Photographer Ismail “Calligrafist” Sayeed. Photo Credit: Eric Salvary/Get Fit Radio TV

Photographer, Ismail “Calligrafist” Sayeed checked in with Scoop B Radio podcast’s Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson. Press Play Below To Listen!

If you read articles on the internet then you’ve seen his work. Photographer Ismail “Calligrafist” Sayeed has photographed the latest and greatest.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama, Dwyane Wade, Jay-Z, Fabolous, DJ Khaled, P.Diddy and many more have been photographed under the keen lens of Calligrafist.

His photography is a bridge between fashion, lifestyle, hip hop and culture.

He’s everywhere!  Literally!

Homeboy’s work has appeared in reputable publications such as Billboard, ESPN, Bleacher Report, HBO, CBS Sports, Complex, Catch Restaurant, Reebok, Nike, Adidas, New York Fashion Week, DJ USA, Hot 97, Power 105.1, S.O.B.’s, Tidal, BET, VIBE, Mass Appeal, The Shade Room, Hype Beast, The Source Magazine, REVOLT, RESPECT Magazine, Bleu Magazine and Elliot Wilson and Brian ‘B.Dot” Miller’s Rap Radar.

All of that said…guess what? He’s not comfortable! 

“The kind of person that I am, I just want to do more,” Calligraist told RESPECT Magazine today by phone.

“This is just the beginning.” 

Forever Uptown… it’s a Harlem Thing. | #CalligrafistChronicles | www.CalligrafistPhotography.com

A post shared by Ismail اسما عيل Calligrafist™ (@calligrafist) on Dec 15, 2017 at 7:12pm PST

Harlem, NY bred and globally influenced, Calligrafist actually didn’t aspire to be a photographer. In fact, he fell in love with the art of graffiti and calligraphy; hence the nickname, ‘Calligrafist.’

A man of faith, the devout Muslim is college educated at Jamia Madinatul Uloom University in Trinidad & Tobago, where he studied Quranic Studies and Arabic reading and writing.

Calligrafist acknowledges seasoned hip hop photographers like Johnny Nunez and Jonathan Mannion  who have undoubtedly paved the way for on-the rise photographers such as himself. Calligrafist emphasizes that he’s glad to sit at the table with them and eat, while also gaining their respect for his skin in the game. “It’s genuinely cool to have intimate conversations with them,” he said.

“It’s more humbling that I am able to have direct access to people that I look up to like them and someone like Lenny S., DJ Clark Kent, Emory Jones, that have a name in the industry, people that have a place in the culture, for people to acknowledge me for more my work; that’s an honor. That’s more humbling. But it moves me to want to do more.”

For more information on Calligrafist and his photographic/art movement, visit www.calligrafistphotography.com and scroll up and press play to listen to our chat on Scoop B Radio! 

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The post Scoop B: Photographer Ismail “Calligrafist” Sayeed is a rising star who has stayed true to both his Islamic faith & his craft appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Beatnick and K-Salaam drop Movin’ It. Photo Courtesy of: Meccahnism Consulting

We’ve got a banger on our hands! From the crew that brought you the sounds behind Lauryn Hill’s live show and the first production team in history to score music for the Olympics, comes the Mass Appeal premiere of “Movin It” featuring Midwest legend Tech N9NE & his Strange Music artist, Wrekonize.

Beatnick, K-Salaam, Tech N9ne and Wrekonize built 2003-2005 neo-soul and hip nostalgia back with their latest “Movin It” track.

No lies!! 

Man it legitimately sounds like a combination of Outkast’s Bomb’s Over Baghdad coupled with the feel of Talib Kweli’s Just To Get By! 

According to a press release sent over to RESPECT Magazine, the first single off the upcoming album The Bluest Flame, finds Tech and Wrek skating over the high octane track that combines Trap with Rock and R&B, accompany that with some bangin drums and a unique musical style that is both innovative and vintage at the same time.

Adding words to the stellar production are the likes of Talib Kweli, Bun-B, Blu, Joell Ortiz and more. The scene has officially been for the kind of hip-hop and real music that the game has been missing.

“We make all of our beats from scratch,”  K-Salaam, tells RESPECT Magazine.

He added:

“We design our own sounds, our own drums, we come up with new chord progressions. We don’t need to sample, but people are already sampling us.”

The Bluest Flame drops August 25^th worldwide. Worth noting, the duo is also releasing their Reggae EP “Give Love” w/ Junior Reid on the same day.

While you’re a it, go ahead and follow these gentlemen on all social media and content providing platforms: 

Twitter – Beatnick & K-Salaam
YouTube – Beatnick & K-Salaam
Website – Beatnick & K-Salaam
Facebook – Beatnick & K-Salaam

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The post Scoop B Selects: Beatnick, K-Salaam, Tech N9NE & Wrekonize Drop “Movin It” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

During his set, the Queens MC premiered a new record featuring J Dilla titled ‘The Sickness’ over production from Madlib. “New shit coming from my man, the incredible J Dilla, coming out this year,” said the rapper. “[It’s] his last piece, his last album, the thing he was working on. We’re honored to release that through Mass Appeal.” Nas’ new track will be featured on J Dilla’s forthcoming unreleased rap album The Diary. It’s also rumored that Nas is currently working on the follow up album to Life is Good.

Checkout the Nas and J.Dilla collab, ‘The Sickness’ below:

The post Nas Premieres ‘The Sickness’ at SXSW appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The post Dave East – “Winners Never Lose” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Pimp C may be gone, (R.I.P.) but his legacy and spirit will forever exist as Mass Appeal announces the release of his coveted fourth studio album, “Long Live The Pimp.” Slated to drop 12/4, the lingering anticipation if actualized with “3 Way Freak” featuring Lil Wayne, reminding us of the signature Pimp C narrative and ever-present Houston bounce. Wayne delivers like he’s known for on a feature, but it’s Pimp’s classic H-Town energy and delivery that allows “3 Way Freak” to shine. LLTP is more than just music, it’s an immortalization of one of Hip-Hop’s most inquisitive and polarizing figures and will act as a reminder of just how integral of an artist he is, and what his impact will forever be. Long. Live.

The post Pimp C Feat. Lil Wayne – “3 Way Freak” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Prior to announcing the tour Matt Martians and Syd Tha Kyd of The Internet stopped by Mass Appeal to speak on a couple things in under five minutes.  The two highly talented members broke down why the separation of Odd Future was needed as well as why they decided to put Tyler The Creator on Ego Death, and even spoke on their tactics when it comes to getting a women’s attention and much much more. Although most of us are still trying to wrap our finger around the “breakup” of OF and their movement, the interview may bring you just a little bit of closure on the situation. Watch it below.

The post The Internet Announce Tour appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Can you imagine your favorite rapper as a superhero? If you can’t, the people over at Mass Appeal have made it a little easier to do so, with their new series, SUPER…
In this particular installment, they catch up with Kendrick Lamar who reveals details on ‘Hardbody’, a character who possesses the power of love and can only be taken down by ‘Lucy’, who is actually mentioned numerous times on his latest album, To Pimp A Butterfly. 
To find out more, about ‘Hardbody’, just press play, up above.

The post If Kendrick Lamar Was A Superhero… appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.