The PressPlay Agency curates an ‘UP NEXT’ playlist which creates a dope opportunity for new artists to get heard by the people who matter most. Unlike other playlists, we’ve got the ear of the industry: our primary audience is made up of real artists, A&Rs, label execs, and music industry professionals that tune in to our playlists to find the next hot thing.

Jvaanz

IG- @jvaanz
Canadian Singer-Songwriter Jvanz knew he wanted to make music from an early age. With limited resources in his small town Jvanz used YouTube to give himself music lessons to develop his distinctive voice and sound. By high school he started MoJo, a music partnership with his close friend Mohammed. Right when they began to see some traction as a musical act – Jvanz’s friend Mohammed tragically took his own life. As a result, he released a heartfelt track titled “1-800-263-4944” – which became his breakout track. From there, he released a stream of well received singles leading up to his debut EP Parallel, including “Delusional” – which peaked at No. 2 on the Audiomack Trending Charts and was featured on the Spotify Billboard in Times Square. 

TruCarr

IG – @trucarr
TruCarr is a rising artist with a story to tell out of Watts, CA, home of TDE. Since dropping his first track at age 17, appropriately titled “Start Grindin” TruCarr has steadily been dropping new singles and visuals that shed light on his life growing up in LA. He saw gradual success until late 2019, when he dropped “Outside” – a distinctly west coast track that would quickly become TruCarr’s biggest song to date. Capitalizing on the song’s success, he followed it up with a new version featuring DaBoii of SOB x RBE – and later the “Outside Remix” featuring Blueface. In April of 2020, he dropped a track with G Perico titled “What I See” – a perfect pairing for a chilled out, LA vibe. Keep an eye out for the “What I See” video dropping soon, and a new project coming this summer.

Wazo Daveed

IG – @wazodaveed
Wazo Daveed is a 21-year-old artist, musician, and actor. Born in the Republic of Congo, Wazo created an art that’s reflective of his culture. His melodic and fun style can be seen throughout his latest project “Starchild.” Daveeds’ single “Notice Me” is an inspiration of his journey of finding success in the industry as an independent artist. The fun, energetic beat produced by Druskiwhatitdo is the perfect compliment to Wazo’s melodic flow. The deluxe version of “Starchild” is set to release before summer 2020. 

Demetri King

IG-  @demetriking1
Demetri King is a songwriter and producer out of Rochester, NY who produces meaningful sounding instrumentals suited to stand alone or for added vocals.
Kings’ latest project “Love Language” creates the soundtrack for two people falling in love as the world crumbles around them. An idea that almost hits too close to home during quarantine! Meanwhile, Demetri plans to continue to perfect his sound and create new music and partnerships.

Ovi Jozi

IG- @ww.ovi

Born and raised in New York, Ovi has been making music since 2011. Uniquely, Ovi found himself adapting to new styles and becoming addicted to the creative process. From then, he’s dropped a number of singles in his melodic, autotune style including “Drugs,” “Green Eyes,” and “All Black.” The rappers’ most notable single, “Aqua,” even received radio time on Rochester radio. Coming next for Ovi is the release of his new project, and Ep titled “Black & Purple Hearts.”

Cookie

IG- @cookenasty
Christina Denise Cooke, better known by her stage name, COOKIE, is an American female Pop singer, songwriter, producer and dancer. In 2019, she gained attention after dropping her first singles, “Bounce,” “Rainy,” and “No Title.” On February 7, COOKIE released her highly anticipated EP “Sweats & Fur’ – a project filled with velvety vocals and high-quality production. Her lead single “Rainy”, is a silky smooth R&B-infused pop single inspired by the feelings of being in love. Nonetheless, COOKIE plans to follow up her debut EP with visuals, collaborations, and of course, a new project.

Mali Ama

IG – @maliamamusic
Mali Ama is a R&B/pop singer out of Atlanta bringing us classic vibes with a modern feel. With range of spacey synths, strong vocals, and bumping 808s, she has created a distinct sound on her own. Dubbed a “chill ride bop,” her latest single “Say” is the perfect soundtrack for your next quarantine drive. Singer, Mali, is set to release another single at the end of June titled “Look At Me Now.” Whereas, the song is meant to highlight the progress she has made both personally, and as an artist. Hopefully it will inspire others to do the same.

