Shura is just getting started with the recent release of her new single “What’s it Gonna Be?” The British/Russian singer and songwriter has a certain sound reminiscent of an early 80’s Madonna, which is iconic in itself. The shallow drums and tambourine in the background call to the immediate image of hair metal bands and leg warmers.

The album art work and music synonymously mix the real world and her created world. By matching her own tastes with music of the past, Shura gets an outcome unlike her competition.  Shura’s greatest influencers are icons like most but specifically are artists from the 80’s. In an interview with HungerTV, she lists her inspiration as the following:

“The Velvet Rope by Janet Jackson was a game changer in terms of inspiration, but there’s a lot of early Madonna in me, I think. Growing up on those records had a massive effect on me. I’m absolutely freaking out over Whitney Houston’s ‘How Will I Know’ at the moment. Then there’s Patrice Rushen, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Raphael Saadiq, Dilla and early Prince. On the newer side of things obviously Dev Hynes is a massive inspiration, I’m also a card carrying Drake fan – and I’ll always have a seriously soft spot for Mariah Carey’s The Emancipation of Mimi.”

I am personally curious to know how she is liking this new Drake and his even newer sounds featuring reggae tone. I think their styles would work well together considering her previous songs and inventive themes. One can only wish!

“What’s it Gonna Be?” is Shura’s fifth release from her upcoming album Nothing’s Real. Earlier releases from Nothing’s Real include enchanting, up-beat love songs like “2Shy” “Touch,” “White Light” and “Indecision.“ The album is set to release July 8th through Polydore Records, which is a British record label company under Universal Music Group. Similar artist’s under the label include Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, and The Beatles.

If you are interested in more of Shura’s music make sure to check out her Soundcloud, and pre-order her new album! Below is a track list of her released and unreleased singles from the album! Check it out:

01. (I)
02. Nothing’s Real
03. What’s It Gonna Be?
04. Touch
05. Kidz ‘n’ Stuff
06. Indecision
07. What Happened to Us?
08. (II)
09. Tongue Tied
10. Make It Up
11. 2Shy
12. White Light
13. The Space Tapes

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The post Listen: Shura’s New Single “What’s it Gonna Be?” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The announcement made Thursday [April 21], marks the very first time in VMA history that the iconic award show will be held at the staple landmark and will mark the ceremony’s return to New York after three years in Southern California.

“The ‘VMAs’ at MSG is a New York story too good to resist,” MTV president Sean Atkins said in a press release. “The VMAs deliver some of pop culture’s most defining moments and we’re grateful to our New York home and Madison Square Garden for rolling out the red carpet for what is sure to be the biggest night in music.”

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio even took time to comment on the historic moment. “From the red carpet to the accolades to the performances — and everything in between — the VMAs are an incredible showcase for so many talented artists,” he said. “It also goes without saying that hosting the awards in our city means a boost to our small businesses and restaurants and more jobs for the thousands of crew members who work to bring the show into homes around the world.”

Since the awards debut in New York in 1984 at Radio City Music Hall.  Since then it has been switched between being held in New York and Los Angeles, with Las Vegas and Miami both hosting one each. The award show’s last visit to New York was in 2013 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for the show’s 30th anniversary.

Hosted by Miley Cyrus, the 2015 VMAs offered up plenty of memorable moments, including Kanye West’s infamous declaration that he’d run for president, Taylor Swift’s reconciliation with Nicki Minaj and we can’t forget Nicki’s infamous checking of Miley Cyrus-“Miley what’s good?”

You can catch the 33rd annual Video Music Awards live Sunday, August 28th.

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The post The 2016 MTV VMAs are Coming to Madison Square Garden appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Until today.

Apparently, the rumors were true. At some point, Yeezy, Miley and Travi$ Scott came together and created what is the previously unreleased remix of the anarchic record; and it’s a banger. Kanye’s verses are relatively unchanged, Miley channels her inner Tears for Fears, and of course La Flame provides his undeniable ad-libs.

We’re pretty sure Kanye didn’t leak this one himself, so enjoy it while you can!

*Sidebar: I have no idea why Lupe Fiasco is listed as a feature on this song.

