FUBU’s Keith Perrin and Daymond John with LL Cool J. Photo Credit: CNNMoney

FUBU’s Keith Perrin checked in with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on the Scoop B Radio podcast. Press Play Below To Listen!

There are a few things about the FUBU clothing brand that stood out: they had the coolest sweater vests and hockey jerseys, “Fatty Girl,” a single from the clothing line’s FUBU Compilation album was and still is THE BOMB. They had women with voluptuous bodies that are actually theirs and not surgically altered. 

Additionally, LL Cool J rocked his FUBU clothing line to the fullest and it paid off big. LL also had the coolest wardrobe on the UPN hit show, In The House.

Back in the early stages of the FUBU brand in the 90s, FUBU’s founder, Daymond John, now most recognizable from the hit show, Shark Tank, had a vision.

He stuck to it: create quality clothes at a fair price.

The Queens, NY native balanced time working full-time as a manager at a local Red Lobster restaurant and investing into the FUBU brand.

He and his Queens, NY buddies J. Alexander Martin and Keith Perrin invested into that vision by actually hand-sewing hats, and T-shirts and selling them at New York Coliseum and making a pretty penny, daily.

Their hard work would pay off. But they also got a huge mainstream co-sign from fellow Queens representer, LL Cool J.

LL Cool J recorded a 30-second ad for The Gap, where he name dropped FUBU by saying “for us, by us” in his lyrics while wearing a FUBU hat.  

The Gap fell asleep at the wheel and didn’t realize it until months later. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

“He looked at us and saw the determination in our eyes,” FUBU’s Keith Perrin told me on Scoop B Radio.

LL Cool J was at the top of his game at the point. He was transitioning from rapping to acting.

According to Perrin, companies like Nike and Timberland were looking to do partnerships with LL. But the rapper, turned actor remained loyal to the hometown guys. “He’s from Queens just like us,” said Perrin.

Perrin vividly recounts giving LL Cool J his first endorsement check while he was on the set taping the video for his hit, “Phenomenon.”

“I went out there and gave him the check in an envelope,” he said.

“And he said: ‘what’s this?’ And I said: ‘this is the first distribution check.’ So he sits down and opens the envelope and says: ‘man, we making this kind of money from clothes?!’ It was $75,000 dollars and he says tell Damon [John]: ‘I need a red Ferrari!’ And I was like: ‘L you just got $75,000, you can put a down payment on your own Ferrari.’ But it was just an amazing thing and an amazing time and he’s a great guy, The dude is 100 percent loyal and dedicated to the brand.”

What a great story. Today, the brand is reportedly worth $6 billion. FUBU is also featured at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture.

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The post Scoop B: FUBU’s influence on 90s & 2000s culture stems from timing & LL Cool J’s The Gap commercial appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

2-time Grammy Award Winner LL Cool J and RESPECT Magazine managing editor and columnist Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson courtside at BIG 3 Basketball tournament in Brooklyn, New York. Photo Courtesy of Eric Salvary/Scoop Vision Media

LL Cool J and Stevie Wonder have something in common! At 49, LL Cool J, born James Todd Smith is tied with Wonder as the youngest musical artist to be recognized by the Kennedy Center Honors for his contribution to music.

That’s significant.

LL Cool J, a two-time Grammy winner was one of the first artists to sign with Def Jam Records. He changed the game for hip hop and also holds the distinction of releasing ten consecutive platinum-selling albums.

This is significant for hip hop and LL as he’ll be the first rap musician to be recognized at the Kennedy Center Honors on its 40th anniversary. Others honored include: TV writer/producer Norman Lear, singer Gloria Estefan, dancer Carmen de Lavallade and musician Lionel Richie.

“I am blown away,” LL Cool J told The Washington Post.

“This is the biggest musical award you can receive. To be recognized by your country, and to be able to represent hip-hop as an art form is amazing. I’m surprised, grateful, humbled and honored.”