OMB Savv

IG: – @omb_savv823
OMB Savv is a Brooklyn artist rising in the growing drill movement. Co-signed by, Fivio Foreign, OMB Savv is perfectly positioned to blow. OMB stands for ‘Only My Brothers’ – which makes sense when you see the huge support Savv has in his visuals. Savv recently debuted his six-track debut EP ‘NEW Lane’. The lead single ‘Back to Back’ is an infectious, high-energy tribute and collaboration with OMB Savv’s brother OMB Jaydee. Despite Jaydee being incarcerated, Savv uses the track to make sure his brother knows he has his back for life. With a strong sound and growing following – OMB Savv is ready to execute on his plans to takeover. In brief, stay tuned for a single dropping this month, followed by an EP this summer.

Mitchy Bagz

IG- @bt.mitch
Mitchy Bagz is a 24 year old Brooklyn artist, raised in Crown Heights. Being of Mexican and Jamaican decent, he began developing his talent in middle school during staircase rap battles. Bagz developed a unique sound that features high velocity bars with a distinctly laid back tone. This sound is showcased on his latest project, “I’m Not Here”. Hes’ dropped several singles in 2020 including “Progressive,” “Pressure,” and “Thc Smoothie Freestyle”. In addition, Mitchy Bagz’ new, quarantine-themed project “Vaccine” is set to release this week on May 22.

320

IG- @maze.320
320 is a group of artists hailing from Brooklyn, NY – including Maze, Spyda, Sneaky & Obucks. Also known as 320Ent, these artists are giving us their high-energy take on the Brooklyn drill sound. Equally, the rap group works together as a group or in pairs to put out singles like “Trap,” “Mini-van,” and “Ain’t On Shit.” Although, the “Ain’t on Shit Remix” started with the original song by Spyda & Maze. The beat’s heavy drill-inspired bass and infectious piano made the rest of the group want to jump on. To complete the remix, they added the rest of 320, and fellow Brooklyn rappers, Saad God and Diggo Finesse. The next move for 320 is continuing to push the group forward as well as highlight its individual members.

Heres the link to our ‘UP NEXT’ playlist:

Spotify

Apple

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The rise of a star is on the way. Meztheprod has exploded on the scene and he’s building a social following behind him. Fans love his way of bringing the truth to the music industry. Mez has set his heart on changing the way music is made while reviving the old sound of music. He is very mindful of what he reveals and may have quiet moments. Mez doesn’t need to say too much because his actions speak louder than his words. May people say that his works speak life into those who look up to him.

Early Life

Mez lived with his dad and learned the value of saving, sharing and a great deal of bed experiences. At 16 he ran away from his troubled home and began to find life in the streets of Washington D.C. Mez started to grab the tune for music from his father who was into music as well. Once on his own Mez began to take music more seriously than ever.

Despite the bad start, his work has grown over the years from rapping to creating beats. Meztheprod is now one of Washington D.C and New York City’s most sought out hip hop’s figures. He’s created beats and produced bread winning favorites for many well-known artists. M-ez has also worked with the likes of Stro The MC, Twista, Fred Da Godson, Chinx Drugs, Mr. Cheeks, Tony Sunshine and more!!

Power

Mez has been featured in 8 local & top magazines, including big publications such as Medium, Genius, 2dopeboyz, XXL, and many more. Meztheprod has a very big influence on social media. He helps artist step into the light offering production and opportunities.  Mez also competes with getting his artist side out to the world with past mixtapes and albums. The album titled “Power” did exceptionally well with fans tuning in to the well-put together project. The single was titled after the album Power. Mez adds a high-appealing message with lyrics and an upscale visual of scenes from slavery to Obama our former president.

