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Photo Credit: Stalley/Instagram

The Midwest is home to some of the hardest working people in our country. Most of the cities that make it up are gritty, known for having high crime rates, while still being able to maintain an image that doesn’t reflect their hardships. You might see someone in a candy painted 87′ cutlass supreme, riding rims, with speakers you hear from a block away, that works a regular 9 to 5. How you ask? That’s the hustle of the people of the Midwest. Enter Stalley from Massillon, Ohio, or “Massa” as he calls it.

Stalley arrived on the scene back in 2010, on Curren$y’s Pilot Talk cut, “Address.” From there, everyone wondered who the guy with the big beard was. He then showed up with his debut tape Lincoln Way Nights, which was packed with trunk rattling muzik, but with a clear concise message not getting lost in the beat. From jump, we could tell that the Ohio native had a lot to say. His unique sound landed him a deal with MMG, where he dropped fire tape after tape for a few years before releasing his debut Ohio.

After Ohio dropped, Stalley quickly followed that up with Saving Yusuf, before disappearing for a year and some change. He’s returned with a new release New Wave, and free of the MMG label, he’s independent. His Intelligent Trunk Muzik persona remains, and the new music is a testament to that. RESPECT was able to sit down and talk with him about where he’s been, the new music, whether he’s MMG or not, and what makes the Midwest so unique. Enjoy it below.

https://soundcloud.com/stalley330

RESPECT.: For those who don’t know what does Intelligent Trunk Muzik mean?

Stalley: Intelligent Trunk Music, ITM, man it’s a phrase I coined back in the Lincoln Way Nights days. It’s music that’s basically intelligent, it’s stimulating, it’s smart you know what I mean? It’s music with substance. When I say substance I mean down to the production, the cohesiveness of the sound, the way the project is put together, but the trunk music comes from being from the Midwest and wanting the music to rattle. I want people as their cruising, or even with they headphones on, on a plane, I want them to get lost in the music but hear a message and what I’m saying.

RESPECT.: You just dropped New Wave so what inspired the new music?

Stalley: That music is actually like 2 years old. So that music is really transitioning for me. It was a time when I was moving to a different part of the country where I never been. I built a studio in my home for the first time, and it was music that was just touching me. If you listen to the music it’s a lot of me in the music, I’m telling a story of me basically, and me living in the current and not the past. New Wave is me giving you where I was and what I was doing at that exact moment.

RESPECT.: So where did you move and why did you move?

Stalley: I moved from New York to Georgia. I moved because, you know just something different. A different pace, I felt like it was a place where I could work and really get work done. If you know and follow music, the scene is in Atlanta and LA. It’s all the producers, it’s really a hub where the producers, the artists the songwriters all that come through here. There are infinite amounts of studios, there’s so many studios so you can always book a studio. I wasn’t getting that stimulation in New York so I just had to transition. Plus I wanted to move my family into a house. I never had a house growing up. I always lived in apartments and projects so it was an opportunity for me to get my first home, and put my daughter in a good school.

RESPECT.: You went featureless for New Wave, what made you go solo on this project?

Stalley: With my music if you follow it, you know I never really have a lot of features in my music. A lot of that is for certain reasons. I like to make music with people that have like minds, friends of mine, and who I can relate to musically. Artists are difficult sometimes too, when it comes to getting features, this industry is kind of weird sometimes. So it wasn’t like I was thinking “oh I don’t want to do a feature” and I don’t think of other artists when I write music, I think about myself.

RESPECT.: So what’s up with MMG? You still with them or what?

Stalley: It’s family. I’ll put it like that. But my focus is myself and BCG. I’m an independent artist at this point.

RESPECT.: What made you strike the deal that you have currently?

