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Keri Hilson did just that, as she’s tagged Young Thug for her brand new single “Keep It 100”. It can be guessed that this song came about when Keri’s brother produced Thugger’s smash, “Halftime”. In any event, you can check out the track below in which Keri is pulling no punches and going right at an ex boyfriend’s neck.

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Photos by Khammy Phanthavong

Words by Ryan Reyes

The night started with sets from R.O.Z. and his fellow EMB microphone fiends Big Lean and Teddy T, who provided a piff-tastic soundtrack while the crowd settled in.

The settlement was brought to a close when Pusha started his set. Moving from his verse on the “I Don’t Like” remix to The Clipse classic “Grindin’ ” then to the Birdman-fronted “What Happened To That Boy,” Pusha’s beginning was explosive. The crowd was clearly not ready for such a strong opening sequence. Midway during his set, which somehow maintained the bar-setting momentum of the opening, Pusha stated “I went to Hawaii for one month to record and when I came back home I was signed to G.O.O.D. Music.” Right on cue were G.O.O.D. bangers “Runaway”, “New God Flow” and “Lamborghini Mercy.” He’s been with G.O.O.D. for a relatively short time, but he’s already made quite a name for himself. Appropriately, before he relinquished the stage to Fab, he promoted his upcoming album My Name Is My Name, which drops on July 16th.

Fabolous’s backing band made adjustments during a short intermission. Yes, Fab plays with a band. But you knew that already – back to Winnipeg. Taking the Pusha-T route, Fab also started things off with a sequence of strong classics :“Holla Back”, “Superwoman” and “Breathe”. In response, ladies screamed, people banged on club windows (that were 9 feet off the ground) and guys in the front row gleefully swung their chains. Fun times. Fab then brought out Pusha for their aptly titled tour track “The Life is So Exciting,” from Fab’s Soul Tape 2. This track perfectly highlights why this tour works: Pusha’s signature snarling delivery perfectly compliments Fab’s laid-black flow.

The set continued with “Imma Do It” (remember his line “My attitude is celibate. I don’t give a f*ck!”?), “Everything, Everyday, Everywhere” featuring Keri Hilson and the Ryan Leslie-produced “You Be Killin Em”. The live drums really brought some of the songs to life: “You Be Killin Em” was one of them. Fabo ended the night with his single “Ready” from his upcoming album Loso’s Way 2: Rise to Power.

All in all, it was a fantastic night. It was very apparent why Fab and Pusha-T have had such long and productive careers. Hopefully, their two upcoming projects will extend that legacy.

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Capturing artists in their element is something Michael “Benni” Capel prides himself on.  In his renderings, he attempts to capture the intrinsic emotion in each shot.  Benni’s painstaking work has allowed him to master his craft, but has not forced him to limit what he shoots.  His work within the fashion and concert scenes has allowed him to work with prominent figures in the music industry.  Working with icons including Diddy, Keri Hilson, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and many others has afforded Benni the chance to pursue his craft on the biggest stages.

Read Jack Freifelder’s interview with Benni Capel after the jump:

Why photography?

With photography the difference is you can have 30 photographers in the same area, but the other 29 will not have the same photo as you.  You capture the moments through your eye, and how you see everything can’t be replaced.  I still love graphic design, but at this moment I feel freer with photography.

Tell me about your beginnings in photography and graphic design.

My involvement started with graphic design for several years and then it blossomed into a situation where I worked with mixtape covers, album layouts, DVDs and posters.  It was a situation where I took it upon myself to say, you know what, I might as well do it.  That being said, my first real concert photography event was Powerhouse, hosted by Power 99 in Philadelphia.  Once I did that, it really sparked my interest in capturing those moments that can’t be replaced. From there it encouraged me to be a well-rounded photographer and to be respected by other photographers in the field.

What is your thought process before a shoot?

I try to visualize the artist’s music—whether or not I’ve heard of them—and I listen to their music before the concerts.  I try to capture them as great performers and/or great vocalists because a live show changes the arrangement.  Sometimes you try to wait and capture those moments where that artist is really singing or dancing their heart out.  On certain songs you can time it so that you’re in the right part of the stage at the right time.

