Amara La Negra. Photo taken by Miguel Crespo for RESPECT.

Love & Hip Hop: Miami star, Amara La Negra, is a Afro-Latina singer who grew up dancing and acting. She dealt with much adversity and racism even as a child in the entertainment industry. Amara looked up to Celia Cruz, an Afro-Cuban salsa singer that was the only woman in the music industry that resembled her. Like Cruz, Amara La Negra wants to be a role model for Afro-Latinas coming up in the industry today. Now, with new multi-album record deal and soon, her debute on the big screen, Amara is working to bridge the gap.

We sat down with Amara La Negra and spoke to her about her past, present and future. 

What was your childhood like? How did the things you did as a child build you into who you are today? 

It was a lot of work. I started doing beauty pageants when I was 4 years old so my whole life I’ve known what I wanted to do. My whole life I been preparing for this. I definitely do think the struggles my mother went thru, the things I saw her do and the strength she had as an immigrant in this country to make sure I was good gave me the confidence I have today.

You mentioned your mother. She’s the real deal parent. She did everything in her power to give you a great life. What does it mean to you to have someone like that in your corner?

She’s the only person to be there for me no matter what was going on or what happened. It definitely means a lot to know that I’m not alone in this world, you know what I mean? A lot of people are here for the hype, a lot of people are here for the benefits but she’s the one person I know that will be there for me no matter what. 

A lot of people don’t know you were a certified Zumba instructor. What is it about dancing that you loved so much? 

Well I originally became a Zumba instructor because I was over weight and wanted to lose the weight. I started teaching because I was already a professional dancer in the past so it was just perfect. I truly enjoy dancing. It’s another way of expressing myself through my body movements. I would never be able to sing without dancing. 

How did you get your start in the music industry?

Well, I started when I was 4 years old. I was there every Saturday for 6 years but I officially began singing professionally when I was 15 or 16 years. All my life I knew what I wanted to do and music has definitely been it. 

We know you love Beyoncé and Tina Turner. Who else would you like to work with in the future? 

I’m very open-minded. I would love to work with Rihanna. I know it may seem crazy right now but nothing is impossible in this world. There are many talented women I would love to work with not only here in the United States but in Brazil, in Europe so like I said, I’m very open-minded.

You’re a member of the Love & Hip Hop: Miami cast. Does being on the show add any pressure to make good music? 

Not to make good music. It definitely adds pressure to the drama in my life that’s not really like that. My life can be dramatic in other aspects but not when it comes to men, women or none of that stuff. That’s not really who I am. Anybody who knows me knows my whole life revolves around my mom and my career. That’s pretty much it. I do understand it’s a reality TV show and with the good comes the bad. The people like the drama.

Any upcoming music, projects or a tour to look forward to? 

Actually, yes! I’m working on my EP called, Unstoppable, which will be out at the end of this year or the beginning of 2019. It means a lot to me because it’s my first American EP ever. I’m working really hard cause I want it to be the best I could ever imagine. I’ve recorded so many songs and I feel like none of them are good enough. I want to do something really amazing so I’m very tough on myself. I’m a perfectionist but it’s coming along. 

2018 has been a great year for you. What does the future look like and what’s next for you?

I’m working on my EP, I just finished filming my first movie that will air on BET and Netflix so far. I’m working on my second movie called, Men Issues, in February which I am an executive producer. I just signed a book deal for children’s books and I have a lot going on. I’m still performing, doing commercials and everything everywhere else.

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The post RESPECT. Interview: Love & Hip Hop: Miami’s Amara La Negra appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Model and Lip Service Podcast host, Stephanie Santiago. Photo Credit: Stephanie Santiago/Instagram

The music video model and vixen does not hold the same credibility that it once did. While vixens like Melyssa Ford and Tahiry paved the way for many, the world of instagram makes the identity of a vixen easily attainable. That said, Stephanie Santiago is the last of a dying breed! 

Named one of the sexiest New Yorkers on Instagram by the New York Post, Santiago is currently a co-host of the Lip Service Podcast alongside The Breakfast Club’s Angela Yee. Santiago has appeared in music videos like 2 Chainz’s Birthday Song and Fabolous’ Birthday Song.

Her huge break came in 2013 when she appeared on stage as Bonita Applebum during A Tribe Called Quest’s opening set during Kanye West’s Yeezus Tour at Madison Square Garden. Named by Complex as one of the 25 Hottest Urban Models to Follow on Instagram, shehas range in her young career.

