Mad Skillz may have hung his MC hat up for turntables, but the veteran emcee kicked off 2018 showing Uncle Murda why he’s listed as one of the most sought-after emcees in Hip-Hop.

For nearly twenty years, fans heavily anticipate the annual year-end “Rap Up” from Skillz which reflects over the previous year, over the last few years Uncle Murda among many others have “borrowed” Skillz concept to recreate their own. However, the G-Unit artist stepped into the crosshairs after he told Power 105.1‘s The Breakfast Club that he and Skillz were “arguing” online over the song.

“I told him, ‘I took your sh*t, homie. You know how Brooklyn do. I took your sh*t.’”

It seems as if Skillz was tired of giving passes because right before he addressed Murda he released the following screenshot revealing that the two were not “arguing.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdfhEQpnhML/?taken-by=skillzva

Not only did Skillz release the screenshot refuting the claim, but he also used the radio interview clip to open the lyrical thrashing dropping the diss right as DJ Envy asks what Skillz had to say and his response taking us back to 1998 to the Ruff Ryder/Rocafella/Murder Inc. collab “Murdergram.”

The opening verse alleges that in 2015, DJ Clark Kent contacted Skillz suggesting a collaboration between the two after hearing Murda’s version of the song; to which Skillz declined.

“I’m like, ‘Clark. You must be faded / Why the f*ck would I collab’ on some sh*t that I created?’ / Y’all jaded / If you don’t get the f*ck off my phone / And tell that old-faced-ass ni**a to leave me alone / Get gone.’ Clark you know I ain’t that dude/ yeah I done fell back from Rap but don’t get it confused. Shit lit my fuse/ Yiu wouldn’t call Hov and say 21 Savage wanna do 22 2s.”

The diss goes on stating that Murda signed to G-Unit 10 years too late and aims at his project  Respect The Shooter, which was released after Murda was shot. Skillz also drags the former Roc-A-Fella artist pointing out that he isn’t a Top 20 Brooklyn bred MC  before going on to list Brooklyn spitters M.O.P., Masta Ace, Joey Bada$$, Joell Ortiz, Skyzoo and Fabolous as all being the elite.

We are not sure where this will go, but one thing is for certain, it is great to have 2018 kick off with lyrics and a diss for the culture.

Check out the diss and the interview that triggered it below.

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The post Mad Skillz Kicks Off 2018 with “Murda Gram” Aimed at Uncle Murda For Copying “Rap Up” [Listen] appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

On his brand-new banger “Alone,” King Magnetic trades fiery verses with two living rap legends, Slug (of Atmosphere) and Masta Ace, over hard-hitting production from Khrysis. Making the cipher complete is Queens’ own DJ Eclipse, who provides the slick scratches on the hook.

The release of “Alone” follows two other heaters off Mag’s upcoming album, Everything Happens 4 A Reason: the symphonic slapper, “I’ll Show You” featuring Cappadonna and Dink, and the project’s inaugural leak, “Cash 4 Catastrophe” which was accompanied with a video.

Just as fans enjoyed the real-talk of “Cash,” we’re treated to Hip-Hop in its purest form on “Alone.” Of course, we have King Mag and his teeth-gritting bars to thank for that, in addition to the always-sharp rhymes of his guests. Slug and Ace are the type of elder-rap statesmen who haven’t once lost a step in their decades-long careers, whether they’re talking their sh*t or serving up wisdom.

The two provide a fine offering of both on “Alone” alongside King Mag, who in addition to his upcoming album is getting ready to hit the road soon. He’ll be touring alongside Wu-Tang Clan heavyweight Cappadonna, and up-and-comer Recognize Ali.

“Alone” can now be right here courtesy of RESPECT., and is available for download as the third and final instant grat track off the iTunes pre-order for EH4AR, which drops next Friday (3/31) through all major digital retailers and streaming platforms via King Mag Music.