I’m just glad to say I’ve interviewed the man a few times and that my aunt used to babysit him in Elmhurst, Queens. But on the real, congrats to @llcoolj who will become the first solo rapper to receive the Kennedy Center’s presidential honor. #Major? . . . Respect The Shooter: ?? @boomtownfm #LLCoolJ #TheBig3 #Big3 @thebig3 #Queens

A post shared by ? Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson (@scoop_b) on Aug 3, 2017 at 6:35pm PDT

The Kennedy Center Honors commences on December 3 at the Kennedy Center Opera House. The awards, the first under United States President Donald Trump is a weekend that houses a dinner at the State Department and a White House reception. The awards show will be broadcast at 9 p.m. Dec. 26 on CBS.

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The post Scoop B: LL Cool J First Solo Rapper To Receive Kennedy Center’s Presidential Honor appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Actor, rapper and producer Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson and sports and entertainment journalist Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson. Photo Courtesy of Scoop Vision Media

50 Cent is probably one of the most brilliant minds you’ll ever meet. The creator of the Starz Network hit show, Power, 50 Cent’s brought you hits like: ‘In Da Club,’ ‘Wanksta,’ ‘Candy Shop,’ ’21 Questions,’ and a ton more.

Those songs are fan favorites, but one of the most underrated songs that 50 ever put out never went mainstream was ‘How To Rob.’

‘How To Rob’ was a single off 50’s Power of the Dollar album, 50 Cent’s first album.

Yes, his first album! Get Rich or Die Trying was 50’s second album. Power of the Dollar was originally set to be released in 2000 via Columbia Records.

It never dropped though because Columbia Records found out that 50 was shot nine times. Columbia dropped him, a huge mistake on Columbia’s part and a gain by 50 who went on to have a huge career with he and G Unit.

Quips at folks like late rapper ODB, hip hop legend Lil Kim, gospel singer Kirk Franklin, Bishop T.D. Jakes and other notables like Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith and even late rapper Heavy D was 50’s way in the late ninetys/early 2000s that he was hungry and he was coming!

Heck, 50 let you know what time it was with lines like: 

The bottom line is I’m a crook with a deal. If my record don’t sell I’mma rob and steal. You better recognize, n***a, I’m straight from the street. These industry n***as is starting to look like something to eat.I’ll snatch Kim and tell Puff, ”You want to see her again? Get your ass down to the nearest ATM.

And:

I’ll rob Pun without a gun, snatch his piece then run/This nigga weigh 400 pounds, how he gonna catch me, son?

And a chorus that said:

This ain’t serious/Being broke can make you delirious/So we rob and steal so our ones can be bigger/50 Cent, how it feel to rob an industry n***a?

Did you know that Sirius/XM’s DJ Whoo Kid broke that record?

“You gotta imagine him just giving me that record and I’m like: ‘I gotta play this? Like you serious,” DJ Whoo Kid told me on Scoop B Radio. “And I’m like alright as long as you got my back.”

DJ Whoo Kid spinning records. Photo Courtesy of World Red Eye

Whoo Kid caught hell for releasing that track too!

“I was getting like threats, texts, you get like a phone call and then somebody hang up, like all kinds of craziness,” DJ Whoo Kid said.

Check Out DJ Who Kid and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio

“Part of it, cause, like dealing with 50 Cent and remember, I used to DJ for like CNN, Capone-N-Noreaga before that and they went through like hell. Those guys were like killing and shooting and before that, I was with Juvenile. So I’m like super old school. I can’t even believe I even did all that s**t. But um rolling with Juvenile, he introduced me to the south and all the violence they do and white chicks, like I didn’t know what a white girl was until I met Juvenile because he had [the song] ‘Back That Ass Up.’

‘How To Rob’ appeared in a movie too.

Yup!

It was on the soundtrack for the film, In Too Deep, which starred Omar Epps, LL Cool J and Nia Long.

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The post Scoop B: DJ Whoo Kid Says He Got Backlash After He Released 50 Cent’s ‘How To Rob’ Record In The 90s appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Thursday’s are prime time, little did you know! It’s the Friday before Friday, the breath before the break, the eye of the storm. Here are some tunes that will roll you over into the end of your busy work week, or get that 4-day weekend started.

