Sam Rubik‘s second part to his two-part “Many Smiles”/”HURT U” video release series is here, one week later, as promised. The Texas born and bred artist teams up with his label mate Dijon SAMO for this track, keeping the artistry in the family. Nouveau Riche Records (an imprint of URNR.TV) is getting ready to release the deluxe edition of Sam Rubik‘s Survival Tactics through the label on iTunes and Spotify by Christmas 2013. So be on the lookout for that. Rubik and his label are currently working to “…unite artists from Texas to create a scene familiar to the Swisha House era”.

In fact, keeping his creation “at home” has been a staple of Rubik‘s work thus far. His first tape, Life Without Commercials, was almost entirely produced by his Texas padna Beautiful Lou (who has garnered a huge amount of success working with Lil B, Kitty Pryde, and A$AP Rocky). And in the same vein, Rubik keeps this work close to his heart, and close to his fans.

Dijon‘s instrumental doesn’t necessarily scream “Many Smiles”, and to be honest, it’s hard to say that it could induce “any smiles,” even. But that’s meant in the best possible way. Inspiring minute movements only at the corners of the mouth, this instrumental coerces choral vocals to weep organic strings into and out of muted states of existence. With Dijon‘s steady cymbals washing over the entirety of his instrumental, listeners are treated to an experience defined by a trampling solemnity. Reflective in its tonality and energizing in its tempered pace, Dijon‘s instrumental lays thoughtful groundwork for Rubik‘s hopeful musings.

Rubik takes his time on this track, allowing an extended intro to build before imposing himself on the track. His drawl relaxing around the initial moments of the track, he takes a soft grip around the noose wrapped by the instrumental. This makes his moments of toothy heaves more vengeful, and his moments of melodic swooning all the more stirring. Constantly contradicting himself throughout the track, he uses this torn motion as a method of exploration. His imagery revolves around the split between the motivated and the interrupted, the gratified and the struggling, the thoughtful and the muted. His ability to carve out a clear character from a place of contradictions and opposing forces is impressive, and maybe even shrouded until after a few listens. So go through it a few times. You’ll enjoy it: this is one of the most literate pieces of music that you’ll have heard in a very long time.

And in case you missed last week’s premier of “HURT U”, featuring Western Tink, check it out right here.

The post Video Premiere: Sam Rubik – “MANY SMILES” (prod. by Dijon Samo) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Danny Brown hasn’t been getting the best press lately. His friend and tour-mate Kitty offered some sharp insight into the situation a few days ago, but things still haven’t quite settled.

In opposition to this negativity, this list is reminder of why Danny Brown is on tour in the first place: charisma, humor and cleverness. Of course, his image, his ear for beats and that damn voice play a highly significant role as well, but you can’t always play a song or watch a music video. This list is dedicated to those moments when your phone battery is dead, you’re walking home and all you can hear are the bizarre words of a toothless guy from Detroit.

10) “Murder Game” (ft. Guilty Simpson)

“Run up on a nigga with the 4o, go BLOCKO!/ This nigga soft like a old hard taco.”

 

9) “LOL” (prod. Black Milk)

“Ya bitch like a cue ball in a pool hall: we all hittin!’ ”

 

8) “Tick Tock” (with Pusha T, Raekwon and Joell Ortiz)

“Got the heart of a child raised by a prostitute/ that brought his mama the rubbers when the John came through.”

 

7) “Outer Space”

“Swear she played soccer, she was real good with headers/ Had me yellin’ goal while I was sittin’ on the dresser!”

 

6) “Fields”

“It’s like they all forgot man nobody care about us/ That why we all ways end up in the prison ‘stead of college/ Livin’ in the system working kitchen for chump change/ Lost in the streets, niggas playing that gun game/ Where nobody wins just a bunch of mamas losin’.”

 

5) “Detroit 187″ (ft. Chip$)

“Bitch get high wit ya nigga. The sack I got is looking like some green caterpillars/ But it’s smellin’ like a skunk that’s oh so defensive/ These bitches suck my dick like it’s moral incentive!”

