By: Cwilltooill

Texas rapper Cwilltooill returns to the music scene with dope new C.B.D. (Calm But Dangerous) project. As his southern roots plays out in every melody on this EP, you will hear Cwill’s original vocals reach new heights. As he discusses some of his life lessons, in a melodically pleasing way, his courage to be honest and raw separates him from the rest of the rising emcees in the game.

I had the pleasure of catching up with the southern rapper for candid convo centered around his C.B.D. release. Check out a short interview below and get to know San Antonio’s next big star Cwilltooill.

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

Cwill: I’m from Wetumpka, Alabama but I am currently living in San Antonio, Tx.

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

Cwill: While I was in college I fell in love with expressing myself. I had always rapped and I come from a musical background because of my brother and my father. So around the age 20 I knew I wanted more from music than just to put a few hrs a week in.

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

Cwill: Very much so! I’m from the country! You can hear it my lingo and you can feel it when I Touch a mic. I come from beating on a table in a lunchroom remembering songs and performing at talent shows. My mom used to wake me up to Rafael Sadiq and my pops was in a blues band and loved Jodeci. Then just being from the south in general has influenced me to always strive for substance in my
music.

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

Cwill: I’m a mixture of Soulful Rap , Southern Hip hop and a hint of R&B. I don’t like to stay in a box and my vocal range is growing everyday so in my head the ceiling is limitless. I don’t mind talking my shit but I also don’t go full cap season in my music either. I keep it real and relevant. I talk about my relationships, my family, and really whatever is on my mind. I have my own studio so I’m able to record at-will really.

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

Cwill: Football ending did it for me. I graduated on a full scholarship playing football all in south Georgia until I had to give it up because of concussions. I remember not being able to sleep at night and staying up writing rhymes and mixing vocals. I realized how good my music was getting and the feedback I was receiving on my music in 2017-2018 solidified it for me. I knew what I wanted at that moment.

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

Cwill: I love creating new sounds and I’ve fell in love with performing. Music pays my bills and I’m about to break generational curses with my craft. I wake up inspired. Not everyday, some days are harder than others as a black man in america but hustle stays in tact. The faith I have in myself is what keeps me going. Well that and God reminding me constantly that this is where I should be spending my time and energy.

Respect: Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?

Cwill: I’m a new found photographer and videographer. I have a photo studio and I write poetry as well. I’m also all into network marketing and I have merchandise I’m working on designing and printing everyday just adding new streams of revenue. Going back to network marketing though, one of my main hobbies is selling CBD Detox tea and other health and wellness products.

Respect: Who are some of your main musical influences?

Cwill: J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Deante Hitchcock, Big K.R.I.T. , Smino, Lauryn Hill,
Andre 3000.

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

Cwill: Win a Grammy. Chart a single and album (multiple)! I also see an international tour in my future. I’m already setting it up as we speak. I also want to make music with all of my influences. Another huge goal is to own my own label. And owning all of my masters for life.

Be sure to press play below to stream Cwilltooill C.B.D. (Calm But Dangerous) and follow him on social media @cwilltooill.

The post Texas Artist Cwilltooill Uses Music to Heal With C.B.D. (Calm But Dangerous) Release appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

California rapper Dough The Freshkid is one of the premiere artists coming out of west coast. As he rolled out his latest project Tals Cafe today, It is clear that his talent is unmatched and superb. I had the pleasure of catching up with the hotshot for a quick interview to discuss his new project and inspiration.

Check it out below.

Dough The Freshkid Interview

Respect: What city do you rep?

Dough: I am from Crenshaw District Arlington of California.

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

Dough: I was around 13 years old when my homeboy asked me to write a rap for him for the school talent show and he ended up winning.

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

Dough: Absolutely. I was born back east and raised a G on the West which, gave me an open range on sounds and culture.

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

Dough: I consider myself a street-conscious MC. I have a classic 90s Hip-Hop sound mixed with some of today’s sound. Most of my music production includes heavy bass instruments, classic pianos and soul samples.

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

Dough: I live music on a daily, I am music, it’s not a career to me it’s a lifestyle. So, I said, “Why not get paid for it?” and show the whole world how gifted I am.

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

Dough: I was born in Gary, Indiana on Jackson street where the great Michael Jackson lived. That played a major part of it. I am inspired by the outcome of the music I create; I love to continue to challenge myself each project. I’m actually a big fan of myself.

Respect: Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?

Dough: I love watching old movies from the ‘60s and ‘70s. I’m a big kid so I’m looking for that PS5 to drop, and I love working out staying healthy.

