By: Yung Zu

Atlanta rapper Yung Zu returns to the scene with his new single titled “Fire“. As he has captured the attention of his whole city, his authentic sound reaches new heights like never before. With the support of Atlanta music legends such as Usher, T.I., 2 Chainz, and Hip Hop super producer Jermaine Dupri, Zu has put in the work to be respected as a contender in the Hip Hop game.

Produced by June James(June The Jenius) and LilJuMadeTheBeat, this record solidifies Zu as one of the hottest newcomers in the game. His Atlanta upbringing and southern roots play out in his raw lyrical prowess. In the video, you will see this young rapper partying in a warehouse surrounding by beautiful woman playing with fire. One element of this release that is most notable is the shot of Zu walking out of a house burning and grass burning. That scene gave the song a more authentic feel.

You will hear this emcee say things such as “I’m lit you better not play with me I keep the K on me, cook a n***a  a** up like hibachi, I swear I’m on fire be hot like an arson”. His conscious tongue over trap beats, is a big part of why is original sound is reaching new heights in 2020.

Being heavily influenced by Hip Hop icons Jay Z, Lil Wayne, and Master P, Zu is on path to one day join the ranks of some of his favorite musical artists. “Fire” is proof that he has what it takes to make it big time in the music business.

Press play below to view Yung Zu’s newest video for his “Fire” single.

The post Atlanta Rapper Yung Zu Releases New “392” Single appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Image credit: Disney

As you probably know, the super-updated version of the classic film The Lion King is set to hit theaters next Friday Thursday (July 18th). Today, fans get to check out the official soundtrack, features some sangin’ actors and a score courtesy of Hans Zimmer. Included in the 19-track offering: an original cut by Beyoncé titled “Spirit,” and re-imaginings of childhood favorites like “Hakuna Matata” and “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” (random but necessary shout-out to Elton John).

Check out the new soundtrack below.

Big K.R.I.T. – K.R.I.T. IZ HERE

Image credit: Multi Alumni

I can’t believe that it’s been almost a decade since the release of the groundbreaking K.R.I.T. Wuz Here. This weekend, Big K.R.I.T. decided to provide a proper sequel (?) for that project titled K.R.I.T. IZ HERE — a 19-track body of work that also sees additional appearances from J. Cole, Yella Beezy, Lil Wayne, Saweetie, Rico Love and more. Check it out below.

Blood Orange – Angel’s Pulse

Image credit: Domino

This weekend, Dev Hynes somewhat surprises his fans with a follow-up to the still-rotating Negro Swan. Check out Angel’s Pulse, a 14-track offering with additional appearances from Toro y Moi, Project Pat, Gangsta Boo, Tinashe, Justine Skye and more. He explains:

“My new record is called ‘Angel’s Pulse’ and I performed, produced and mixed the entire thing myself… I’m calling it a mixtape. I have a habit through the years of making records that I just give to friends, or on tape to people on the street, or no one. Usually this material is made directly after the album I’ve just put out. Somewhat of an epilogue to the thing I’ve made before. This time.. I decided to release it… I put as much work and care into it as I do with the albums I’ve released, but for some reason trained myself into not releasing things the rate at which I make them. I’m older now though, and life is unpredictable and terrifying… so here you go mates.”

Check it out below.

Ed Sheeran – No.6 Collaborations Project

Image credit: Asylum UK

“Before I was signed in 2011, I made an EP called No.5 Collaborations Project. Since then, I’ve always wanted to do another, so I started No.6 on my laptop when I was on tour last year… I’m a huge fan of all the artists I’ve collaborated with and it’s been a lot of fun to make.”

You heard the man. Below, Ed Sheeren gifts us with his No.6 Collaborations Project, which sees 15 new tracks and a slew of appearances from Eminem, 50 Cent, H.E.R., Cardi B, Khalid, Young Thug, Meek Mill, Ella Mai, J Hus, Stormzy, PnB Rock and loads more. Press play on the new project, as well as a new visual for the Travis Scott-assisted “Antisocial.”

Elle Varner – Ellevation

Image credit: Entertainment One

Here’s some soulful R&B to add to the mix courtesy of songstress Elle Varner. Check out her new album Ellevation, which clocks in at 9 tracks and sees assistance from Wale (“Pour Me”) and Rapsody (“Wishing Well”). Check it out below.