Illuminati

Mez also got his point across with the next song on the project titled Illuminati where he talks about the conspiracies around the so-called cult. The video shows Mez in a losing mental state of mind while talking to the downfall of being in a cult. Fast forward to 2015 Meztheprod released a highly received Beat. tape with 12 sample-driven beats to vibe to. This beat tape was also released by Coast To Coast Mixtapes which elevated the project. Mez has also started a local non-profit organization where he has given back to his community by giving toys, coats, school supplies to the people who need it. He does this directly from his own funds and he loves to see others happy. He’s appreciated in his city by doing kind deeds for others on a daily basis.

Meztheprod has many accomplishments from  helping artist see their dreams to working with legends in music. His new Beat tape which was released in 2019 titled “Good Sunday” has a new soulful vibe to it. His work has and will continue to grab the attention of those who look up to him as a role model for music and business. Mez is a force to be reckoned with. Hard times never stopped the future legend as they call him, and he has nothing but time to bring a breath of fresh air into the music world.

Love is love, says Mez, and he wishes that everyone can get the message of truth and longevity.

The post Meztheprod: From Rags To Legends appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Early Stages

YVN Tae was born in Las Vegas. Growing up, he was a star football player and therefore he wanted to pursue a career in sports. In high school his mom needed a fresh start and relocated to Ohio. Tae began to write songs and developed a unique sound. He was inspired by artist like Lil Wayne, Travis Scott, and Lil Uzi. 

Tae grew his fan base, amassing over 140,000 Instagram followers (@yvntae), and 620,000+ Tik Tok followers with over 10.4M likes. Whether he’s singing to his videos, participating in challenges or showing off his creativity, he effortlessly showcases his talent. After receiving a lot of positive feedback and IG likes from artist such as DaBaby, and NLE Choppa, only motivating him to go harder.

Career

Since his debut in January, Tae’s dropped two follow up singles “You” and “Hang With Us.” Both songs are solo tracks that appeal to a wide audience, featuring strong melodies, heartfelt lyrics and his signature deep voice over soft 808s.

The confident flows, mature delivery, and undeniable charisma is heard in every track he touches. This exciting young artist has made a big splash on the scene and is keen to follow up it with another string of bangers in 2020.

Check out the new video! 

The post Tik Tok Star, YVN Tae Takes Music Game By Storm With New Single, “Profit” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“Metamorphosis” displays how much of diverse wordsmith he can be. This body of work demonstrates his true talent. He continuously reveals more about his life and personality through his music. In each track he sheds another layer and digs deeper. Each song tells a unique story and each lyric displays more of who he is.

Ace utilizes music as a way to convey relatable messages to his supporters. Each song creates a different vibe that you feel once the beat drops. Throughout the tape you can also hear the versatility in each track. With his unique lyrical patterns and catchy hooks, Tahj Ace shows us how he is a force to be reckon with.

Click below to stream, “Metamorphosis”

https://fanlink.to/tahjace-metamorphosis

The post Tahj Ace Delivers New EP, “Metamorphosis” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

She worked with top music executives and producers such as Cory Rooney, Rodney Jerkins, and Max Gousse.  Chloe strives to utilize her love for music management and experience to help artists realize their potential and accomplish goals.  She enjoys connecting with diverse artists and people who share a common drive for success.

We briefly discussed with Chloe how it all started:

Early Stages

“My background has always been within the entertainment industry. When I was 16, I attended performing arts college and trained in dance and musical theatre. Once I graduated college, I taught dance for 6 years. I have always had a passion for music and have been around music since I was young. Coming from a musical family plus my love for music and arts led me to this”

Creative Process

“The idea of being involved in building careers of talented artists and watching them grow everyday is something I loved. I have been fortunate enough to learn from some of the best in the industry including my current mentor ‘Cory Rooney’. Witnessing the greatness of some of the most successful managers/executives has taught me a lot over the years. After learning so many tricks of the trade and useful information, I quickly saw what to do to be successful.

Handling artists can be a challenge, but one of the most important lessons I have learned is to not let a line be crossed. Something I believe is a super important trait to have to be a good manager is patience, being strong will and being good with people. Everything moves so fast in this industry and you have to be able to stay on top of things and multitasking.

My role is to bring people together and being that go to person for your artists and team. I always keep myself to date with the industry, and always practice handling difficult people/difficult situations as this is something you will always run into. On the artist side of things it’s super important to be empathetic too, to understand that they are going to have bad days and good days.