The post Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead” remix with Miley Cyrus really happened appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Miley Cyrus and Big Sean are not strangers to collaborations. In the past, the two have worked together on Miley’s Bangers album along with visuals for Sean. Last night, Miley hosted the 2015 MTV VMA‘s. In her free-spirited ways, her outfits and performances brought some interesting thoughts to viewers. To close out the event, she performed a new track and announced a new album titled, Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz. On the new album,is a song called, “Tangerine,” featuring Big Sean, and it rides out pretty smoothly. The production sets off a mellow vibe and Big Sean keeps that in mind. Both Miley and Sean flow the psychedelic feel to the track the entire time. It’s for the listener to figure out if it’s dope or not. Check it out below and enjoy.

The post Miley Cyrus and Big Sean Connect For Brand New Single, “Tangerine” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

For thousands, New York City is called “home” by creatives who have flocked to the unofficial capital of the world just to get a chance at fulfilling their dreams. For Mexican-born, California-bred photographer Alejandro Garcia, this pilgrimage holds true. After completing his BA in Photography at the San Francisco Academy of Art University, Garcia made his way to the Big Apple to fulfill his “want for more.” For the past four years, the 29-year-old photographer has been honing in his craft as a freelancer in the concrete jungle while exploring his creativity to accomplish his goals. Possibly even that one aspiration of his that includes breaking into Gwen Stefani’s house to get the perfect shot.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to get a shot?

 Well, it’s not really crazy; it was just that I had to wait a really long time, pretty much all day, to get a shot. After I got the shot, it was all worth it. It was when Miley Cyrus and Mike Will Made It were shooting a music video and I was the behind-the-scenes photographer. At the video shoot, there were just so many people around her and my job was to get shots of her. It was so hard. Later on in the day, I was hanging out in Mike Will’s dressing room and I guess he saw I was trying to get a photo of her and he was like, “Just hang out here and I’ll get Miley to come in.” It was just crazy because I had to wait all day.

Most memorable shoot?

 Every shoot that I’ve done has always been good. I’ve never had a bad shoot. You know, there will be things that stick out like little details. Like, oh the clothing was really cool, the models and stylists were so much fun to work with, or there was crazy music, but it’s just little things that make everything stand out to me. I don’t really have a top favorite.

Where have we seen your work?

Fashion blogs, online magazines, Inked magazine, The Source. If you’re a fan of my work and you’re keeping up to date with what I’m doing, you can follow my work on Instagram (@thec00l) and see what I’m up to and see where my work is headed towards.

Who are some photographers that you admire?

 David LaChapelle. I love his work. Much more his older stuff, not so much what he’s doing now. I love Cindy Sherman. She’s amazing at just taking pictures of her and making a career out of it. It’s like she’s the queen of selfies. Michael Thompson is amazing, as well. Richard Avedon. I feel like they are so good at creating a world and that world they’re going to capture though a photo…among all this chaos that they’ve created just to get this particular shot is amazing because you get so many different emotions and feelings. People look at art in so many different ways, but in their world, they’re creating something that they themselves came up with. For other people to interpret it as something else is pretty cool because…they wanted to create chaos within this space. So, thinking like that has helped me, in a sense, kind of create my own atmosphere, my own world in the space that I was able to work with.

What’s your ideal soundtrack for a shoot (to keep you moving)?

 It would definitely have to be something upbeat. I feel like for any photo shoot, the music keeps the vibe going. It keeps you in the zone. Sometimes when I’m shooting, I love to listen to The Weekend because I just feel like his music is the same throughout the whole album. The mood doesn’t really change so you can work at a pace where you know you’re good. I want the make-up artist to do her thing, I want the stylist to take his time and do a good job, and when I’m shooting, I want to do a good job so I don’t want to rush anybody.

Top 5 dead, alive, or fictional: Who do you want to shoot?

 Gwen Stefani is my number one. I love Gwen Stefani. James Dean. I love me some James Dean. And then, Cleo from Set It Off, Clint Eastwood, and Quentin Tarintino.

What would make you turn down a million dollar shoot?

I don’t want to turn down a million dollars! (Laughs) I guess, if I had a vision that I wanted to do with a huge publication and everything was great; we have a date, we have makeup, we have the whole crew. If the day of the shoot we have everything and something happens with the art director and he comes up to me saying, “Oh, so-and-so doesn’t like the idea. We want to change the whole thing.” If they tried to make it their own, I feel like I would feel some type of way because I would feel like I was being molded into what they want me to be. It’s like, I was supposedly hired because you guys liked my vision.