Master P – I Got The Hook Up 2 Vol. 1

Image credit: No Limit Forever

Master P is back. The man who gave us turn-of-the-century classics like Da Last Don, I’m Bout It and, well…all of No Limit’s classic musical catalog is back with an official sequel for the timeless hood flick I Got the Hook-Up, and fans get to enjoy the soundtrack before its release (UPDATE: The film’s out now). The accompanying compilation sees a slew of dope features: Jeezy, Calboy, E-40, YFN Lucci, DC Young Fly, Fat Boy SSE, Romeo Miller, Silkk The Shocker and more make appearances on the project. Check it out below.

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The post NEW ALBUM FRIDAY: ‘Lion King’, Big K.R.I.T., Blood Orange & More appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

UPDATE: Pretty sure this track is the same one we heard on Master P 2015’s release Empire, From the Hood to Hollywood.

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No Limit’s Master P sporting Medusa on Power 105’s The Breakfast Show. Photo Credit: The Source Magazine

Known for their sublimated clothing, Wooter Apparel, began their wave as a sports/tech startup after creating their Wooterapp.

The brand aggressively marketed and expanded their reach to clothing. As a result, they’ve made headway with the extension to their brand, with their newest creation called Medusa.

Medusa went for the jugular too.

Teaming up with New Orleans No Limit Soldier, Master P,  Medusa is outfitting the hip hop icon’s new GMGB co-ed league and designing their brand, logos and outfitting the whole league.

Master P began the Medusa’s rollout process when he appeared on nationally syndicated Power 105’s The Breakfast Club with Angela Yee, DJ Envy and Charlamagne. Master P sported the product and is pleased with the new partnership.

“Medusa is the next biggest street brand,” Master P told me via e-mail.

Master P track jacket. Photo Courtesy of Medusa

Wooter’s CEO Alex Aleksandrovski was in attendance along with Wooter’s CMO Alex Kagan were in attendance at the GMCB co-ed league in Las Vegas, Nevada a few weeks ago and they both like what they saw.

“Working with P has been amazing,” Alexandrovski told RESPECT Magazine by phone.

“I hope people are ready for what’s coming next from Medusa.”

Recently, Medusa released their ‘Wave Two’ line of their new apparel which is available to be both viewed and pre-ordered at officialmedusa.com.

Medusa is a symbol of luxury and elegance the shirt styles are simple yet carry a regal look.You can don it on the basketball courts, wear it to the club or lounge at the house while playing NBA 2K18 and enjoy it too.

Make sure to check out everything Medusa by visiting officialmedusa.com/about-the-brand/ and following on Instagram: @officialmedusa

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The post Scoop B Selects: Medusa Apparel Teams With Hip Hop Icon Master P In Creating Next Best Thing appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

From Snoop Doggy Dog, to Grandmaster Flash, we’re hopping in a time machine as we go through Hip-Hop’s 25 Most Memorable Album Covers.

25. Juvenile, 400 Degreez (1998)

From the diamonds and flames, to the Z in “Degreez” being a dollar sign…There’s just something about the WordArt feel of this album that keeps fans coming back.

24. Wale, Attention Deficit (2009)

The obvious shoutout to a digital world reigns as the focal point for this album cover. A strong, yet simple message burns through the vibrant cool colors, and captures your attention immediately.

23. De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)

You’ve probably seen these flowers before, or maybe even these 3 talented young men. Fun fact, rap group De La Soul actually hates this album cover. They felt that everyone would be associating them with flowers, peace, the whole hippie movement, when that wasn’t them at all!

22. Kanye West, 808s and Heartbreak (2008)

The minimalism in this cover is the beauty of it all. Kanye was hurting, simple as that!

21. 2Pac, Me Against The World (1995)

This album shook the charts, and you couldn’t go anywhere in 1995 without seeing it. 2Pac rocked the world right before his unfortunate passing, and sold hundreds of thousands copies of the album.

20. Run-D.M.C., Run-D.M.C. (1984)

Run-D.M.C.; Pioneers, legends, superstars. This classic cover had to make the list!

19. Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)

Firstly, it’s Lauryn Hill etched into a school desk. This album taught everyone a couple of things. No further explanation needed.

18. Snoop Doggy Dogg, Doggystyle (1993)

From the dogcatcher in the back to the Snoop Dogg lookalike on top of the dog house, this album cover is full of style, steeze, and comedy!

17. Eric B. & Rakim, Paid in Full (1987)

Money. Harlem was all about money. Eric B. and Rakim made it clear that they had it, and there was never any problem getting it! The Dapper Dan Gucci sweatsuits, the huge rope chains… The aesthetic of it all represents a very transitional era in the development of Hip-Hop music.

16. Ice Cube, Death Certificate (1991)

Ice Cube next to Uncle Sam’s corpse. No further explaining to do.