1. Rihanna – Consideration (ft. SZA)

2. Miguel – Coffee

3. The Notorious B.I.G – Party and Bullsh*t

4. WZRD – Teleport 2 Me, Jamie

5. LION BABE – Rockets

6. Jesse Boykins III – Prototype (COVER)

7. Kendrick Lamar – Night of the Living Junkies

8. De La Soul – Buddy (ft. A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, and Queen Latifah) 

9. Stevie Wonder – Jungle Fever

10. Frank Ocean – Songs for Women 

11. Chance the Rapper – Juice

12. Soul II Soul – Back to Life (Acapella)

13. Stwo – Fill the Void (ft. Amir Obe and Daniel Caesar)

14. Tyler, the Creator – She (ft. Frank Ocean)

15. LL Cool J – Hey Lover (ft. Boyz II Men)

Listen and comment what you think below. Stay thirsty, and finish off strong readers!

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The post RESPECT.’s Thirsty Thursday Playlist [LISTEN] appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Hill Harper is probably one of the most diverse actors that you’ve ever seen and you probably didn’t even know it.

How many people can say that they appeared on the hit 90s television show, Married With Children, had a recurring role on CSI and HBO’s the Sopranos. went to law school with current U.S. President Barack Obama, been on screen with Denzel Washington and Ray Allen in He Got Game and has three earned Ivy League degrees?

Yup, that’s Hill Harper!

By the way, he has three earned Ivy League degrees, yet decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. He did it his way!

Speaking of He Got Game, Harper appeared on yesterday’s episode of Scoop B Radio and discussed the earlier years of his career, playing the role of Jesus Shuttlesworth’s cousin Booger.

Harper spoke reverently about film director, Spike Lee who gave Harper the chance to play in He Got Game after he had wrapped up his role in another Lee film, Get On The Bus.

“It was an honor for him to ask me to be in another film right after that,” he told me. “That usually means that the director likes what you did and what you brought to the table. It’s a role that I look back on and am so proud of.”

Playing in He Got Game, Harper got to see Ray Allen early in his career and was impressed even then. “His work ethic,” Harper said with a smile. “He had a work ethic. He was shooting and playing every day. He wanted to do well as far as the acting was concerned, wanted to do well as far as the basketball was concerned, he just had a work ethic. People always talk about my work ethic, people that I know who are successful and have longevity, they have work ethics and it comes down to that and he obviously had that. When he was acting, he wanted to be the best that he could be. When he was playing ball, he wanted to be the very best that he could be.”

Early in Harper’s career, he also played the Role of Breezy T in the film, In In Too Deep. Directed by Michael Rymer, In Too Deep, a crime thriller is a film that goes into the the life of rookie police officer, Jeff Cole works his way up the ladder as an undercover officer. The role of Cole is played by actor, Omar Epps. Officer Cole goes undercover into a large drug empire run by a man who calls him self God. The role of God is played by actor and recording artist, LL Cool J. Acting as J. Reid, Officer Cole works his way up the ranks and soon becomes close friends on the business and personal side with God. Cole’s superior officer fears that he has gone too far in and may not be able to go back to his real self. In addition to Epps and LL Cool J, the all star cast included Stanley Tucci, Pam Grier, Nia Long, Nas, Jermaine Dupri, Guillermo Diaz, Richard Brooks and Hill Harper.

“I wore blonde hair in the film,” recounted Harper. “I don’t get to play the bad guy very often. But he really wasn’t a bad guy, he was trying to feed his family. He was a go between. It was a fun film.”

An accomplished actor and humanitarian, Harper’s career has spanned 23 years. He looks back on the early years often. “I look at my career now and wish I had more opportunities to play characters like that,” he said.

Unfortunately, I’ll be honest, they’re not writing characters like that. If you look at films that are character based and character inspired, where are they?”

Hear the interview in its entirety here: 

http://www.scoopbradio.com/2016/10/scoop-b-radio-ep-034-feat-actor-hill-harper/

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The post Flashback Friday: Hill Harper Reflects On In Too Deep and He Got Game appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

So who is Shad Moss?