Appearing on a recent episode of Scoop B Radio, Santiago talked on a very popular topic in the entertainment world: plastic surgery. Many young ladies that are in videos emulate what they see other women in the industry do in getting surgery.

Santiago weighed in on the growing trend.

“Well, I don’t think there are video vixens anymore,” Santiago told me. “I think it’s all like bartenders, strippers and free bitches, so I don’t really think you can compare them to like the real ones like myself or Melissa Ford, or even Tahiry, you know what I mean? “Even Buffy the Body, you know what I mean, we’re real video vixens like we’ve done some legendary s**t, but everybody’s getting plastic surgery, man. They’re doing it for cheap I was just watching Maury the other day and they got like commercials. What is it they call it? Sono Bello or some s**t? These b*****s getting lipo from the f******g ads on Maury, my man. Like everybody’s getting surgery.” 

Check Out Stephanie Santiago and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson’s chat on Scoop B Radio.

When asked about the percentage in the industry, Santiago was honest:

“I say 99 percent of the girls are getting it,” she said. “I’m very public about my plastic surgery. I have videos getting plastic surgery on the internet. I support team plastic, I think there’s nothing wrong with fixing a problem. If you don’t like it, fix it. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I think girls get surgery expecting to become an internet celebrity or are expecting to get that call to be in Jay-Z‘s video or something, you know it just doesn’t work like that. You can’t have a great body and a cute face and a dry personality. I feel like girls should stop watching what other girls are doing and do their own thing and make success out of themselves.”

Nuff said!

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The post Stephanie Santiago Doesn’t Think Traditional Video Vixens Exist Anymore appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Jim Jones and Kanye West. Photo Credit: IB Times

Remember back in Novemeber when TMZ reported that Kanye West had a meltdown and checked into a hospital under the name Jim Jones?

Yup, well, the real Jim Jones, you know, the rapper from Harlem, found it hilarious and went ham, telling TMZ that Mr. West’s hospital check in was the “worst catfish ever.”

Jones furthered by telling TMZ:

“I don’t know what’s on Kanye mind but that’s definitely a funny thing to me. “But on a serious side, that’s kinda f***** up that he would use my name in such a manner. If people didn’t know it wasn’t him and they just thought it was Jim Jones doing the regular, crazy Jim Jones thing that could have got my ass in trouble. So for that alone, I should charge Kanye a sucker fee [laughs]. I don’t care about that type of shit.”

“I do need an apology I believe. Too scared to be in your own skin? Your name Kanye, my name Jim Jones. I didn’t know you wanted to trade lives. I wouldn’t want to be you anyway, not in my worst nightmare – I’m cool with who I am. I’m gonna start using his name. My new alias is Kanye West. I can’t wait to pull up to hotels, the Hermès stall and tell them Mr. West is outside.”

It was classic Jimmy.

Jimmy had good counsel before doing that interview, apparently. Appearing on a post Mother’s Day episode of Scoop B Radio, Jim Jones’ mother, Mama Jones chatted with me about the incident.While many moms might freak out and blow up their son’s phone to find out his whereabous, Mama Jones didn’t flinch. “I Knew it wasn’t Jim because I was here with my son,” she told me.

Check out Mama Jones and Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson On Scoop B Radio

“Me and my son were together that day, so I knew it wasn’t him. I think I was supposed to take the dog back to him that day because I’m the grandma to my grand-dogs. So I had to take the grand-dogs back to Starbucks and we had laughed about it. And I said: ‘well now you need to go around and say you’re Kanye West and see what kind of perks you can get from it, if ya’ll want to switch names you might as well go right ahead.'”

Nuff said!

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The post Jim Jones’ Mom On Kanye West Using His Name As Hospital Alias: “You need to go around and say you’re Kanye West” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

2017 is off to a great start for Love & Hip Hop star Cardi B, who has officially evolved from an Instagram personality to an all around artist.

After the successful release of her debut mixtape, Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 1, Cardi is back with the follow-up Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 2 and decided to stop by The Breakfast Club to discuss it and how she’s adjusting to her new found fame.