Respect: Who are some of your main musical influences?

Dough: My influences are some of the veterans like Ice Cube, Nas, Jay-Z , Biggie, Pac, 50 Cent, and Redman. I also pay attention to Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole, the late great Hussle and all my brothers from the Crenshaw District and my brothers in NY.

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

Dough: Continue to build my brand where I’m respected as a major and hopefully connected with a major on a Distribution partnership.

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

Dough: Tal’s Café is my latest project (album) that is out today. It’s simply about bringing the hustle aspect back into the game. We got way too many people glorifying junkies in Hip-Hop these days. Never get high on yo own supplies.

Respect: What are some projects you’ve done that you are most proud of and why?

Dough: I’m proud of all three of my projects that I’ve released through stores. I have a few mixtapes that are on DatPiff that you can’t sleep on either. Arlington Avenue, Black Rome and Tal’s Café demonstrates and shows my supporters the range I have when it comes to composing albums. Each of these albums speak of times that we currently live in. I write movies!

Respect: What’s next for you?

Dough: I’m writing in my head as we speak. I also have a title idea but, I am going to hold on to it for a while. I don’t want nobody biting my style lol.

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

Dough: That I’m original and that I’m not concerned about what people thing about me. I’ll put my message out there regardless if it’s mainstream or not. I don’t play by the rules; I create my own rules. As Frank Sinatra said “I did it my way.”

Respect: Where can we find you on social media?

Dough: You can find me on Instagram @doughthefreshkid, and on twitter @doughfreshkid. You can also find me on Spotify, Youtube and Apple music by typing in Dough The Freshkid.

Be sure to press play below to stream his latest EP Tals Cafe.

The post RESPECT. Interview: Dough The Freshkid Talks New EP “Tals Cafe” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

By: Robot Scott

Super Producer Scott “Robot Scott” Carter is one of music’s hardest working producers. From composing original music, to developing new artists and being the co-founder of the production group Triangle Park, he continues to leaving a last impact on the music business. Having worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Kehlani, Teyana Taylor and Bebe Rexha to name a few, Robot Scott is ready to take his musical gifts to new heights in the new year.

I had the pleasure of catching up with the hitmaker for an interview as he candidly discussed breaking into the industry, passion for creating music, and making hits for some of music’s biggest R&B and Pop acts. Checkout it out below.

Robot Scott Interview

Respect: When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in music and how did you get your start?

Scott: I realized I wanted to do music production around 16 but music I started around the age of 4 as a result of growing up in a musical family. Like my parents were not into music completely, like they did not do it constantly but my dad played the piano and flute and my mom played the piano. My dad was a lawyer so it wasn’t like he was a full time pianist. However, we did have a baby grand piano in the middle of our living room so as a kid I would hear my father practicing Autumn Leaves or another song, and would go sit by him. I used to think they were coming from him directly but obviously he was reading music. I would tinker on the piano and started making up my own songs that I called “Fallen Leaves”.

Once my mom heard me making my own songs, she decided it was time for me to take piano lessons. I took lessons from elementary school to junior high and would go every Wednesday after school. That was my first dive into music. My music dream came later of composing which I still do, but I wanted to compose like scores. I was really into the composition of Star Wars at the time, so me and my brothers got the record of the score and the official audio from the movie and we would play it over and over again as if we were watching the movie through music. That is what inspired me to want to start composing.

While I was taking piano lessons in elementary school, I started doing orchestra which is violin. My orchestra teacher in high school told me if I wanted to score he had these computers that can be used to create sheet music. After school I would watch him create since the s​chool couldn’t afford to buy the original it back then and he would print it off from an apple computer and show me how to do the same. That is when I became intrigued to want to compose. The Christmas of my freshman year, I received a Casio keyboard and at the same time best friend Brandon Jackson said he had a friend who had a beat maker machine. He thought it would be a good idea to start a rap group so we did.

That is when I made the transition from classical scoring to hip hop production. I remember the first time Rio (riotheyneedahit) said he saw me. He always tells me “when i first saw you scott i saw you playing some classical pieces on the piano in the auditorium. They opened up those curtains and there you were playing classical piano.” I got more into production and Hip Hop during my Sophomore year but was well known for classical music.

Respect: When did you catch your big break?