Stalley: With Real Talk (entertainment), basically I had the music and I had a opportunity to get the music out to my fans. I was going through a transitional period where I was sitting on a ton of music. I’m always writing, I’m always making music, and I just wanted to make sure I’m getting the music out to the people. There was a big gap between my last project and this one, and Real Talk basically gave me a good opportunity to get the music out. It’s not a album, I seen a lot of people calling it my sophomore album, but it’s a mixtape and really just a project of unreleased music. I gave it to them to put out, I wanted it to be on all streaming services and distributed the right way, and that’s why I worked with them. And they did a great job.

RESPECT.: What are some hardships you think you face being an artist from the Midwest?

Stalley: The Midwest is heavily slept on. We have so much talent, we create so many sounds, from funk music back in the day to now having Hip-Hop. I think that we’re looked over and unappreciated because people look at the Midwest as a flyover place, and it’s not a destination where people stay, except Chicago. But there’s dope visual artists from there, musicians, everything, designers, actors I can go on forever. And just out of Ohio and Michigan itself. There’s ton of great people that come from those areas, so I try to put that on the map. This isn’t a shot at anyone but I think I’m the dopest Midwest artist that we’ve had and that we do have when it comes to the sound, when it comes to the stuff I rap about, all the way down to the look. I think a lot of Midwest artists get lost in a shuffle of other stuff. A lot of them don’t create a sound, and sound like they’re from LA or Atlanta or New York or the Bay Area, but I represent a regular Midwest person.

RESPECT.: Outside of Ohio what would be your favorite musical place in the Midwest.

Stalley: I would say Chicago and Detroit.

RESPECT.: Who do you listen to from Detroit?

Stalley: Boldy James, Royce Da 5’9, Eminem and Payroll Giovanni. I’m a hip-hop head man, I listen to a lot of stuff I don’t think it’s anything that you can stomp me with musically.

RESPECT.: Who influenced you from Ohio?

Stalley: Bone Thugs was a big influence growing up from Ohio, cause those are some of the first guys, and then M.C. Brains he had a song “oochie coochie la la la.” It’s funny I had went to a concert with my moms, my sister, my cousin and my aunt, and we had went to to see Queen Latifah, Naughty By Nature, The Fugees, and Busta Rhymes. I was a kid and I had to use the bathroom, and I went to the bathroom as a little boy and I went to pee and come next to me in the stall was M.C. Brains and I know that sounds kinda crazy, but I was like oh sh*t, it’s M.C. Brains and he was there enjoying the concert like the rest of us. Anybody who came from Ohio musically was an influence to me because that was so farfetched to me, and it was the impossible, so me seeing anybody like The O’Jays, Bone Thugs or M.C. Brains or anybody like that. We had Roger Troutman the Isley Brothers, Hi-Tek, he was a major part in Hip-Hop, Eternal Reflection was one of them best albums to me period, and he was responsible for the production on that.

RESPECT.: Explain Blue Collar Gang, for those who don’t know what it is.

Stalley: Blue Collar Gang is a mentality. It’s everything we spoke on. It’s the Midwest it’s that hard work, that grind, that grit that outworks people. It’s self made businesses, it’s the mom and pops businesses that we grew up around. I also come from a fashion background, so it’s definitely in the way I dress and put together my own brand. That BCG logo or shield as I call it, is important, having it everywhere it reminds me of who I am, where I come from, and I can wear any brand but still carry that mentality.

RESPECT.: Is it anybody in Ohio that you want to work with right now?

Stalley: I would love to collaborate with Kid Cudi. He’s from Ohio and I’ve never collabed with him I think we could make a dope record.

RESPECT.: Where does your fascination with cars stem from?

Stalley: Aw man, my fascination with cars stems from the freedom to go wherever you want.  I’m from a small town, I’ve always dreamed of going big places and seeing the world. Also, it comes from everybody in my family. My father wasn’t around a lot, but when I was around him he was always working on cars. I would walk outside and see somebody under the hood of their car, or in their trunk fixing up their stereo system. I just got fascinated from that.

RESPECT.:  Speaking of cars what’s your relationship with Curren$y these days?