If it was guaranteed you would get it, which shot would you be willing to go to jail for?

Probably sneaking into Gwen Stefani’s mansion and photographing her while she’s sleeping. I just feel like if I’m going to sneak into her house, she would have to be sleeping so she doesn’t know I’m there and doesn’t call the cops. And then that photo could end up in Vanity Fair. It will be high fashion. But I’ll probably end up in jail and won’t get credit for the photo.

What do you want people to take away from your work?

 The rawness of my work. It’s not make-believe. If I see somebody walking down the street and I take a photo of them, when I show it to people, I want them to be like, “Wow! You took this? You made them look so good!” Yeah, because that’s how they look. I’m not emphasizing anything. This is just me capturing a simple photo. Everyone is walking by this person, but nobody stops and focuses on just one subject. Everyone is so busy going to Point A and Point B. I feel like with my photos, I want people to take away the simplicity, but at the same time, the beauty of it.

The post RESPECT. Photographer of the Month: March Edition appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

1. Nicki Minaj

The number one most interesting person in Hip-Hop 2014 is the queen of rap herself, Nicki Minaj. It’s been an absolutely crazy year for Young Money’s first lady and it looks like she’s only just starting to spread those pink wings of hers. Nicki has always been a great source for entertainment and headlines, yet this year she truly had a strangle hold on not just the female, but also the male side of Hip-Hop. Its been another successful year in the studio for Nicki coming off an impressive string of singles this year alone, then backing them up with her latest album, The Pink Print, which dropped December 15th. Her hit single off the album, “Anaconda” which was released in August, broke VEVO’s record for the most views in 24 hours, clocking in somewhere just north of 19.5 million. The video currently has over 342 million views on YouTube, not to mention all the hype and controversy the cover art for this song received before the video was even released. At this point her heavenly butt is probably more famous than her music. She also saw a lot of reaction from fans over the lyrics in her recently released single “One”, plus the use of Nazi-esque imagery in the video. Nicki’s love life also found itself in the spotlight a few times as things seem to be far from over between Nicki and ten-year-boyfriend Safaree Samuals, although its been rumoured Meek Mill has been the shoulder she’s been crying on lately. Regardless, Nicki Minaj is taking over Hip-Hop one track at a time, and there’s nothing we can do about it.

2. Young Thug

At number two and without a doubt the most interesting man in Hip-Hop this year, is Young Thug. Where to even begin… For the last 12 months, the debate of what label Young thug is actually signed too couldn’t be anymore confusing. He also isn’t helping the situation as he rarely addresses the topic and when he does, it usually just makes things more confusing. He’s apparently still signed to Gucci Mane’s 1017 Brick Squad Records, along with Kevin Liles and Lyor Cohen’s 300 Entertainment. At the moment he’s heavily affiliated with Young Money and is rumored to have recently signed a management deal with Young Money CEO Birdman, who (pardon the pun) has taken him under his wing this year to say the least. With some of the strongest support in the industry, Young Thug’s extravagant fashion sense, peculiar vocabulary and one of a kind personality now has the ability and a platform to grow from. His debut album is still mysterious yet highly anticipated for 2015, along with a number of rumored joint EP’s and an alleged “one million” songs already recorded with childhood inspiration and fellow rapper, Lil’ Wayne. Although that’s really exciting news, it’s probably closer to a few mixtapes and Thugga just needs help with math. Even though he’s best known for his original sound, one of the most interesting aspects of Young Thug is the mysterious nature of his sexuality. Thanks to his unusual and somewhat peculiar vocabulary when referring to his friends and features, Young Thug may end up becoming the first openly gay star of trap music, although it’s probably just a clever marketing ploy and he just likes calling his friends “baby”. Say what you will, but at the end of the day, Young Thug is about as interesting as they come, and he’s just so damn catchy.