What are some of the differences between fashion and concert photography?

I think that’s where it actually turns into me having different personalities behind the camera.  My whole mindset changes when it comes to fashion because I try to get really personal with the shots.  If I’m working with someone in Hip Hop they want a certain appeal to their mixtape or album cover, but then when I’m dealing with corporate they want a cleaner look.  When I find myself in a certain setting I know how to turn some things off so I can capture a particular perspective that makes people go Wow.

What was the best advice that you received from a fellow photographer?

Be agile and don’t wear your heart on your sleeve.  When you’re in the photo pit or out there trying to get a shot, you have to focus and you don’t let any distractions drag you down.  If you get distracted, you miss that one shot or that pose that you can’t replicate.  I really took that to heart because as a concert photographer you have a lot of obstacles.  It’s almost like watching Ninja Warrior.  You have the people screaming and yelling, bouncers pushing you out of the way, photographers bumping you left and right, not to mention the speakers in your face.  That’s the time when you say to yourself, alright I need to focus on what I’m trying to show people.

Tell me about your favorite experiences on the job

A great experience I had with graphic design was the opportunity to create a poster and mixtape cover for Marc Ecko’s Getting Up (a videogame for Atari).  They [the poster and cover] were selling during presales at GameStops across the country as the game was getting ready to drop.  It was an experience that showed me that one person can definitely make a difference with their creativity and their skills and reach millions with something that small.  The thing is, someone right now still has that poster with your name on the bottom of it, and you never know how that work will inspire someone.

My best experience through photography was Powerhouse with Power 99.  You’re in this moment with 20,000 people and even as a photographer you feel that electricity in that room.  It inspires you and you want to get those great shots.  It was one of my biggest inspirations that led me up to everything I’m doing now.

What advice, in hindsight, would you have given to yourself when you were starting out?

The most important thing that I would say to myself given the opportunity would be don’t listen to naysayers. There were things that I wanted to try but those doubters kept me from doing what I wanted to do. If I hadn’t listened to all that negativity I feel that my career would be further than it is now.  Sometimes that stuff starts to sink in, and you create your own brick wall.  They don’t even have to chain you to that large boulder, you do it yourself.

What advice would you give to other photographers?

I would tell them if you feel that this is your passion, make sure you put your best effort forward and don’t stop.  As soon as you stop, that’s when other people can move past you, leaving you behind.  Always push forward even through the bad times.  It gets under my skin when I see people who are talented, but they throw it away.

Jack Freifelder is a contributing writer for respect-mag.com

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Momma always said not to talk to strangers, but Cee-Lo can. Here’s a first look at his new Fuse talk show, Talking To Strangers, which features clips with Keri Hilson, Lupe, Estelle and more. The show premieres June 22 at 11pm.

Via Rap Radar

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You might not realize it, but you know Chris Robinson. He’s a film director who creates music videos and television commercials, and he has helped define hip-hop culture with his iconic images, all of which spring to life through his inimitable lens.

Robinson’s videos employ strong imagery and unique locations to help explain the true meanings behind the songs, showing the artist as a real person beyond all of the expensive jewelry and fancy cars. His vision shatters boundaries and, more important, helps break new artists.

His clients make up a who’s who of hip-hop royalty, including Jay-Z, Nas, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne and, of course, T.I. As a matter of fact, T.I. is debuting his new video for “Got Your Back” (featuring Keri Hilson), which was directed by Chris Robinson right here and right now. And as an added bonus, our friends at K-Swiss were able to turn the lens around on Robinson and ask him some important questions about his life and career.

By: Lauren Schwartzberg

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Derick G., who’s practically turning taking behind-the-scenes shots at videos into a cottage art form, was on the set of Trina’s “Million Dollar Baby” video, which also features Keri Hilson, Diddy and product placement for Ciroc and Nuvo. See the pics here.

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