Back in 2014, days prior to the BET Awards, Bow Wow took to Instagram to say, ‘After BET Awards I will no longer go by Bow Wow! I’m going by my real name “Shad Moss.” We made a lot of history as Bow Wow, now it’s time for the next chapter and challenge. Bow Wow does not fit who I am today. I’m a father, business man, TV host, actor, and rapper! Time for Mr. Moss to take over!‘

When we see these negative tweets about how irrelevant Shad Moss is as an artist, and then we see him speak in some of these interviews about how he wants to focus more on acting and comedy, we can becomes extremely understanding as of why he maneuvered to a different career path. It’s not only common in the rap game that a rapper ventures off to acting, but at the same time when you’re five years old and you’ll spend the majority of your life rapping, what are the chances that you’ll decide to do some other s**t with your life? We’ve seen other rappers like Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah transition from spitting bars to reading movie scripts, so why is it an issue when Bow Wow (who started his rapping career at such a very young age) decides to take on movie roles as well? He’s labeled as ‘irrelevant’ by many because they assume he flopped as a rapper, when in reality he’s irrelevant because he chose to be. Again, he’s been in the game for over 20 years so now it’s like, ‘what’s next for me, what is it that I’m truly passionate about, do I want to do this music s**t for another twenty years?’

‘My whole life I hated rapping,’ he stated on Twitter on May 5. ‘Folks don’t know that. I always wanted to be a comedian growing up. I wanted to act.’

We practically have known Shad Moss all of his life. At the age of three Moss (who was going by the name Kid Gangsta at the time) was already performing in talent shows in the Columbus, Ohio area. Then a few years later, at the age of six during The Chronic tour he met and performed alongside Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre after being chosen from thousands of fans to come up on stage. After having met Snoop Dogg, Kid Gangsta didn’t only change his name to Lil’ Bow Wow, but he also began doing opening acts for Snoop Dogg during tours. Everything from there on out is history. From rapping on The Arsenio Hall Show, to trying to sneak into Tupac Shakur’s rapping booth, to meeting Jermaine Dupri, dropping hits back to back such as “Bounce with Me,” “Fresh Azimiz,” and “Like You.” To even starring in films such as Like Mike, Roll Bounce, Hurricane Season, and Lottery Ticket.

‘Til this day many fans are still wondering, will we be hearing more music from Shad Moss anytime soon or is he really done making music?

‘I got songs. Tons. Just not really passionate about the game…Made money. Been rapping since I was five. New place now. I still got my deal. I do what I want. Label can’t force me. Paid my dues. I do it when I want. Now ain’t the time.’

Known as both irrelevant, and broke he continues to be successful in all his encounters.

He also has plans of starting up his own late night talk show soon, Up With Bow. And despite there not being an air date as of yet, he’s been showing his excitement for the show throughout social media. Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Kobe Bryant, and Michelle Obama are some ideas of guest appearances he plans to have on the show as well which is also very exciting.

‘First time people saw me on The Arsenio Hall Show. So it’s only right I go back to where I started. First let me thank him by paving the way because I wouldn’t have did what I’m about to do. I been quietly working on a project that I felt is needed. When I hosted 106 I had a little control and I got to be the man because I’m a creator. So when I can’t be a creative well… But I learned so much to the point where I will have my own late night show coming.’

It’s true what they say, everything does come around full circle.

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The post The Irrelevancy of Bow Wow and Why It Doesn’t Mean Anything appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

19-year-old, New York MC Que Hampton follows up his well received A Piece Of BLAKK project with a fresh new offering. Freestyling over LL Cool J‘s 1997 cut, “4,3,2,1”, which featured Method Man, Redman, and DMX, Que Hampton continues to showcase his lyrical prowess. You may already be familiar with Que from collaborations with fellow Rockland County native, Bishop Nehru. We can always rely on Que to provide that raw hip-hop sound that is fairly subdued in today’s music. Though this is just a loosie from the young spitter, we should expect more music from him in the near future. Stream Que Hampton’s “IV” below!

The post New Music: Que Hampton – “IV (Freestyle)” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.