 

4) “D-Boyz” (ft. t3)

“I don’t eat rappers, I eat baby mamas.”

 

3) “Japhy Joe” (with Random Axe)

“Used to wear Rockports, Swisher and a Carhartt/ I would never fuck ya bitch: she look like a aardvark.”

 

2) “30”

“Came a long way from extension cords in the window/ Borrowed neighbor’s power just to plug up the Nintendo.”

 

1) “Terrorist Threats” (with Ab-Soul)

This entire verse:

The post 10 Best Danny Brown Lyrics appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Kitty Pryde makes a big statement in the 2 minute all crystal everything video for her track “Dead Island.” Her flow is confident and brazen as she raps over a pair of marching drums. The track is featured on her upcoming D.A.I.S.Y. Rage EP which is set to drop sometime soon. When asked on Twitter about who produced the song, Kitty responded “some random butthead who told me if i wanted to use his song id have to rip it off soundcloud myself so i did. fuck him”. Gotta love this girl’s spunk. Check out the video below.

The post New Video: Kitty Pryde – “Dead Island” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Kitty Pryde, the 19-year-old “Tumblr-wave” “rapper” who is really hard to write about without “quotes,” put out a mixtape. That mixtape has a cover. And that cover was drawn by a Nashvillian named Owen Parsons, who calls himself the Sophisticated Yeti. He’s on that New Aesthetic, Mishka, seapunk tip — certainly more Tumblr-wave than Kitty Pryde’s music — and I rather like the phone theme he created for Kitty that secured the cover art gig:

NC: That’s the most intense phone background I’ve ever seen.
SY: Yeah, I realllly wanted to do art for her, hahah.

Check out the Nashville Scene‘s interview with Mr. Yeti.That’s all.

The post The <em>Nashville Scene</em> Interviews the Sophisticated Yeti, A.K.A. the Dude Who Designed Kitty Pryde’s Album Art appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Kitty Pryde professed her love for Danny Brown on her song “Okay Cupid.” Designer Mark McNairy kept that in mind when he launched his S/S 13 line. Having already worked with Brown on a collaborative shirt, he recruited the two two artists for his upcoming lookbook, dropping later in the month. Take a look at more of the shots below.

The post Photo Gallery: Danny Brown and Kitty Pryde Model for Mark McNairy appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

OK, where do we start with this one? Kitty Pryde is a white girl from Daytona Beach, Florida. She’s a rapper; actually, Vice just called her “our new favorite Tumblr-wave rapper.” Luke O’Neil writes that “the handful of songs she’s put up on her BandCamp page in the last year…are the funnest, and funniest, rap tracks I’ve heard in recent memory.”

Her flow is soft, cozy, and fuzzy — um, in a good way — though she bumps Lil Ugly Mane and calls Danny Brown her idol. In fact, she namechecks the barky Detroit spitter in the video for “Okay Cupid,” released today, her collaboration with Beautiful Lou. Beautiful Lou, you should know, produced some of the strongest tracks on A$AP Rocky’s debut mixtape after being swooped up alongside Clams Casino for his work with Lil B. On “Okay Cupid,” his surreal, thumping, syruped-out beat is the perfect cushy backdrop for Kitty’s giggly-ass lyrics. The song fuckin’ works.

She might be a bit too meme-y for some of y’all, but dat #based music, dat ambient-nonsense-Riff Raff-Internet shit, it’s hot. I dunno. I was born in the ’90s too, so…

Kitty Pryde just signed with Main Attrakionz’s managers, and until she disappears, or gets sued by Marvel, or rises from Kreayshawn‘s ashes, you might wanna check it out. Download “Okay Cupid” right here, peep the video below, and more shit on her BandCamp.

Sidebar — her biggest influence?

It sounds really lame, but I’d say Earl Sweatshirt. I haven’t liked Odd Future’s music in a while, but I just think Earl’s flow is really cool. And, the band Why?, too. They have a lot of sounds. They’re pretty eclectic. But, whenever they do rap stuff I’ve always liked it.

via MISHKA

The post New Video: Kitty Pryde – “Okay Cupid” (Prod. by Beautiful Lou) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.