True To The Game Co-Star Vivica A. Fox, Photo Credit: Tylik Hill/Vocab Entertainment

IMANI Motion Pictures presented a screening of the highly anticipated film adaptation of True To The Game at the AMC Lowes 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan.

Over 300 media influencers and notable tastemakers gathered in support of the buzz worthy film.ttendees included True To The GameAuthor, Teri Woods, Imani Motion Pictures, Manny Halley, True To The Game Co-Stars: Vivica A.Fox, Andra Fuller, Lorenzo Eduardo, Starletta Dupois, Iyana Halley, Stanley Atwater. 

Cast Of True To The Game at New York City screening premiere Of True To The Game. Photo Credit: Tylik Hill/ Vocab Entertainment

Other notbales in attendance included, Bravo’s Real Housewives Of Potomac County Co Star-Charrisse Jackson Jordan, Fashion Enthusiasts: Miss Jay Manuel and Phillip Bloch.

New York Giants cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromarte. Tylik Hill/ Vocab Entertainment

New York Giants cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromarte and Janoris Jenkins were in attendance. Power co-Stars: Donshae Hopkins, Shana Sakai, and Andrea Rachelle, stopped by. Actress/Recording Artists- Antonique Smith, Rapper- Lord Jamar, Social Activist-Nicole Paultre Bell, and Music Industry Veterans: Eric Nicks, Don “Pooh” Cummings, Tracy Waples, Matt Middleton, Keith Clinkscales, and Nicole George Middleton.

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Surpassing the expectations of a standard “remix” in 2016, Brooklyn’s Dj Skizz offers an oversized fixing for all hip-hop heads with this one. Let’s take a moment and reflect on how potent Cormega & Large Professor‘s ‘Mega Philosophy’ LP was in 2014. If you missed it, we highly recommend you getting your hands on it today. Anyway, “Industry” was a stand out record for many off of the album.

With a healthy list of commendable production credits, rock solid releases and an evident, pure work ethic, it’s no surprise Skizz would go above and beyond with this one – or anything he touches for that matter. As you can see above, he brought along some seasoned veterans and staples to paint his refined canvas. Could we ask for a better line-up of emcees to discuss such a heavy topic? Probably not.

That’s enough out of us. Enjoy the record – we are sure you will. Peace and love!

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Moving forward from their successful debut, Jersey’s own El Da Sensei and Tame One needed no introduction three years later. But “Art Of Scratch” still opened up album with a raw, neck snapping introduction to the crew anyway. “Who’s this? The knotty headed terror and the sensei.”. By this point Between a Rock and a Hard Place (1994) swarmed the underground and built trust in all hip-hop fans. Their music has graffiti writers, b-boys and anyone immersed in the culture sold. Many call that record a classic, and there’s honestly no arguing that. How about their sophomore That’s Them?

Though not as critically acclaimed as the groups first record, this album falls far from short. Us real hip-hop junkies are not too interested in album sales and chart rankings; we are looking for quality and substance, which this album certainly obtains. Tame and El stayed true to their craft here and gave us what we expected from them following the debut – head nodding, raw underground boom-bap. The album has features from the likes of Lord Jamar, Showbiz, Da Beatminerz and other notable artists on and off the microphone. Covering all grounds and giving us the Artifacts sound we all loved in 1997, That’s Them is now eighteen years of age and still relevant.

Don’t sleep on their recent moves, either. As a group they’ve been crushing venues pretty often, which RESPECT. Magazine‘s Dread Solo had the pleasure of catching back in Philadelphia alongside Ras Kass and company. El Da Sensei has recently announced his upcoming XL release, and we heard he brought on some heavy hitters. “It’s gonna be beats, bars and Lo all over this album. Whatever you’re expecting – it’s going to exceed that!” Keep up with the release and everything going down in 2015. But while you wait check out the 1997 visual for “The Ultimate” below. Peace and love.

The post Artifacts’ Sophomore LP ‘That’s Them’ Turns 18 Today appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Via Spin

“[Hip-Hop] started with the alpha males. And now it’s being given to the beta males to try to flex their shit,” says Bran Nubian Lord Jamar in his recent New Yorker profile.  Jamar has been releasing inflammatory statements on a weekly basis for a while now, firing shots at Kanye West for wearing a leather Givenchy skirt on stage and now at openly gay rapper Le1f for straying from hip-hop’s macho roots.

Musically, Lord Jamar is irrelevant. However, the spotlight turned to him recently after he released a song entitled “Lift up Your Skirt,” insulting West for his “pioneer[ing] of this queer shit.” Lord Jamar believes that “in order to preserve a culture there are certain guidelines and boundaries that have to be there.”

Hip-hop culture is not about xenophobia or fear of the unknown; it is about combating those issues and more. Lord Jamar’s hateful messages turn him into an oppressor. His actions go against the philosophy of the movement he is trying to “preserve.”

Le1f is primarily known for being an openly gay MC, but he is first and foremost and creative artist who brings the all-too-often homophobic hip-hop world a new flavor. He recently performed live on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” advertising his latest project, Hey. Following his performance, Lord Jamar responded to a fan on twitter who sent him the video of Le1f’s performance, exclaiming:

THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING! “@AList_AL: Yo @lordjamar is bout to have a field day with this one, lol http://t.co/MpmUMrcto6”

— Lord Jamar (@lordjamar) March 15, 2014

Lord Jamar sounds and acts like a conspiracy theorist obsessed with the “feminization” of hip-hop. Le1f performing on a nationally-televised late-night show will always be positive for the culture. This kind of exposure is another in a long line of steps towards acceptance and respect for hip-hop.

Le1f released an inspiring statement in response to Jamar. In it, he breaks down the struggles he has faced and highlights the ignorance that fed Jamar’s judgements.

Dear Lord Jamar,

Choose your battles. If the whitening of rap is a concern to you, please leave my name out of it. If you think being gay is the same as being white, you are as ignorant as your enemies. I’m darker than you. I’m african. I’m a black man and I experience all the same racism you do, if not more, on top of homophobia, including from black men just like you. Are you proud of being a hateful member of a majority? Rap started out as a creative response to oppression, and no matter my outfit, I know oppressions you will never understand.

All respect,

Le1f

“Alpha males” do not speak down on others based on their appearance or dress. They do not keep hip-hop from growing by using negative stereotypes. “Alphas” are game changers, leaders, and innovators. Chance The Rapper, who is using a vibrant and refreshing sound to call attention to Chicago’s murder epidemic, is an “Alpha.” Nicki Minaj, who is bending the definitions of masculinity and femininity, who is destroying rap patriarchy, is an “Alpha.”

“Alpha” artists prove to the less enlightened that femininity and masculinity are not based on who puffs their chest out the most or who dresses differently. Being an “Alpha” and being a part of hip-hop are about empowerment and representing voices that need to be heard. Le1F is one of them.

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