Virginia’s own, Audra The Rapper. Photo Courtesy of Instagram

Audra The Rapper is pretty dope. Her style is dope because of its variational influences. To steal Shirley Ceasar’s line: YOU NAME IT!

Although hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Audra was big on Jim Jones, Cam’ron, Juelz Santana, Hell Rell and Freekey Zekey of Harlem’s Own; the Diplomats. Additionally, she was a fan of the producer/lyricist product that is Kanye West and of Floetry.

Audra is also big on Lauryn Hill and in many interviews indicated that she was one of her biggest inspirations. 

That would make perfect sense! Back in 2010, she dropped Miseducation of Audra, an ode to Ms. Fugees, herself, Lauryn Hill.

She also tributed her on Instagram the other day:

Hey guys. I have this healthy obsession with this damn-near deity by the name of Ms. Lauryn Hill. So much so that my second project i released in my teens was an homage to her debut album. Well guys, She is going on tour with Nas and I havent had normal thoughts since hearing this. My first time seeing LBoogie was with Nas in college and I dropped $400 to get VIP tickets for them to try to cancel her set. @romarley came to my rescue that time tho. Well all of that to sayyy. I just got overly excited about being a fan and all those feelings that made me want to become a performer just made them self known full force. Hype for this. Good day

A post shared by Farrah Saucett (@audratherapper) on Jun 3, 2017 at 12:01pm PDT

Audra The Rapper’s wikipedia page says it best: unlike a lot of rappers, whose rap style have easily been categorized as Trap, Hardcore or Conscious, Audra The Rapper has partnered her lyrics with a variety of sounds, reflecting various styles and has described her style is “Ratchet Soul.” That said, she is literally an Escalade with Lamborghini doors; that’s balance!  delivery embraces a myriad of styles.

In a recent interview via Scoop B Radio Audra let it be know how much a student of the game she is and was. “I came up watching Behind The Music; you know what I’m saying,” she said on Scoop B Radio.

Check Out Audra The Rapper and Lee Mazin Chatting With Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson On Scoop B Radio:

She added:

“Like really getting an in-depth lifestyle look of the artists that I admired and sometimes it gave me a new appreciation for the artist and then it had me going back and listening to their music like I get that a little better. I’d see stuff differently, I’d hear stuff differently and I’d like it and I think what this show is doing is really giving you an in-depth look at five females in truthfully a male dominated industry but not even minding any of that. We not looking at ourselves as female rappers I personally hate that this is rap this is what we do this is all we know and we’re giving that to people so people are getting that real lifestyle look at this and how we handle our business.”

But Lauryn Hill wasn’t the only influence of Audra The Rapper’s. When I asked Audra how the Oxygen network television show, Sisterhood of Hip Hop, benefitted her career, she couldn’t help but credit the likes of Missy Elliott.“We’re supporting each other,” she said. “That’s reminiscent of the era of hip hop that I love; you know Missy and all of them.”

Then she took it back to it being Friday Night!

“Missy would have every female on her album,” Audra The Rapper said with a grin. “You know what I’m saying?”

If you’re not a child of 90s, it was a Missy track that also featured Angie Martinez during her rapping days, along with Lil Kim, the late Left Eye from TLC and So So Def’s Da Brat.

“Just that support that era of competition because it’s what we do. We’re in the same field we love it all the same, but we don’t have to knock each other. We don’t have to step on each other, because we all individually bring something different to the same game so why do I gotta hate on my sister? You know what I’m saying?”

Audra The Rapper has a voice to be the female leader of the new school! Stay tuned! 

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The post Audra The Rapper Tells Scoop B Radio About Missy Elliott’s Ladies Night: “Missy would have every female on her album” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

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Fifteen years ago today (April 25), hip-hop lost one of it’s greatest female emcees. Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes of the multi-platinum group TLC died in a tragic car accident while visiting Roma, Honduras. While being in the music industry for over a decade at the time of her death, the charismatic lyricist left many verses behind that serve as evidence that she was one of the greatest. Not only did Left Eye shine bright with the mic by being the hip-hop force of TLC, but she often collaborated with many other artists outside of her group as well. RESPECT. remembers some of Left Eye’s hottest and indelible collaborations.