Stalley: Curren$y is my brother. I just spoke to him like last week. We talked about getting together and doing some music. Hopefully that happens soon I know we’re both busy, and I know a lot of fans want a joint project from us but Curren$y is definitely one of my best friends in this industry and outside of this industry and when I first started coming up he was close by. He’s one of those special friends that helped and seen my growth. I respect everything he does.

RESPECT.: Is there anything that you would like to tell anyone that’s reading this before we wrap It up?

Stalley: Pay attention. My new music is going to be crazy. This was just page one, I’m very happy with the way people took to New Wave, and how excited they are. That wasn’t really even half of  what we got upcoming. I got a lot of music I’m very excited about and I’m about to just unload. I got the freedom and ability to put out music at the pace I want, and now it’s about just getting back to my fans and the people that support me. I want to thank my fans for being patient with me and understanding the process. BCG forever.

Photo Credit: Stalley Instagram

Follow Stalley on Twitter & Soundcloud

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The post Trunk Muzik: An Interview With The Midwest Savior, Stalley appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

By the end of the record, “Winner” will more than likely have you feeling like one.  Peep the track at the top of the post and feel free to leave us your thoughts in the comments section.

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The post Boy Face Connects With MMG Affiliate, Masspike Miles on “Winner” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Ricky Rozay has dropped another trap banger to motivate the masses with his latest offering produced by Beat Billionaire “Summer 17.” The Teflon Don puts his own spin on Drake’s staple Summer 16 tag with this track in which he vows to make all his ni**s rich before the Miami heat settles in.

Over the horn-driven melody and heavy 808s, Ross spits more of his vivid street tales while on the quest for a fortune. The release of this track follows the release of his Ty Dolla $ign featuring single, “I Think She Like Me,” which will be featured on Ross’s upcoming album to be released later this year, Rather You Than Me.

The cleverly dubbed project is yet to have a set release date or tracklist. It also appears as of now that “Summer 17” will not be featured on the album.

Give the track a listen below.

https://soundcloud.com/rickyrozaymmg/rick-ross-summer-17

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The post Rick Ross Drops New Trap Banger “Summer 17” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Meek Mill is being more realistic and heads back to school. On Friday (Jan. 22), the Philadelphia native visited Overbrook High School to encourage students to stay in school and get an education. During his speech he revealed that he has enrolled in college.

“I just enrolled in college myself,” he told the students. “I took it upon myself to do that because I want to be the best at what I do. I want to be the best at what I do so I enrolled in college to educate myself, get myself more knowledge because knowledge make money, being educated makes you money and I like making money and taking care of my family.”

Meek also told to students to focus more on themselves and their families. “Nicki Minaj, Drake ain’t gon’ benefit ya’ll,” he said. “When I was your age, I never had a chance to talk to Jay Z, I never had a chance to talk to Beanie Sigel to ask them how can I get there.”

Going to college is a great image for Meek and it might make the judge be a little lenient on him when he goes to his Feb. 5 sentencing for parole violations.

Check out his message to the students of Overbrook High School below.

The post Meek Mill Enrolls in College appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

In anticipation of his forthcoming album “Black Market,” Rozay continues to deliver the goods.  Today he lets go of the enticing and lordly visual for “2 Shots,” which exhibits plenty of riches, a fly lady on his side, and overall, his imperial lifestyle. The tracklisting for “Black Market” was released earlier this week and I have to say, the boss has a dope lineup of features on the project.  Be sure to cop that on Dec 4, to hear Rick Ross rock with Mary J. Blige, Nas, Future, John Legend and more.

The post Rick Ross – “2 Shots” (Official Video) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Don’t you hate when you get screenshot?

MMG rapper Rick Ross gets his creepington on via Yo Gotti‘s remix to his song, “Down In The DMs.” Detailing how he navigates social media as a dating service of sorts, Rozay boasts about ignoring bios and creating a new life for a lucky Instagram bae.

Listen to Rick Ross Remix Yo Gotti’s, “Down In The DMs” below:

The post Rick Ross Creeps onto Remix of Yo Gotti’s, “Down In The DMs” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.