If you’re just now getting familiar with The I V League, welcome. Those of you who keep up with the scene most likely have that one dream-team of artists that you would love to see join forces. This is where the League comes in, specifically stamped and served as an “international fraternity of extraordinary emcee’s, producers and deejays”.

Veteran emcees Ras Kass, Shabaam Sahdeeq and El Da Sensei have been in the mix for quite some time now, but still publicly unfold their craft every year offering something refreshing and equally satisfying. These gentlemen and their abilities do not age. So what happens when you get them in the studio with some of hip-hop’s more recently promising talent? Well, it’s the perfect mesh. That isn’t always the case, but with The I V League it sure is. New York wordsmith El Gant offers his expected, unapologetically piercing lyrics throughout the album. Sam Solo, 4rAx and thekeenone step up to the plate and necessarily deliver in the same playing field as the vets.

After a handful of released singles under The I V League’s umbrella and a busy year for each artist, the full length album is here. It’s versatile. It covers quite a few sounds – for you easily bored folk. It’s blunt. And it’s raw. Today it is not uncommon to hear your average social media surfer complaining that there are no good hip-hop albums out anymore. The League is here with a solution to that frequent complaint with an 11 track solution.

Snowgoons, Jake Palumbo, Poetiq Beetz and P Original are a few names handling the soundscapes throughout the album. The production is carefully selected to best suit the artists blessing the canvases. It would take hours to break down each artists current moves and what they’ve accomplished in 2015 alone. The League has quite the busy roster of recording artists. We hope you enjoy the project! Peace and love.

Official Site | Facebook | BandCamp 

The post The I V League Releases Their Debut LP (Full Album Stream) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Reks over a Superior beat? Count us in. Count yourself in for that matter.

The German producer/DJ had a hell of a run this year, with the release of his instrumental Scenes LP. If you’re not familiar with Superior, we heavily suggest you checking out his soundscapes and wrapping your head around this collaboration afterwards (via Below System Records). Peace and love.

The post New Music: Superior – “Superiority” Feat. Reks appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

If you’re just now tuning into the Koncept & J57 extravaganza, welcome. Take a seat. Fresh off of their The Fuel release, the two hardworking gentlemen decide to celebrate on film for us. The visual demonstration includes a day of drinking together – which we know can lead to just about anything in the rotten apple as you will see in a moment.

The duo’s full length offering will be available in 2016 as The Fuel is just a sample of its magnitude.

“The Fuel is the pre-cursor/set up for Flight, which drops summer of next year. The vibes are similar, but Flight is like a big brother to The Fuel. That statement will make a lot of sense a year from today — you’ll see. But, in the time being, enjoy The Fuel and please listen to the entire thing knowing that something way bigger and way better is coming in a short 6-8 months.” -J57

Just incase you missed the EP this year, we’ve attached the full stream below. Do it if you have not – it’s a cinematic, expressive experience. Aside from the duo taking flight on a full length album this coming year, you may want to keep an eye on J57’s latest Five Seven Music imprint. It’s a hell of a label and is still very young (setting it off with 2015’s You Gotta Watch LP by Mean Joe Scheme).

The post New Video: Koncept & J57 – “Excitement” Feat. Andrew Thomas Reid appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Logic‘s debut album Under Pressure may have set standards, however the newly announced Sophomore LP is likely to take the lead. Carrying the title The Incredible True Story, we expect this production to definitely live up to its name.

We may have been awaiting a concrete project for quite some time now, but Logic certainly makes the anticipation worthwhile. Having already gained the attention of fans, and of course the respect of many artists, this next move will only increase numbers.

If the trailer shot by Nick Mahar, is anything to go by we are in luck. Check it out above.

The post Logic Announces ‘The Incredible True Story’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

This 12-track project serves as a “victory lap” for Caleborate as he begins the audio journey with tracks like “From The EB With Love” that make it well known what he’s coming for in this game. The subtle, yet heavy-hitting beats that allow Caleborate to convince his listeners of one thing, this LP is indeed a “Hella Good” experience. Happy Listening.

The post New Music: Caleborate – Hella Good (LP) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

After delivering the Erykah Badu endorsed “Super Conscious” and Statik Selektah mixed “Smooth Criminal,” Baltimore’s most prominent underground emcee, ELLIS drops off an exclusive stream of his latest iTunes release “Ocean Grown.”

Back in 2013, Sway Calloway’s popular “Sway In The Morning” radio show audience was introduced to a budding emcee from Maryland named ELLIS. The brief Shade 45 guest spot lead to his national television debut via MTV’s Rap Fix the following year. The noteworthy exposure allowed him to not only gain the interests of industry tastemakers and top tier hip-hop websites but more importantly helped him develop a core following.

Give the project a spin in it’s entirety below, and be sure to purchase your digital copy of the LP today!

The post Stream: ELLIS – “Ocean Grown” LP appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Rapper Joe Budden is known for voicing his opinions on all levels and has recently hit the headlines for just that reason. However, it seems that the “Black Cloud” emcee has pushed the controversy aside as he is now applying his full attention to his forthcoming project, All Love Lost, which is set for release September 25th.

Following a sequence of productions, Budden’s EP’s No Love Lost and Some Love Lost have paved the way for the upcoming concrete LP. Having previewed the new cover art, we are guessing that a dark and truthful album is on the way, while matching the previous deep themes of past EP’s.

One thing is for sure: with his distinctive bars that represent his individuality at its finest, Budden never sleeps on a track.

Check out the insightful cover art above and stay locked for additional updates on Mouse’s All Love Lost as they emerge.

The post Joe Budden Reveals, ‘All Love Lost’ Artwork appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.