3. Drake

It just seems now a days Hip-Hop feels slightly empty without Drake, so there’s no surprise the Toronto native holds down number three on our list of Hip-Hops most interesting people of 2014. Drake’s no stranger to dropping hit after hit, so pair that with another successful OVO Fest and Capcom sponsored tour with Lil’ Wayne, it makes sense Drake passed The Beatles this year for most Top 100 Singles. Outside the studio however, Drake’s just as much of a beast when it comes to making headlines. His infamous air-ball practicing with Kentucky’s college basketball team showed us he actually hasn’t been Steph Curry with the shot and if you’re an NBA fan your probably familiar with his lint roller incident. Embarrassing? Apparently not as Drizzy sold the original roller for over 50k on eBay, then supplied Raptors fans with 1,200 of their own Raptors x OVO lint rollers. Well played. On the other hand, Drake got his fair serving of beef this year when he and fellow label mate Tyga, threw shots at each other about a month ago and just recently when Diddy went 0-100 real quick and slapped Drake outside DJ Khaled’s birthday party a few weeks back.

4. Iggy Azalea

Hate her or lover her, Iggy Azalea makes headlines better than she makes music and that’s why Australia’s newest export grabs number four in this years list. After dropping her debut album The New Classic earlier this year and working with the likes of T.I., Iggy’s had a significant amount of success on the radio. She’s also has success within the Hip-Hop community despite being labeled by some as “not Hip-Hop” and of course constantly being compared to Nicki Minaj. Yes, her butt is just as fantastic as Nicki’s and yes unfortunately that actually matters in Hip-Hop debates, but their worlds apart and in all honesty, Hip-Hop needs more female competition like Iggy. Now, throw in a rumored sex-tape, weekly twitter fights with various artists, multiple character parody’s on South Park, a well publicized relationship with L.A. Lakers forward Nick Young, and lastly her complaints about getting fingered while crowd surfing, it’s fair to say Iggy Azalea has earned her place on this list.

5. Bobby Shmurda

Coming in at number five is the youngest and by far the hardest on this list. Bobby Shmurda began his industry  takeover in July with “Hot N***a”, and after only five months, impressively reps over 50 million views on YouTube. His lyrics, energetic dances, videos and off-the-mic legal situations seem to be captivating the majority of the industry, making it a little less surprising that Epic Records came knocking on his door with a cool million dollar deal. The Brooklyn sensation dropped Shmurda She Wrote in early November and has had the time of his life with his new-found fame. He even recruited Lil’ Terrio, a Vine star, for his performance at the BET awards this year while also appearing on Game’s Blood Moon: Year of The Wolf. However, as great as its going for Shmurda, things might be on pause for a minute as he’s just recently landed himself, along with the GS9 gang, in some very serious legal troubles. With a bail set at two million and possibly facing 25 years in prison, here’s hoping this isn’t an even quicker end to a quick come up.

6. Migos

Migos is nothing if not pure entertainment value and your number 6 on the Top 10 Most Interesting People in Hip-Hop 2014. This trio from Atlanta more or less got their first taste of nation wide exposure when Drake (big surprise) remixed their popular track “Versace” in 2013. Since then, they’ve kept themselves busy with stealing chains, fighting fans at concerts, good ol’ classic twitter beef and dropping Rich N***a Time Line in November. The fact their sound is so different at the moment compared to other artists, is a big reason why so many people are now adding Migos into their daily playlists. There’s even an ironic twitter joke still making its way across the internet and if you haven’t seen “Migos > Beatles” yet, you can probably imagine how upset this is making the hardcore classic rock fans. If this year’s headlines are any indication of 2015, they should by no means be slept on any longer and despite all odds might actually stay relevant for another year or two.

7. iLoveMakonnen

Taking seventh on the list, iLoveMakonnen is only just settling into his lane yet somehow still so interesting. Is it his voice? strange look? ridiculous name? Only time will tell. Yet, whether you mess with him or not, his break out track “Tuesday” remixed by Drake has been everywhere and possibly the most popular song of the year. Tons of artists have put their own spin on the record since it dropped and in many cases the songs most notable phrase “goin up” has almost turned into a new culture wide term. iLoveMakonnen also made headlines a few months back after a stage attack allegedly involving Troy Ave. The first rapper to remix Tuesday is now also his boss, as Drake signed the Atlanta artist to OVO back in September. Although the future isn’t quite clear as to what else iLoveMakonnen has to offer us, he probably won’t experience the same attention he did this year but it was fun while is lasted.