Tracklist: 
01. EH4AR (feat. Burke the Jurke) [prod. by Haze Attacks]
02. Crackin’ (prod. by Per C Wells)
03. Bounce (prod. by Viktor Ax)
04. Cash 4 Catastrophe (prod. by Explizit One)
05. Suckas Can’t Relate (prod. by DJ Lowcut)
06. Alone (feat. Masta Ace, Slug & DJ Eclipse) [prod. by Khrysis]
07. Drunk Right Now (prod. by Kuma)
08. #nomorepartiesinsantafe (feat. 3T3N) [prod. by U-nik Stylez]
09. Me or You (prod. by Explizit One)
10. Dirty Old Man (feat. RA the Rugged Man) (prod. by EQ)
11. Eyes (feat. Recognize Ali & DJ Express) [prod. by 9th Wonder]
12. I Can’t… (prod. by White Shadow of Norway)
13. Understand (prod. by AMP)
14. I’ll Show You (feat. Dink & Cappadonna) [prod. by Astronote]

Album Pre-Order (Smart URL): http://smarturl.it/EH4AR

Twitter: 
• King Magnetic: https://twitter.com/kingmagnetic
• Masta Ace: https://twitter.com/mastaace
• Slug (Atmosphere): https://twitter.com/atmosphere
• DJ Eclipse: https://twitter.com/ItsDJEclipse
• Khrysis: https://twitter.com/KHRYSIS

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The post RESPECT. The Collab: King Magnetic (feat. Masta Ace, Slug & DJ Eclipse) – “Alone” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

2017 has definitely come in with a BANG! And G Dot & Born are a big part of it. The rhyme duo is back with a new video produced by Ben Hedibi. The new feature also has an appearance by the Juice Crews own, Masta Ace. The video is a dusty laced track that was shot in Boston, which is where G Dot and Born come from.

In the video the three go round to round about war stories and lessons learned growing up on the block. Here’s what the duo had to say about the track “Ghetto Survivors” what the name means and the collaboration with Ace:

Speaking on the track Born states, “G and I related a lot of the rough side of what we’ve been through on the track. We wanted someone who lived it but could drop some positive jewels as well and Ace brought that balance.”

G Dot and Born have definitely not been silent; the duo has been making some strong moves over the last couple of years. They completed a full-length album with mentor Edo G entitled Confidence Presents G Dot & Born Featuring Edo G. “Makin Tracks” was the first video from the album; it garnered 300,000 views. G Dot & Born have headlined several European tours including one in China. Be sure to follow G Dot and Born on Facebook and Twitter.

You can view the video “Ghetto Survivors” below – Sound off in the comments on your thoughts!

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The post G Dot and Born Team Up with Masta Ace for “Ghetto Survivors” [WATCH] appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Who says Hip-Hop is Dead? RESPECT. will be giving away two tickets to see Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane and the rest of the Legendary Juice Crew in St. Montclair, New Jersey at the Montclair’s Wellmont Theater. The Juice Crew, which are Queensbridge-based artist were founded in the mid-to-late 80’s. The crew consists of Hip-Hop greats such as Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Kool G Rap, MC Shan, Craig G, Marley Marl, Roxanne Shante and Masta Ace.

The Juice Crew, helped launch the careers of Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shante’ and Kool G Rap. Now all the artist are coming together to collaborate and perform some of their greatest and chart topping hits in Montclair! So if you want to be a part of history in the making and see The Juice Crew, you MUST do the following:

• Follow RESPECT. on Twitter (if you don’t already)
• Retweet the tweet that RESPECT. puts out about the concert.

It’s really that simple! Just in case you need a refresher of whom The Juice Crew is and their mastery lyrics, below is a little taste of what you’ll be missing out on if you don’t go and TWEET!

The concert will be held on December 30, 2016 at 8pm at the Wellmont Theater, 5 Seymour St. Montclair, NJ 07042.

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The post RESPECT. is Giving Away Tickets to See Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane at the Legendary Juice Crew Reunion! appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Masta Ace‘s lengthy career in hip-hop can be attributed to one pivotal moment. Growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn in the ’70s and ’80s, kids often went to roller skating rinks to socialize. One particular evening, a friend of his asked him if wanted to enter a talent show at the United Skate of American in Long Island. Although he was home from college visiting his family for Christmas, his mother encouraged him to go. Not only did he win the contest, but the grand prize was a studio session with famed producer Marley Marl, which took him a full year to finally claim. Once they got into the studio, where he met Craig G and other veteran hip-hop emcees, that was it.

Appearing on one of the best posse cuts of all time, 1988’s “The Symphony,” with Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap and Craig G, and Marley Marl ended up producing Masta Ace’s entire debut album, 1990’s Take A Look Around.

In 2000, he became disillusioned with the music industry and took a back seat for years until an experience overseas reignited his passion. He came back with the critically acclaimed Disposable Arts in 2001 and hasn’t put the mic down since.

Currently promoting his latest release, The Falling Season, Ace had some time to talk touring with Albuquerque emcee Wake Self, walking away from music and writing his story on the NJ Transit trains.

RESPECT.: How was your recent tour with Wake Self?