Scott: I got my first placement with my mentor Chris Henderson on a record for a Def Jam artist at the time named Kandice Love. I was actually in college at the time studying graphic design at Hampton University. I met my now line brother named Bryan Hawkins in my dorm in which I was carrying around my $2500 ASR 10 keyboard my dad bought me during my senior year of high school. So when I bought my keyboard to my dorm, people that rapped were around and Brian heard some of my beats which resulted in him telling his cousin who is my now mentor Grammy Award Winning producer Chris Henderson( Jamie Fox, T-Pain).

So basically, Chris and Delante Murphy (Trey Songz, K. Michelle)​ had this production company called Hung Low at Hampton and they would put on events as well as production for Teddy Riley’s artists at the time. That is how I kind of got with Chris through Bryan Hawkins and got my first placement with Def Jam, as I co-produced the Kandice Love song I mentioned earlier. I consider that to be my first break because it is when I realized I could make money off of this and live off of this. Some of the people that were in the collective Hung Low include DJ Envy, and ​Kris Haskins. Kris actually did the song “Wanksta” by 50 Cent. At ​Hampton​ we had a really good group of talented guys who are now ​today successfu​l.

Respect: What was the inspiration behind Triangle Park and who all is apart of it?

Scott: The idea started from when I was in Philadelphia working with another production company I had created at the time. I started developing a girl group (@wearegoodgirl) with a company called Walk The Sky with my good friend Dyshon Pen, Bizkit N Butta (John Legend). We were trying to create an original sound for the girls and process how that would work so Shon ended up introducing me to my now partner Ali, who is also a producer/music director.

Since we were going in a different direction than the original production company, me and my brother ​William A. Carter Es​q decided that we should start something new and truthful. Being that truthfulness  is something that was embedded in me as a child and something I promote everyday it just made sense.

I grew up in front of a Triangle Park, so the name “Triangle Park” comes from the Park I grew up in front of that inspired me to do music. That is a truth that is constantly with me. Once I understood my thought process I realized the truth. Growing up in front of this park it what inspired me when I used to compose so we named my production group after it. It made since because that is the truth going through. It was the perfect move to make and get behind good girl.

Ali’s upbringing was in the church and I was classical so that kind of pairing of r&b, urgent hip hop, gospel and classical brings a sound to Good Girl that people can attach to. I knew it would also catch the ear of the production company that we were trying to get ​them to (Starr Island) who eventually got the girls their deal at RCA,​ which they are still currently signed to. Starr Island is now our  management production company and we knew that the type of sound and the type of development is what was needed to capture their attention for the girls. We just finished working on half of their album with the production company.

Respect: As K. Michelle recently released her fifth studio album All Monsters Are Human, talk a little bit about what it was like being apart of her creative process and building a working relationship with one of R&B’s most known voices?

Scott: K is very passionate! She is one of the most passionate people I know from her story and the way she shares it through music. When she gets into the studio it is very much emoting like she wants to make sure that the records fit her as she is a very in depth song writer. I like the fact that she puts that much attention on her story and how it is told for her listeners to understand while remaining truthful to herself. She is very open about who she is and how she perceives things. She gets in there and pours her heart out.

I think that is what soul and Rhythm & Blues really is about. Soul music is truth to the soul and it is a reflection of a period of time that others have gone through. Simply showing that I have gone through some of the same stuff the next person is going through. The duty of an artist is to literally unveil themself in the truest form to the world, so that people can understand what that artist has gone through and know that they too can get through whatever hardship they are facing. Essentially being the soundtrack to people’s lives is their responsibility. I love K’s style to say the least as she is a TRUE R&B singer.

Respect: How would you best describe your sound as a producer as you have a very distinct sound?

Scott: I believe that our sound is urgent R&B Pop. The urgency comes from the Hip-Hop feel which can be heard on Ty Dolla $ign’s forthcoming album. It is an urgent R&B Pop sound because it gives you the feel of R&B which is like the base of what that would be. That is where the soul comes in. The drums are the urgency of hip hop and the writing behind it has a pop appeal. We try to get all of that together in one which is how our sound came to life. Urgent R&B Pop is definitely the best way to describe our sound.

Respect: What advice would you give an aspiring artist looking to break into the mainstream circuit?

Scott: First of all, if you have not started yet, drop everything and start now. Get yourself around people who are doing it at a higher level than you are. Get yourself in the room with people who are doing it at a higher level than you are even a mentor so you can see it in order to achieve it. As human beings we can map to other people so if you surround yourself with greatness you are going to be great no matter what. You automatically become a sponge to the greatness surrounding you.