17. Missy Elliott, Supa Dupa Fly (1997)

Missy Elliott has always held more swag than most artists in the music industry, remaining humble and subtly stunting on everyone! This cover embodies exactly who she is; chilling for the moment… but don’t forget that she’s fly.

18. Wu-tang Clan, Enter the Wu-tang: 36 Chambers (1993)

This album cover is actually kind of wild. Firstly, no face, no case. Secondly, does the guy in the front have a finger gun? This album cover is great for its immense mystery.

17. Jay-Z, The Blueprint (2001)

Jay-Z wearing a Rocawear jean jacket smoking a cigar. He won.

16. A Tribe Called Quest, Midnight Marauders (1993)

The various facial expressions in the background, the bulging eyes… What do we look at first?! This album cover is great because it leaves so much space for interpretation, the colors on the cover represent so many things, and everyone would formulate their own meaning.

15. Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)

We need to take over the White House… and keep it. Bring our culture, our families, our music… make it OUR country. Simply put.

14. Kanye West, The College Dropout (2004)

We all know the bear. This bear costume (that Kanye FOUND, by the way) looks like any college student during the longest finals week ever: TIRED. The album cover is warm, relatable, and not complex; perfect in a sense.

13. Grandmaster Flash, The Source (1986)

Do we start off with the fly guy with this legs crossed, or old boy with the red leather hat to match his shoes? This album cover embodies the true start of Hip-Hop. B-boys, spitting bars in New York City’s uptown train station, even down the pager on homeboy’s hip!

12. Snoop Doggy Dogg, The Doggfather (1996)

The Godfather is a critically acclaimed cult classic, and Snoop Dogg actually might’ve done something, by simply switching 2 letters! This was Snoop’s final album on Death Row Records under his name of Snoop Doggy Dogg, and he was owning the game. The West coast made no moves without you hearing about Snoop, rightfully making him the Doggfather.

11. NWA, Straight Out of Compton (1988)

One of the most controversial groups, with one of the most rebellious albums of all time. These young men all banded together and shook the West coast with words that everyone in Compton couldn’t bring themselves to say.

10. The Fugees, The Score (1996)

Firstly, Lauryn Hill AND Wyclef Jean on ONE album cover… That’s art. The beauty lies in the minimal yet intense typography, and the 3 beautiful black faces.

9. Nas, Illmatic (1994)

This kid is too cute. Too cute for the cover, and too cute for the hood he reigns from. Nas showed that everyone was suffering and surviving, even the young.

8. Master P, The Ghettos Tryin To Kill Me! (1994)

The lace bra hanging from Master P’s name, the Boosie fade, my man creeping in the window “Cell Therapy” style… The lo-fi quality wraps it all together, you feel like you’re watching a movie, and you’ve barely even looked at the cover.

7. DMX, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (1998)

This album cover is bloody and gory, in every sense. Its beauty lies in the naive state of such a “Ruff” guy, and almost goes to show that the black man is one of the most sensitive species.

6. Redman, Dare Iz a Darkside (1994)

Redman is stuck buried in this Children of the Corn looking field, and its freaking me out. I love it.

5. Outkast, Stankonia (2000)

This album cover is great for 3 reasons: One, Andre 3000 was having an amazing hair day. Two, so was Big Boi. Thirdly, it calls out the entire country, so subtly, being a black and white world. We all knew… But did we really know?

4. Gang Starr, Daily Operation (1992)

Gang Starr is really giving off intellectual and successful vibes, and who doesn’t love that? “The goal is money, and this is how we get it. Don’t ask no questions, I thought this through.” Guys from the hood are smart too!

3. Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Return of the 36 Chambers (1995)

Have you seen the O.D.B tv special, where he took America into the food stamp office in Brooklyn, and got his money right? This man never cared, was never too embarrassed to live his life and let whoever wanted to look come and see. Hoping his unbothered soul is resting in peace.

2. The Notorious B.I.G., Ready to Die (1994)

Foreshadowing? This was Biggie’s debut album, and just as his career was being born, he was ready to die. Sadly, he would pass away 2 years after its release. But in those 2 short years, he conquered the world. He started off on top, and he achieved what he needed to; he was truly ready to die.

1. Geto Boys, We Can’t Be Stopped (1991)

This man… Is in a hospital bed. The rap trio is standing in a hospital, posed for an ALBUM COVER. Who was stopping the Geto Boys? NOTHING! They literally cannot be stopped, no matter the circumstance. This cover is full of hustle and desire to reach success, and has to be respected as THE most memorable. Who’s forgetting this?