Passion

Understanding that they are human, with feelings too is important. My passion for music business came about through my love for the arts. I want to make a difference and help be apart of paving the way for female managers and entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry. When artist feel like they are in a family like environment they begin to open up and become more foccus. I enjoy creating a place for them to feel supported while we work together as a team”

The post Meet Music Manager, Chloe Freedman appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Check out his latest single here! 

The post Bon Dior Releases New Track, “Can’t Leave It Alone” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Charlie Walk is a music industry icon and the former President of Epic Records, Republic Records, and Executive VP at Columbia Records. He was also a judge on the FOX reality series The Four: Battle for Stardom. He is one of the top music executives in the world who has played a significant role in his specialized area of developing new artists into global superstars. Throughout the course of his thirty-year career in the music business he’s been a mainstay on Billboard’s Power 100 list and has had over 400 #1 Top forty songs to his credit.  He is affectionately known to insiders as “the Artist behind the Artist”.

Charlie’s hands-on guidance has been pivotal in pushing previously unknown artists into the spotlight. Most of which are household names like Aerosmith, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato, Destiny’s Child, Drake, Enrique Iglesias, Florida Georgia Line, Fugees, Hailee Steinfeld, Jennifer Lopez, Joe Jonas, The Jonas Brothers, John Mayer, Lauryn Hill, Lorde, Mariah Carey, New Kids On The Block, Nick Jonas, Nicki Minaj, Nipsey Hussle, Post Malone, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Shawn Mendes, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Will Smith, Wyclef Jean and many more. We had a chance to catch up with Charlie Walk recently in Los Angeles and ask him some questions.

Respect: What misconceptions do you think young people have about entering the music industry?

Charlie Walk: What I love about young people is that they have no fear of entering the industry or being a part of it. The biggest misconception that exists today is that it’s easy to move culture as an artist or a through a song. Yes, people have gotten lucky, but the truth of the matter is that entry into the music business is available to anyone but requires doing the work. For example, playlisting is not marketing.

There is no “cutting the line.” The context of an artist/song happens off platform. A new artist is simply a “startup.” It’s about that artist laying out the strategy to make their ‘start up’ move culture, create value and leverage. In my opinion, to be successful at it you have to create something that is great. You have to be ‘great’ at devising, creating and ultimately, executing GREAT.  We’re in the GREAT business.

Respect: What’s an underrated or overlooked factor you think is critical for achieving early career success?

Charlie Walk: One of the things I talk about in my Music Mastery program is defining your “star chip.” A star chip is what’s in your brain, it’s your DNA, it’s what you’re born with. If you define your star chip early enough you can get a jump on anyone else around you. Your star chip actually doesn’t have to even relate to music. It identifies and defines your unique abilities, and what you’re going to be great at.. whatever the category may be…a lawyer, doctor, baseball player, accountant, or musician… Everyone has a “Star chip.”

The biggest stars identify theirs early. The key of the star chip is just that..to identify early on what you’re great at. Your passion has to lead. You can’t be forced to do something that you may not be good at. Ask yourself, what are you doing today? What do you want to do tomorrow? Have you ever had a meeting with yourself to define your God given star chip that instills in you the confidence to carry out what your DNA says you are?

Think about this, how many people do you know that went to college and didn’t know what the hell they wanted to do when they graduated. If you actually interview the mothers and fathers of successful men and women, they can pretty much tell you the characteristics of their star chip at two, three and four years old. And this applies to most of the biggest stars in the world. I remember asking Hailey Steinfeld’s & Ariana Grande‘s mom’s about their daughter’s early journeys. All of these artists came out very different. They came out singing, dancing, acting, they were creative, they were unique, and they were different than the other kids.

I remember meeting Beyoncé at a very early age, and she was clear that she was a star. She knew what her journey was going to be like. So, when you think about the biggest stars including people like Oprah, you’ll realize that they didn’t decide what they wanted to do in their late twenties. They had a really focused vision and they knew ahead of time. You can’t let yourself be in a position to be manipulated where you end up on the wrong side of things. It’s the road to not just comfortability, but stability, success and confidence. It comes from defining your star chip, finding that road customized for you, and staying on it.