“I’m not completely adjusted yet because you gotta have ‘thick skin’ and I’m not there yet, I’m still tender,” Cardi said. “I’m proud of myself because a lot of times people want to make me feel like it’s not enough and I make myself feel that way too. Then I look at it like, ‘I’m buggin’, I was just in the strip club not too long ago.”

As if dropping a new mixtape wasn’t enough, Cardi is saying goodbye to Love & Hip Hop and hello to joining the cast of BET’s hit show Being Mary Jane.

According to TV Line, Cardi will guest star on one episode of season four, where she will play a “round-the-way beauty with a big weave, big boobs and a big booty to match her oversized, ratchet personality” named Mercedes.

“My character is somewhat like me. She is a spoiled, rich, ‘hood girl,” she laughed. “I see myself in her because she is a little bossy.”

When asked why she finally decided it was time to leave, Cardi revealed scheduling conflicts played a major factor in her decision.

“Honestly, I have been so busy over the past year that I don’t even have time to film,” Cardi said. “I don’t think it’s fair for me to be getting paid or be included on something that I can’t actually participate in, so I decided it was time to leave.”

Though many judge Cardi B for her loud, “ratchet” persona, her stance on feminism and ability to fully embrace her sexuality has certainly won over millions. In an interview with Latina magazine, Cardi explains her stance on feminism.

“A lot of women of color are tired of feeling like we’re second, feeling unloved. When I worked in the club, I always used to hear women of color, sometimes myself, saying that the lighter girls are preferred. It makes you think to yourself, do I really like myself? I don’t want women to feel that way, like, in order to be liked or more loved you have to be lighter.”

Check out the interview below and buy your copy of Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 2 via iTunes here.

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The post Cardi B Talks New Mixtape & Adjusting to Fame with The Breakfast Club [Watch] appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Singer and Love & Hip Hop star Amina Buddafly not only has the illest accent ever, she’s also a student of her craft.

According to Wetpaint.com’s Afiya Augustine, Buddafly, born Aminata Schmahl, was one of the three members in the group Black Buddafly. That group consisted of her twin sister Jazz and older sister Sophie. Sophie left the group in 2006 and the group became a duo. After much success in their home country, the sisters came to the States and landed a deal with mega mogul Russell Simmons. The sisters had a smash hit with the song “Rock-A-Bye,” and their second single, “Bad Girl” with rapper Fabolous, ended up on the soundtrack for the movie Waist Deep.

Buddafly caught up with me on Scoop B Radio and discussed her musical influences, being indie, separating her musical talent from Love & Hip Hop and her Mymusic album.

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The post LHHNY’s Amina Buddafly Discusses Early Musical Influences appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

After finding love with Love & Hip Hop co-star Cyn Santana, it seems that Joe is wanting to reflect a little more of his softer side, with his new video for “I Wanna Know” featuring Stacey Barthe off of his project Rage & The Machine.

A photo posted by Founder of Mood Muzik Ent. (@joebudden) on Nov 13, 2016 at 3:58pm PST

In the video, Joe is talking to the sample, detailing failed relationships, wisdom and perspective from growing older and most importantly the joys of fatherhood as he talks to his actual son Trey. The 36-year-old MC has entered a new, happier space in his life and it shows throughout, but his new outlook on life is never more apparent than when he talks about his son.

“My son and I, we haven’t had too many conversations about his thoughts on my romantic life”, Joe told Ambrosia For Heads in an interview, “But I can tell that he kinda looks at me that way—he kinda looks at me like I do pretty good in that area, for some reason. But, first things first, with him, I teach him how to be a gentleman. That’s just the most important thing to me, as a man. They always say that chivalry is dead. I don’t think it’s true. I think when people are raised properly, certain things are just by default. You open doors. You carry things. You pull out chairs. You’re mannerable. You’re polite. You’re just a gentleman—so I try to teach him that. I try to instill that in him, and if he masters that, he’ll be pretty fine later on in life with women.”

Rage & The Machine is entirely produced by araabMUZIK and features appearances Fabolous, Torey Lanez, Joell Ortiz & Stacey Barthe and is now available via Mood Muzik/Empire Records.

Joe Budden is currently raging his way thru a 20-city trek for his The Rage Tour, check out the video and tour dates below.