I would also say trust the process and simply do not give up. When you get into that position where you have people around you that are at that high level, it seems as though you are not moving as fast as them. But in reality it probably is just not your time. Just stay there and stay in that uncomfortable state. Human beings, being thrown into an uncomfortable state will always figure it out and conquer because god is with us and god would not put us in a position to where we are not able to overcome. You’ll be in that spot but the timing is key.

You have to make sure you are disciplined enough to stay in that uncomfortable state. The fear that you may not be adequate enough occurs but if you are in front of someone showing you that they are that good, you will be able to learn how to get to the space that they are in. It just all takes time. Trusting the process is really important and understanding that you are in a process.

Respect: What are you most excited about in the new year?

Scott: I am excited about our girls Good Girls as well as my guy Anthony Clemons (@antclemons) who is like a little brother to me and someone I do a lot of music with. We found out at the same time that our record made it onto Kanye’s Ye album. I love his story which is a testimony completely. He is walking in his truth and I am very proud of him.

I am proud and also excited for the records I have on Noah Cyrus’ upcoming album. There are a bunch of songwriters such as ​Jozzy (@dopebyaccident)​ She is with Columbia Records. I cannot forget Ty Dolla $ign as I am definitely excited to see how the records we did for him roll out.

One more thing. I am looking to get an artist that we are developing signed to a major label. Me and my camp are developing artists now so I am currently working on developing the next act. It is important to me to be able to develop an artist who has that urgent R&B Pop sound that we can get behind who understands our process.

To stay up to date on the next hit Robot Scott  might be cooking up, be sure to follow him on social media @irobotscott .

The post Super Producer Robot Scott: Talks Breaking Into The Music Business, His Passion For Creating & Working With Some Of Music’s Brightest Stars appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

By: Josh Behm

Atlanta artist Young Quael is one of the most slept on emcee’s in the game right now. Having opened up for the likes of French Montana, K. Michelle, Rich Homie Quan, and Wale to name a few, he is ready to take his talent to new heights as an emcee and songwriter. His experience being a finalists in the XXL Rap Battle in 2012, and landing several MTV Jamz  placements, landed him a spot as an official MTV artist.

Driven by conscious lyrics and melodic rap beats, his confidence cadence can be compared to living legend Kendrick Lamar. With a thriving sound and sick pen game Quael is ready to take the music world by storm. What makes him unique as a creative is that his music is just as impressive as his comedic prowess.

When he is not creating music in the studio, he is cracking jokes as the official in game entertainment facilitator of the Nashville Pro-Am. With the ability to cultivate audiences with laughter and musical talent, he prides himself on not being boxed in as a creative.

The post Young Quael: Music’s Next Big Star appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

By: Lil Richye

Rapper and author Lil Richye has returned with the visual for his hit single “I Want The Bag“.  At just age 15-years-old, the Charlotte, NC native is already a performance veteran with over a decade of experience under his belt, having been an entertainer since the age of 3. As an artist, songwriter, entertainer, author, influencer and fashion trendsetter, he has taking his level of creativity to new heights.

Produced by mega hit producer Zaytoven, this release is his biggest and best to date. Being heavily rooted in church and singing in the choir, he and the hit maker connect on many levels outside of rap music. In January of 2019, Lil Richye starred in Lifetime’s The Rap Game hosted by Jermaine Dupri, who dubbed his little brother’s PB3 collective as “the next Kris Kross” when they met. This experience led to him working with Zatytoven, and the rest is history.

On this video you will see the North Carolina native hard at work. One moment he is cutting hair in the barbershop, and the next he is washing the tires on a Mercedes Benz. As he goes hard in the booth to prove his worth and determination to make it big, he links up with Zaytoven and they prepare to take the music world by storm.With authentic storytelling and raw swagger, he draws musical influence from Tupac, Slick Rick and KRS ONE, J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. Lil Richye is on his way to becoming the hottest millennial rapper in the game.

Be sure to press play below to stream his newest visual “I Want The Bag” produces by Zaytoven.

The post Lil Richye & Zaytoven Link Up For The “I Want The Bag” Video appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

By: Yonas

The post Yonas Is The “Karate Kid” On New Single Via Forbes appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“Baby, I’m just tryna lay my hair down,” SiR says in the chorus. The term simply means to live in the moment and that’s exactly what the two do on this track. Both artists have a tendency to wear their dreadlocks in a number of styles, but this time they’re letting it hang. “Hair Down” marks the first collaboration between SiR and Kendrick Lamar; check the video-accompanied track out below.

The post SiR Delivers Kendrick Lamar-Assisted Track “Hair Down” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.