8. Dej Loaf

Landing at number eight is Detroit’s newest emerging female talent, Dej Loaf. She’s extremely stylish, friendly, as real as they come and ready to prove she’s far from a one hit wonder. “Try Me’ made waves across the country this year and is easily her most popular song to date. With some unexpected help from Remy Ma, Ty Dolla $ign and Drake (just to name a few), “Try Me” became the ticket she needed for her first major deal with Columbia Records. It doesn’t stop there however, after recently dropping her mixtape Sell Sole, shes focusing on her debut album and a possible joint EP with Young Thug. She’s also recently appeared on a track with Rich Homie Quan and Eminem’s latest project Shady XV, which in turn has refocused some much needed attention back on the Detroit Hip-Hop scene. Dej may not be the cockiest in the room, but just don’t try her.

9. DJ mustard

It ‘s almost impossible to listen to Hip-Hop in 2014 and not hear “mustard on the beat h*e!” every other track. This Ad-Lib belongs to none other than DJ Mustard, and sitting at number nine, Mustard is without  question, the most interesting DJ of the year. Although Mike WiLL Made It has also been holding it down, Mustard managed to snag Producer of The Year at The BET Hip-hop Awards in October and for good reason. Yes, a lot of Mustard’s beats are very similar and have a distinct “Mustard touch” to them, but they’ve simply become so popular within the Hip-Hop community that just having his production means an almost guaranteed hit. Mustard also saw significant success after dropping 10 Summers earlier this year in August.

10. Mike WiLL Made It

Starting off this years list of the top 10 most interesting people in Hip-Hop, is Mike WiLL Made It. As some have argued this year has been dry in terms of solid albums and mixtapes dropped, it’s fair to say 2014 was the year of the DJ. It’s been a considerably long time since a DJ Other than Khaled has been able to shake up the rap game so much. With hit after hit, after hit, Mike WiLL Made It has no plans of slowing down. He’s produced for the industries biggest artists, while simultaneously branding his name on some of the years biggest heaters, with most turning to instant classics. He’s also been recruited by stars from outside the genre, lending his talents to artists like Miley Cyrus. In 2013 Mike WiLL Made It won producer of the year at the BET Hip-Hop Awards and was also nominated again this year. After recently dropping his mixtape Ransom on December 15th, Mike WiLL Made It is looking to 2015 to continue his rampage and further solidify his place on the throne of Hip-Hop production.

The post Top 10 Most Interesting People in Hip-Hop 2014 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Solange Knowles

Solange  wore an over-sized suit composed of a glittering black pants and a matching tuxedo jacket from H&M.

Alexandra Shipp

The actress wore a Falguni & Shane Peacock fall 2014 dress composed of sheer materials with embroidery and a delicate beaded work.

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus wore Alexandre Vauthier. This year, the singer did not want people to talk about her because of her outfit, her signature tongue/smile or her twerking skills. Instead, she wanted to use the platform she was given to talk about an important cause.  After her highly talked-about performance from last year, Cyrus discovered the she had a voice and people were paying close attention to what she had to say. Below is a video of her explaining what she had in mind for the night.

Here is the memorable acceptance speech given by Jesse, a homeless man, who went on stage for Miley Cyrus. If you want to support the cause, click: here

Miley Cyrus – Wins Video Of The Year – VMA’s 2014 by IdolxMuzic

Jennifer Lopez

J.Lo  went for a slick and shiny look last night. Wearing a revealing and elegant Charbel Zoe dress  she proved that when it comes to the VMAs, she can do no wrong.

Chanel Iman

The model looked like she freshly stepped off the runway last night on the red carpet. She was wearing a Balmain dress and Casadei heels.

Katy Perry & RiFF RaFF

RiFF RaFF and Katy Perry were undoubtedly embodied the VMA spirit last night. The two wore a Versace Couture denim outfit inspired by Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake‘s 28th Annual American Music Award outfit from 2001. “WE’RE GOIN FOR DA BEST WORST DRESSED TODAY #THISISHOWWEDOVMAS,” tweeted Perry earlier on Sunday. “I must admit my outfit is a result of my love for nostalgia and my tumblr addiction #THISISHOWWEDOVMAS,” she continues.

The outfits were perfectly tailored and showcased how the musical couple does it: loud, fun and memorable. Britney herself was a fan of the look. She messaged Perry saying: “Just when I thought the denim dress had retired….you bring it back! You looked amazing tonight bb.”

Which was your favorite look of the night?

The post Shine Bright: The 2014 Video Music Award Best Dressed appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.