Joe Budden- ‘The Rage Tour’ Remaining Dates:

Nov 16^th– Las Vegas, NV (Backstage Bar & Billiards)

Nov 17^th– Oakland, CA (The New Parish)

Nov 18^th– Los Angeles, CA (Los Globos)

Nov 21^st– Sauget, IL (Pops Concert Venue)

Nov 22^nd– Chicago, IL (Promontory)

Dec 23^rd– Washington, DC (Howard Theatre)

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The post Joe Budden Shows Softer Side With “I Wanna Know” [Watch] appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Good things don’t last forever. That awesome girl you dated in high school and were totally going to marry, are you still with her? Probably not. Are your parents divorced? If yours aren’t, the other person’s who’s reading this right now probably are. Things change. Love dies. The last time we heard a Joe Budden project, he was in a much happier state than we’ve seen from him in years. The singles reflected that, the album sales reflected that, and it felt like our tortured hero’s storm had finally dissipated. But things change. Love dies.

In 2014, Budden returns to us a little darker, a little more damaged, and a little moodier. While some may be expecting the sophomore Slaughterhouse album, it remains very much a work in progress, according to Budden. “There was a point where I was very vocal about the vibe of the last album and that didn’t come to fruition for whatever reason,” he said. “So I’d rather not say the album is near its completion, which it is not right now.” Regardless of the group project, there is plenty of music on the way for Budden fans. Some Love Lost arrives November 4, and a full-length album, All Love Lost, is due out in 2015. However, newer fans take heed, this will not be the Love & Hip-Hop Joe Budden you’ve been accustomed to over the last year.

Some Love Lost promises to be a return to form for the “Mood God,” whose die-hard fans balked at his sunnier disposition in 2013. They wanted the hurt, not the joy, and following failed relationships, a relapse, and a few funerals, that’s exactly what they will be receiving. Are you in that mood yet?

I’ve heard Joe Budden doesn’t have fans, he has patients. What do you say to that?
Yeah, my guy Crooked I texted that to me. I understand it. I understand the people that believe that sentiment. Those are the people that I normally try to speak to. My music has been very relatable to most, it’s been very helpful. I have been sort of a mentor/life coach/therapist – really just someone else going through the same hardships other people are going through out there. That’s probably how I’ve come to develop this fanbase, so I get it.

A lot of your fans seem to always want you depressed.
That does seem to be the case. It’s a horrible gift and a curse. You have a lot of people who feel like – not just me, but musicians period – make better music when they are going through turmoil. With my fans, you have some that want the best interest of me and some that want the best interest of the music and, for the latter, me being depressed means being able to deliver that to them.

That’s kind of a warped relationship, though. You have these people who obviously love you but are kind of hoping for the worst in your life so they get the kind of music they want.
Yeah, but it’s warped with contingencies. I’m sure my fans don’t wish death on me. I’m sure they just wish for enough bad to happen for me to be able to rap about it.

Your music’s always been therapeutic, but last year you went in a direction we haven’t really seen since your Def Jam debut. No Love Lost was noticeably more mainstream, more happy. It had the deep cuts, but the overall mood was lighter. What caused you to go back to the hurt?
Where I’m at physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually usually dictates the music. During No Love Lost, there was a concentrated effort to deliver the singles that some people may have been in doubt that I would be able to deliver. And that’s what I did. The meat and potatoes of the album was still typical Joe Budden, but the overall feel was much lighter than what people had become accustomed to hearing from me.

Today, unfortunately, it’s been a rough 2014, so the music will indicate that.

The album performed well on the charts. Was there no temptation to just stick with this new formula and reap the rewards?
Nah, because I never want the music to sacrifice at all. I thought the songs performed well, I wanted to take advantage of the visibility that I had of being on TV and being in front of four million people every week. I wanted to try to expand my audience and incorporate more women and get them involved more and I think I was successful in that. A lot of the things I wanted to do, I did. Unfortunately, fans hear the single with Wayne [and write it off]. And, you know, that was important to me, too. Networking with some of the other artists that I had blocked myself off from doing for so many years. So we did that, we developed some relationships with people and we did a lot of things that Joe Budden just doesn’t normally, typically do.

On my EP, there are no rap features. I’ve never been one to feel that I needed them. I have a lot to say, I’m long-winded and I can write and perform 150 bars within a matter of hours. That’s what this EP is delivering. This EP is very current as far as where I am, period. Very current.

I’m assuming the album, All Love Lost, will arrive some point next year, so why the EP beforehand? You had something to say right now?
Yeah, I had something to say immediately.