Respect: Was there anything early on in your career that you didn’t necessarily anticipate being helpful, but actually has been?

Charlie Walk: I realized early on that taking drum lessons, piano lessons, singing lessons and being in band was me training to understand the mindset of an artist. I was channeling being an artist while knowing I wasn’t the best drummer, but I could keep a beat. Knowing I wasn’t the best singer, but I could keep tone and be on key. Knowing that I can hear a hit, but I couldn’t write one. I think experiencing these particular things early on was a subliminal message telling me where my focus should be. Growing up I didn’t have a ton of resources. I had a great mom and dad, but I didn’t know anyone in the entertainment business or music business. I was on my own to figure it out.

My Mom gave me advice and told me I needed to get an internship in my areas of interest. She put that in my head at the early age of nine years old. “You must get an internship!”. To me that meant I needed to know what the hell I wanted to do. I wanted to intern in the business that would lead me up the right street sensibility.  The combination of understanding the intricacies of the music business combined with a college education could never take me down. It allowed me to be a participant early on. Not on the football field, not on the baseball field, but in the field of music.

Respect: What’s your very best advice for helping a student or young professional craft a career with a strong sense of meaning and purpose?

Charlie Walk: For me, I’ve always wanted to find the next executive or the next artist. I always wanted to be a part of the future because I was never comfortable being in just the present. I think that if you’re young, you should question whether you’re actually helping people. Are your efforts just to make money or are you focusing on your passion, while helping people? Leading with passion and purpose seems to always win.

I also think it’s a balance of really being true to yourself. So that when you look in the mirror analyze who you are you have that selfless component. I like to call that the give back. It isn’t necessarily starting a nonprofit, donating money as needed. ‘Give backs” are done with promotion, that people don’t talk about. The giveback is actually going to sleep each night with a completed sense of purpose because you guided somebody or did something that made a difference in someone else’s life. You can’t put a price on that.

Respect: Does ego play a role in the entertainment business?

Charlie Walk: I would say you have to be confident and curious and be conscious of ego. Ego is not your amigo. You have to come into the game with some sort of an ego because that’s giving you the edge to push and push while everyone around you is rolling their eyes and not seeing what you’re seeing.

The ego is a very delicate thing that needs management. I remember going on a TV show while I was working at a record company with Diddy, Khaled, Megan Trainer, and Fergie. I had a natural transformation after being taken out of my work element into a movie set environment with celebrity fueled fire. Even seeing myself in Times Square and on the billboards on Sunset Boulevard gave me an out of body experience. Looking back, I can say that I became someone that didn’t like and someone that I never thought I would become. I was morphing into a different type of person.

The sweetness and the delicateness and the lovable side of me morphed in the wrong direction. I think that was an awakening for me. One of my old bosses use to say to me “Ego is the number one killer in the music business”. I didn’t know what he was saying until it actually happened to me. I think different experiences humble you but also allow you to come back stronger, smarter and faster than the next person. It also allows you to identify the difference between good and great, while maintaining equilibrium and balancing ego. Now I can look around at what I’m doing today and make sure that my ego never gets out of check because when it does it sets you back.

Respect: What factor does money play in the music industry? 

Charlie Walk: The beautiful thing about the music industry today is that there’s a force out there fighting for independent artists. I think the Digital service providers respect and support this cause as well. In a business where the audience demands for “NEW,” it’s never been more exciting to compete for the consumers attention. The point of entry into the music game is easier than it’s ever been, but at a certain point you do need money to be competitive on a global basis.

However, if you have a magical artist and a magical song, I say “Great” can happen at any time. Today, there are so many young artists breaking without major label affiliation. They are making world class music and content very inexpensively and that’s because they’re aggressive, smart and clever. And those ingredients combined with the ‘great’ factor always ends up finding its way. Whether you’re the executive, the artist, the artist behind the artist and so on, there’s always an opportunity for greatness to break through, drive culture and make a difference.

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