Do you have any albums you think should’ve been on this list? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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The post 25 of Hip Hop’s Most Memorable Album Covers appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Silkk the Shocker’s rap career spans a long time with a lot of accolades.

The New Orleans rapper and No Limit Records representer dropped his debut album, The Shocker in 1996 and successfully released two consecutive platinum albums and a gold one. The 90s and 200s were his friend.

It Ain’t My Fault, Movin’ On, Ghetto Tears, Mama Always Told Me, Thug ‘n’ Me were all classics.

After moving so fast with No Limit Records, he got burned out. As a result, Silkk took a 10 year break to enjoy his life and make business moves.

But why?

“To me, it’s extremely important,” Silkk told me on a recent episode of Scoop B Radio. “I did it for a reason, I did it because you got to balance the two: when you do music in order to be successful, you can’t have much down time.”

Check Out Silkk The Shocker and Scoop B On Scoop B Radio

In the world of hip hop, to be on top, it takes a constant grind; something Silkk admires and respects. “If I take a Yo Gotti in the height of his career, he works hard,” said Silkk The Shocker.

“I heard he don’t sleep much. He works – he busts his tail, but he got away though. That’s with Drake and Meek Mill, you can’t afford to take time off unless you feel like you are really comfortable with yourself. Drake is constantly more music, more music, more music…he can take off because I’m sure he accumulated enough to where he can. I don’t think you can take a big significant amount like I took off, but at the same time, when you do it as long as I have – it’s almost like you do get a little frustrated and burnt-out because you’re like “okay, all my time is for everybody else. I’m always performing, I’m rehearsing.” Life is about living. You can get all the accolades, if you don’t enjoy them – you don’t have the hunger to do it anymore. You are going to get burnt-out. So, you aren’t supposed to take off as long as I took off, I feel comfortable being out-of-sight, out-of-mind. I don’t think that’s a good thing unless you are comfortable in your own skin; I was most comfortable because I knew I could fall back on actual business stuff. I like knowing business stuff that’s behind the scenes. So, to me, you do have to balance, I would say take time off to enjoy, to regroup, and refresh yourself and then come back out, But only certain people can do that though.”

So what exactly did he do during that time off?

“Whew! I literally took off … I didn’t want to do anything music based for 5 years. The next 2 – 3 years, I still did it but minimum. I would still do soundtracks, like WWE and stuff like that. Just stuff that I really didn’t have to do much in. I could just stay at my house, work, go to the office, work … yea, I would say 5-6 years I took off, I didn’t want to do nothing but, just enjoying and understanding and learning the business.”

Traveling all over the world, making money and being successful, Silkk believes that a light came on that told him to slow down! “When you are gone for 11 months out the year, and you come back, you’ll be like ‘oh hold up, I just brought a brand-new car – only got a hundred miles on it,” he said. “Oh, that’s crazy!”

“So, when I come back, everything looks different – That’s the part that got me. That’s the part that made me rethink – also you try to realize who really care about you as a person and more than as a brand. Like “why are my friends around me at the moment? Is it because I can buy them a couple of Rolexes, chains or whatever? Or why is this girl – does she really care about me or is it because I’m still for whatever?” To me, you want to take a step away from that, then you can see who really care. You just got to appreciate life. If you always in the moment, if you on stage and everybody’s screaming for you, that’s a good thing – but to me, I feel like I got to be able to enjoy it though.”

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The post Silkk The Shocker: “In order to be successful, you can’t have much down time” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Make me say uhh!

Usher is back and making his long-awaited return with his his new summer jam “No Limit”. Inspired by Master P and his 1998 hit “Make Em Say Uhh!”, the new track has the help of none other than fellow ATLien, Young Thug as Usher sings about his limitless love for his “soldier.”

He sings:

“Make you say uhh, no limit / Got that Master P,” he sings. “I C-mm-murder-murder that / No limit, baby / Give you that Ghetto D, girl, no limit / Just know when you roll with a ni**a like me, there’s no limit, baby.”

Thugger, in true fashion, famously shows his appreciation for a beautiful lady in his own different yet trendy way as he praises a girl who is “finer than wine” (hey, Jerrika).

It was reported earlier this year that the R&B superstar is working on his eighth studio album Flawed. Although it was originally expected to drop in April, we aren’t complaining. Most artist never make their first-end goal of release dates. As long as the music good, nobody really cares.

You can listen to the song exclusively on TIDAL

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The post Usher & Young Thug Remix A Master P Classic With “No Limit” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.