You mentioned it being a rough year. You relapsed after a long stretch of sobriety. That had to affect your mindset, not only musically but personally, too.
A relapse affects everything. It affects your life in all areas, all facets. You know, [I’ve been] dealing with a relapse, dealing with different relationship struggles, different demons, dealing with a lot of death. A lot of people passed this year. So many things happened this year.

Some Love Lost is the EP. People went crazy over “OLS 4,” but you’ve been teasing “Only Human” and “Poker In the Sky.” Can you shed some light on those records?
Nope! I ain’t shedding shit! [Laughs.] Unlike my typical self, who would just give away all the information, I have made it a point to be very cryptic in all things involving this project. “Only Human,” “Poker In the Sky,” those are just very detailed, in-depth records that say a lot and they sound really good. And while those are two of my personal favorites from the EP, a lot of fans are going crazy over the “Different Love” snippet, which is also a favorite of mine. It’s Joe Budden across the whole EP. That’s really the best way for me to explain it.

Fair enough, but I still have to pry a little bit. You had this verse on “Say Dat Then” where you’re talking about, I believe it was your grandfather, saying “He can’t even play his poker games in peace, y’all got to chill.” Is “Poker in the Sky” dealing with that same type of stuff?
Oh, aren’t you observant. [Laughs.] Somewhat, yes. You have to hear it, I guess.

You mentioned that your family heard that “Say Dat Then” verse and felt some type of way about it. Have they heard this one?
Oh yeah, definitely. My grandfather heard [“Poker In the Sky”] in the middle of a poker game actually, so I don’t know how well he heard it but he did hear it. I played it for him.

And it went over well?
Yeah, he liked it. He wanted me to keep playing it but I wouldn’t. I told him to buy it.

From Tahiry to Kaylin, are you more hesitant now to put your relationship in front of the camera?
I’m more hesitant now to just be in a relationship, fuck a camera. I’m hesitant, period. Fuck that.

Really? Because you have a reputation of being this serial monogamist.
That’s what people say. People say I’m a serial monogamist, but I’m not. I am focused on me, my family, and my music, and in the course of that, if god decides to put someone in front of me who I’m willing to invest in, then I will use plenty of discretion before that begins to take place.

I imagine it would difficult, not just with women, but with people in general, to see how genuine they are. Like, are they around you for you or are they around you for what you can do for them?
Yeah, pretty much. In today’s day and age, you gotta be a profiler to really know who people are, which most of us are not. So, we need time and life to start happening for people to really show their trust colors. Yeah, I would say it’s pretty difficult, especially for someone in my position.

You have a line on “Offshore” where you say, “Tell me what if this is big as I’m supposed to be/ I’d hate for that to get confirmed don’t take the hope from me.” You’re someone whose career has run the gamut of major label to independence, hit single to mainstream obscurity and everything in between. Let’s do a Christmas Carol type of scenario: If someone could come show you where your career will be in five years, would you want to see?
No. I believe that life is meaningless without hope, which is really what that line is about. Without hope, what are we living for? I wouldn’t wanna see where exactly I’d be in five years. I wouldn’t wanna know my exact date of death. I wouldn’t want to know my exact cause of death – well, not today I wouldn’t. Maybe tomorrow I would. Certain things I just want to allow to take place rather than just have the knowledge beforehand.

Keeping the scenarios going, love plays a big part in your music, but music is a big part of your life. So, would you rather lose all the love in your life or all the music?
You take music out of here, you need to take me with it. I don’t want to be on a planet without music.

A world without love would make for one hell of a Mood Muzik 5, though.
Yeah, it’d be great music. And then I could try to create love from great music. Hopefully people would love Mood Muzik 5.

Is that one your mind at all, by the way?
At the moment, no. It’s not on my mind at all. I’m one hundred percent focused on the EP and the LP that’s going to follow, just because I’m still of the belief that I can make the best body of work that I’ve ever made. That’s always my mindset on each project. I’m not thinking about Mood Muzik 5 right now.

Before I let you go: Shady XV. Shady Records is basically the Apple of hip-hop. No one ever knows what Eminem and company are doing over there. What’s your knowledge about it? Are you on it?
I am on it. And that is all I can say about Shady XV so we can keep our Apple business going.

The post Interview: Joe Budden Talks Some Love Lost EP, Relationship with Fans, and Mood Muzik 5 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.