Keith Sweat – “How Do You Like It” ft. Left Eye

Mya – “Taking Me Over” ft. Left Eye

Donell Jones – “U Know What’s Up” ft. Left Eye

Lil Kim – “Ladies Night (Remix)” ft. Angie Martinez, Left Eye, Da Brat, & Missy Elliott

Toni Braxton – “Gimme Some” ft. Left Eye

Blaque – “I Do” ft. Left Eye

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The post Remembering Left Eye’s Hottest Collaborations, 15 Years After Her Death appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

2016  marks the first day of the 40th year that we highlight the history and countless number of African-American achievements that have helped to make our nation what it is today through the observance of Black History Month. I have been going through a lot of songs and videos that may give us food for thought, inspire us and reflect what this month should ideally be about…obtaining knowledge of self  and remembering that Black History is World History… It’s also something that occurs everyday, not just limited to the Month of February…

Remember when historian/ scholar Carter G Woodson established the second week in February Negro History Week in 1926,  it was done with the intent of acknowledging the birthday of Fredrick Douglass and providing us with a vehicle to push for Black History to be a foundation to American History…

Negro History Week grew over the years and in 1969 Black students at kent State expanded the week long celebration to a Black History month.. Several years later in 1976, President Gerald Ford acknowledged Black History Month..

Over the years lots of artists have stepped to the plate and delivered timeless songs that uplifted our history… I gathered a few for us to peep and reflect on.. Some of this is a mixture of the past and present.. enjoy..

You Must Learn by KRS-One

This is one of my favorites… it was dropped by KRS during what many considered the Golden Era of Hip Hop.. There were two different versions of this song. One used the break beat Supersporm by Captain Sky, the other  depicted in this video uses the popular break ‘Get Up and Dance‘ from Farther Than Imagination

Acknowledge Your History by the Jungle Brothers

This was always a favorite from the Jungle Brothers.. It’s off the album Forces of Nature.. I wish they had done a video because the song is dope.. Also coming out of Hip Hop’s Golden Era..

We Wear the Crown by Gary Byrd & Stevie Wonder

Byrd when he released this song, teams up with Stevie Wonder in 1983 and does a stellar Black History song.. The pairing represented a break in ‘elders supporting rap/Hip Hop when so many at that time were highly critical and against it.. They saw Hip Hop as an embarassing throwback.. Byrd and Wonder saw things a bit differently..They saw the potential ion Hip Hop and wanted to help lead the way…

Freedom Rap by Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo, Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes (of TLC), MC Lyte, Patra, Nefertiti, Da 5 Footaz Salt-N-Pepa, Meshell Ndegeocello

Many people have overlooked or don’t even know this about this song. It was done for a hard to find sound track for 1995 movie Panther..That album had a quite a few songs, but this was a standout in terms of the allstar cast of female emcees and singers who were at the top of the field going for it.. This song will forever be a treasure

Proud to Be Black & Black History Rap by Run DMC

I’m going back to back with Run DMC.. This song is off the landmark album Raising Hell and it speaks for itself.. damn near every song off that album was a banger especially at that time.. and this song hit the mark..Rap was still making its way into the mainstream and it was good to see Run DMC do this song in prominent spaces.. during the mid 80s…

The second song, Black History is a rare and hard to find song that was given away for FREE back in like 1984 and proceeds the Raising Hell lp…The Black Cultural Workshop (BCW) put the actual video together for the song

The post #Respect Celebrates #BlackHistoryMonth with “Timeless” Hip-Hop Classics appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

T’Melle, the newly-minted “Bad Girl” of music, put on a pretty dope show in front of a packed house at her recent showcase at SOB’s in New York. The singer, songwriter and dancer performed her sexy new hit single “Drop It Down” for industry executives, tastemakers and celebs. The Atlanta-raised artist, who got her start as the protegè of TLC superstar Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, has arguably taken over the indie music scene with her undeniable talent and amazing story of survival.

In a recent interview, T’Melle unveiled how she suffered near death injuries as a passenger in the fatal crash that took Lopes’ life.  After over 10 years of recovery and rehab, the rising star denied the odds against her to learn how to walk, run and dance again. “I’m the girl that people told to quit and that this wasn’t going to happen for me. I’m the girl who’s been told ‘No’ way more than the word yes! I believed! I still believe!” T’Melle says.

Since reviving her solo career, T’Melle has worked with producers the likes of Usher Raymond, Tricky Stewart, Bryan Cox, and Rodney Jenkins. Now with her sultry new single and video for “Drop It Down” in rotation on Revolt TV and on VEVO, T’Melle appears to be back where she belongs. Keep up with what’s new with T’Melle on Instagram and Twitter: @ItsTMelle

The post T’Melle performs new single, “Drop It Down” at exclusive showcase in New York appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.