That was a very nice run considering we were in the US.  It was a positive experience compared to some ‘tours’ I have done in the States. The turnouts overall were surprising and gave me hope that quality, non-commercial hip-hop tours were still possible here. Wake Self and Def-I killed it every night, and DJ Native, their DJ, held down the music for me and even the opener DeLaZoo on the last four shows. 

RESPECT.: What did you learn on the road this time around? 

I learned that all hope is not lost for US touring.  If you get the right promoters in the right markets together, miracles are possible.

RESPECT.: There was a period in your career where you were kind of fed up with the music business. What reignited your passion for making albums?

It started in 2000, I did a 13 city tour in the UK and Europe. I wasn’t expecting much from it. To my surprise, the venues were packed with people who knew the words to my songs and wanted more from me. I came home from that tour and went in the studio and made Disposable Arts.

The Falling Season is out now. What was the album making process like for this one? 

I took my time. There was a lot of emotion for me when writing these songs. It was like going back in time, reliving my experiences as a young teen and putting it into song form. I took the train into the studio almost every day. I was able to write during the commute. Many of my song ideas on this album were born on NJ Transit trains.

RESPECT.: Do you have a favorite track on the album?  

It’s probably “YBI” because it was the first song I wrote on the album. The lyrics encompass my life growing up in Brownsville at that time and the friendships that I had with kids who decided to take a different route in life; thinking about us all as kids and reflecting on where we all actually ended up. The songs explains the fine line between who I became and who I very easily could have become.

RESPECT.: What does this summer look like for you in terms of touring? 

I’m doing three of the major festivals in Europe, Hip Hop Kemp being the biggest of them. I am doing a few more US dates (a few of those with Wake Self) and towards the end of the summer, I am planning a US Midwest run and an Eastern Canada mini-tour, which should include Buffalo, New York, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, London, Hamilton and maybe one or two more cities.

RESPECT.: You’ve been blessed to have a very long career. What advice would you give the teenage Masta Ace if you could go back in time? 

I would tell the teenage me, ‘Don’t be afraid of success outside of New York—embrace it. Don’t listen to the criticism. Success is success no matter where the support is coming from.’

RESPECT.: What does the music you make mean to you on a personal level? 

It’s my life’s work. We all hope to leave something substantial behind when we are no longer around. Many people rely on the children they leave behind to tell their stories. I have a music catalogue that gives my story in an almost autobiographical form that can be heard 100 years from now. 

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The post [Interview] Masta Ace On His New Album, ‘The Falling Season’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

A lot of us were introduced to New York City emcee Pearl Gates from his records alongside Masta Ace, Wordsworth and Stricklin (collectively known as eMC for those asleep). This music thing comes more then natural to him, from nostalgic hooks and to just raw bars. Now Pearl announces his debut EP Diamond Mind, with featured artists ranging from Boldy James to Masta Ace. On the production side, Pearl canvases work from Khrysis, M. Stacks and other notable beat smiths.

Below is the new video for the EP’s title track, produced by Sirplus and directed by Damijin’ Myndz. “Diamond Mind” finds Pearl Gates‘ third eye vision sharper than it has ever been – reflecting hope, maturity, and tribulations used as hope darts in under three minutes over a beautiful backdrop. After you check the video out, be sure to get your hands on the free download of the track right below it.

Now would be a good time to remind you of his European tour alongside eMC’s The Tonite Show run overseas. Pearl Gates will be the opening act on the whole tour (11/20-12/05). He recently stated, “My debut EP release and first overseas tour happening in the same month. This is unreal. Can’t wait to put on for my city!” We can vouch that the amount of gratitude and appreciation he shows for his current standing in hip-hop is very much sharp. Perspective.

You can pre-order your digital copy now via iTunes and Amazon. Or for all of you physical junkies, the cd fixing can be ordered via Below System Records.

Peace and love.

The post Pearl Gates Announces Forthcoming ‘Diamond Mind’ EP appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Ambrosia For Heads recently exchanged some dialogue with Ace in reflection of the record and bonus tracks: “GMO” is a joint I started writing over a year ago. I got that beat from Brutal Artistry when I was in Leeds, England with eMC almost two years ago. I was just waiting for the right opportunity to finish the verse. Its a very simple 40 bar verse, just talking shit. I don’t do very many songs like that, so this is a special joint for that reason.”

Get your physical fixes at Below System Records or Underground Hip-Hop now.

The post Masta Ace Re-Releases “A Long Hot Summer” + Bonus Cut “GMO” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.