?

Richie: My debut album is called “Multiple Personality.” I can best describe it as a collection of
one of voices in my head. It has seven tracks which basically serves as an introduction to my talent.

Respect: What has the response been like to that project?

Richie: The response has been incredible, it has gotten about 30,000 streams in the first month. Over 100 people reposted my album cover on social media. I was actually shocked how many people showed me love on it without me even having to ask.

Respect: What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects we should be on
the lookout for?

Richie: Soon as outside opens back up, I plan on throwing a huge album release party. I am
also dropping a Latin project Mid-Summer 2020.

Respect: What message do you hope fans take away from your music?

Richie: I want my fans to know all my music is from the heart and I take it very seriously. I hope
they can feel my love my energy and dedication in every word I say.

Be sure to follow Richie Valentino @kingoflongisland_ to stay up to date on his music journey.

The post New York Rapper Richie Valentino Releases New “Multiple Personality” EP appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Photo Credit: J French

Rapper, multi-instrumentalist and producer J French is gearing up for his first album release with his lead single “Different Ain’t Different”.

“Different ain’t Different’ is about artistry not being as respected as it should. It’s about artists not being able to be artists without someone either completely biting them or duplicating their style, which depreciates the value of true artistry. This song is made from pure observation and you can tell by the lyrics.” 

The Oklahoma City based artist is ready to take the game by storm and believes he will do so with his forthcoming album ‘OGB‘. French comes from a musical background with his father being Brother Num, a two-time Grammy Award-winning musician.

Follow J French on Facebook and  Instagram

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The post RESPECT. Premiere: J French Releases Lead Single “Different Ain’t Different” 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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The post Frank Ocean’s Mystery Video Loop Keeps Fans Hopeful appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

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While fans have been growing impatient waiting for Drake‘s Views From The 6 to drop, the 6 God has apparently been hard at work in the studio, working with the likes of Jay Z & Kanye West, or as he has them listed on this surprise new single, “Pop Style.”

On Tuesday morning, Drizzy shocked the world when he took to his Twitter and Instagram to post the cover art and accompanying Apple Music links to two new songs, one of them being the Jay and Ye assisted “Pop Style.” 

Drake starts off the track with a less than humble but quite witty punch line: “Dropped out of school now we dumb rich,” setting the tone for a braggadocio style track with plenty of similar lines. Who better to lend a hand than two of hip-hop’s biggest moguls & big money talkers?

Leave it to Drake to give hip-hop fans the first verse we’ve got from Jay Z in what feels like forever! Actually – we can’t mislead you. Jay Z is on the track, but we can hardly call his contribution a verse. It’s really more of a line. But still – that’s more than we’ve got Jay in a minute.

Kanye, however, lends a real verse, packed to the brim with funny and arrogant Kanye-style punchlines. As if we didn’t already get enough from Ye on TLOP, he’s already back, lending us more quotables.

Check out the infectious “Pop Style” here and get ready for Views From The 6, coming sooner than later, this month.

Related Articles: http://respect-mag.com/2016/04/listen-to-drakes-wiz-kid-kyla-assisted-one-dance-single/

The post Drake Surprises Fans With New Single Featuring Kanye & Jay Z appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Tidal has really been trying to lock in subscribers with its latest exclusive releases such as Beyonce’s “Formation”, Rihanna’s ANTI and now Kanye’s TLOP. Fans however aren’t having it and found a way to bless their ears with the musical stylings of Kanye without a Tidal subscription. It has been reported by TorrentFreak that TLOP has reached over 500,000 downloads on the first day alone. Wowzers!

Tidal has been trying desperately to reel in fans by way of exclusive content but it just hasn’t really taken off. There has been free album downloads and 30-day trail subscriptions offered but fans are still keeping their distance. Tidal has gained over 10,000 subscribers recently but the illegal downloads of content has by far succeeded that. The Recording Association of America is working diligently to get all of the links removed but these crafty Kanye fans will be sure to create another.

Do you think Kanye and his people over at Tidal have time to rethink the exclusively of TLOP and bring it to other services or is it already too late?

Here’s what some fans warned was to come behind TLOP not being available on Apple Music or any other platform besides Tidal:

Related Article: Kanye West Goes on Rant, Says ‘TLOP’ Won’t Be On Apple

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The post Kanye West’s Album ‘TLOP’ Reaches 500,000 Illegal Downloads appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.